Weekly eNews
Ross Featherston
Headmaster, Brighton Grammar SchoolAs our students grow and move through an increasingly complex world, it is important that we help them discover their interests, broaden their aspirations and begin thinking about the many possibilities that lie beyond school.
This journey starts early in the ELC and Junior School, where curiosity, confidence and a willingness to explore are encouraged, and continues through the Secondary School as boys make more informed decisions about life beyond school.
Recent Australian findings from the Australian Council for Educational Research have shown that senior students who receive dedicated career guidance feel far more confident and well‑prepared when considering their future pathways. This is exactly the kind of support we want for our boys.
Our Careers Expo this week, featuring industry specialists and representatives from a range of tertiary institutions, gave students valuable insight into possible study options and career directions.
It was wonderful to see so many boys and their families taking advantage of this opportunity on Tuesday evening. My sincere thanks go to our Old Boys and members of our wider community who generously volunteered their time to support the event.
Finally, I wish our boys the very best as they represent BGS in the days ahead: our sailors competing at the State Championships tomorrow, our STEM Racing teams heading into the national finals, and our rowers preparing for the Head of the River on Saturday.
Simon Angus
Deputy Headmaster, Head of Secondary SchoolTomorrow, our leading STEM Racing teams will begin competition at the National Finals at St Bede’s College. We wish the boys from Ad Astra, Quasar and RPM every success as they compete on the national stage, along with our BGS Sailing team as they commence the 2026 Taipan Victorian State Championships this weekend.
We also look forward to travelling to Nagambie Lakes on Saturday for the Head of the River – always a wonderful atmosphere – as we recognise the dedication, discipline and hard work our rowers have invested in preparing for this event.
We will also host the World’s Greatest Shave at lunchtime tomorrow. Students are close to reaching $6,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation. Leukaemia is a cancer that is personal for us at BGS, as we continue to support one of our Secondary School boys who has been courageously battling the disease for over a year.
It is therefore heartening, though not surprising, to see such generosity reflected in the funds raised so far, and we hope this continues to grow. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and supported this important cause. If you would like to contribute, please donate here.
On Monday, our Year 7 students will embark on their much-anticipated Outdoor Education journey, an exciting opportunity to strengthen friendships and learn beyond the classroom. Travelling to the Mornington Peninsula, they will take part in camping, hiking, cooking, and a range of hands-on activities designed to build resilience, teamwork, and independence.
This experience marks an important milestone in their transition to Secondary School, and we wish them all the best for what promises to be an unforgettable adventure.
Meliora Sequamur.
Happenings & Reminders
- Thursday 19 March – Year 10 Performance Evening
- Monday 30 March – Semester 1 Concert – Large Ensembles
- Thursday 2 April – Term 1 concludes
- Tuesday 21 April – Term 2 commences
- 2026 APS Winter Sport Training Schedule is available here.
Student2Student Program
Years 7-12 students are invited to become a Student2Student Buddy in The Smith Family’s 2026 Student2Student program.
As a Buddy, students will read online with their allocated reader two to three times a week for 18 weeks. It is a meaningful way to make a direct and lasting difference in a young person’s life.
We have an allocated number of places available on the program, so if your son is interested in participating, please encourage him to speak to Zoe Tamplin or me by Friday 27 March to register interest.
The impact of the program is significant, not only for the younger students, but also for our boys. At this week’s assembly, we recognised 2025 program participants – Lachlan Dever, Hugo Faulkner-Aschman, Nicholas Michele, Jed Russo and Joey Williams. Read more about the 2025 program.
Lindsey McCormac
Head of Service Learning
From the Archives
In his essay, On the Choice of a Profession, Robert Louis Stevenson (author of Treasure Island and Kidnapped) reflects on the career choice young men have to make when they reach the end of their school years. He emphasizes the importance of asking the right people for advice, and for pursuing a career in an area that you are interested in if possible – something the exhibitors at the Careers Expo this week would also suggest.
This book is part of the W. T. Price Collection, housed in the BGS Archives. W. T. Price taught at the School from 1943 until 1950.
Teamwork in action
Brighton Grammar staff from across the school laced up their runners and hit the track together in the 2026 Corporate Relay Run at the St Kilda Catani Gardens.
Seven staff teams from the Junior and Secondary Schools and Professional Support took on a field of 150 for the 3 X 5km race, scoring top five results in several categories. Read full report from Rob Hayward, Head of Classical Studies.
2027 African Safari Tour
In September 2027, our students will have the extraordinary opportunity to take part in the 2027 African Tour; an unforgettable cultural and educational experience. Open to all current students in Years 8–11, this immersive journey will allow students to explore the rich traditions, history and daily life of African communities while developing a deeper global perspective. Countries visited will be South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
A highlight of the tour will be an authentic African safari, where students will experience breathtaking landscapes and encounter iconic wildlife up close in their natural habitat. This unique adventure promises to be both inspiring and life changing.
Families are encouraged to learn more by collecting an information brochure from the Urwin Centre reception or from Student Services at the St Andrew’s end of the school. Parents and students are also warmly invited to attend the online Parent Information Session on 30 March.
For further details, please contact me.
Biddy Duckham
Mathematics Teacher
New BGS Volunteer Induction process
We are pleased to launch our new BGS Volunteer Induction Portal. All volunteers engaged in child-connected work must complete this induction to ensure they are informed, supported and meet the requirements to work with children. This includes understanding the BGS Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy, Child Safety Code of Conduct, and your responsibilities regarding records management, information sharing, and reporting obligations.
We welcome and are so grateful for our volunteers, who are a testament to the immensely strong and supportive community we have here at BGS. If an opportunity presents and you would like to take on a volunteer role, please be sure to contact the Compliance team for further guidance and the link to the new Volunteer Induction Portal. By completing this induction, you will be contributing to our shared responsibility of maintaining a safe, respectful and supportive environment for all children and young people in our care.
Examples of volunteer roles at BGS include; attending excursions, being part of a ‘Friends Of’ Parent Group, supporting onsite and offsite School events where students are present, accepting a volunteer sports coaching position
Please contact Compliance@brightongrammar.vic.edu.au if you have any further questions.
Parking Reminder – St Andrews Street Pick-Up Zone
We have been advised that Bayside City Council is actively enforcing parking restrictions in the St Andrews Street pick-up zones, with a number of fines recently issued to drivers.
Please ensure you carefully observe all posted parking signs and time limits when collecting your son, including remaining only for the permitted duration and using the space strictly for pick-up.
Council inspectors may monitor the area remotely, so fines may be issued even if an officer is not visibly present.
From Reverend Waterhouse
Earlier this week, I had reason to finally get around to seeing my dentist, in order to receive a filling and the first stage of a crown on a back molar. After almost ninety minutes in the chair, it is safe to say that my jaw was somewhat tender and tired.
What struck me as extraordinary was the large array of equipment that is now available for dentists to use: gel numbing agents, decay-revealing pastes, zirconium composite filler and handheld 3D-scanning wands.
Modern dentistry is an example of the remarkable creativity and ingenuity that human beings are capable of achieving. Just as God is a Creator, so we, being made in God’s image (c.f. Genesis 1:26-27) are also creative creatures.
What is most significant is that the Word of God, Jesus, through whom and for whom ‘all things were created’ (c.f. Colossians 1:16), took on flesh and became like one of us in this world.
The current Christian season of Lent prompts us to once again recall that the Lord of all creation would submit himself to the scandal of the cross, so as to suffer not simply a sore tooth, but the sting of sin and death for each and every one of us.
What a remarkable act of love and courage!