Weekly eNews
Ross Featherston
Headmaster, Brighton Grammar SchoolAs with any successful organisation, our school has crafted a strategic roadmap to guide our focus for the coming years. We are sharing this document with our key stakeholders to ensure alignment around shared goals, so we can work collaboratively to support and inspire our students as they progress to adulthood.
A major initiative for 2025 in support of this is the Harmony Project, to help our boys reduce their overall screen usage and use technology in more healthy ways. For this project to be truly effective, I am asking for your input and support.
As a start, I encourage all parents to tune in to the Crowther Centre’s webinar, Boys and Screens, on 12 February to learn about the effects of mobile phones and social media on young people and how we can support our children to make good choices.
We also plan to survey parents, staff and student leaders over the next few weeks so that we have a clear understanding on where we stand on this issue.
Research by Commonsense Media shows that the average teenager now spends over eight hours every day on screens (for reasons other than schoolwork), far exceeding the Australian Government’s National Guidelines of no more than two hours on recreational screen use per day.
A total of 43% of children aged 8-12 years have a smartphone, rising to about 95% by the teen years. For many families, the decision about when to get a smartphone and the negotiations about rules and boundaries are frequent causes of stress and arguments.
The Federal Government introduced legislation in 2024 to ban social media for young people under 16, based on evidence from parents, educators, psychologists and child welfare advocates.
As a school, we cannot ignore the research regarding the negative impact of excessive screen time and exposure to social media. Our children have the fundamental human right to be protected from harm, need to learn how to socialise in real life, be protected from disturbing and age-inappropriate content and learn without constant distractions or disruptions.
As a cohesive community, we are in the privileged position to guide young people to find ways to create a more harmonious relationship with technology, and if we do it right, we will change lives. I look forward to your support.
Simon Angus
Deputy Headmaster, Head of Secondary SchoolThe school year has kicked off to a great start. A particular highlight has been seeing our Year 7s finding their way around and gradually settling into the rhythm of Secondary School life.
One of the most heartwarming traditions at BGS is when Year 7 students are officially welcomed into the Secondary School by the Year 8 to 12 boys as they make their way through the Tower to their first assembly – a symbolic rite of passage that continues to grow in significance each year.
In yesterday’s assembly, we proudly celebrated the academic achievements of our top-performing and most improved students from 2024. Congratulations to these boys for their dedication and hard work!
A big thank you to all the parents who attended the Parent Welcome Evenings over the past week. It was a pleasure to connect with you and share insights into the year ahead.
Tomorrow promises to be an exciting day as our newly appointed House Captains, lead their Houses at the much-anticipated House Swimming event at MSAC.
Looking ahead, our Year 7 and Year 10 students are preparing for their Outdoor Education experiences this semester. To help parents and students get ready, we warmly invite you to the Outdoor Education Expo on Tuesday, 11 February, where we’ll provide essential information about what to expect and how to pack for success.
I would also like to extend my congratulations to the following staff members on their new appointments:
- Ingrid Howren as Head of +M
- Bryn Humberstone as Director of Teaching and Learning
- Nicole Clark as Head of Pastoral Operations
- Blair Cooper as Head of School House
- Brittany Richards as Director of Experiential Education
- Rob Ogilvie as Head of Outdoor Education, Operations
We look forward to their leadership, and contributions in these roles as they continue to strengthen and develop our school community.
Meliora Sequamur.
Happenings & Reminders
- 12 February, 7.00pm – Boys and Screens Webinar
- 19 February, 7.00pm – Year 7 Ready to Learn Workshop
- 27 February, 2.00 – 8.30pm – Parent Teacher Student Discussions
- 1 March, 2.00pm – Opening of the Duigan Centre
- 3 March, 2.00 – 8.30pm – Parent Teacher Student Discussions
- We are aware that some parents are not receiving Notices in the BGS app. To ensure you stay informed, please follow these steps to activate an interim solution. While some items may not be relevant to your son’s year level, this will ensure you don’t miss any important information. We are actively working with the app vendor to resolve the issue.
Sport update
Welcome back to all students and in particular our Year 7 boys starting their BGS Sport journey. APS Sport is an exciting part of school at BGS and one that brings excitement, friendships and memories that will stay with boys forever.
Below is some key information to help parents and students navigate Term 1 Sport:
- APS Sport is a compulsory part of school at BGS. If students are sick or absent, they should communicate with their Year Level Coordinators (YLC) or Teachers in Charge. Detentions are given for any unexplained absences.
- Information regarding training and weekend fixtures can be found on the BGS Sport page and YLC will share specific information on Schoolbox. Parents should email YLC if they have questions.
- Students should commit to their sport for the season. There will be key deadlines communicated to students about swapping sports. These must be adhered to as we need to enter teams for each sport.
- Uniforms are purchased at Noone Hampton (1/345, Hampton Street, Hampton) They can help you with each sport’s requirements.
- Some sports require equipment (eg. Tennis racquets, Squash, Football boots). Please check with your YLC what is needed before games start.
- Labour Day weekend (8 March) there are NO SPORT fixtures.
If you can’t find the answers you need, please contact us in the sport office.
I wish all the boys luck with their respective sports and encourage you to play with passion, respect and integrity with your fellow Tonner. Meliora Sequamur.
Tim Blackwood
Acting Director of Sport
Climbing the Mountain of Year 12
Before the start of term, the Year 12s embarked upon Big Fella Camp, to take on the challenge of hiking Mount Feathertop, one of the tallest mountains in Victoria, as a metaphor for the year to come.
Gathering together as a cohort to climb the mountain (and to see the wonderful view at the top), has inspired a collective mindset of energy and determination in us all, to climb the mountain that is Year 12.
With performances, from our talented peers (and a surprise harmonica performance from Dr Swann!), House connection opportunities, and the landing of our 2025 Legacy Project, Big Fella truly did live up to its remarkable reputation that has been passed down from those before us; how great it was to hit the ground running on the first day of our final year at Brighton Grammar.
Read more from our Captain of School, Charlie Sabin.
USA Performing Arts Tour
In December, 20 Brighton Grammar boys and four staff embarked on an unforgettable Performing Arts tour to New York and Los Angeles.
This enriching experience showcased the magic of live performance, offered invaluable workshops with industry professionals, and immersed the boys in the cultural vibrancy of two of the world’s most iconic cities.
Read full report from Michael Kent, Head of Drama Curriculum.
BGS App – Important Information
We are aware that some parents are not receiving Notices in the BGS app. To ensure you stay informed, please follow these steps to activate an interim solution. While some items may not be relevant to your son’s year level, this will ensure you don’t miss any important information. We are actively working with the app vendor to resolve the issue.
Year 7 Immunisations
Bayside City Council will visit BGS on 25 February to deliver two vaccines to the Year 7 cohort. The Department of Health has introduced a statewide online consent system where you can consent to either or both vaccines or return a decline response.
You will be asked to use a one-time password alpha-numeric code via text message. Please ensure you push submit on the final summary page to receive a confirmation email. Medical conditions information/concerns can be included in the comment box.
FOM Secondhand Uniform Sales
BGS Friends of Music reminds the school community of our wonderful Secondhand Uniform Shop. If your son needs summer uniform (academic or sport), or you need to offload outgrown items from the wardrobe, please consider us!
Secondhand uniform donations can be left at any time during school hours in the blue, clearly labelled wheelie bin at the Secondary School Music Office. Extra donation tubs can be found at the Secondary School, Junior School and Urwin Centre reception areas. Items must be wearable, clean and current uniform.
To purchase a secondhand uniform, please contact the SHUS team All funds raised support the work of the Music Department.
From Reverend Waterhouse
During the holidays, I read an interesting book called Orbital, which won the 2024 Booker Prize. It tracks the lives of six cosmonauts and astronauts living aboard the International Space Station.
An interesting aspect of the book was its explanation of how the concept of time is so skewed aboard the station: days don’t feel like 24 hours when you conduct sixteen orbits of the earth every day and you witness multiple contrasting horizons throughout the day.
One of the convictions of the Bible is that while human beings are constrained by both time and space, God is not. He stands above time and space (what is theologically called God’s “omnipresence”).
In his second letter, the apostle Peter affirms that, ‘With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.’ [2 Peter 3:8].
We may understandably feel at times that the world is chaotic or that the personal situations facing us are out of control. It’s at such moments that God’s providence and existence over time and space are a tremendous comfort to us.
Furthermore, at just the right time, Christ was sent into this world to redeem it for all time.