Weekly eNews
Ross Featherston
Headmaster, Brighton Grammar SchoolCo-curricular activities offer students valuable opportunities to spark new interests and develop strengths they may not discover in the classroom alone.
Our diverse co-curricular program includes experiences such as interstate tours like this week’s Year 6 Canberra trip, joint musical productions with Firbank Grammar (with final rehearsals taking place for The SpongeBob Musical), and recent parent-son cooking classes.
The enthusiasm of our Year 7-8 students in Food Technology is a strong reminder of the important link between healthy nutrition and effective learning.
Good food choices support focus, energy and overall wellbeing. Even something as simple as a balanced breakfast can positively impact your son’s day. Staying hydrated is equally as important.
As a school, we’re committed to working in partnership with families to support healthy habits so boys are better equipped to concentrate, manage stress, and be ready to learn.
The Crowther Centre has a number of helpful resources, including our Position Paper on Nutrition , which I encourage you to read and discuss with your son.
Simon Angus
Deputy Headmaster, Head of Secondary SchoolTonight, Parent Teacher Student Discussions commence, and tomorrow I head to Brisbane for the Anglican Schools Australia Conference. Next week, the curtain rises on the Year 7–9 production of the The SpongeBob Musical – best of luck to the cast and crew!
I’d also like to acknowledge the outstanding work of our Year 9 students and staff on Breakthrough as part of our ongoing environmental program at Straths Creek in Central Victoria. In June, around 1,500 trees were planted during a very successful week of revegetation, and I’m pleased to report that the first nesting box has now been installed. With recent rain, the once-empty dam is full again, most trees are thriving, and wildlife activity is increasing; kangaroos, wombats, wallabies, and even wedge-tailed eagles have been spotted.
Two years of a 25 year Carbon and Biodiversity Project has been completed, with nearly 20,000 seedlings planted across 40 hectares at the property. Brighton Grammar students have contributed close to 10% of this, a remarkable achievement. My sincere thanks to all the Year 9 students and the many staff who supported them. Your hard work is making a real difference and will continue to benefit the environment for decades to come.
On Monday I had the privilege of taking my Year 11 Physics class to the Australian Particle Accelerator. This visit provided a fantastic opportunity for our students to engage with some of Australia’s top scientists and gain insights into advanced scientific research. It was a memorable experience for everyone involved.
Meliora Sequamur.
Happenings & Reminders
- Thursday 7 August, 3.00-9.30pm: Parent, Teacher, Student Discussions
- Tuesday 12 August, 2.00-8.30pm: Parent, Teacher, Student Discussions
- Thursday 14 to Saturday 16 August: SpongeBob Musical at Rosstrevor Hall
- Monday 18 August – Mid-term break
- Wednesday 20 August – Jam for James Casual Clothes Day
- Please view this infographic from Victoria Police on biking and riding e-scooters. We encourage you to continue having conversations with your sons regarding road safety.
Celebration of Culture and Connection
Last week, BGS came alive with colour, flavour and fun as we celebrated Languages Week! Students had the chance to explore our four languages – Japanese, Chinese, French and Latin – through a wide range of exciting activities.
During Tutor group, students took part in a Languages Quiz, testing their knowledge of words, cultures and the fascinating ways languages are interconnected. Cooking classes were a highlight of the week, with students learning to make delicious crêpes, dumplings, yakisoba and even pizza. The aromas drifting through the school were irresistible!
Read full report by Melissa Faulkner, Head of Languages
Winter Sleepout
Each year, BGS staff and students brave the cold and participate in the Annual Winter Appeal Sleepout. Armed with only a sleeping bag, pillow and a carboard box, they get a small glimpse as to what challenges our local homeless face each night.
This year’s sleepout on Friday 15 August will raise money for Posh Bags for Lads, which provides essential items to men experiencing homelessness, and you can support this worthy cause here.
Thank you to the boys who have already registered to be part of the Winter Sleepout. If your son wants to take part, please ask him to contact Ms Ladas.
Anna Ladas
Director of Service
International Parent Workshop
The recent interactive workshop for Years 7–11 International parents and their sons was a great success. Led by Kristen Molloy from the Crowther Centre and Katie White, Director of Students, the session offered valuable strategies for maintaining positive communication during adolescence. With translation by International Student Coordinator Wen Yan, families participated comfortably in their preferred languages. Thank you to all who attended!
BGS Business Breakfast
At our next BGS Business Breakfast on 27 August, guest speaker Tim Toner, co-founder and CEO of Affinda Group, will offer his insights on the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Affinda Group is a rising force in AI, driving growth through two innovative ventures: Affinda (AI-powered document processing) and Draftable (legal document comparison software). Trusted by over 1,750 customers across 75 countries, they are supported by some of Australia’s leading family offices.
Join us to hear Tim’s story of founding the Group, including his advice on how to make AI work for you, with some interactive examples.
Pink Dinner
Tickets are now on sale for the 2025 Pink Dinner, a fun night for the women of our BGS community to connect, share some laughs, and this year, support the Leukaemia Foundation.
Book a table of 12 or individual tickets (we’ll aim to seat you with your preferred year level).
From Reverend Waterhouse
This week, I am attending the annual Anglican Schools Australia conference up in sunny Brisbane, a city that (according to the roadside billboards) apparently “favours the bold”. We’ll see …
One of the many blessings of Brighton Grammar is that we are part of a diverse network of approximately 160 Anglican schools across the country, educating 175,000 students. While we are all different in terms of our make-up, location, context and culture, we are united around the goal of desiring to transform young hearts and minds not only in knowledge of this world, but especially in knowledge of their loving Creator.
Our shared history in fact goes back to the time of the First Fleet, when Richard Johnson, an Anglican cleric, sailed from England to Terra Australis to become the colony’s first chaplain. In time, he and other subsequent clergy set up schools for the education of both the children of convicts and free settlers.
Today, our Anglican schools are places that have both a social and spiritual identity. Yes, we are deeply invested in educating our students and assisting them to reach their full academic potential, but we also desire for them to grow into thoughtful, conscientious and purposeful citizens, who will use their gifts for the good of both themselves and the wider society they dwell in. In this sense, they are living out Christ’s command to ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ [Matthew 22:39].
If you would like to know about this network, then I encourage you to visit the website at www.anglicanschoolsaustralia.edu.au and also to consider the graphic below, which summarises the five dominant themes of Anglican schools.
