Weekly eNews
Ross Featherston
Headmaster, Brighton Grammar SchoolResearch findings on the positive impact that sports participation has on our children’s academic performance during their school life and beyond caught my eye in an article in The Age over the weekend.
The study by the University of Sydney was unique because it tracked over 4000 students aged from four to 21 years.
Using data from the Federal Government’s Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, researchers found that kids who played sport throughout their childhood and into adolescence performed better academically.
Participation in sport was associated with higher NAPLAN scores, better school attendance, and a higher likelihood of university admission.
This study validates the BGS educational approach of learning (academics), playing (sport, outdoor education), creating (music, dance, drama) and being (our +M program).
These four essentials underpin the holistic development of our boys, to lead them to become well-rounded individuals who can thrive in varied aspects of life, at school and beyond.
Simon Angus
Deputy Headmaster, Head of Secondary SchoolThe beginning of the school year started with a fast pace. After the totally rewarding, slightly exhausting experience of Big Fella, we as a school couldn’t have been more ready and more excited to welcome back the students. It is always a highlight to see our new Year 7s find their way around and slowly become more comfortable with joining the Secondary School.
Each year the Year 7s are welcomed to the Secondary School by the Year 8-12 boys as they go to their first assembly through the Tower. This tradition continues to grow, and the honouring of this ceremony is a delight to witness.
Thank you to all parents who joined us for the parent welcome evenings last week. It was a pleasure to touch base with you.
Looking forward to what is coming up, our Year 7s and Year 10s will be heading out on their Outdoor Education experiences this semester. In order to best support your son’s with what to expect and what to pack, I encourage you to join us at the upcoming Outdoor Education Expo for these year levels on Tuesday 13 February.
Meliora Sequamur.
Happenings and Reminders
- Please note academic classes commence at 9.00am on Thursday mornings.
- Tuck shop for Years 7 and 8 students is available online only.
- 2024 Term Dates can be found on our website.
- House Swimming – Friday 16 February.
- Please use the current parent page on our website to find up to date information for most of your queries.
Congratulations and Farewell
Congratulations to the Year 12 class of 2023. Not only did the 2023 cohort conclude the year with outstanding academic results but 100% of VTAC applicants received an offer to tertiary education in the first and second Victorian offer round of 2023.
Our graduating students will soon embark on the next step of their learning with a well-deserved sense of pride and accomplishment.
In 2023, over 94% of the Year 12 cohort applied for tertiary courses through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC). Of this group, nearly 82% received an offer from their top three preferences.
As depicted in the chart above, Monash University, the University of Melbourne and RMIT attracted most BGS students, which is in keeping with historical destination data.
Congratulations to this outstanding group of students. We wish them well as they transition to this next phase of learning and life!
Joanne Hall
Careers Counsellor
Big Fella 2024
For almost a decade now Brighton Grammar Year 12s have begun their year with the Big Fella camp.
For the second consecutive year the cohort, along with a big staff team comprised of teachers and Outdoor Education specialists travelled to Mount Hotham where each House had their own ski lodge; the time spent in smaller communities helps ensure that the students and House staff form a positive and supportive dynamic with which they will tackle the year ahead.
The Big Fella camp combines the physical challenge of hiking with the mental challenge of thinking about the learning and challenge of the year ahead; approaches to learning and challenges are discussed and explored. Read full post from James Dann, Head of Student Leadership.
The Crowther Centre
At Brighton Grammar, we are dedicated to leveraging research-evidence to power our teaching, learning, and wellbeing programs through the Crowther Centre. Read full article from Dr Ray Swann about our work, which encompasses applied research, instructional coaching, partnership with world-leading experts, and continual assessment of our initiatives.
From Reverend Waterhouse
Many years ago, at the first house I lived in, I recall spending a considerable number of hours (and dollars!) installing a complex watering system in the back garden. Whilst it was done in an effort to be more ‘time and energy efficient’, in due course, nozzles clogged up, roots strangled pipes, and the whole hose system was soon rendered redundant.
Last Saturday evening, in the cool of the evening at about 9.30pm, I spent about thirty delightful minutes watering my hedges and topiary trees. Yes, it involved holding a hose for that time period, but there was something cathartic about simply looking at the slowly shifting stars above and enjoying the peaceful night air.
It reminded me of King David’s meditation in Psalm 8 in the Old Testament: ‘When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?’ (vss. 3-4).
In the busyness of our domestic routines as a new school year begins, I encourage us all to take a regular moment, if we can, to simply be and enjoy the Creator’s handiwork and our place in it.
Transition Tips for the New School Year
As we settle into the new school year, a number of boys may still be feeling higher than usual levels of anxiety and uncertainty. While some degree of nervousness is expected, it can be incredibly unsettling for parents and boys when their emotions feel overwhelming. To help make the transition for your son a little smoother, here are some insights and suggestions.
Support Music at BGS
Friends of Music (FOM) is a group of parents and teachers committed to raising the profile of music at BGS and within the wider community, enriching the musical life of students and providing an opportunity for parents to participate in the diverse musical life of the school.
The first meeting of FOM for 2024 will be held on Monday 12 February at 7.00pm in the Music Department in Secondary School. All welcome.
Read more about this fun and active group and how you can get involved.
The 2024 Ross Williamson Scholarship
The Ross Williamson Scholarship, provided and subsidised by the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, is a bursary for boys whose parent/s are experiencing financial hardship.
The scholarship is open to boys over 13 years of age, who are baptised members of the Anglican Church and whose parents are in need of monetary assistance for providing their son’s education at an Anglican school in Melbourne or its suburbs.
To apply, parents need to complete this form and email it to headmaster@brightongrammar.vic.edu.au by 22 February 2024, marked Confidential: Ross Williamson Scholarship.