Newsletter
Week 1 Term 1

Welcome

I warmly welcome the BGS community to the 2022 year. While it has been another interrupted start to a school year, I commend our students, staff and parents for your collective adaptability to adjust to home-based learning.

COVID Update

Please see the article below which was shared with parents and caregivers by email earlier week. The article contains important information to prepare your sons for the return to on-campus learning on Monday.

Learning Next Week

We have a plan for students who are unable to attend school. Please see the article below titled 'What lessons will look like when most students return to campus on Monday 7 February'. The article contains other important information for parents to read ahead of next week.

Holiday Activities

As is often the case at BGS, there was a great deal of cocurricular activity over the holidays. I thank the many coaches, activity leaders and teachers who enable these activities to happen. I also thank our students and parents for ensuring the activities were so well-attended.

Building Program

While there have been the usual maintenance tasks completed during the holidays, two major projects were also in progress. The Harlin House refurbishment was completed in December. This $5M project provides senior boarders with leading boarding facilities and complements Griffith House, which was opened in 2020 for our junior boarders.

Progress has been made on the School’s major project, the STEAM Precinct. It is due for completion in 2023. The facility will transform the BGS campus and provide staff and students with a world-class environment to teach, learn and socialise. I will provide more updates on the STEAM Precinct throughout the year.

Traffic

The beginning of any school year presents traffic challenges. Parents of students in Years 9 to 12 are encouraged to drop their sons off away from campus. Places such as Centenary Pool and Roma Street Parkland are under-used and your support can help to minimise the congestion that will occur in and around the two Grammar schools. Please be aware that there will be delays at the front of campus, particularly in the first couple of weeks while people re-establish routines.

Academic Results

The BGS Class of 2021 achieved exceptional results with a median ATAR of 95.30. An extraordinary 11 BGS students achieved the top rank of 99.95 – only 32 students received this rank across Queensland. Click here to see the full results and learn more.

Grammar News

I encourage you to read the summer 2022 edition of Grammar News. The edition includes a feature on Student Wellbeing (pages 14-19) unpacking how we focus on student wellbeing for each boy.

The cover story (pages 24-25) showcases BGS Old Boy molecular virologist Professor Andrew Davidson ’79, who is at the front line of COVID-19 research. Our 2021 Speech Day guest speaker Old Boy Dr Sean Parsons ’97 is also innovating to overcome COVID-19 (page 22).

Read about the journey of BGS Old Boys Alan Wu ’01 as he strives to build a more just society (page 19), and generous BGS Old Boy cowboy Tom Strachan ’90 who gave $500,000 to the School (page 30-31).

School Magazine

The digital version of the 2021 BGS Magazine is accessible here.

Thank you for your understanding and adaptability as we start the 2022 school year.

Parent Letters

Further to the information contained in this communication, parents should click on the letter relevant to them at the links below. These letters from the Head of Middle School, and Deputy Headmaster and Head of Senior School contain specific information to help parents plan for the return to campus on Monday.

• Click here to read the letter to Middle School parents and caregivers.
• Click here to read the letter to Senior School parents and caregivers.

Return to Campus

All BGS students Years 5 to 12 will resume on-campus learning from Monday 7 February. The Queensland Government has announced Queensland’s 2022 Back to School Plan.

The salient points from the 2022 Back to School Plan for staff, students and parents include:

• priority access to Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) at Queensland Health testing clinics for students and staff who have COVID-19 symptoms;
• suspension of school camps, excursions, assemblies and large gatherings;
• limiting visitors on campus; and
• limiting face-to-face staff meetings and face-to-face parent-teacher interviews.

Mask Wearing

• BGS students will be required to wear masks except when eating, seated in their relevant playground area, or seated in a classroom.
• BGS teachers may remove their masks to teach.

Student Positive Cases at School

• If a potential positive case is identified at school, the student will be isolated until he is able to travel home to quarantine. The student will be issued with a RAT to be used at home.
• If a student tests positive outside of school, they will be required to quarantine at home.
• If a household member tests positive, the student will be deemed a close contact and will be required to quarantine.

Student Absences

Students and staff must not attend school if they are sick or showing symptoms of COVID-19. The usual processes for student absences continue – please email absences@brisbanegrammar.com.

Student Arrival to Campus on Monday 7 February 2022

To ease traffic congestion, there will be a staggered start to the return to campus. 

Year Level	Start time on Monday 7 February
Years 5 to 7	Start school at 9.30am. Classroom supervision for students is available from 8.15am. Supervision will operate in the Middle School Library for students in Years 5 and 6 who arrive earlier than 8.15am. Year 7 students will be supervised in the Year 7 social space from 7.45am.
Years 8 to 12	Start school at 8.20am – students may arrive as normal

 

Traffic Zone

The traffic zone can be particularly busy at the start of the school year. Designated year level areas will be set up in the traffic zone to assist with afternoon pick-up. Designated locations are as follows:

• Years 5 and 7 – Middle School building side
• Years 6 and 8 – Centre aisle
• Years 9 and 10 – BGGS side
• Years 11 and 12 – Foundation Stone

Students are required to wait in their designated area (or the area of their youngest sibling) for collection.

Older students may wish to organise an alternative collection point, such as Roma St Parklands, Boundary Street, or Centenary Pool.

Volunteer Vaccination Requirement

All community members who wish to engage as a BGS volunteer this year must provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Evidence should be emailed to the School using this address: vax_status@brisbanegrammar.com.

Grammar Shop

• The Grammar Shop is open from 7.30am to 11.00am on weekdays until Thursday 3 February and no appointments are necessary.
• On Friday 4 February the Grammar Shop will be open for new boarding students only.
• From 7 February 2022 the Grammar Shop will be open from 7.30am to 11.00am. For updates, check MyGrammar | P&F Auxiliary | Grammar Shop Location and Trading Hours.

Old Boy Tutors

Old Boy tutors will not be able to tutor onsite until further notice.

Cocurricular Sports and Music

• Most scheduled Cocurricular training or activities continue.
• Please continue to check information about individual sport and cultural programs on the relevant Cocurricular pages on MyGrammar and the BGS app.
• The GPS Association released this statement last week, which outlined the plan for GPS Sport in Term 1 2022 and the postponement of the GPS Music Showcase.

Middle School Parent Information evenings

The Middle School Parent Information evenings will be held online as Teams meetings on the following dates:

• Year 5: Tuesday 15 February
• Year 7: Tuesday 15 February
• Year 6: Wednesday 16 February
• Year 8: Thursday 17 February

Each meeting will be recorded. Following the presentations, the video recording will be made available to parents for a limited time. The associated PowerPoint slides will also be added to MyGrammar. Parents will receive an invitation to register for the meeting in the week beginning 7 February.

Key Staff Contacts

There may be occasions when parents are uncertain of the School's position on certain matters, I strongly urge parents to contact the following SLT members to seek clarification:

• Senior School matters: David Carroll
• Middle School matters: Rebecca Campbell
• Academic matters: Steve Uscinski
• Cocurricular matters: Greg Thorne

Staying Safe

Brisbane Grammar School requests that all members of our community adhere to the following protocols:

• Please stay home if you are unwell.
• Wear a mask indoors and when you cannot physically distance.
• Practise good hand hygiene.
• Follow advice from Queensland Health, including the first steps to take if you have COVID-19.

Further Information

Stay up to date by regularly checking the Queensland Government COVID-19 website.

The Department of Education has developed a series of FAQs on the COVID pandemic website here.

What is your son’s responsibility as a student?

BGS uses three platforms to deliver curriculum and allow students to progress in their learning:

1. Teams (used for day-to-day lesson instructions and check-ins)
2. One Note (used for class notes, resources and readings)   
3. Canvas (used mainly for whole cohort outlines of units and assessment)

Your son must open these applications every day to check for updates and directions.

His class Team for each subject should be the first application he checks. 

If your son is absent from school, it is advisable – when he is able – to check-in via Teams Chat with his teachers to let them know his progress and seek clarification as required.

What will lessons be like when most students return to school on Monday 7 February?

The format of lessons will vary depending on the subject, assessment, curriculum sequence, essential learning experiences and progress of the class through the unit. Teachers will make judgements about the most appropriate lesson format and delivery based on these factors.

Students learning from home might be directed to any of the following learning modes depending on the context of a particular lesson:

• Working on exercises or quizzes in OneNote or Canvas
• Drafting an essay for feedback or researching for an assignment
• Reviewing class notes and summaries that have been posted on Teams
• Participating in discussions and activities via Teams Chat
• Following a PowerPoint lecture via the class team
• Recording a performance or work on a project for a practical subject   
• Engaging in an online Teams lesson, such as when a teacher is having to teach remotely

There are many ways of participating in learning that our teachers will employ to enable your son to continue to make progress.

What is BGS doing to continue to improve the education of your son?

We continue to invest in the following:

• designing curriculum and assessment of the highest quality
• professional learning for our teachers in the design of classroom instruction that optimises student learning in both the face-to-face setting and during online instruction
• an ongoing digital transformation program to improve our ICT infrastructure and support

Read Grammar News online now

The latest edition of Grammar News includes a feature on Student Wellbeing (pages 14-19) unpacking how we focus on student wellbeing for each boy. The cover story (pages 24-25) showcases BGS Old Boy molecular virologist Professor Andrew Davidson ’79, who is at the front line of COVID-19 research.

Our Speech Day guest speaker Old Boy Dr Sean Parsons ’97 is also innovating to overcome COVID-19 (page 22). Read about the journey of BGS Old Boys Alan Wu ’01 as he strives to build a more just society (page 19), and generous BGS Old Boy cowboy Tom Strachan ’90 who gave $500,000 to the School (page 30-31). A wonderful story (page 28) connects the BGS Homework Club to an Old Boy who attended BGS on a needs-based bursary.

The Generations (pages 40-41) and Reflections (pages 42-43) stories highlight some of the School's legacy families. You can also read a story by Year 8 student Angus Bale (page 18) on his initiative to help others, and Year 11 student William Jordan who competed at the 2021 Australian Olympic Trials (page 12).

Brisbane Grammar School Magazine available online now

The 2021 BGS Magazine is now available to all parents as a free downloadable PDF below. Thank you for helping make the magazine a more environmentally sustainable publication. A limited number of hard copies were printed and mailed to all graduating Year 12 students. A small number of families updated their preference during Term 4 2021 to receive a print copy. Information about how these students can collect their printed copy will be shared in next week's newsletter.

To download the publication, click here and click the 'download' button. 

The BGS Community Calendar is now available for parents and students via MyGrammar. This calendar has been designed for parents to view information specific to their sons in a central location. The calendar also offers the opportunity to view community events.
 
The Community Calendar is customised – meaning parents can click to view the calendar tailored to their sons. It will contain each student’s assessment dates and times, Cocurricular events and training times, and community events.
 
Parents can switch between viewing community events and events specific to individual students (My Events). You can also filter categories, save or export individual events to your personal calendar, and view them on your mobile devices. If you have multiple sons at BGS, you can switch between each son.

Brisbane Grammar School has a long and proud tradition of offering scholarships and bursaries to boys who have demonstrated they have the potential to derive great benefit from a Brisbane Grammar School education.

Academic Scholarships (Trustees’ Scholarships) are awarded on the basis of demonstrated academic excellence to boys commencing Year 7 or Year 10 in 2023, based on their performance in the annual ACER Scholarship Exam, an interview with the Headmaster, and a willingness to contribute to the wider school community.

The ACER Scholarship Examination will be held at the School on Saturday 26 February 2022. Registration is only available online here until midnight AEDST Monday 7 February 2022. The cost of registration is $140.

Jamie Smith
Director of Enrolments

We ask BGS families to be patient and supportive of staff while they move traffic through the drop-off zone at the front of the School.

Please adhere to the following procedures to ensure the safety of the BGS community:

• The front entrance between the traffic lights and the passenger loading zone is to be kept clear. It is not to be used as a waiting area before 3.15pm pick-up.
• Cars can enter the passenger loading zone to pick-up and drop-off passengers before 8.30am and after 3.15pm.
• Do not exceed the 5km speed limit in the pick-up and drop-off zone.
• Pay attention to traffic controllers and security guards – they keep our community safe and deserve our respect and cooperation.
• Exercise patience and courtesy towards other drivers.
• Please move as far as possible into the pick-up and drop-off zone to ensure efficient traffic flow.
• For safety reasons, please do not pick-up or drop-off your son before the pedestrian crossing at the entrance to the zone.
• The pick-up and drop-off zone has a two-minute parking limit. Drivers must stay with their vehicle during this time.
• The staff car park on off of Kalinga Avenue is not a designated drop-off or pick-up zone for students.

Thank you for your cooperation.

The School has been unusually quiet during home-based learning, and I am looking forward to the return of a bustling campus next week as we welcome students and staff back. While my online Year 11 Maths classes have been enjoyable, nothing beats face-to-face learning.

Parents would have received our return to school expectations, and I appreciate your work to ensure a smooth transition back to school.

As boys compete in GPS matches this week, I appreciate your support in ensuring they are wearing the correct uniform. If spectating, boys must follow venue guidelines and wear school uniforms. I expect all boys to have an appropriate hairstyle and to embody the BGS values.

The tripartite relationship between parents, students and school is important to create an environment for boys to excel, and the first few weeks of term are vital for establishing balance. Early establishment of routines will set boys up to push deeper around the Week 6 mark to attain the best outcomes for the term. Parents are asked to assist their sons in creating good routines to help them manage and optimise their studies. Key points to observe are his work ethic at home, organisation, sleep, diet, gaming and social activities. An investment at this time of the year will help set the standards for later in the year.

Thank you to all staff, students and parents for your efforts with home-based learning over the past week. I’m sure you would agree that this was a unique way to start a school year. Our staff capably rose to the challenge to ensure our Years 7 and 8 students engaged actively and productively with online learning. Teachers have reported high levels of engagement from the boys and a strong sense of community already emerging within classes. We very much look forward to welcoming all students back to campus on Monday.

I strongly encourage parents to review the Middle School letter, which outlines key information relating to the boys’ return to school on Monday.

Next week, parents will receive an invitation to register for our Parent Information Evenings. The evenings will be held as Teams meetings, and a recording will be made available for those unable to attend. Dates are as follows:

• Year 5: Tuesday 15 February
• Year 7: Tuesday 15 February
• Year 6: Wednesday 16 February
• Year 8: Thursday 17 February

A reminder that boys in Years 5 to 7 will commence school at 9.30am on Monday. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the later start time to minimise traffic congestion at the front of the School. Boys can bring their school materials in across the first few days. Please ensure all belongings are named. It is important that all boys attend school on Monday in full school uniform with appropriate haircuts. Your support is appreciated.

Many boys will be eagerly participating in Cocurricular activities this weekend. It has been wonderful to see so many attending training sessions and holiday camps. Best of luck to all teams this weekend.

Gratitude

Thank all to all community members who have helped us navigate a challenging period over the last month. We aimed to provide students with as many cocurricular opportunities as possible as they returned from holidays and began the first week of home-based learning. 

BGS Cocurricular and program leaders have worked tirelessly to adjust plans according to the latest guidelines, always aiming to make our sporting, cultural and activities programs accessible to those students who wish to be involved.

Representation

With the GPS bye round last week for Cricket, Debating and Volleyball, this weekend will be the first round of GPS competition for these flagship teams and some others, as per the GPS Association guidelines for competition in Rounds 1 and 2.

During this week's assembly, I reminded boys of the BGS values and our expectations of those who represent us at GPS competitions or elsewhere.

Program leaders, coaches and staff have been asked to ensure our high standards are upheld this weekend and throughout the term. Students will not be able to compete if they do not represent us appropriately.

If your son is representing BGS this weekend, either as a competitor or spectator, please ensure he wears the correct uniform and has an appropriate hairstyle (including having shaved, where applicable) to avoid any disappointment. Your support is appreciated.

During assembly, we also acknowledged flagship teams competing this weekend; the First XI Cricket team, the Senior A Debating team and our First VI Volleyball team.

These boys, along with those who sought selection, have withstood a long pre-season phase and are looking forward to wearing the light dark blue this weekend.

We will also acknowledge our rowers, swimmers, and sailors in the coming weeks.

To all boys representing BGS throughout the term, we wish you every success and remind you that you are always part of a team. You are responsible to that team for your efforts; GPS sport is not an individual pursuit.

Engagement

I warmly welcome all new members of our BGS community. Many students and parents have already become engaged in our programs. 

In some instances, our current capacity has resulted in limited positions for our indoor Term 1 programs. We are working hard to make sure Cocurricular engagement opportunities are available for all boys, either in early preparation for Term 2 sports and activities or other adapted programs. Thank you for your patience as we seek to overcome these COVID-related challenges.

Fencing sign on 

The 2022 Fencing sign-on form will be available on Monday 14 February via MyGrammar and the Daily Bulletin. Students must sign on using their BGS login. Parents are not able to do this on their behalf. Sign-on closes Wednesday 2 March.  

Fencing trials

Trials for the BGS First IV and Year 10A will be held from Monday 14 March to Friday 18 March in the BGS Indoor Sports Centre. Boys who wish to trial will receive more information about their bout times once sign-on closes.  

Important dates

• Whites hire will be held from Monday 7 March to Friday 11 March.  
• Fencing Easter Camp will be held from Monday 11 to Wednesday 13 April.

We are still working with Queensland Fencing Association to make sensible judgements about fencing fixtures and the Term 2 Brisbane School Teams Competition. Parents and fencers will be notified as information becomes available. 

Melanie Chin
Fencing Director

Rowing underway

2022 GPS Rowing commenced on Saturday 29 January with the first regatta of the season.

Before ‘putting on the racing cap’, we encouraged our boys to take a moment to breathe in the atmosphere, the excitement and the anticipation that is GPS Rowing. There is nothing like the feeling of being around your mates and competing as one team; the BGS team. We celebrate these moments, particularly during challenging times, and have plenty of fun while we do it.

BGS boys had a strong performance, with 31 crews placing on the podium across two rounds (12 first places, 13 second places and 6 third places).

Year 9 boys impressed at their first GPS regatta, placing on the podium in all 16 races. Congratulations to the Year 9 First, Sixth, Seventh and Eight quads who all won races in their divisions.

Year 10 boys continued on from the Year 9s success with 12 out of 14 podium finishes. Congratulations to the Third, Sixth and Seventh quads who won races in their divisions.

Our Year 11s and Opens also performed well across both rounds, finishing three out of six races on the podium. Congratulations to the Year 11 First VIII for two strong second place results, and the Open First VIII on their third place in the second round.

Boys were presented with their 2022 BGS Rowing shirts when they returned to the sheds. Captain of Rowing Oscar Akhavan and Vice Captain of Rowing Tommy Doe presented their two Captain’s Awards for the regatta. Congratulations to Ben Mowbray (Year 9) and Alastair Jackson (Year 10).

It’s important that we celebrate the boys’ achievements from the weekend. However, the season is long and there is work to be done. We encourage boys to continue to maintain a front-foot approach: be diligent in training and remain committed to individual and crew improvement. Do not be complacent. I look forward to seeing the BGS boys at tomorrow’s regatta. Race fast, gents.

Finally, I thank and congratulate all boys, parents, and coaches on all their work so far this season. It takes enormous sacrifice and energy from everyone involved to keep our team functioning.

The draw for GPS Regatta 2 (Saturday 5 February) can be found via MyGrammar here.

Matt Marden
Rowing Director

GPS Swimming

The GPS Swimming season started well with excellent attendance at training sessions. The first meet for the season was held last Friday, and it was pleasing to see some fast times posted across the junior and senior teams. All swimmers will be competing at Meet 2 tonight, and nominations for Meet 3 will open early next week.

Boys are reminded that regular attendance at training and meets are essential to maximise our chances of competing well at the 2022 GPS Swimming Championships. Any students thinking about joining the GPS Swimming team are encouraged to begin training as soon as possible. Please visit MyGrammar for more information.

2022 Metropolitan North Swimming Trials (Years 5 to 12)

Swimmers who wish to nominate for the 2022 Met North Swimming Trials must complete the nomination form available via the Swimming page of MyGrammar. Nominations close at 10.00am Friday 11 February.

The trials will be held on Wednesday 23 February and Thursday 24 February at the Lawnton Pool from 8.00am to 3.00pm. Qualifying times are strict, and there are limited places available for each school. Boys who are selected in their nominated events will receive further information about the trials.

Date	Event	Year levels	Location
Friday 4  February	Meet 2	Years 5 to 12	Chandler Aquatic Centre and BGS
Friday 11  February	Meet 3	Years 5 to 12	Chandler Aquatic Centre
Wednesday 16  February	BGS School Swimming Championships	Years 5 to 12	Chandler Aquatic Centre
Friday 18  February	Meet 4	Years 5 to 12	Chandler Aquatic Centre
Friday 25  February	BGS Swimming Grammar Only Night	Years 5 to 12	BGS Great Hall and BGS Swimming Pool
Friday 4 March	Junior GPS Swimming Championships	Years 5 to 7	Chandler Aquatic Centre
Friday 4 March	GPS Swimming Championships	Years 7 to 12	Chandler Aquatic Centre
Friday 4 March	BGS Swimming End of Season Function	Years 5 to 12	The Lilley Centre (BGS)

Matt Logan
Swimming Director

The P&F Auxiliary is a subcommittee of the P&F Association that facilitates fundraising and fosters parent fellowship and the sense of strong community at Brisbane Grammar School. All profits are returned to the School to enhance the experience for students and families.

The Tuckshop and Grammar Shop are currently operating cash-free, so please plan accordingly. Safety guidelines regarding social distancing and hand sanitising will continue in both locations. 

Tuckshop

Open weekdays before school and during breaks.

The Tuckshop re-opens on Monday 7 February before school and during both breaks with its usual selection of hot food, fresh salads, wraps, rolls and drinks.

The BGS Card is the only payment method. Please add funds to your Student ID card here (MyGrammar > MyStudent > BGS Card). 

Grammar Shop

Open weekdays from 7.30am to 11.00am.

Purchases can be made in-store and online using Visa, Mastercard or your BGS Card account, which can be accessed here. Please ensure funds are available for student purchases.

If you have placed embroidery and online orders, please collect them as soon as possible during opening hours. All new senior hats and hats submitted for repair last year are now available for collection in the Grammar Shop. 

Joanne Villiers
P&F Auxiliary

Tuckshop +61 7 3834 5229
Grammar Shop +61 7 3834 5347
Roster Secretary Lana Szumowski - auxiliaryvolunteers@brisbanegrammar.com

Grammar Shop hours
Weekdays 7.30am – 11.00am

Tuckshop hours
Weekdays 7.00am – 2.00pm

Due to social distancing, we can only have three volunteers for breakfast and six volunteers for morning tea and lunch.

The P&F Auxiliary AGM will be held on Wednesday 2 March at 9.00am (location TBC).  All current BGS parents are welcome to attend. 

All voluntary positions will be declared vacant. Nomination forms are available on request from Auxiliary Secretary Kate Rutter (katerutter8@gmail.com). Please return completed forms by Thursday 24 February to Kate or the P&F Auxiliary Office located at the Grammar Shop.

Please direct further enquiries to P&F Auxiliary Secretary Kate Rutter.

Kate Rutter 
Auxiliary Secretary 
katerutter8@gmail.com

The Normanby Blues Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday 21 February from 6.30pm to 8.00pm at the Normanby Hotel.

We would be delighted if interested Middle School Rugby parents considered nominating for the Normanby Blues Committee. The younger age groups are an important stakeholder in BGS Rugby and the work done by the committee today has the greatest impacts on boys going through the Senior School in the future.

Anyone with an interest in the Rugby program is more than welcome to attend. We are particularly keen to hear from anybody willing to take up the Secretary role.

Items of business will be:

• 2021 Normanby Blues highlights
• Treasurer’s 2021 report
• Post investment review of 2021 catalyst purchase
• Table 2022 budget
• Normanby Blues resignations/appointments of the 2022 office bearers (President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary)
• Decision on which 2022 Suncorp game to promote as the BGS Rugby Family and Friends event.

We look forward to a great year in BGS Rugby and welcoming in the 2022 Normanby Blues Committee.

Jonte Lowe
President Normanby Blues
jonathon.lowe@bhp.com
0411 476 472

Click here for more information on upcoming events.

Term 1
Tuesday 25 January - Friday 1 April

Term 2
Wednesday 20 April - Friday 17 June

Term 3
Tuesday 12 July - Friday 16 September

Term 4
Tuesday 4 October - Friday 25 November