Newsletter
Week 7 Term 3

STEAM – The Philosophy

The acronym STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics – refers not just to these standalone disciplines but also to a way of thinking. This includes observing, forming questions, making predictions, designing and carrying out experiments, hypothesising and discussing projected outcomes.

Given the rapid emergence of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, DNA mapping, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and biotechnology, business and industry leaders demand graduates who can collaborate, communicate, and think critically and creatively. These skills will enable our graduates to adapt to the changing professional landscape and prepare them for jobs that do not yet exist.

The new STEAM Precinct will provide an environment that excites, engages and inspires our students and their teachers and promotes deeper learning.

The precinct will be far more than a new building to staff and students; it will be a hub for ideas, for innovation and for educational growth. While construction is visible, our team is busy developing the STEAM curriculum and teaching practices that will further accentuate Brisbane Grammar School’s pursuit of excellence.

STEAM – The Building

The spaces in the STEAM Building are designed to optimise teaching and learning and enact the principles of best pedagogy. The new co-laboratories created for the sciences will maximise learning time and enable students to transition seamlessly between theoretical and practical ways of learning. The design and art spaces will challenge students to think and work creatively and flexibly to solve problems.

When completed, the STEAM Building will offer the following:

• 15 co-laboratory spaces (university standard)
• 14 flexible general learning areas (30 to 150 students)
• Five design hubs
• Three maker/prototype spaces
• Four art studios
• One specialist biological dissection lab
• 300-seat open auditorium with exhibition space for the arts and sciences
• Professional and collaborative spaces encountered at university and in industry
• Learning spaces for sports sciences

STEAM – Construction

At the time of writing, the concrete pour of level 6 is underway in preparation for the construction of the building’s roof. Concurrently, the installation of the precast concrete western façade has commenced, featuring an embossed digital design. When the building exterior is completed in January 2023, the current internal fit out will accelerate.

Supply chain issues continue to challenge the construction team, placing pressure on the targeted commission of the building in Semester 2 2023. The patience of our staff and students during this complicated build is appreciated.

When finished, the STEAM Building will add over 16,000 square metres to the School’s built infrastructure. The integration of the new Art Studios (L Bock) will see the STEAM Precinct exceed 17,500 square metres.

Click here to view an impressive timelapse video of the construction process to date.

The graphic below indicates the current trajectory of major construction milestones.

You did it again!

On this year's Giving Day, the BGS community has rallied together and raised more than $1.5 million. The total exceeded our original target by 150%. Thank you to everyone who donated and helped to spread the word. This was an enormous community effort.

Click here to visit the BGS Giving Day 2022 webpage.

A special thanks to the following contributors: the Johnson family who gave $250,000 to name one of the STEAM collaboration hubs; Allan and Lyn Davies (The Dalara Foundation) gave $150,000 to Indigenous bursaries; the BGS P&F Auxiliary gave $100,000 to STEAM; an anonymous donor gave $60,000 to needs-based bursaries; Eric and Sarina Lau gave $50,000 to name one of the STEAM art studios; and Ben Thynne gave $40,000 to name one of the STEAM spaces. 

A number of donors gave $25,000 to name spaces in STEAM, including Boon Kua and family, NIJJ Ma family, Chris Tan and Yin Vun, John Nguyen, and Scott and Marina-Portia Wharton.

Some donors gave $10,000 to name a STEAM Atrium step, including the Chin Moody family, Dauber family, Dunglison family, Findlay family, Lee Ku family, Wacker family, and Wong Phan family.

We are deeply grateful to all donors who contributed from $3 pocket money up to $250,000. 

Thank you for your support.

This week, the Gender Respect Project Group and Public Purpose Committee have raised awareness for LGBTQIA+ inclusivity through Wear It Purple Day. The day is on Friday 26 August and is celebrated across Australia to foster a supportive, safe, inclusive and empowering environment for Australia’s LGBTQIA+ youth.

Throughout the week, daily prompts have driven discussion in Tutor Groups. Prompts have included terms such as ‘support’, ‘understanding’ and ‘inclusivity’. The underlying message to students has been that Wear It Purple Day is about showing young people that no matter their sexuality or gender, there will always be people who support and accept them. Students were challenged to think about how they might be able to show their support to the LGBTQIA+ community. One such opportunity presented in the form of an ice cream spider stall held after Friday’s assembly, with proceeds supporting the Wear It Purple charity.

Focused opportunities like Wear It Purple Day play an important role in realising the School’s broader goal of developing and maintaining a culture that is underpinned by respectful relationships. Learning and having an open mind are great ways to create a safe and inclusive environment for the benefit of all students at the School.

Director of Boarding
Berian Williams-Jones

Boarding Parents Dinner

Last Saturday night, we held our first mid-year function in over three years, given the challenges of COVID and the related travel restrictions.

It was a privilege to host almost 40 boarding families, boarding staff and other BGS staff to celebrate the residential community at the School. It was a wonderful night of celebration and fellowship over a fantastic meal delivered by Mr Perrett and our catering staff.

In my brief address, I focused on the changing topography of boarding in Australia. The past century has seen boarding morph from a necessity for families whose children could not otherwise receive an education to a choice for families who see the benefit for their sons growing up in a boarding environment.

I explored the value added in modern boarding and the benefits to students of a cohesive residential community. The five aspects that families consider most beneficial include: the greater sense of independence; the life skills acquired; the capacity to interact with each other, including those from different cultures and backgrounds; the sense of teamwork or community in boarding; and the work ethic that is instilled in each student. I would be delighted to hear from BGS Boarding families if this accurately reflects the residential experience.

Director of Outdoor Education
Derek Jervis

9I have wrapped up the cohort’s Outdoor Education program at Moogerah. The class were celebrated for the way they engaged in the program, took every opportunity, and demonstrated the behaviours associated with the program focus of leading self. The class had a perfect week of weather at Moogerah with cool nights and warm sunny days. A number of boys chose to sleep outside even when they returned to the comfort of the centre to enjoy the clear nights and watch the shooting stars.

Flynn McCormack was an excellent all-round participant. Flynn was happy to take on the groupwork tasks around the campsite and maintained great energy and enthusiasm during all the activities and challenges. Flynn demonstrated great leadership potential during the height activities while rock climbing and completing the high ropes course.

Rupert Drew demonstrated initiative during the paddling session. The class paddle single kayaks for the first time in Year 9, and Rupert went out of his way to complete many rescues during the session, helping his peers. Fraser Salisbury demonstrated excellent leadership potential in organising his group during duties around the centre and preparing for the expedition.

Sam Ong and Connor Quagliotto were valued group members while the class was camping out. Sam and Connor did a lot of work organising their groups during the expedition and demonstrated independence and initiative while participating in the activities. Alec Bunce and Hamish Stewart took on the navigation component of the expedition. They not only navigated but ensured the group were together and ready to continue the journey. Maxwell Hirst was a great motivator and positive influence on his expedition group. Maxwell maintained an excellent attitude towards the program and the challenges.

Year 11 Outdoor Education Leaders Rahul Kumar, James Fearon, Will O'Sullivan and Oliver Waterhouse were an efficient leadership team. They worked very effectively together and identified the students that needed their support during the program. It has been great to see several Year 11 students completing their residential service component of the Duke of Edinburgh Award through the Outdoor Education Leader role at Moogerah.

A short movie of the boys' experiences can be viewed via the 9I Video link.

Outdoor Education photos are now available via the School’s photo management system, Pixevety. The platform helps the School safely manage and share our photos. This user guide provides instructions on how to access, navigate, search and download photos. The system uses single sign on and must be accessed via MyGrammar > Useful Links > Pixevety. Once activated, you will be prompted to enter a login email and password, but please do not attempt to login this way. Instead, go back to MyGrammar and click on Pixevety again. You can then view the photos by clicking on the Outdoor Education Year 9 folder in Pixevety.

Director of Student Wellbeing
Philippa Douglas

Student Leadership

This week, the Gender Respect Project Group and Public Purpose Committee have been raising awareness for inclusivity through Wear It Purple Day, held today on Friday 26 August. The day aims to foster supportive, safe, empowering and inclusive environments for LGBTQIA+ young people.

The following requisites to create an inclusive environment were devised by the Gender Respect Project Group, and posted via the Daily Bulletin as prompts for Tutor Groups to discuss:

Understanding
Understanding different sexualities and genders is an extremely important step toward showing support for LGBTQIA+ communities. Learning and having an open mind are great ways to create a safe and inclusive environment. What are some other ways you can show understanding towards everyone regardless of their sexuality or gender?

Standing up
Standing up to discriminatory behaviour is essential in creating a supportive, inclusive, safe environment for all LGBTQIA+ people. If you see any acts of hate around the School, be sure to stand up and discourage them in order to support LGBTQIA+ communities. In Form Class, discuss ways you can deal with any hate or discrimination that you may come across.

Inclusivity
It’s important to create an inclusive environment for all LGBTQIA+ people. Whether it’s using the right pronouns or taking part in pride celebrations like Wear It Purple, all are great ways to show inclusivity towards LGBTQIA+ communities. What are some other ways to create an inclusive environment for LGBTQIA+ people?

Support
Wear It Purple Day is about showing young people that no matter their sexuality or gender, there will always be people who support and accept them. What are some different ways you can show support?

Students from the Gender Respect Project Group also attended a breakfast on Friday 26 August with guest speaker Liz Lush, who is the clinical educator at Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia. Students learnt about the importance of creating equality in the workplace by removing the stigma and improving recognitions and care for those living with endometriosis.

RBWH Patients in Need program

Students please drop your t-shirts, tracksuit pants, thongs or toiletries to your Form Tutor ASAP.

For a few years, guided by the Public Purpose program, the BGS community has generously donated new clothing and toiletries to the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital for the Patients in Need program. This program assists in providing clothing and toiletries to patients who have come to the hospital, usually through Emergency, with little but the clothes on their back.

For the remainder of Term 3, Public Purpose members will once again be promoting this program.

This year the RBWH have requested that we collect both women’s and men’s new clothing of all sizes (XS to XXXL) and toiletries. Each year level will be responsible for the collection of different items:

• Year 5 - Female toiletry packs
• Year 6 - Male toiletry packs
• Year 7 - Female toiletry packs
• Year 8 - Female t-shirts
• Year 9 - Thongs
• Year 10 - Male tracksuit pants (separate to year level trivia event with BGGS)
• Year 11 - Male t-shirts
• Year 12 - Female tracksuit pants

We ask that interested members of the BGS community begin to purchase and store items for the relevant year level as per the above list.

On Friday 9 September, there will be a Crazy Sock Day to help raise funds for the Patients in Need program. A gold coin donation will allow students to wear non-school uniform socks for the day. Further details to come.

Scott Deegan
Teacher

Geography Events

The past fortnight has been incredibly busy for our Geographers! Week 6 saw all Year 7 students embark on a new excursion to Springbrook National Park, where they investigated the value of the Nerang River.

At Hinze Dam, we examined the economic role of the Nerang River in providing drinking water for the Gold Coast. The boys were also involved in collecting environmental data, testing water to assess the environmental quality of Advancetown Lake.

Changes from source to mouth and the geomorphological processes that have formed the Nerang River and its catchment were investigated along the Natural Bridge National Park walk. The boys were so excited to visit the glow worm cave and see firsthand how waterfalls form.

Here, the focus was the environmental, social and cultural value of the river.

Boys will spend the next two weeks completing their assessment using the data and information collected on excursion.

This week it was the turn of Year 8, who have been analysing landslide risk in the Glasshouse Mountains.

For their unit on Landforms and Landscapes, boys collected a range of information to assess the likelihood of landslides occurring in the area. Geographical skills were also developed as students learned how to field sketch and create cross sections from contour maps. A walk up Tibrogargan allowed the boys a close-up assessment of risk and management strategies to reduce that risk.

Lastly, at assembly this week we publicly acknowledge the outstanding achievement of eight boys in this year’s Australian Geographic Competition. Each year, all students studying Geography in Years 7 to 12 are entered. Once again, Brisbane Grammar School placed first in Queensland, with many of our boys achieving fantastic results. Nationally, approximately 65,000 students participate in the competition. Harrison Corser, Jake Parker, Miles Bennet, Adam Ibrahim, Shaun Li, Oscar Zhang, and James Yantsch and Theo Chan all placed in the top 1% nationally. Shaun, Theo and Harrison also placed first in their year level across Australia. This is an incredible achievement and I congratulate these boys on their success.

Claire Pepper-Rogers
Acting Head of Geography

Wednesday was Australian School Library Day, so we took the opportunity to ask the boys what constitutes the top things that mean most to them about their BGS Library.

There were a lot of contenders in the running – maybe it would be the events, activities and competitions; or the guest authors and illustrators; or Book Week celebrations; or perhaps the diverse and enriching collections of physical and digital literature.

We secretly hoped that maybe it would be the Library staff, who curate and deliver these services. Or maybe it would be the academic support, providing information literacy instruction, research help and creating assignment research guides to support their assignments.

After 1500+ votes cast in total, the top choice at 528 votes was “the Library lessons, reading recommendations and the wonderful librarians”.

Thank you to the BGS community, from the BGS Library staff.

Elsa Larsen
Library Communications Officer

Science Week was held last week at BGS. The theme for the week was ‘Glass: More than meets the eye’.

Activities were coordinated jointly by the Science Department and BGS Library. Numerous events and competitions were held throughout the week in both the Middle School and Senior School.

Middle School

Science Week in the Middle School kicked off with some exciting lunchtime activities in the Middle School and Centenary Libraries. Years 5 and 6 students learned about the properties of glass and how light is filtered through different coloured glass by creating stained glass windows. They also investigated how light is refracted through different mediums including glass. The Years 7 and 8 students made kaleidoscopes and learned about the reflection of light off mirrors. They also had fun investigating the melting properties of glass via the creation of hama bead ornaments. Both libraries also featured Science Week displays showcasing some of the myriad uses of glass in our everyday lives.

Senior School

Year 9 boys had to work in teams of 2-4 to design and build a boat out of aluminium foil. The boat then was floated in water and weights added until the boat sank. This is a trial of design and execution of the build, as well as needing to plan where and how to add the weights to ensure even distribution on the boat. The Year 10 activity was the ‘Tower Challenge’, where teams of 2-4 had to build the highest tower in 15 minutes with finite resources of spaghetti and blu-tac.

The activity for Year 11 was called ‘Tarp Turn’. This problem-solving activity involved teams of three. They had to work out in real time how to turn a small tarp over without any members of the team stepping off the tarp in as quick as time as possible. This proved to be a lot of fun for the participants including our Year 12 helpers who were a late entry to the activity.

The Senior Library featured a Science Week display focusing on biomedical sciences and entry into a medical degree. Books on display featured a range of medical topics, from the latest developments in CRISPR technologies to fascinating facts to biographies of practising doctors and surgeons.

A big thank you to the Year 12 helpers, the library staff, science technicians and science staff for planning and conducting these engaging activities for students.

The Science and Library Teams

Last Friday, the Year 7 Social Space was invaded by Roman gladiators, senators, emperors and slaves for our annual Rome Day event. A much-loved highlight of the year, students had the opportunity to put their knowledge of the Ancient Rome History unit into action in a range of practical activities. Students went to Gladiator School, built mini catapults, played Roman board games, competed in a Trivia Quiz and battled to Capture the Roman flags on the ovals. Our History Curriculum Assistant, Lisa Whitcher, Form Tutors and Year 7 teachers joined in on the fun, dressing up and leading the activities for the boys. We greatly thank them for their energy and enthusiasm to ensure the event was a great success.

Next week, two important community events are happening in the Middle School. On Tuesday, we will be welcoming grandparents of Year 6 students for Grandparents’ Day. The event commences in classrooms at 9.30am. Year 6 Class Captains will be at the front of the School to assist direct guests to classrooms. The classroom activity will be followed by a High Tea on the Boarders’ Lawn before concluding with a concert in the Great Hall. Limited parking will be available in the front drop-off area from 9.00am. Guests are encouraged to bring a hat to wear at the morning tea.

On Wednesday (classes 7A-7E) and Thursday (classes 7F-7J), the Year 7 Father’s Day Breakfast will be held. The event will commence with a presentation from Michael Knight, founder of Peer Power, at 6.45am in The Lilley Centre Forum. An informal barbecue breakfast will be held on the Boarders’ Lawn at the conclusion of the presentation. Proceedings are expected to finish at approximately 8.00am. Unfortunately, parking will not be available on campus; therefore, guests are encouraged to arrive early to find parking in surrounding streets.

As part of the weekly focus in Year 7 Consolidation and Preparation time, Acting Assistant Head of Year 7, Mr Littlefair shared some study tips with the Year 7 cohort. As the assessment period approaches, parents may wish to reinforce these at home:

• Remove distractions: switch off mobile phones, find a quiet space and close unnecessary apps on your tablet.
• Make a schedule: make a list of things to be done and in the right order - tick off items when you have done them showing what is left to do. Prioritising is key!
• Think positively – make small goals and reward yourself with exercise or a small, delicious treat!
• Maintain healthy sleep habits – a well-rested brain and body help us to consolidate newly acquired information.
• Chunk your study into 30-minute intervals with a 10-minute break in between. By having a short break, you allow your brain to relax before focusing again.

Performance Awards

It has been a busy time in the Music Department, with the Performance Awards providing our young musicians a wonderful opportunity to test themselves against their peers and to receive invaluable feedback from a visiting expert adjudicator. It all culminates this Sunday 28 August with the Concerto Awards. This competition features all of our finest performers across all instruments and voice competing against each other as they perform a concerto (or equivalent). It is a marvellous morning of entertainment with music of the highest order being featured. Everyone is warmly invited to attend. The event commences at 9.00am in the Great Hall.

Congratulations to the students below for placing in their respective sections. They are all eligible to be presented with their award certificates at the upcoming Music Dinner on Friday 28 October.

DRUM KIT PERFORMANCE AWARDS

BEGINNER
First Place                      Jack Mountford 06B
Second Place                Malakai Wong 06C
Third Place                    Max Bromet 06D

INTERMEDIATE
First Place                      Matt Petersen 08D
Second Place                Luke Zhang 07I
Third Place                    Charles Nelson 08F
Highly Commended    Charlie Prebble 0913

ADVANCED
First Place                      Lehan Ling 1203
Second Place                Charlie Ridgeon 1210
Third Place                    Kiran Patel 1106
Highly Commended    Harry Beirne 0916

GUITAR PERFORMANCE AWARDS

BEGINNER
First Place                      Sachin Nanda 08I
Second Place                William Ragland 07C
Third Place                    Rory McGlennon 07G

INTERMEDIATE
First Place                      Lachie Bellamy 0909
Second Place                Monte Tilse 1101
Third Place                    Aditya Pradeep Rao 1207

ADVANCED
First Place                      Thomas Kay 1105
Second Place                Andrew Hastie 1207, Angus Newman 1206, Arran McKenzie 1112 and Ritvik Karmaker 1117

PERCUSSION PERFORMANCE AWARDS

BEGINNER B
First Place                      Samriddh Srivastava 07G
Second Place                Jamie Ma 06D
Third Place                    Lachlan Tan 06C

BEGINNER A
First Place                      Nikhail Wijesekera 08I
Second Place                Luca Waterhouse 0915
Third Place                    Oliver Dauber 08H
Highly Commended    Albert Sham 07I

INTERMEDIATE B
First Place                      Rohan Morris 08E
Second Place                Orrey Xia 08I
Third Place                    Frederick Vaughan 07F
Highly Commended    Matt Petersen 08D

INTERMEDIATE A
First Place                      Nicholas Howarth 0903
Second Place                Benjamin Li 0904
Third Place                    Dennis Zhou 0918
Highly Commended    Harry Beirne 0916

ADVANCED
First Place                      Lachlan Tu 1218
Second Place                Lucas Lu 0912
Third Place                    Sze Yong Ng 1116

PIANO PERFORMANCE AWARDS

BEGINNER B
First Place                      Nicholas Bourne (05C)
Second Place                Henry Liu (05C)
Third Place                    Murphy Van Riel (06D)
Highly Commended    Julian Chin (07B), William French (05D), Prahas Jarugula (06D) and Max Patel (07F)

BEGINNER A
First Place                      Hans Wijesinghe (0911)
Second Place                Matthew Beckingsale (0905)
Third Place                    Keshav Siraparapu (07A)
Highly Commended    Eli Holley (07I) and Arya Payervand (08C)

INTERMEDIATE B
First Place                      Blaire Xu (0913)
Second Place                Jackson Holley (08I)
Third Place                    Colin Sun (08G)
Highly Commended    Will Neilson (0907)

INTERMEDIATE A
First Place                      Thomas Kay (1105)
Second Place                Bryan Sun (06B)
Third Place                    Jaedon Nguyen (07D)
Highly Commended    David Yu (1101)

ADVANCED B
First Place                      Eric Chen (07B)
Second Place                Max-ze Lee (0905)
Third Place                    Adam Chua (08D)
Highly Commended    James Fearon (1113), Brayden Huo (07D) and Josh Smith (1013)

ADVANCED A
First Place                      Benjamin Li (0904)
Second Place                Eric Li (07I)
Third Place                    Frank Li (05D) and Dennis Zhou (0908)
Highly Commended    Luka Babnik (1009), Joseph Huang (0918), Lachlan Leow (1102), Anson Qiu-Tang (0901) and Nicholas Zhao (07J)

VOCAL PERFORMANCE AWARDS

TREBLE B
First Place                      Samriddh Srivastava 07G
Second Place                Jayden Lee 05D
Third Place                    Oliver Chin Moody 05C
Highly Commended    Angus Bellamy 05C

TREBLE A
First Place                      Hamish Treweeke 07E
Second Place                Ethan Chen 07J
Third Place                    Ferrell Dong 06A

INTERMEDIATE B
First Place                      Manav Bhandarker 08H
Second Place                Eric Chen 07B
Third Place                    Jollie Window 1003
Highly Commended    Luca Waterhouse 0915

INTERMEDIATE A
First Place                      James Topping 1014
Second Place                Punula Jayalath 1206
Third Place                    Nick Silverston 1014
Highly Commended    Liam Liang 0913

ADVANCED B
First Place                      Afthab Shanavas 1214
Second Place                James Fearon 1113
Third Place                    Andrew Beckingsale 1111

ADVANCED A
First Place                      Toby Davidson 1214
Second Place                Eoin Mullan 1203
Third Place                    Alden Sommerfeld 1218
Highly Commended    Harry Dickson 1207 and Oliver Christie 1210

Peter Ingram
Head of Music

The annual Middle School ISCF camps will run during the first week of the September school holidays, subject to COVID restrictions.

Three options are available:

1. Residential Camp (Moogerah) – Years 7 and 8 – Monday 19 to Wednesday 21 September
2. Residential Camp (Moogerah) – Years 7 and 8 – Wednesday 21 to Friday 23 September
3. Day Camp (Spring Hill with excursion) – Years 5 and 6 – Wednesday 21 to Friday 23 September.

The camps are a fun holiday activity open to all students, regardless of whether or not they have previous involvement with ISCF.

More information about ISCF, including camp forms and registration links, are available via MyGrammar (Coccuricular > ISCF tile).

Further details about the camps or Middle School ISCF in general can also be obtained by contacting Mr Ian Grice at ian.grice@brisbanegrammar.com or 07 3834 5372.

The camps will be run in accordance with BGS COVID precautions. Should a change in circumstances prevent the camps from running, registrations will be fully refunded.

Please return forms as soon as possible and no later than Friday 9 September. Registrations may close once camps reach capacity.

Ian Grice
Middle School ISCF Coordinator

Note that the following schedule is for matches being played this week at Home venues (including BGGS and GT). An additional round of photos will be scheduled for next weekend.

Coaches Corner – Commonwealth Fencing Championships 2022

As Fencing is not included in the Commonwealth Games, they have their own competition that runs separately called the Commonwealth Fencing Championships. This year it was held in London.  

Men’s Epee
Jonathan Patchen ‘20 (Old Boy and former Fencing Captain)
Junior Division – Individual : 8th place
Junior Division – Team : 3rd place

Women’s Epee
Alexandra Patchen
Open Division – Individual : 32nd place
Open Division – Team : 6th place

This is just one of several events where these fencers compete to gain experience and rankings towards qualifying for the Paris Olympics in 2024. We wish them all the best on this journey. 

Whites returns and magazine photos

Fencers in Years 5 and 6 have had their magazine photos taken and returned their whites. If you are a primary fencer who still has their whites, please arrange with Ms Chin to return them.

Fencers in Years 7 to 12 will keep their whites until their magazine photo is taken in Term 4. Whites should be returned once their photo is taken. The exact date and time are not available yet, so please look for information.

Any fencers who have annual hire will need to return their whites at the end of Term 4. More reminders about this will be sent closer to the end of the school year.

Melanie Chin
Fencing Director

Do you want to make rugby safer for your child?

Concussion, unfortunately, is a head injury which occurs too frequently in our game. It’s difficult to diagnose, has no specific test, and can lead to potentially harmful health ramifications.

Former Wallabies Captain, John Eales, has experienced the impact of concussion. He believes that only through research can we make the game safer for future generations.

Please watch the personal message from John below.

The Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), in partnership with World Rugby and Rugby Australia, is on a quest to reduce the impact of concussion by monitoring Years 9 to 11 athletes playing rugby within the Great Public Schools’ Association of Queensland (GPS) competition.

Athletes involved in the study will be required to undergo some preliminary tests. If the athlete experiences a concussion, a similar series of post-concussion tests will be required to track how the brain recovers. Only anonymised data will be made publicly available.

Preliminary (baseline) tests will commence in October 2022 through to April 2023 in readiness for the 2023 GPS Rugby season.

Your child can be part of rugby’s future. We need your help to keep our heads in rugby. Be a part of something bigger. Join this research study today.

Click here to learn more and register your son.

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.

Grammar Shop

Open weekdays from 7.30am to 11.00am.

PAYMENT and ONLINE ORDERS

The Grammar Shop is currently operating cash free. Purchases can be made in-store and online using Visa, Mastercard or your BGS Card account, which can be accessed here (MyGrammar > MyStudent > BGS Card).

The online store can be accessed by entering the BGS Card system and then clicking the ‘Grammar Shop Online’ link at the top centre of the screen.

A significant number of students are still coming to the Grammar Shop without sufficient funds on their BGS Card. Please ensure funds are available for students before they come to make purchases. If you have selected a 'daily limit' for the BGS Card account, this will need to be removed prior to the student making the purchase. 

Safety guidelines regarding social distancing and hand sanitising will continue in the Grammar Shop. 

Returned embroidery

Please click here or go to MyGrammar | P&F Auxiliary | Embroidered Blazer/Item Pick up list to check whether your blazer or other embroidered items are ready to be picked up. We appreciate you collecting these items as soon as possible.

STYLUS PENS

The Toshiba stylus pens are no longer being sold in the Grammar Shop. However, we are selling the HP G3 stylus pens for $130. These pens can be used on all tablets, including Toshiba tablets.

Tuckshop

Open weekdays before school and during breaks.

The Tuckshop provides a selection of hot food, fresh salads, wraps, rolls and drinks.

The Tuckshop is currently operating cash free. Therefore, the BGS Student ID Card is the only payment method. Please add funds to your Student ID Card here (MyGrammar > MyStudent > BGS Card).

Safety guidelines regarding social distancing and hand sanitising will continue in the Tuckshop.

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

Parents of BGS Gymnasts are warmly invited to attend the AGM for the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Supporters (MAGS) Group.

The meeting will be held in the classroom opposite the weights room in the Indoor Sports Centre on Tuesday 6 September at 5.45pm.

All positions will be declared vacant. 

Nominations are welcomed for the following positions:

President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
General member

To RSVP, to obtain a nomination form or to find out further information about this meeting, please contact:

Karuna Hoole/Arianne Nucifora
President/Secretary - MAGS Support Group
mag.support@brisbanegrammar.com

We enjoyed a bit more success around the grounds last week against TSS. Well done to all teams who gave it their all.

If you did not see this week’s article in The Courier-Mail on the First XV BGS v TSS match, it is worth a look. It was aptly described as a ‘mini classic’ and a ‘game for the ages’.

We are back at Northgate this weekend to host our last Home game of the 2022 season. Let’s keep building on the momentum of enthusiastic support we have witnessed this year.

It's also your last chance to join us in the canteen or barbecue pit for an hour before or after your son’s match. For your convenience the game schedule is below. Please do not forget to use the Northgate QR code for more game day details.

Please sign up here.

Jonte Lowe
Normanby Blues President
0411 476 472
Normanbyblues.support@brisbanegrammar.com

Since Brisbane Grammar School was established in 1868, volunteers have made outstanding contributions to the wellbeing and future of the School through their support and participation.

The School could not provide the same opportunities to students without the support provided by volunteers in the Grammar Shop and Tuckshop, and the groups and individuals supporting sport and activities at the Indoor Sports Centre, Northgate Playing Fields, Rowing Shed and BGS Tennis Centre.

The Betty Howell Awards, established in 2011, recognise the actions and achievements of individuals each year who have gone above and beyond normal expectations for students, parents and friends of BGS.

The Award is named in honour of Mrs Joan Elizabeth (Betty) Howell. During her 25-year association with the School, Betty Howell was a passionate volunteer with the Art Commitee and P&F Auxiliary.

The award acknowledges community members who have given outstanding service through:

• voluntary assistance to BGS;
• active participation in school life;
• initiation of new programs or activities to benefit BGS; and/or
• support for the School’s vision through encouragement and personal endeavour.

Traditionally, the Betty Howell Awards are presented at the annual volunteer and donor recognition function, Celebrating Our Community.

Click here for information about the award nomination procedure. Nominations close Friday 10 September 2022.

Business Breakfast | Wednesday 14 September

Themed 'Property: Current trends in a disruptive market'
Venue The Grove, 480 Queen St Brisbane (7.00am)
Purchase tickets here

The Business Breakfasts are open to BGS community members and their associates. Peers and business associates beyond the BGS community are welcome to attend this opportunity to network and gain insight from economic leaders.

Click here for more information on upcoming events.

Term 3
Tuesday 12 July - Friday 16 September

Term 4
Tuesday 4 October - Friday 25 November