Newsletter
Week 8 Term 1

Motivating our students to read books for pleasure beyond school is becoming increasingly challenging as online activities compete for their time and attention.

Both international and national research in schools continues to reveal teenagers’ declining attitudes to reading and an increased aversion to reading longer books.

This trend is concerning. Sustained reading is one of the best ways for young people to learn how to think critically, understand complex issues and develop empathy.

Last year, the Middle School Reading and Literacy Advisor, Middle School Teacher Librarians and Year 6 English teachers participated in the International Boys’ Schools Coalition webinar, ‘Getting Boys to Read’.

Hosted by Dr Margaret Merga and The Town School for Boys in San Francisco, discussions flowed about how to solve the ‘problem of reading’ in both Middle and Senior Schools.

A key point raised in Dr Merga’s research is that to motivate students to read and build a culture of reading, strategies must be implemented at school and home.

Keen to take action to develop reading engagement, the Middle School Reading and Literacy Advisor, Years 5 and 6 English teachers and Middle School Teacher Librarians commenced a two-year inquiry project with Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) in February of 2022.

This Research in Schools initiative utilises the six stages of the Spiral of Inquiry created by Dr Judy Halbert and Dr Linda Kaser.

As part of this project, the Years 5 and 6 teachers have trialed a range of strategies to improve reading engagement, including:

• embedding goal-setting conversations with students in library lessons;
• creating short instructional sequences to explicitly teach reading comprehension skills (informed by the students’ data);
• hosting Parent Engagement – Reading events for the Year 6 parents; and
• running Years 5 and 6 parent and son reading challenges.

This year, the Year 6 challenge will commence in Week 10 of Term 1 while the Year 5 challenge will start in Week 2 of Term 3.

On Wednesday evening, the Head of English and Year 6 English teachers were excited to host a Year 6 Parent Engagement – Reading evening.

During this event, the Head of English, Middle School Reading and Literacy Advisor, ISQ Education Services Provider, Year 6 English teachers and Middle School Teacher Librarians shared strategies to assist parents to become involved in their sons’ reading lives.

For example, to help their sons become active readers, parents are encouraged to initiate short conversations about the books the boys are reading.

Bookmarks with five questions for different genres as well as the boys’ English novel were provided as a simple way to help parents start these conversations.

Examples of the conversation starters are below:

Historical Fiction	Adventure	Science Fiction
Can you see any connections between this event and what is happening in the world today? What more would you like to know about this historical event? Do you enjoy reading historical fiction? Why/Why not?	Would you like the main character to be your friend in real life? Why/Why not? What risks does the character take in this story? Were the risks worth it? Why/Why not? Why did you keep reading this book? What captivated you?	If you could step into this story, what is the first thing you would do? What elements of science are explored in this book? Do you think they are credible? Why or why not? What was the most challenging part of reading this book? Why?

We look forward to taking further measures and gathering data to determine the best strategies to implement to instil a lasting love of reading in our students.

The publication of the 2022 BGS Magazine has been delayed due to unforeseeable impacts to the production process.

We apologise to our school community, and we are working hard to finalise the magazine and have it delivered to our families as soon as possible.

BGS asks parents and caregivers to remind their children to remain aware and alert when arriving and leaving campus. 

Boys should remove earphones and take the necessary precautions while crossing roads during the hours before and after school.

The School has also received several complaints from residents of Spring Hill about the congestion around Gregory Terrace during pick-up and drop-off hours.

We ask BGS families to be mindful of our Spring Hill community as they move through the drop off zone at the front of the School.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Old Boy Tutors

Earlier this week I completed child protection training with the Old Boys tutors registered for 2023.

If you wish for your son to be tutored by one of the Old Boys, then please contact them. All tutors have the correct qualifications to work with children.

Names, areas of expertise and contact details are available in the year level section on MyGrammar.

All tutoring will be conducted in The Lilley Centre Learning Commons or Mezzanine Level.

Please contact Ms Hasenkam if you have any questions.

The Extended Day Study Program is available to boys in Years 9-12. If you have questions regarding this, please contact Ms Hasenkam.

Early Departure

Term dates are advertised well in advance to assist families organise holiday travel.

The assessment planner provides families with an understanding of when assessment is due.

In the coming weeks, students in Years 9-12 will have assessment to complete. I believe it is important for boys to be present.

In the unusual circumstance that you require your son to be absent from school, please contact Head of Middle School Rebecca Campbell or Head of Senior School David Carroll. This includes Boarding students.

Changes to Pick-up/Drop-off Zone

On Monday 20 March 2023, the zebra crossing spanning the entry roadside will re-open to allow people to cross to the central island and/or to the opposite side during at non-peak times (including immediately before pick-up when the bollards are in place across the entrance to the School).

During peak times (when Traffic Controllers are on duty) the current process will remain:

• the zebra crossing spanning the entry roadside will be closed to stop people walking to the central island and/or across to the opposite side; and
• people wishing to access the central island or the exit roadside can either walk around the perimeter of the pick-up/drop-off zone, or cross between the yellow lines near the boom gate.

Last weekend, BGS faced Gregory Terrace in the highly anticipated ‘King of the Hill’ round. This is a rivalry embedded in our school’s history.

On Friday afternoon, there was a remarkable show of support for the senior A Debating team, as a group of 110 boys made their way down Spring Hill to rally behind their fellow peers.

This impressive display of solidarity not only boosted the morale of our debaters, but also showcased the strong bonds and camaraderie shared within the BGS community.

On Saturday, rowing spectators witnessed the pinnacle of nine months of 4.00am wake ups, when our First VIII rowing crew competed in the Head of the River.

After securing podium finishes at almost every regatta, the hope for our crew was its highest since the win in 2020.

BGS finished in a close third position, a commendable effort to the eight boys involved.

It was very encouraging to see so many boys make their way to Wyaralong to support our rowing community in the midst of assessment and Cocurricular pursuits.

The start of this term has seen such amazing spirit and support for our peers. I hope to see this continue in Term 2.

Doug Chapman
Captain of Boarding

Lombardi time

In the best-selling book, High Performance: Lessons from the Best on Becoming Your Best, there is a terrific article about rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward’s management of the England side that won the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Every member of Sir Woodward’s team adopted ‘Lombardi time’ by arriving at least 15 minutes early for every meeting.

This practice established within the group a habit of being early and, more importantly, entrenched some non-negotiables that underpinned a high-performing team.  

I shared the concept of ‘Lombardi time’ at a recent Prefect meeting. The boys are now keen to develop their own non-negotiables as they seek to set the standard and the tone within the community.

For this to be effective, it needs to be driven by the boys. I very much look forward to seeing what they generate as their non-negotiables within the team.

Key Dates

As we reach the end of Week 7, I want to take this opportunity to remind all families of the arrangements for the upcoming Easter vacation.

Classes will end on Friday 31 March at 3.10pm. With various assessments scheduled at the end of term, Boarding will remain open, if required, until 12.30 pm on Saturday 1 April.

Parents wishing to arrange travel for their son on the Saturday are asked to provide end of term travel details as soon as possible.

Travel to Brisbane Airport on Friday and Saturday will be provided, or enabled, by Boarding wherever possible.

Boarding will re-open for students on Monday 17 April at 12.30pm. Should your son return before that time please email the Director of Boarding prior to the end of term so that we can explore what arrangements can be made.

Classes will commence on Tuesday 18 April at 8.20am.

Berian Williams-Jones
Director of Boarding

Beyond Grammar Small Group Workshops

The Beyond Grammar workshops have commenced strongly with a large uptake of interested students.

Bookings for these small group sessions happen online with the sessions offered across Terms 1 to 3 inclusive.

Booking links have been provided to Year 12 students via our Teams channel with students being able to book into a session of interest offered by our counsellors.

Parents and students should note that it is the responsibility of Year 12 students to book in their preferred session and time, noting that there are many sessions provided across the academic year.

The Joint Medical Programs

The Joint Medical Program (JMP) is offered jointly by the University of Newcastle and the University of New England.

Students may study on either a metropolitan (Newcastle) or rural (New England) campus. 

Clinical venues will give students metropolitan, regional and rural experience so they will be prepared to work anywhere across the country. This is a direct entry program for Year 12 students and entry is competitive.

Each year, 170 places are available in the program across both the University of Newcastle and the University of New England; more than 3,500 people apply for those spaces.

Applicants need to sit for UCAT and apply through JMP and UAC. 

Applications open on 1 April and close on 30 September 2023.

CLICK HERE for further details.

ADF Gap year opportunities

Students can apply for the 2024 Australian Defence Force (ADF) Gap Year and experience life in the Navy, Army or Air Force.

It is an opportunity to experience military life, without committing to a longer period by 'signing up'.

An ADF Gap Year is a way to have an adventurous year, gain valuable skills and work experience and get paid for it. 

Currently, there are 18 roles to choose from for the 2024 Gap Year experience including administration, cabin crew, artillery operator, driver, engineer and more.

Be aware that it is a popular program and once all roles are filled the program will close.

You must be an Australian citizen, aged between 18 and 24 years on admission and have completed Year 12 (required passes vary by role).

CLICK HERE to find out about available roles, how to apply and answers to frequently asked questions.

Griffith University

Griffith University is introducing new admission requirements for Griffith Film School (GFS) and the Queensland College of Art (QCA) for students commencing from 2024. 

For admission to study a Bachelor degree at GFS, all students will need to submit a portfolio of their work, including an analysis and creative submission with candidates invited to an interview. Requirements vary by degree.

Students can apply to QCA via portfolio submission or ATAR/selection rank. This applies to Bachelor degrees in visual arts and design, as well as double degrees with business.

QCA encourages students to submit a portfolio and attend an interview even if they are confident they will meet the ATAR/Rank Guarantee.

Portfolio admission includes a portfolio, written response and interview.

Dr Nathan Simmons
Director of Counselling and Academic Services

FRC Robotics Success

Senior Robotics team members recently participated in the 2023 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) – Southern Cross Regional, held at the WIN Sports & Entertainment Centres, Wollongong.

This challenging competition involved our team playing in 11 qualifying matches, pushing our robot and team to the limit.

Despite the tough competition, our team, #6063 Queensland Pineapples, managed to win several matches, adapting their strategies from match to match in order to score or defend against the opposition.

We are thrilled to announce that our team was most successful in receiving the judge's award for Imagery, which celebrates attractiveness in engineering and outstanding visual aesthetic integration of machine and team appearance.

This award recognizes teams whose appearance of machine and team are integrated in an attractive theme, exceptional visuals of the integrated team/machine, a theme that is supportive of the FIRST Core Values, and an original theme that can be explained by a team spokesperson and is fitting to the objectives, character, and/or history of the team.

FRC is widely considered the most challenging international robotics competition for students, and our robot, which weighed 56kg and was over 2mtrs tall when the arm was fully extended, explored complex industrial design and coding technologies that challenge university students.

Our team included senior students Hudson Ridoutt, James Lollback, Luke Jacobson, Arnav Thapar, Guan-Ao Ma, Henry Kerrigan, and our non-travel team members of Eamman Conomos, Eugene Erng, and Harsha Cikaluru.

Team #6063 Queensland Pineapples was comprised of students from BGS, BGGS, Grace College, and St Peters Lutheran College.

We competed in the FIRST Robotics Competition in a grand stadium in Wollongong against 39 teams from Australia and South-East Asia, and we are proud to be the only Qld team in this competition.

Looking ahead, Brisbane Grammar School is set to begin Queensland's second FRC team in 2024, and our boys are already planning for this next great adventure.

As Robotics Coordinator, I am thrilled with the success of our team and look forward to watching them grow and excel in their future endeavours.

Simon Canfield
Robotics Coordinator

8F were a class full of enthusiastic, motivated and engaged students. The boys demonstrated the behaviors associated with the program focus of community.

They contributed, supported, communicated and persisted to make the most of their experience. The class mentioned the Giant Ladder activity and paddling on Lake Moogerah as highlights of their experience and celebrated the catering provided by the Moogerah Catering Manager, Ms Abby Baker.

Archie Slatter was recognised for his positive attitude and the way he helped his peers during the expedition. Archie was engaged in everything outdoors and an asset to his group.

Frederick Barrett was an overall excellent contributor. Fred showed great leadership potential and was willing to volunteer and put the needs of the class before his own.

Owen Huang was a calm and hard-working student. Owen was recognized for the way he completed tasks, showed initiative, and made insightful comments about the group’s achievements.

George Dunne was a very positive participant all week. George put effort into every aspect of the program, maintain high enthusiasm even during challenges and showed empathy and care towards his peers.

Hamish Mackay showed a keen interest in the outdoors. Hamish’s energy had a positive influence on his group, and he was a valued group member during the expedition and campout.

Maverick Harris was supportive to his peers and a natural leader in the group initiative activities. Maverick was recognised by the outdoor education staff for his effort, ability to collaborate and complete tasks.

Lewis Harvey, Lincoln Manuel, and Joshua Poh joined the class as Year 11 Outdoor Education Leaders.

These leaders participated with the class in every activity and duty task and helped supervise during free time. They developed strong connections with the Year 8 students during the service leadership role.

Mr Jeffrey Lewis joined his form class for the week and was able to share in the class’s achievements and challenges.

8F are well prepared for their next Outdoor Education experience in year 9 with a strong focus on leading self and taking responsibility.

A short movie of the boys' experiences can be viewed via the 8F 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 5 or Year 8 folder in Pixevety.

Derek Jervis
Director of Outdoor Education

Celebrating Harmony Week

As we prepare for Harmony Week, the Public Purpose team is coordinating various activities to promote and celebrate our community's cultural diversity across the campus.

Music groups, the Student Reconciliation Action Group and BGS staff are collaborating to create a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere.

Harmony Week is an important event in our calendar that promotes inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for all members of our community, regardless of their cultural background, ethnicity or religion.

It presents an excellent opportunity for students to come together, celebrate diversity, learn about different cultures and acknowledge the contributions of different groups to society.

As a parent, you can engage your children in discussions about multiculturalism and encouraging them to ask questions.

Promoting a more harmonious and inclusive society can help children grow up with a greater appreciation for the richness and diversity of Australia's cultural landscape.

School TV have produced a special report which aims to instil positive values and create an opportunity to start a conversation with your child about understanding diversity and multiculturalism.

CLICK HERE to watch.

Philippa Douglas
Director of Student Wellbeing Programs

National Close the Gap Day

To mark National Close the Gap Day on Thursday 16 March, the Student Reconciliation Action Group asked the BGS community to support them in raising funds to support the Cairns-based Kunjur First Nations Men’s Collective.

This group is a part of a youth-led not-for-profit Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation.

The Student Reconciliation Action Group would like to thank the BGS community for their donations to help support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality.

Student Reconciliation Action Group

Harmony Week

The BGS community will celebrate Harmony Week in Week 9 (20-24 March 2023).

Public Purpose students would like to celebrate this and the Harmony Week theme: ‘Everyone belongs’.

In Week 9, there will be events for students to participate in, including a photo competition and a Brisbane Grammar School Community Recipe Book.

If you would like to be involved, please use the links provided here to the Photo Competition and BGS Recipe Book.

Thank you for your support.

Public Purpose Days of Significance Group

The Interwing Track and Field carnival will be held on the last day of Term 1 2023. A letter outlining the sign on process and general details was emailed to all Middle School parents last week. 

The sign on take rate has been excellent so far. A second email will be sent home next week with more detailed information and some important reminders. I ask that all families take the time to read this important information.

Thank you to all parents for your support.

The weekend’s round of fixtures against BSHS is an unusual one for our younger Middle School sporting teams. 

Our Years 5 and 6 cricketers are playing a mixture of internal and supplementary matches, while our Years 5 and 6 volleyball players are participating in an internal Gala Day at BGGS.  

I would like to thank Mr Irvine and Mr Cox for their efforts in securing these games for our teams.

This week also marks the beginning of the presentation functions for our younger teams in some activities.

Please check MyGrammar for details of these events and, if possible, encourage your son to attend to celebrate their involvement and thank the people who made it possible for them.

Trials for Term 2 sports and activities is well underway and wherever possible, boys should attend all trialling opportunities. 

However, the busy nature of our community means there are unavoidable clashes from time to time. 

As a general rule, the in-season sport should be given first priority but a conversation with the leaders of the two programs may determine a different course of action under the given circumstances.     

Cricket

Results: Round 6 vs Gregory Terrace

TEAM	WON BY
5A	GT
5B	BGS
5C	GT
5D	BGS
5E	GT
6A	BGS
6B	GT
6C	GT
7A	BGS
7B	DRAW
7C	BGS
7D	BGS
7E	GT
8A	GT
8B	GT
8C	BGS
8D	BGS
8E	BGS
8F	BGS

Cricket Player of the Week

Team	Name
5A	Seb Lippiatt
5B	Zachary Tallis
5C	Theo Brown
5D	Oscar Gannon
5E	Edward Hajkowicz
6A	Hugo Small
6B	Jimmy Skoien
6C	Sebastian McBride Malaquias
7A	Angus Hetherington
7B	Sarvesh Vishnu
7C	Gus Brand
7D	Deep Singh
7E	Julian Hsu
8A	Max Woolley
8B	Hugo Macaulay
8C	Henry Burke
8D	Aiden Grady
8E	Andy Bathgate
8F	Nicholas Storey

Debating

Results: Round 6 vs GT

TEAM	WON BY
5.1	BGS
5.2	BGS
6.1	GT
6.2	BGS
7.1	GT
7.2	GT
8.1	GT
8.2	BGS

Debater of the Week

Year Level	Name
5	Chris Li
6	Yevin De Silva
7	Marcus Tully Kayden Kyoung
8	Ethan Huang Jacky Tan

Sailing

Sailor of the Week

Year Level	Name
7	Yunze Cheng Gray Dalton
8	Alexander Scott

Volleyball

Results: Round 6 vs GT

TEAM	WON BY
5A	BGS
5B	DRAW
5C	BGS
6A	BGS
6B	GT
6C	BGS
7A	BGS
7B	BGS
7C	GT
7D	BGS
7E	BGS
8A	BGS
8B	BGS
8C	BGS
8D	BGS
8E	BGS

Volleyball Player of the Week

Year Level	Name
5A	Daniel Wang
5B	Alex Raymond Ted Macfarlane
5C	Fred Finch
6A	Hugo Wilkinson
6B	Samuel Dabelstein
6C	Tristan Luk
7A	Christopher Wang
7B	Ethan Clarkson
7C	Alston Lin
7D	Leon Huang
7E	Owen Meeking
8A	Lachlan Lai
8B	Eli Holley
8C	Benjamin Smith
8D	Mack Kumala
8E	Inness Shannon

Glenn McFarlane
Assistant Head of Middle School - Sport and Activities

Round 7 of the GPS Season was our biggest weekend of the season with 32 matches scheduled against Gregory Terrace as well as Pink Stumps Rounds to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation.

The Willow Club also conducted Cricketathon, their big fundraiser for the season.

I am pleased to report that the entire weekend was a huge success, despite the threat of a major “weather event” putting a dampener on proceedings.

Regarding the two fundraisers, the BGS community raised more than $650 for the McGrath Foundation from our sales from the Pink Items made and sold at the canteen as well as external donations.

The link is still open if people wish to make any final donations HERE. Many thanks to everyone that participated.

The Willow Club’s Cricketathon was an even bigger success than last season, raising nearly $8000.

As every run, wicket, run out, boundary and catch taken contributed to the total – we must congratulate the boys on their efforts on the field.

Special thanks must also go to everyone who purchased a Pink Willow Club supporter’s hat and/or pledged a donation for their son across the weekend. An outstanding effort!

On the field, I am pleased to report that our boys finished with a winning weekend, recording 17 wins and three draws out of the 34 fixtures. 

The competition was fierce with many matches decided in the last over and even the last ball. There were some excellent achievements across the day and in stark contrast to last weekend, the ball dominated the bat.

There were more than 15 bowlers who snared three or more wickets, including another five-wicket haul and a hattrick.

The hattrick tally this season sits at four, which is the most in a season I can recall in more than 20 seasons at BGS.

With one round to go, I am pleased to report that our 5B team will finish the season as undefeated competition leaders.

We also currently have our 7A, 7C, 8D, 8F, 9C and 11C teams remaining undefeated in the GPS competition as well as the 10B, 11B and 3rd XI teams sitting as competition leaders of their divisions.

Round 8 is against Brisbane State High School with the BYE scheduled for Round 9.

Team of the Week

BGS 8C 7/125 def GT 5/121

Terrace got off to a good start with our breakthrough wicket only coming in the sixth over from Harry Huth.

We were on target to keep their score under 100 after some economical bowling from Mark Dalziel, but a couple of expensive overs pushed them to 121.

Going into bat we lost a couple of early wickets, but the ship was stabilised by a 32-run partnership between Ned Clayton and Henry Burke.

Terrace realised they were going to be short of time so started to bowl off shorter run-ups which caused a bit of panic in our batting and led to the fall of a couple of wickets.

Thankfully, we kept a steady strike rate leaving two runs to win off the final over. Terrace brought the field right in and the first three balls of the over were dots. Ball four was a single hit by Liam Duncan which evened the score, leaving one run to win off two balls.

With a cool head, Yashneel Prasad smashed the penultimate ball for four to win the match, much to the delight of his teammates.

Congratulations, boys!

Player of the Round

Player of the Round goes to one of our senior cricketers who has achieved a rare feat this season, picking up a five-wicket haul earlier in the year and then following it up with a hattrick in this round.

Will Siddle (4th XI) has been in great form this season with both bat and ball taking 16 wickets, scoring over 120 runs and taking 4 catches.

Well done, Will!

Best of luck to all teams competing this weekend in our last round of the season against Brisbane State High School.

Trevor Irvine
Director of Cricket

Whites hire 

Whites hire has now closed. Students who still need whites must contact the Fencing Director. 

We had 230 boys sign on for fencing this year and the stock of whites that the Musketeers have available for hire was exhausted. 

Those students who signed on late or did not make alternate arrangements for whites hire will need to acquire whites elsewhere or purchase their own.

For safety reasons, students cannot fence without wearing proper whites. This is why the support of the Musketeers is so vital to the program. 

Call for donations

The Musketeers are currently looking for help in the form of raffle donations.

Fundraising is one of the key purposes of The Musketeers and crucial for maintaining the equipment-heavy sport of fencing, with new equipment being our major expense.

We are reaching out to BGS Fencing families to donate and/or source prizes for our 2023 raffle.

The prizes can range from smaller items that can be added to a larger 'basket' prize, to a more significant gift to be a major raffle prize.

Past donations have included electronics, gaming consoles (Xbox/Wii/PlayStation), gift vouchers, fencing gear, Dungeons and Dragons merchandise, even replica Medieval swords which proved extremely popular!

All funds raised from raffle ticket sales will make a huge difference to the continued success, safety and enjoyment of all the boys involved in BGS Fencing.

If you think this is something you are able to do to assist the fencing community, or if you have any questions please email Noeleta Boardman or Damien Armenis.

Holiday camp

Wednesday 12 to Friday 14 April at the BGS Indoor Sports Centre.

Specific details are now on MyGrammar. 

The link to register will be available soon.

Melanie Chin
Director of Fencing

Last week was the seventh round of GPS Debating and the conclusion of the first round of QDU debates for all Years 7-12 QDU teams.

We would like to congratulate all teams on their excellent performances, with more than 70% of all debates won in both competitions so far, and some GPS teams still undefeated.

It has been wonderful to see so many parents coming to watch their sons debate throughout the season, and so many boys supporting their peers.

With only one more round to go for GPS, we would like to commend all teams and coaches for their commitment and enthusiasm.

We look forward to our last round of GPS this week and many more QDU rounds to come.

Thank you to all our debating community for your continued support.

Dana Schottlaender
Debating Director

Children participating in musical activities showed an average 8.4 months of reading improvement compared with 1.8 months for this in the control group.

Miendlarzewska, EA and Trost, WJ, How musical training effects cognitive development: rhythm, reward and other modulating variables, 2014

This week many students and their families have been focusing on NAPLAN exams. There is a huge volume of evidence that connects language development and communication skills to involvement in music activities.

It is astounding how the brain is stimulated by the rhythms and melodies of music. If you want to help your son become a better reader, encourage him to start or continue involvement in the BGS Music Program!

String Festival

Congratulations to our senior string students who combined with some of South East Queensland’s finest players to present a magnificent final concert of the recent StringFest.

Approximately 120 students, under the conductorship of our very own Mr Stephen Chin, explored some professional-standard repertoire.

They delved into the joys of Mahler’s Death and the Maiden as well as his Adagietto from his 5th Symphony. These are monumental works and the young musicians did an outstanding job.

The first half of the concert featured performances from individual ensembles for Somerville House, BGGS, Churchie and our very own Chamber Strings.

Well done to all concerned! 

Junior Music Workshop – Sunday 26 March

This is a valuable extended rehearsal opportunity for Junior Band and Sousa Band (8.45am to 12.30pm) as well as Vocal Group (11.15am to 3.00pm). Lunch is provided.

Term 2 Concerts

The first opportunity to hear our various intermediate ensembles in concert

Bands and Percussion – Wednesday 26 April, 6.00pm, Centenary Hall

• Sousa, Holst Band, Williams and Grainger Bands
• Junior, Crash and Boom Percussion Ensembles
• Philharmonic Orchestra

Strings & Chamber – Thursday 4 May, 6.00pm, Centenary Hall

• All string ensembles (except Chamber Strings)
• Double Reed, Saxophone and Clarinet Ensembles
• Grammar Voices

Grammar in Concert: Destinations

This is the premier music concert of the year, featuring our very finest ensembles in the world-class acoustic of the Conservatorium Theatre.

Held on Sunday 28 May at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, this year the theme is Destinations with our performers taking the audience on a whirlwind musical journey throughout the world.

There will also be an exciting announcement about a special 'destination' for our musicians in 2024! You will be dazzled by the talent of the performers and the sheer beauty of the music. If you go to no other concert this year, make sure you book a ticket for this one!

On the program will be our flagship ensembles: Grammar Symphony Orchestra, Grammar Symphonic Band, Chamber Strings, Senior Percussion Ensemble, Grammar Big Band, Grammar Vocal Ensemble, Grammarphones. Grammar Voices and Vocal Group

Peter Ingram
Head of Music

The 101st GPS Head of the River was held on Saturday 11 March. BGS Rowing finished the day with 10 crews on the podium.

• 3 x 1st Place (Year 10 7th, 8th, 9th)
• 5 x 2nd Place (Year 10 3rd, 6th, Year 9 1st, 2nd, 3rd)
• 2 x 3rd Place (Open First VIII, Year 10 5th)

... with a further eight crews just off the podium in 4th place.

Congratulations to our Open First VIII on a fantastic 3rd place for the O'Connor Cup.

The boys have had a great season, on the podium six times including Head of the River. The BGS team finished 5th on the Old Boys Cup, only three points behind 4th place.

We extend our thanks to our community: parents, coaches, supporters and, most importantly, our boys, for their spirit, passion and love of our team.

The 2023 season has been a season of endurance, growth, and prosperity for the BGS Rowing program.

The challenges that were upon us as a community in 2022 remained present at the beginning, as we embarked on another GPS rowing season.

With our home, the BGS boatshed, still in repair, we needed to find a temporary location to get us on the water and out in crews.

St Margaret’s kindly stepped in and allowed us into their boatshed for Term 4, and this enabled us to get much of the program onto the water, albeit in a limited capacity.

This didn’t deter the boy’s enthusiasm, as they turned up in droves to be part of the rowing program.

More than 80 Year 8 boys, 50 Year 9 boys and 50 Year 10 boys signed up for rowing this season, with the Year 11 and Open age groups both fielding a full complement, making six eights.

Before arriving to St Margaret’s, we kicked off the season with a campaign to Bundaberg. Forty boys competed in the Queensland Schools competition, to then be joined by a further 40 boys for the Bundaberg Clinic.

The pre-season camp was a fantastic kickstart to the 2023 campaign and set the tone for our training environment upon return to Brisbane.

As training resumed back in Brisbane, the team went into full swing in the gym, on the ergos and in the boat.

Hours spent in sweaty clothes with blistered hands, lifting weights and swinging on the oar handle, laid the foundation work for the upcoming camps and regattas.

Held in Brisbane and Maroochydore for the first time since 2020, BGS held uninterrupted rowing camps for all age groups.

It was fantastic to welcome all our boys to the environment of rowing camps and with it the fun, teamwork and development opportunities they provide.

Our youngest members, the Year 8s, were introduced to the sport. Fifty boys competed for BGS on 25 February at the Year 8 regatta.

Those boys had a wonderful day out, with eight of 11 crews achieving a podium result, and placing 3rd overall at the Year 8 regatta.

Not only that, but the enthusiasm shown by this group of boys bodes well for the future of BGS Rowing and we look forward to working with them in the years to come.

On Saturday evening, the community came together for the End of Season Celebration, to recognise the students on their efforts through the season.

Congratulations to all award recipients:

Year 8 Most Improved

• Will Carr
• Will Moore
• Jacky Chang
• Claude Stonell
• Rohan Raju

Year 8 Shed Men

• Ollie Catterick
• Oscar Menzies
• Aum Bhatt
•  Zachy Yap
• Henry Fan

Year 9 Most Improved

• Ashton Hamra

Most Improved Junior Coxswain

• Sebastian White

Year 8 Oarsman of the Year

• Ben Davies

DR C.R. BOYCE MEMORIAL TROPHY – Year 9 Oarsman of the Year

• Josh Poynter

RICHARD SOMERVILLE TROPHY – Junior Coxswain of the Year

• Phoenix O’Keefe

Year 8 Crew of the Year

• First Quad
• Max Woolley, Ben Davies, Liam McCormack, Will Clutterbuck, Sebastian White, coach: Jon Tannahill

Year 9 Crew of the Year

• Second Quad
• Lachie Kerr, Ollie Kerr, Hudson Slater, Ezekial Hutton, Sylvester Biscaro, coach: Maddy Feltham

Year 10 Most Improved

• Harper Enasio

Year 11 Most Improved

• Dominic Forrest

THE DUNLOP TROPHY – Most Improved Senior Oarsman

• Alexander Roe

Most Improved Senior Coxswain

• Thomas Campbell

Year 10 Oarsman of the Year

• Ollie Wright

JACK KORTLANG AWARD – Senior Oarsman of the Year

• Sam Forbes

KEVIN HERBISON SHIELD – Senior Coxswain of the Year

• Sol Ward

Year 10 Crew of the Year

• Seventh Quad
• Zik Bui, Harper Enasio, Angus Clarke, Jack Davison, Lachlan Clarke, coach: Andrew Bale, Cameron Smith

Senior Crew of the Year

• Open First VIII
• Jake Nicholson, Alastair Jackson, Ned Weightman, John Morrissey, Alex Roe, Reid Keeley, Seth Fidler, Sam Forbes, Sol Ward, coach: Richard Powell

SCOTT WINDERS MEMORIAL TROPHY – Captain of Boats

• Sam Forbes

Open Sculling Champion

• John Morrissey

BARRY MONTAGUE CUP – Fastest Ergometer Score

• John Morrissey

Services to the Shed

• Alex Brown

Endeavour Award

• Alex Brown, Ben Weier, Harry Clifton, Hugh Bunce, John Morrissey, Lachie Reck, Myles Houghton, Ned Weightman, Nick Finch, Reid Keeley, Sam Forbes, Seth Fidler, Will Dwyer

Coaching Awards

Most Improved Coach

• Alice Turnour

Above and Beyond Award

• Cheng Xing

RHONDA COCHRANE AWARD – Coach of the Year

• Phil Morgan

Matt Marden
Director of Rowing

Grammar Shop Trading Hours

OPEN: Monday - Friday 7.30am–11.00am

CLOSED: All public and school holidays.

The Grammar Shop will be closed on Wednesday 1 March 2023 from 8.30am to 10.00am due to the P&F Auxiliary Annual General Meeting.

Important Reminder for Year 9 Winter Uniform Purchase

As we are now in Week 8, please ensure your son has purchased his blazer and white shirts before the end of the term. 

If your son is planning to purchase the blazer on his own using his Student ID Card, please top up your son’s ID card and take any daily limits off prior to them coming to the shop.

The blazers are priced at $315 for sizes 32–44 and $325 for sizes 46–52. The white shirts are priced at $30. 

Year 9 students who wish to have awards embroidered will need to go to the Cocurricular Office to get the Awards Form printed and bring it to the Grammar Shop at the time of blazer purchase.   

Payment and Grammar Shop Online Orders

Grammar Shop purchases can be made in-store and online using Visa, Mastercard or the BGS Card account, which can be accessed (MyGrammar > 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 of the screen. Please allow a minimum of 24 hours before coming to the shop to collect your order. 

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. 

Uncollected Online Orders Policy

In the event items are not collected within three months of the on-line purchase date, the shop will refund the value of the items to the student's BGS Card and items returned to shop stock.

Pre-loved Uniforms For Sale

The Grammar Shop has a good selection of pre-loved uniforms, for example, Middle School shorts and shirts, senior blue shirts, trousers, PE polo shirts, jumpers and blazers.  Parents are encouraged to browse our pre-loved section in the shop. 

Blazer Submission for Award Embroidery

With Term 1 well underway, we thought it best to advise senior students of the schedule and process for submitting blazers for embroidery, as there have been some changes to prior years. 

The final cut-off date for blazer submission before the winter uniform season is Friday 24 March 2023 (Week 9). 

It is important for everyone to understand that there can be no exceptions to this date. 

We are working very closely with Hi Profile, our embroiderer, to ensure they have enough time to complete all the submitted blazers to be ready in time for the winter uniform commencement. 

YEAR 12 STUDENTS IN TERM 1 FLAGSHIP TEAMS: Your yellow Awards Forms will be handed out directly to you after the awards have been finalized during the week of 20 March 23. If you wish to get your blazer embroidered, please bring the form with your blazer to the Grammar Shop by Friday 24 March before school. 

YEARS 10-12 (not in Term 1 flagship teams): If you have outstanding awards you wish to be embroidered, please go to the Cocurricular Office to have your Awards Form printed. Bring the form with your blazer to the Grammar Shop before shop closing at 11.00am. We ask that this is done sooner than later to avoid last minute rush, possibly missing the cut-off date. 

YEAR 9: This is the first year you will be wearing blazers and most of you will still need to go to the Grammar Shop to purchase. If you have awards to be embroidered, please go to the Cocurricular Office to get your Awards Form printed and bring that with you when you come to the Grammar Shop to purchase your blazer. We ask that you start this process soon and not wait until the last week to avoid the rush and missing the cut-off date. 

Our goal is to have all blazers back in the Grammar Shop before or, at the latest, by Wednesday 26 April 23.  

Returned Embroidery

Please 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. Click HERE to see the list.

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 (MyGrammar > MyStudent > BGS Card).

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

The Brisbane Grammar School Parents’ and Friends’ Association (Inc.) (“BGS P&F”) will hold its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 28 March 2023 at 6.00pm in The Lilley Centre Function Room.

P&F Association parent members (all parents and guardians of students currently attending Brisbane Grammar School) and friend members (those accepted as a member following application) are entitled to attend and vote.

All are eligible to nominate for positions on the Management Committee. 

The voluntary positions of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer will be declared vacant.

Nominations must be returned by email to the P&F Management Committee Secretary, Andrea McDonald by 5.00pm, Thursday 23 March 2023 for the nomination to be proposed at the AGM.

Nomination forms for these positions may be obtained here.

Further enquiries should be directed to the P&F Management Committee Secretary at andrea.mcdonald@uandu.com.

Emerging Artist Awards

Applications for the BGS Emerging Artist Awards are now open. 

The BGS Art Support Group encourages all aspiring BGS artists in Year 12 and BGS Old Boys from classes 2018-2022 to apply.

Up to two beneficiaries will receive $1500 to assist their entry in the 2023 BGS Art Show held on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 May 2023.

Recipients can use the award to purchase materials, framing, marketing and any other items necessary to exhibit for the Show. 

Applications close 3 April 2023.

CLICK HERE to apply.

The BGS Sportsman’s Lunch is back! This year, it will be held on Friday 21 July at the Rivershed at Howard Smith Wharves.

Now is the time to grab your mates and get a table together. You'll enjoy a long lunch from 11.30am and be entertained by a highly anticipated panel discussion.  

Speakers and MC will be announced soon.

The BGS Sportsman's Lunch is open to everyone in the BGS Community: partners, current parents, past parents, future parents, coaches, volunteers, staff, Old Boys, friends and business associates.

CLICK HERE for early bird tickets.

With the 2023 GPS Football season fast approaching, the Wembley Club is seeking volunteers to convene the Northgate canteen for the four home game days in Term 2.

This volunteer role does not require previous canteen experience and will be supported by the Wembley Club. It can be either a full or half day.

For further enquires please email the Wembley Club committee on Wembley.Support@brisbanegrammar.com