Newsletter
Week 5 Term 4

The significance of STEAM

You would likely be aware of the significance of the new STEAM Precinct to Brisbane Grammar School and, most importantly, the boys.

In my assembly address today, I explained to students the relevance of STEAM in today’s world and how the precinct is relevant to their BGS journey.

Construction for the STEAM Precinct will commence next year and should be completed in 2023. Our current Year 9 students will be the first senior students to capitalise on the new facility. The precinct will be a university standard structure where our students will experience the power of integrating careers in science, technology, engineering, design (art), and maths.

Over 60% of our students are likely to choose a career in STEAM. You may be interested to know that our project team is mostly comprised of men and women who themselves have pursued careers in one or more of the STEAM disciplines.

Firstly, let’s consider the Scientists. We have consulted scientists who specialise in environmental sustainability and energy management. These scientists have advised us on a wide range of possibilities to minimise the impact of the precinct on the environment.

While all the proposals may not be viable, we have considered their advice in relation to harnessing solar power through window film, traditional solar panels, battery storage, rain harvesting and floor coverings made from recycled materials.

The ideas that have been put to us by Technology experts are, as you would expect, overwhelming. Several of their technology ideas will feature prominently throughout the STEAM Precinct in the core activities of teaching, learning and student collaboration. Careers in technology provide endless opportunities to spend a great deal of time imagining the future.

The Engineering team in this project play a critical role in applying well-proven and cutting-edge principles that will produce a state-of-the-art facility.

Geologists have established what lies beneath the surface upon which the STEAM Precinct will sit. They have worked in collaboration with structural engineers who have determined how the building’s foundations will perform in very close proximity to a Cross River Rail tunnel beneath the site. Structural engineers will also make sure the atrium ceiling doesn’t collapse, and the suspended collaboration pods don’t fall.

Electrical engineers have determined how we can safely and reliably draw the required electrical current from the grid to power the building. The engineering team represents a diverse range of professions.

Art (design) will likely be the most noticeable aspect of the completed STEAM Precinct. The chief architect on this project is a BGS Old Boy who is determined to make the precinct bigger and better than his other recognisable design accomplishment on the school campus, The Lilley Centre.

We have also consulted with heritage architects to ensure the modern precinct will blend with our precious historic buildings.

Mathematicians play a crucial role in the project. The quantity surveyor is responsible for determining, measuring, calculating and costing every element that goes into constructing the building – from the cubic metres of concrete to the volume of space to be air-conditioned, and the kilometres of electrical wiring and data cables. Without these skilled mathematicians, the project would be chaotic.

It’s exciting to grasp how STEAM careers are making our STEAM Precinct a reality and the real-world relevance of STEAM for BGS boys.

In mid-December, Brisbane Grammar School will be emailing 2021 fee accounts.

For 2021 fees, the School will again provide a 4% discount on tuition, boarding and technology levy for payments received in full by 15 February 2021.

If you wish to amend your payment method for next year, please complete the Fee Instalment Nomination Form and return it to BGS Accounts before the end of October 2020.

For example, if you wish to change to:

• Annual payment (to receive the 4% discount);
• Quarterly payment; or
• Monthly payment (a Monthly Instalment Fee of $200 pa is charged for this option).

The Fee Instalment Nomination Form can be downloaded here.

Your payment instalment option may be changed without incurring a fee up until Friday 30 October 2020. An Instalment Change Fee of $200 may be charged for changes after this date.

Direct debit from your savings account is also available on monthly accounts. This form can be downloaded here.

Please contact BGS Accounts at accounts@brisbanegrammar.com if you have any questions.

2021 Payment Dates

Instalment type	Issue Date	Payment Date
Annual	December 2020	15 February 2021
Quarterly
Term 1	December 2020	15 February 2021
Term 2	20 April 2021	4 May 2021
Term 3	13 July 2021	27 July 2021
Term 4	5 October 2021	19 October 2021
Monthly
February 2021	December 2020	15 February 2021
March to November	First of each month	15th of each month

Payment via MyGrammar

All fee statements issued to parents this year are available via MyGrammar. Your receipt and transaction history are also available via MyGrammar.

School fee payments can also be made via MyGrammar by clicking ‘Make a Payment’. Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted, with no surcharge. You can, if you choose, securely store your card details on your account for future use. Your card details will only be visible to our bank, not school staff.

An instructional document explaining how to make payments via MyGrammar can be accessed here.

If you experience any difficulties in accessing this information, please contact ICT staff at ictadmin@brisbanegrammar.com or 07 3834 5777.

Alternative Payment Options

Brisbane Grammar School is pleased to offer various payment options to our parents.

Edstart is an easy, flexible and low-cost way to pay for your son’s education over an extended period of time, up to five years after your son finishes school. Edstart also allows you to fund boarding fees, amounts in arrears and additional charges such as the technology levy, camps and excursions, and voluntary contributions.

Click here to apply online. Once approved, Edstart will pay the School the invoice amount due. You will then make regular monthly, fortnightly or weekly payments to Edstart.

Please note, in providing information about Edstart, we do not provide any recommendations, brokering or advice services. BGS does not receive referral fees, commissions or other remuneration from Edstart.

If you have any queries, please contact Edstart on 1300 139 445 or chat with their team at contact@edstart.com.au.

Kay Goodwin
Director of Finance

New BPAY payment option and decommissioned legacy option

School fees can now be paid online without logging into MyGrammar. Your BPAY reference number can be provided to a third person (e.g. grandparents), so they can make a payment on your behalf. If you let them know your account balance, they will be presented with the amount outstanding during the payment process and will therefore be assured that it is going to the right account.

All you need to know to be able to make a payment is:

• Your BPAY reference number
• The amount you wish to pay
• The email address that you would like the receipt emailed to

Click here and select the Pay with Statement option to make an anonymous payment.  

You can continue to log into MyGrammar to make a payment, view your account transactions, receipts and statements. 

Please note, the legacy payment gateway previously available for anonymous payments is now decommissioned. If you have used the legacy payment gateway, please delete any bookmarks you may have kept and replace it with the link above.

If you have any questions, please contact the BGS Finance Office.

Kay Goodwin
Director of Finance

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.

Trustees’ Scholarships are awarded on the basis of demonstrated academic excellence to boys commencing Years 7 and 10 in 2022, based on their performance in the annual ACER Scholarship Exam and a willingness to contribute to the wider school program.

The ACER Scholarship Examination will be held at the School on Saturday 27 February 2021. Registration is available here until midnight AEDST Monday 8 February 2021. The cost of registration is $130.

Jamie Smith
Director of Enrolments

Bullying Educational Program review: Request for feedback from parents

This year the Student Wellbeing Team and external experts conducted a bi-annual review of how the School manages reports of bullying. Brisbane Grammar School has also engaged Dr Karyn Healy to audit the School’s educational programs.

Dr Healy is a registered psychologist with extensive practical experience working with schools, parents and children to prevent and address bullying, and resolve conflict. Her PhD investigated intervening with families of children bullied at school, which is a promising new approach to complement schools’ anti-bullying programs.

Dr Healy is co-author of the Resilience Triple P program and presented at the 2016 National Centre Against Bullying Conference in Melbourne. In 2018, she developed staff resources for Australia’s Safe and Supportive School Communities; this is now available to all Australian schools.

Dr Healy’s work was recently highlighted in The Courier Mail article, “Why some schools anti-bullying programs may be harming kids”. We are fortunate to have Dr Healy assist us with our work at BGS.

She will be on campus in mid-November to interview staff and students. I encourage you to fill out this parent survey to have input into Dr Healy’s important work. For further information, please contact me on 07 3834 5200.

Week 6 | Hair week

Please ensure your son’s hair meets the guidelines available on each of the Year Level portals on MyGrammar. I expect boys who need a haircut to have one in Week 6. I would also appreciate parents check the cleanliness of shoes and that Years 10 and 11 students are clean shaven each day.

I have addressed all Years 9 to 11 students about the importance of finishing the year well – specifically, maintaining the quality of the learning environment and respect to staff and their fellow students. It would assist if you also mentioned the importance of finishing the year well to your son. Our partnership is crucial at this time of the school year. Heads of Year will be in contact if there are any issues involving your son.

Years 8 and 9 Form Seniors and Boarding Seniors were announced this week. Please see the list below.

Year 8	Will Addis Matt Allison Rohin Bagga Michael Bekker Miles Davis Jack Duncan Simon Gong Sam Ireland Will Jessup Krishna Kangatharan Rehan Keane Alex Kennedy Blake Konovalenko Alexander Larder Bencent Lee Roger Look Alex Lu Ernest Ngai George Nucifora William Ruddell Anton Saulov Max Sawley Alex Sim Peter Sophios Nicholas Tran Drew Weightman Josh Wong
Year 9	Cade Barrientos Ethan Bartley John Butler Alex Carew Jamie Chan Bowen Chen Aalian Chowdry Nick Clegg Harrison Cleland Eddie Cochrane Hugh Couper Alexander Dalgleish Bailey Dangerfield Joe Duncan Jaden Fang Alex Forbes Sean Forrest Daniel Gardner Fletcher Griffiths Judah Grubi Vijay Hari Kannan Will Huth Ben Jesser Matthew Johnson Justin Liang Jack Litfin Luke Liu Matthew Lockhart Alex Lusis Hugo Malone James McCoombes Patrick Moore Angus Osmand Aaron Partington Kaush Patel Jeremy Pham Sebastian Pherous Nick Poore Eshaan Raj Oeyten Redburn Kruz Rimene George Rimmington Max Ruddle Stirling Saini Robbie Sanders Tom Scriven Roshan Shami Jack Spencer Pavan Subburaj Josh Sutton Alex Tong Titan Vaikai Beckett Weiss Alex Zhang
Boarding Seniors	Alex Kiers Kyle Liang David Liu Haresh Ramanan Titan Vaikai Ryan Xu

Speech Day 2021 | QPAC | Year 12 students and parents

This year, Speech Day (Wednesday 18 November at QPAC) will only be attended by Year 12 students and their parents.

Information about tickets is available via the Year 12 MyGrammar page. Live stream details will be advised in a future newsletter for BGS community members interested in viewing the event.

Director of Boarding
Berian Williams-Jones

There are many highlights each year in the Boarding calendar. I personally enjoy the start of term and the energy it brings to previously empty buildings. The events held across the year allow staff and parents to build relationships and connections that serve to enhance the boarding experience.

Ask our boarders and their answers may be different.

On Wednesday, we gathered to watch the first game of the 2020 State of Origin series. Normally we use the Harlin House Common Room, and the boys create a cacophony of noise and euphoria. This year was a bit different.

With our Year 12 boarders preparing for the Economics examination, we relocated to the Forum in The Lilley Centre and gathered all those who weren’t preparing for the examination in front of the big screen. The fact we measure the display in the Forum in metres, as opposed to centimetres, should give you an idea as to the size of the display. Whether Maroon or Blue, boys supported with spirited passion and enjoyed an excellent game of footy.

The other tradition around State of Origin involves pizza. I’m sure I’m not the only one to delight in the fact that we have retained this tradition. Mr Byron expertly handled a mountain of pizza boxes and adeptly distributed slices to his welcome customers. I am as yet unable to work out how those studying in Harlin House rather than watching the game knew about the distribution of the pizzas – the aroma perhaps?  It matters not – it was wonderful to have all boarders on the Boarders’ Lawn enjoying some welcome treats.

Who knows what next week’s game will bring? Although the result will be difficult to predict, I sense the local Domino’s outlet knows what’s coming!

Director of Outdoor Education
Derek Jervis

The Outdoor Education program was impacted by the severe weather and storms this week. 10F had to turn around on their expedition to make it back to the centre before the severe weather hit. They finished in very wet conditions, with one group completing their summit of Mt Moon before heading in. The boys enjoyed a paddle to wrap up their program the next day and visited Lake Moogerah gorge.

David Wang was a strong leader and proved to be an excellent climber. David completed two of the harder climbs and provided great support to his peers. He was able to bring the group together to collaborate when making group decisions. Henry Gawne was enthusiastic about the outdoors. He was a valued group member who was always helpful and motivated. Milan Kankanwadi was celebrated for the effort he put into the expedition to Mt Moon, and Angus Reinhold was a strong and valued leader during the long day hiking in the rain.

10G did not head out on the first day due to the severe storms. They undertook a longer expedition the next day to make it to their second campsite. Damon Cayas and William Jordan demonstrated great leadership. They showed empathy for their peers and made excellent contributions to the experience. James Pearson and Hamish Moss were valued group members. They navigated confidently, took the opportunities to help their peers and maintained a positive attitude in the challenging conditions.

Oscar Akhavan considered what the experience meant to him and drew on the connections he has made along the way. “I think Moogerah changes how we work as a class. Before Moogerah we are just a bunch of boys and after we are more like brothers. We sleep in a variety of locations, some good, some difficult, but we do it all together. We cook for each other and clean for each other, we aren’t just another class, we are a family. I’ve connected with a massive number of people through Moogerah and don’t regret a minute out here.”

A short movie of the boys' experiences can be viewed via the 10F Video and 10G Video links.

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 Year 10 folder in Pixevety.

Director of Student Wellbeing Programs
Philippa Douglas

Transitions

During Student Wellbeing lessons this term, boys in Year 8 have been preparing for their transition to Senior School. While the transition data indicates that most students feel confident and ready for their move to Year 9, it is not uncommon for students to have a few apprehensions. 

Longitudinal data shows that most of these concerns relate to the perceived associated pressures of Senior School's homework and academic rigor.

Last Monday, boys participated in a Q&A session with their peers in Year 9. Year 8 boys were curious to know the workings of the Senior School and asked some excellent questions. Here is a sample of what boys inquired about with regards to their transition:

• Are we given more homework in Year 9 compared to Year 8?
• Is the classwork harder?
• How are the expectations of teachers different to the Middle School?
• Are there any new rules in the Senior School?
• Where are our lockers and tutor group classes?
• Did you find it difficult finding your way to all the different classrooms?
• Where is the Year 9 social space? Is it better than the Year 8 space?
• What do you enjoy most about being in Year 9?

Boys should feel confident that the skills and knowledge gained in the Middle School have provided them with a solid foundation for success in Year 9 and beyond.

Earlier in the year, SchoolTV released an edition on Transitions. You can access it here.

A very spooky week in the Middle School Library

Last week, students in the Middle School Library were treated to a week of lunchtime activities exploring the popular horror genre. The scare-fest began with a delicious Monster Pops activity, with the boys creating some frightening creatures out of marshmallows covered in chocolate and decorated with all kinds of lollies. Judging by the smiling chocolate-covered faces, those who signed up had a lot of fun! On Tuesday, there was a nail-biting Kahoot that stumped a few students with questions relating to horror-themed books, movies and music.

The excitement continued on Wednesday as students competed in games such as mummy bowling, skull toss and spooky bingo. Other activities included a viewing of the very funny and slightly scary Goosebumps film, a sensory bat slime activity and a challenge to make your own dancing ghost. Years 7 and 8 students also volunteered to make their own horror trailer based on a real or fake book or movie of their choosing. At the end of the week these trailers were screened in the Centenary Library at lunch to a captivated audience and a winner for best trailer was crowned.

Year 5 classes were enthralled with a reading of A Ghost Story by Chris Priestley. Year 6 boys were challenged to write either a horror haiku or an illustrated five-word horror story. Some of the best entries are below.

It was wonderful to see the libraries filled with such enthusiasm and excitement and to watch the books from the horror display flying off the shelves as students immersed themselves in the genre.

 

Haiku

Dark and disturbing,

A ghoul swings his bloody axe

Nowhere left to run

                By Lewis Hay and Ben Rothwell

 

Noises in my room

Creaking floorboards close to me

Coming very close

                By Arthur Young

 

Five-word stories (images omitted)

I am finding you next…

                By Oliver Mellick and Ruben Tavakol

 

He only runs when seen…

                By Douglas Forno

 

Two shadows then one’s gone…

                By Joel Wu

 

Dani Smith and Vicki Palmer
Middle School Teacher Librarians

Term 3 survey

Our first attempt at administering a comprehensive end-of-season Cocurricular survey in Term 3 has been a success. I am pleased with the trust placed in us by the 400 students, 200 parents and 50 coaches who responded. Our obligation now is to demonstrate that we are listening to the feedback and that we truly value your contributions.

Next week, we will share summaries of the feedback received via the MyGrammar pages for each of the relevant programs. We hope that the provision of these summaries will encourage members of the BGS community to continue to contribute to this important feedback tool, which has now been programmed to run at the end of every term throughout the year.

I read all responses personally and I treat your feedback with great care. Your wish to remain anonymous or not is absolutely respected. You can also be sure that the analysis of the feedback is thorough; where issues are identified, they are addressed and program leaders are given summary feedback based on your responses. Importantly, this feedback is turned into an action plan for the following season, with support from Cocurricular leaders.

We aim to build on the trust placed in us with this community feedback throughout 2021.  

Tri-Grammar Cricket  

Our BGS Cricket community look forward to this annual contest. At this time, we wish to advise the following:

The Headmasters of Brisbane Grammar, Melbourne Grammar and Sydney Grammar Schools have decided with regret that due to COVID-19, the annual Tri-Grammar Cricket series, proposed for January 2021 at Melbourne Grammar School, has been postponed by one year to 2022. Significant factors include the rapidly changing nature of COVID-19, uncertainty surrounding border and quarantine restrictions, flight availability and refunds, insurance, billeting and the potential risk to our students, staff and schools should there be a COVID-19 outbreak just prior to or during this tournament. Each school will seek to arrange fixtures with local schools in January 2021. We all look forward to the resumption of this wonderful tournament at Melbourne Grammar School in January 2022 and Brisbane Grammar School in 2023.

The Calm Before the Confetti: Middle School Dramatic Production in the Final Stages

This week, all three of The Untold Tales are in the throes of post-production. A range of skilled professionals, as well as current and former students, have put their hands up to create the visual components of these narratives.

The audio engineering work from professionals Mike Willmett (recording) and Josh Newth (editing) has elevated the student’s performances and added a high level of polish to the production. Internationally-based artist Caitlin Strongarm is also lending her talents through the use of innovative shadow puppetry techniques.

A special shout out to current students Cameron Quagliotto (Year 11) and Rahul Kumar (Year 9), and Old Boy Maxim Varghese for lending us their time and technological prowess. Each of the three stories will have a very different visual aesthetic to suit the context and style of the fairy-tale. The post-production team have been flexible, creative and innovative in their approach to this challenging task.

Another huge thank you must be made to the amazing digital media team at Brisbane Grammar School: Brendan Kelly and Sam Russell. We have relied on their expertise to realise our creative vision, and their support has been unwavering.

Working within this very new form of digital narrative has allowed all involved to experiment in exciting new ways. We have had to ask ourselves: what can theatre look like in the modern era? Our answer to that question and the hard work of 36 talented Middle School students will be launched next week. Stand by.

Amy Irvine, Bella MacDiarmid, Jeffrey Lewis
Directing Team

Vocal and Instrumental Tuition Program 2021

2021 Cocurricular Music tuition enrolments are now open. Enrolment forms can be found on MyGrammar. A reminder that that all continuing students have to re-enrol for 2021.

We recommend that music students and parents review the Cocurricular Music Handbook each year. The 2021 handbook is now available on MyGrammar.

Any students with BGS loan instruments should be preparing to return their instruments either to the Music Office or directly to their instrument teacher before the end of term. A reminder that with the exception of very large or expensive instruments, continuing students are expected to source their own instrument for their second year of instrumental study.

Peter Ingram
Head of Music

Two of our Robotics teams are competing at the FIRST Global Challenge Queensland Regional Robotics competition. This state event is a sports-like competition where around 40 schools from South East Queensland go head-to-head in a series of qualifying matches leading to the finals. Our two teams #14579 and #16337 worked with the team from Brisbane Girls Grammar this week, for the first time in person since Term 1. It was wonderful to reconnect and to see both schools motivating each other to succeed.

This season’s competition is called Ultimate Goal and it has a strong sport focus: “In any sport, we use our minds — our creativity, imagination, and critical thinking — as much as we use our muscles. This robotics season challenge theme represents the potential in all of us to redefine the game and exceed our team and personal potentials through the only sport where every kid can go pro.” Our teams have been working hard to plan, design, build and program our robots – often on weekends or holidays – to improve the final product.

Successful teams will earn themselves a place at the national competition later this year. Last year, both our teams attended the national competition at Macquarie University in Sydney. This year the national competition is a virtual event with a modified challenge.

Simon Canfield
Robotics Coordinator

The BGS Cricket community started preparing for the 2021 GPS cricket season last week with sessions available for all year levels. The afternoon storms forced many cancellations; however, a large number of sessions were completed. We welcome back Mr Peter Steindl as First XI and Senior Development Coach and have appointed Mr Graham Power as Junior Development and 7A Head Coach. We also have former Australian Test spin bowler Nathan Hauritz working with our aspiring spinners and Queensland Bulls wicketkeeper Lachlan Pfeffer assisting with our wicketkeepers.

Our Annual Powderfinger Cup clashes against rivals Gregory Terrace kicked off this week at Northgate. The format remains the same as last year with teams at both A and B level in Years 6 to 10, as well as the 11As and First XI all playing matches. The 5A and B teams will play each afternoon next week at BGS Spring Hill campus.

At the halfway point of the competition, Gregory Terrace have a slender 4-2 lead. There were some extremely tight fixtures with three matches being decided in the last over of their respective matches. Congratulations to the 6B and 9B teams on their victories. A summary of the results and highlights can be found below. The A-level fixtures commence tomorrow afternoon.

Term 4 GPS training | Years 5 to 12

It was great to see a significant increase in the numbers of BGS swimmers from all ages at training this week. To ensure we get the best preparation possible, I encourage all students who are interested in swimming during the upcoming GPS season to start training as early as possible. Please see Term 4 GPS training times below.

If training times clash with other Cocurricular commitments, please contact Mr Matt Logan to discuss alternative training times. There are also several club sessions available during the week that you may be interested in attending. Please find BGS Swimming Club training information here.

Session	Time	Day	Venue
Swim and Gym	5.30am - 7.30am	Tuesday	BGS
Swim and Gym	5.30am - 7.30am	Thursday	BGS

GPS Swimming Camp | Years 7 to 12 2021

I recommend all swimmers in Years 7 to 12 (2021) who are interested in the GPS team attend the annual swimming camp in the Christmas holidays. Registration for this camp closes on 16 November 2020. Click here or visit MyGrammar for details.

The camp will be held at the Sunshine Coast during the last week of the Christmas school holidays (Monday 18 - Wednesday 20 January 2021).

The camp is essential preparation for boys who are interested in trying out for the 2021 GPS Swimming team. The camp will include pool sessions, beach visits and a range of other activities.

Swimming Clinic | Years 5, 6 and 7 2021

The annual swimming clinic for boys in Years 5, 6 and 7 (2021) will be held at the BGS Indoor Sports Centre on the final Friday of the Christmas school holidays on 22 January 2021. Click here for details and to register.

The intensive swimming clinic is an excellent opportunity for boys who want to try out for the swimming team and kick start their preparations. Boys new to the BGS community can also familiarise themselves with the School and some of the staff and students.

Sessions involve stroke technique work in the pool, dry land training and race practice as well as some fun team-building activities.

Matt Logan
MiC Swimming

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 school days before school, during breaks and at lunchtime.

The Tuckshop provides a selection of hot food, fresh salads, wraps, rolls and drinks. Please recharge your MSA cards here.

The Tuckshop has been farewelling some of our longstanding volunteers as they come in for their final Tuckshop service of the year, prior to the graduation of their Year 12 sons. We are very thankful to these amazing parents who have given their time so generously to feed (and clothe) BGS students over a number of years. You will be missed, and we wish you and your sons every success in the future.

Any parents who wish to enjoy the camaraderie of the Tuckshop or Grammar Shop would be very welcome to join our friendly team. There are a range of days and times for parents who wish to be involved and we’d love to hear from you. For more details see the P&F Volunteers information on MyGrammar.

Grammar Shop

Open school days from 7.30am to 11.00am.

BGS memorabilia makes a great gift idea for the end of year. We have two styles of cufflinks, photo frames, cut-glass beer steins and beautiful framed and unframed prints of BGS landmarks. See our selection on MyGrammar.

Year 8 students should plan to come to the Grammar Shop this term to purchase their Senior School uniform of a blue shirt, trousers, trouser socks and tie. It is not necessary to make an appointment, just come on in either before school or at morning tea.

Grammar Shop staff would very much appreciate parents arranging payment for their sons prior to their arrival where possible. Students can pay using their students ID cards (log into My Student Account to top up the balance), using funds on their account with the Grammar Shop or by credit or debit card.

The Grammar Shop has recently relocated to the basement level of The Lilley Centre and we look forward to showing you our new premises. Staff need to maintain social distancing parameters of 1.5m, but students are welcome to try on uniforms themselves, or parents may wish to come to the shop to fit their son/s if they prefer. Please call us on 07 3834 5347 to discuss your needs and we’ll do our best to help.

Joanne Villiers
P&F Auxiliary

Tuckshop +61 7 3834 5229
Grammar Shop +61 7 3834 5347
Roster Secretary Wendy Smith - wsmith@visis.com.au

Grammar Shop hours
School days 7.30am – 11.00am

Tuckshop hours
Weekdays 7.00am – 2.00pm

Term 4
Tuesday 6 October – Friday 27 November

Click here for more information on upcoming events.

After such an eventful few months, we would love for Year 11 parents to join us for a casual morning tea.

Location: The Garden Room, Roma Street Parklands
Date: Thursday 26 November
Time: 8.30am to 11am

Coffee and food will be available to be purchased on the day. 

Due to COVID restrictions, it is important that parents RSVP to this event, as the venue requires confirmed numbers and contact details for all guests. To make this easier we ask that you please provide your mobile phone number when you RSVP to this event.  

There is plenty of street parking available within Roma Street Parklands.

If you have questions pertaining to the event or to RSVP please contact us via gemmaruddell@hotmail.com.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Gemma Ruddell and Melina Vrettos
Year 11 Parent Representatives

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato

Despite the challenges, our boys have continued to make music in 2020!

However, without live concerts, the Music Support Group has not had the opportunity to raise much-needed funds. Money raised supports the work of the Music Department – purchasing new instruments and performance equipment, as well as commissioning new works.

This year, we are running an online raffle with four gorgeous baskets of goodies, including Body Shop products, homewares, gourmet food and everything you need to make Christmas festive. Tickets are only $2, or $50 for 30, with a quick and convenient online purchase. Visit our raffle page to view our fantastic prizes. The raffle closes on Wednesday 25 November.

Please show your support of BGS Music by buying tickets and sharing our online raffle link (www.rafflelink.com.au/bgsmusicraffle2020) with:

• friends and family via Facebook
• at your workplace via email or a chat during lunchtime
• sporting clubs or community groups that your family are involved in
• your neighbours during a chat or a note in their letterbox

Good luck and we thank you for your support!

Tanya Graves
President Music Support Group

The Normanby Blues Annual General Meeting will be held Monday 9 November 6.30pm to 8.00pm. To make it a social occasion, we are hosting it in a private room on level 3 at the Normanby Hotel. 

We would be delighted for interested Middle School Rugby parents to consider nominating for the Normanby Blues Committee. This is not only because the younger age groups are an important stakeholder in BGS Rugby, but also because the work done by the committee today has the most impact on those boys coming through the Senior School in the future.

Items of business will be:

• 2020 Normanby Blues Highlights
• Treasurer’s Report
• Table 2021 Budget
• NB Resignations/Appointments of the 2021 Office Bearers (President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary)

Please contact me if you have any questions.

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

All parents interested in BGS Football are invited to attend the Wembley Club virtual AGM.

Thursday 12 November
6.00pm
Microsoft Teams meeting

Please contact Louise Evans via louise.evans@brisbanegrammar.com if you wish to attend this meeting.

Light Dark Blue: 150 Years of Learning and Leadership at Brisbane Grammar School is available for purchase. The beautiful 500-page hardcover book updates the BGS story with previously untold anecdotes, rare photographs and illustrations. Standard edition and limited editions are available.

Click here to view all BGS150 merchandise – limited stocks remain.