Newsletter
Week 7 Term 1

As we look forward to the Head of the River tomorrow, it has been interesting to reflect on the past year.

Immediately after the 2020 Head of the River, the Queensland Chief Health Officer introduced several measures to safeguard us all during the COVID-19 pandemic. All cocurricular activities were suspended, and soon after this, the School transitioned to home-based learning.

In May 2020, we returned to on-campus teaching and learning. The sense of community at the School was palpable.

In 2021, we have kept appropriate COVID Safe measures in place to continue to safeguard our community.

As one of our five values, community is at the heart of BGS. Looking back on 2020 and 2021 so far, it is undeniable that we are a strong community, and it is the strength of this community that has enabled us to continue our important work with your sons.

Thank you for your continued support as we look forward to better times to come.

Finally, I echo Swimming Director Matt Logan’s congratulations to the BGS Swimming team on a very fine result at the GPS championships last Friday. I also wish our rowers the very best at the Head of the River tomorrow.

Online activity and digital footprints

The Office of the eSafety Commissioner is a federal government agency committed to keeping young Australians safe online. In addition to providing excellent resources, the agency communicates directly with popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to have inappropriate content removed.

This week at Assembly, I addressed students about creating a negative digital reputation (or digital footprint) and the impact it can have on them. Many boys are concerned about the immediate school-based consequences – getting into trouble for posting something inappropriate – but they need to consider the long-term factors. Employers, universities and others can easily view social media posts and make decisions (sometimes unfairly) based on what they see.

As educators, our primary concern is that our young men make good decisions, irrespective of whether evidence of their behaviour will be posted online. BGS boys should behave appropriately and respectfully towards others whether they are being filmed or not. If we are doing our job well, the boys will internalise our core values, particularly those of community and respect, and will act accordingly both at school and beyond.

I encourage you to have a conversation with your son regarding his digital footprint. The web address above provides some excellent resources that might assist in framing these discussions.

Health Advice

We have recently been informed that one of our students is immunosuppressed. Details can be found here. Please ensure that you adhere to previously communicated health advice — if your son is unwell, he should not be sent to school. Thank you for your ongoing support in this area.

The pace is picking up academically as boys dive into preparations for their end of term assessments. The turnout for the GPS Swimming Championships was incredible, with a great effort from boys of all year levels taking time out from their studies to cheer our swimmers home to a stellar second place. With Head of the River this weekend, we look to continue this support, and appreciate the effort that all boys competing have put in to be prepared for this moment.

International Women’s Day

In 2013, a young girl named Malala said: “We must believe in the power and the strength of our words. Our words can change the world, because we are all together.”

International Women’s Day, established in 1911, is not only a day to spread awareness for women’s rights and gender equality, but it is also an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and show our appreciation to the women in our lives.

We’ve come a long way since this day was established over a century ago, but it would be naïve of me to stand here and say that we still don’t have a long way to go.

The ideology of Malala’s words is true. Our words can change the world, because we are all together. Almost. Our words ‘will’ change the world, ‘when’, after far too many years of inequality and injustices, we are finally all together.

Each year, 8 March marks International Women’s Day. As a BGS community, we recognise that IWD is not only a day to spread awareness for women’s rights and gender equality, but also an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements and show our appreciation to the women in our lives. This week has been a perfect opportunity for the wider BGS community to come together as one and celebrate both the importance of our female teaching and non-teaching staff, our mothers and our volunteers.

Choose to Challenge is the phrase for International Women’s Day, and in my opinion, no phrase better epitomises what we strive for here at Brisbane Grammar School, both on a personal and communal level.

But, challenging yourself is about so much more than how hard you work in a classroom, or how much effort you put in on a sporting field. As young men, it’s often overlooked how important it is to challenge yourself emotionally. Challenge your values, challenge your beliefs, challenge your assumptions, and challenge misconceptions because from challenge comes change.

I look to my mother for inspiration almost every day. Our relationship is not perfect, and I’m sure that most of you in this room will understand when I say that we have our fair share of miscommunications. However, it’s ironic that only now, after moving away from home, I am really able to understand and appreciate how much love, and how many sacrifices she has made for me.

Many of the qualities that I try to live by, I have learned from her. How to be strong-willed, to hold my ground if I have an opinion, but still be willing to take advice from others into consideration. There is one quality she’s taught me that I believe we can all learn from: how to be strong, courageous and hopeful even in the most difficult times.

For it is through this resilience and confidence, and the ability to look undesirable or face unexpected situations with courage and hope, that we can all be leaders – of ourselves and for others.

While on 8 March, we officially celebrate the women in our lives, one day is simply not enough to truly believe it and make a change. We need to celebrate the work of women every day, because every day, they are doing an inconceivable amount for us.

This is not just limited to our family, or here at school, the work that women do is often overlooked and undervalued. To our female teaching and non-teaching staff at BGS, to our mothers and volunteers: you are the backbone of this school, and we are grateful. For without BGS women, there are no BGS men.

So, boys, I urge you to challenge yourselves. When you go home after school, tell your mum, your sister, or any woman that’s important to you that you love her, because we must believe in the power and the strength of our words, for our words can change the world.

Director of Learning Programs
Chris Price

The curriculum we teach in the classroom and assessment tasks provide a framework for our pedagogy (how our students learn). At BGS, we have a commitment to develop effective thinking cultures and the way we design our curriculum and write our assessment tasks support this.

The QCE-ATAR system in Queensland has brought significant change to curriculum and assessment. In Years 11 and 12, we now use very specific syllabuses that determine our curriculum objectives. We also have a quality control process to endorse all assessments before students undertake them. These principles are now being applied to our whole school curriculum.

Success in our senior years has its foundation in good curriculum design in Years 5 to 10. To develop consistent curriculum and assessment across the School, we have implemented quality assurance procedures. These align the BGS curriculum to Australian Curriculum goals and the requirements of our senior courses.

In the last few years, our academic departments have reviewed the curriculum documents that articulate their learning goals. Each unit outline specifies the teaching of specific cognitions (eg: thinking processes like analysis or evaluation), skills to be executed (like data collection or paragraph writing) and understandings related to the discipline (like cause and effect, or continuity and change). Every unit of work has mandated formative tasks (i.e. practice tasks) that align with the summative (or final) assessment pieces. These units refer to Australian Curriculum standards and align with the thinking and assessment modes required in senior. They don’t always replicate senior assessment modes but provide a pathway to achieve success.

Each unit’s assessment task is reviewed to ensure it is valid and accessible for students. This involves critiquing the assessment instrument for: alignment to the unit objectives; authenticity, which means allowing for unique student responses; authentication strategies such as providing checkpoints for feedback and verifying student authorship; item construction, including appropriate scaffolding of the response; and the scope and scale of the item. Quality assurance for accessibility involves checking for: clarity of instructions; language and layout being accessible; and bias avoidance.

These quality assurance processes ensure all BGS boys experience a carefully designed curriculum that helps them build confidence and mastery of the skills required to become effective thinkers.

Director of Counselling and Academic Services
Dale Nicholas

The Year 12 Studies and Tertiary Information Evening for Year 12 parents only is on Monday 29 March at 5.00pm in The Lilley Centre Forum.

• Overview of the ATAR and scaling processes | Deputy Headmaster Teaching and Learning Steve Uscinski
• Information on assessment and reporting in Year 12 | Acting Director of Assessment and Reporting Kate Stevenson 
• Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments in Year 12 | Director of Counselling and Academic Services Dale Nicholas
• Year 12 tertiary planning | Student Counsellor Dr Nathan Simmons 

Parents of students in Year 12 who plan to attend are asked to RSVP by email to Rochelle Lynch, PA to the Deputy Headmaster Teaching and Learning at Rochelle.Lynch@brisbanegrammar.com.

Director of Boarding
Berian Williams-Jones

Alongside the numerous assessments, cocurricular fixtures and trials, the Boarding community’s thoughts are fixed on the impending redevelopment of Harlin House, commencing during the upcoming term break.

Built in 1972, Harlin House has been home to countless boarders over the years. Until the foundation of Griffith House in 2020, it was home to all boarders at Brisbane Grammar School.

The recent significant investment in BGS Boarding demonstrates our commitment to provide leading facilities that meet the needs of our boarding community. The community has already elicited heartening interest in our renovations, and the boys are excited.

As I communicated in my recent letter to boarding parents, the planned works amount to much more than the creation of 81 single rooms. When we are complete, only the exterior will be the same.

Harlin House will be re-orientated, with the current sliding doors to the dining hall becoming the new main entrance. The works will include new and refurbished bathrooms, and small ‘break out’ areas will be created on each floor to provide additional space for boys to gather and socialise.

Our Residential Boarding Tutors will also benefit, with their existing living spaces redeveloped into self-contained rooms.

Soon, boys and staff will pack up their possessions and move to 89 Gregory Terrace, located directly opposite Brisbane Girls Grammar School (BGGS). While the planned works and the move to the wonderful temporary accommodation bring much excitement for us all, there is a need to be adaptable, resilient and positive to the changes. Any short-term logistical challenges are far outweighed by the privilege of being the first cohort who will experience the new boarding house.

Our seniors have been central to the planning of the temporary accommodation. We continue to engage them to provide invaluable feedback. I am especially appreciative of the input of the Boarding Prefects, who have been an excellent source of insight, ranging from how we will allocate rooms to how we will operate in the evenings with Cocurricular involvement.

Director of Outdoor Education
Derek Jervis

In Week 6, three classes came to Moogerah for their Outdoor Education program: 7I, 5A and 5B.

7I came with a great attitude ready to engage in the activities and take on new challenges.

Sith Abeysinghe was an extremely motivated student. He put in a huge effort bushwalking on Mt Edwards and during the height activities on the climbing tower. Charles Zhang got involved in every aspect of the program. He maintained a good sense of humour during the challenging activities and had a positive influence on his group.

Ned Horton and Alexander Redhead were enthusiastic and capable students. They were willing to work hard when it came to cleaning canoes at the end of a long day hiking on Mount Edwards. 7I were a wonderfully cohesive class who showed a commitment to the program theme of endeavour.

Year 11 leaders Alden Sommerfeld and Aaron Le Dan were excellent role models for the Year 7 students. They completed all the activities with the class and did a great job facilitating an evening of activities to help develop the program objectives. Ms Bethany Wass attended the program with the boys and provided great support and encouragement to the class.

On Thursday, 5A and 5B visited Moogerah for the single day program. The Year 5 introductory program gives the boys a look at four components of outdoor education activities including a low ropes course, orienteering, Indigenous education, and an aquatic experience on Lake Moogerah. The boys also get a good look at the Outdoor Education Centre and an opportunity to meet all the Outdoor Education teachers and Moogerah staff ready to return in Year 6 for their first overnight experience.

The Year 5 teachers got involved in the program with the boys and helped them settle into a new environment. The classes also had Year 11 Outdoor Education Leaders Isaac Tam, Lucas Sherington, Hess Chen and Nick Teng attend to guide them through the circuit of activities and answer the many questions about the next five years of Outdoor Education experiences at Moogerah.

A short movie of the boys' experiences can be viewed via the 7I Video and 5AB Video links.

Director of Student Wellbeing Programs
Philippa Douglas

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day was acknowledged with a series of events this week. On Monday, parent representatives organised a cake to acknowledge and thank the endeavour and fortitude of female staff and volunteers at BGS. Head of Year 12, Sharee Verdon, read out a poignant letter penned by School Vice Captain, Harry Anstey-Walsh.

Throughout the week, images of senior students “Choosing to Challenge” with various “selfie cards” were displayed on screens across the campus; you can view those images on GrammarWell here.

On Wednesday, Prefects recorded words of advice from Year 12 dads to their adolescent selves. There were some powerful and positive messages shared across generations.

Campbell Watchirs, Boarding Vice Captain, wrote a heartfelt and thought-provoking address. You can read his speech in the Captain’s Corner section of this week’s newsletter.

Overdue Books Policy Update

The BGS Libraries Overdue Books Policy has changed.

Parents and Heads of Year will now be contacted when a book is seven weeks overdue. If the book is not returned after nine weeks, the book’s replacement cost plus a $7.00 (per book) administration charge will be added to the student’s term tuition fees.

Please check the infographic below to see how overdues will be processed for the Middle and Senior Schools. As always, Library staff are happy to help with any queries about borrowing or Library services.

Middle School Community

Thank you to all parents who recently attended our Years 5, 6 and 8 parent morning teas. These events provide a wonderful opportunity for parents to connect and to form friendships, which positively contribute to their own BGS experience. Our Middle School Parent Representatives will continue to plan and host various events throughout the year. I am extremely grateful for their generosity and desire to build a strong and supportive parent body within each year group. Contact details for each Parent Representative can be found on the year level pages on MyGrammar.

Year 5 Outdoor Education

Year 5 boys recently attended their first Outdoor Education adventure at Pepperina Hill. Our Outdoor Education staff are highly committed to providing a tailored, age-appropriate experience for each group. From all accounts, the boys had a fantastic time navigating their way through the low ropes course, creating Indigenous style artworks, developing their orienteering skills, and paddling in the canoes.  

Interim Reports and Three-way Conferences

In Week 8, you will receive your son’s Interim Report. The purpose of the Interim Report is to provide insight into your son’s learning behaviours and engagement with the learning process. It is important to note that academic data is not included in this report. Parents in Years 5 to 7 will be invited to attend a three-way conference to be held in Weeks 9 and 10. Three-way conferences are designed to facilitate discussion between students, parents and teachers, providing boys with the opportunity to reflect on their strengths and areas for development. The Interim Report will provide useful feedback to support these discussions. An email outlining the booking process will be sent to all parents early in Week 8. Year 8 parent teacher interviews will be held in Term 2. 

Middle School Activities

Each week we will highlight a club or activity group that may of interest to Middle School students.

Wordsmiths Club

The Wordsmiths Club is open to Year 5 boys in Semester 1 and Year 6 boys in Semester 2. Our weekly sessions are planned to support English units, particularly the spelling, punctuation and grammar boys are working on in class that week. Collaborative and individual activities are completed in sessions.

Sessions are held on Wednesday mornings from 7.30am to 8.15am in MS 302. If you have any questions, please contact Ms Gardner at stella.gardner@brisbanegrammar.com. ​

Team	Won by
5A	Brisbane Grammar School
5B	Nudgee College
5C	Nudgee College
5D	Nudgee College
6A	Brisbane Grammar School
6B	Brisbane Grammar School
6C	Brisbane Grammar School
6D	Nudgee College
7A	Brisbane Grammar School
7B	Nudgee College
7C	Brisbane Grammar School
7D	Brisbane Grammar School
7E	Gregory Terrace
7F	Brisbane Grammar School
8A	Brisbane Grammar School
8B	Nudgee College
8C	Nudgee College
8D	Brisbane Grammar School

Team	Name
5A	Francis Wallwork
5B	Gray Dalton
5C	Lachlan Tan
5D	Henry Gannon
6A	Mitchell Spence
6B	Angus Hoyling
6C	Maverick Harris
6D	Claude Stonell
7A	Oliver Dauber
7B	Jake Miller
7C	James Butler
7D	Henry Mellick
7E	Isaac Malik
7F	Don Grantley
8A	Angus Clark
8B	Jax Beikoff
8C	Bennett Huf
8D	Ryan Quinell

Team	Won By
5.1	Brisbane Grammar School
5.2	Nudgee College
6.1	Brisbane Grammar School
6.2	Nudgee College
7.1	Brisbane Grammar School
7.2	Internal v 7.3 won by 7.2
7.3	Internal v 7.2 won by 7.2
8.1	Brisbane Grammar School
8.2	Nudgee College
8.3	No Debate

Year Level	Name
Year 5	Ferrell Dong
Year 6	Alexander Wong
Year 7	Alexander Carter
Year 8	Anson Qiu-Tang

Team	name
10 years	Chris McKay
11 years	Max Wang
12 years	Joshua Holmes
13 years	Max Gao

Team	Won by
7A	Nudgee College
7B	Nudgee College
7C	Nudgee College
7D	Brisbane Grammar School
7E	Nudgee College
8A	Nudgee College
8B	Brisbane Grammar School
8C	Brisbane Grammar School
8D	Brisbane Grammar School

Team	Name
7A	Zac Martin
7B	Milo Pocock
7C	Harvey Kerr
7D	Sebastian Labagnara
7E	Angus List
8A	Anson Qiu-Tang
8B	Yoshi Becker
8C	Richard Wheeler
8D	Sam Margetts

The Years 5 to 7 Public Purpose committee is again running a donation drive to support RSPCA Queensland in their efforts to help the thousands of animals that enter their shelters each year.

We are asking for donations of clean towels and blankets, dog and cat food (tinned and packaged), as well as dog and cat toys.

Donations can be dropped into the collection bin outside the Middle School Reception between 8.00am and 8.15am every morning this term.

Help us to help the animals!

Justin Shears and Stella Gardner
Years 5 to 7 Public Purpose Coordinators

Senior Dramatic Production — A Few Good Men

Senior Dramatic Production tickets are on sale now for Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men.

Performances will be held 26, 27 and 28 May in our new venue: Centenary Hall. Our pre-show performance begins at 6.30pm in the Centenary Hall Courtyard – and you will not want to miss it. During this time, drinks and snacks will be available to purchase.

Venue:             Centenary Hall

Dates:               Wednesday 26 May 2021 | Thursday 27 May 2021 | Friday 28 May 2021

Time:                Pre-show 6.30pm (special performance) Show: 7.00pm

Ticket Prices:  $35 Adults |  $20 Students

Tickets can be purchased through the BGS payment portal. Please ensure you have selected the correct date for the show that you wish to attend. Confirmation will be emailed to the attendee making the booking, and you will need to print your receipt to show on entry.

The BGS Senior Dramatic Productions sell out very quickly, so don’t delay.

Tickets available here.

Tanya Neilsen, Patrick Last and Bella MacDiarmid
Senior Dramatic Production Creative Team

Music Soiree and Parent Welcome Function | Friday 19 March at 5.00pm in the Great Hall

Our first live performance of the year features Grammar Vocal Ensemble, Vocal Group, Grammarphones, Grammar Singers and the Chamber Strings. Due to strict COVID-19 rules, tickets are limited and have sold out. If you don’t have a ticket, you may be able to access seats vacated by parents of boys in the large choirs (which will be performing first on the program); however, there are no guarantees. We apologise for the limited tickets, and encourage you to secure your ticket for Grammar in Concert on 16 May as soon as they are available.

The Music Support Group Welcome Function will start at 6.00pm (after the Soiree) but refreshments will be available from 5.30pm for ticket holders who vacate their seats early in the concert.

Extension Opportunities

To encourage their musical development, we offer our young musicians extra opportunities to extend their skills. Our singers have an opportunity to join Voices of Birralee, a community organisation led by outstanding choral conductors with choirs for all ages. In March, boys have an obligation-free opportunity to take part or observe these groups in action. Birralee Singers (Years 5 to 7) is opening their doors on Thursday 18 March 4.00pm at Birralee HQ in Bardon, or Saturday 20 March at Ascot State School. Birralee Blokes (male changed voices) will have a similar opportunity on Thursday 18 March at 6.30pm in Bardon. For more information, go to www.birralee.org or contact the BGS Music Office.

Peter Ingram
Head of Music

GPS Chess | Nominate now

Students who wish to nominate for the 2021 GPS Chess Team should complete this survey, which is also available via MyGrammar. Nominations close at 11.30pm on Friday 19 March. Trials for the GPS Chess team will be held online on Sunday 18 April. Information about how to participate in the trials will be emailed to parents and boys after nominations close. 

Peter Brunckhorst
Chess Director

Round 6 | Pink Stumps Day

Round 6 against Nudgee College was always going to be our toughest assignment of the GPS season. In what turned out to be a relatively even round, Nudgee ended the day winning two more games. BGS won 13 of the 28 games, with two wins from the four supplementary matches. Congratulations to the Middle School A teams who all won their matches, and to the Middle School program, which won nine out of the 16 GPS matches. The 5A, 6A, 6B, 6C, 7D, 7E and 10B teams have undefeated GPS records and are competition leaders with the 5B, 9C, 9D and 10D teams.

Last Saturday was Pink Stumps Day, when our BGS Cricket community raise awareness and money for the McGrath Foundation and the treatment of breast cancer. Thank you to everyone who contributed; we raised over $400. It was great to see so many people dressed in pink as Northgate shone brightly (5A parents are pictured below).

Round 7 sees us take on our neighbours in Gregory Terrace. Best of luck to our cricketers in what will be a season defining round for many of our teams.

Trevor Irvine
Director of Cricket

Fencing sign-on closed 

Thank you to the 176 boys who signed on to fencing this year. 

Fencing Training Times and Squads Available

Training times and squad lists are now available on MyGrammar.  Please check these carefully and contact the Fencing Director if there are clashes, or you no longer wish to participate. Training starts in Week 1 of Term 2. 

Fencing Whites Hire and Equipment Information

Equipment requirements, order forms, and the whites hire schedule are now available via MyGrammar.

Whites hire will be held on Tuesday 16 to Thursday 18 March from 3.30pm to 5.00pm in Classroom 1 of the ISC.

• Tuesday 16 March: Years 10 to 12
• Wednesday 17 March: Years 6 to 9 (returning to Fencing)
• Thursday 18 March: Years 5 to 9 (new to Fencing)

Boys should come dressed in their PE uniform with the equipment order form. 

Save the Date | Musketeers Welcome Function

6.00pm Saturday 27 March at Figs on Sylvan, Toowong.

Book tickets here. We hope to see all parents at this event. Please note that this year the Welcome Function is for parents only; students should look forward to Easter Camp.

Fencing Easter Holiday Camp

Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 April in the ISC. Dates and times are now available on MyGrammar. 
The permission and sign on form will be available soon.

Brisbane School Teams Competition

The Queensland Fencing Association will be hosting the Brisbane Schools Teams Competition in Term 2. Round 1 will be held on Saturday 8 May at Yeronga. Parents and fencers will be notified as more specific information becomes available.

Melanie Chin
Fencing Director

The fifth and final lead-up GPS regatta was held on Saturday 6 March.

Very poor weather was predicted, but the day resulted in flat and calm conditions. Unfortunately, due to the predicted inclement weather and safety precautions, Year 9 races were cancelled during the week. The regatta format was also altered to accommodate the forecast.

The boys performed their best in trying circumstances, with illness and absence still prevalent through the boatshed. This week, we have prioritised recovery to prepare the boys for the weekend.

This Saturday is the Head of the River and is the culmination of the boys’ hard work since September 2020. Collectively, they have rowed hundreds of hours on the water to improve their technique ready for racing season. This season they have enjoyed an array of good performances from different crews. I know the boys are keen to bring out their best performance tomorrow at the GPS Head of the River.

Tomorrow also doubles as the BGS hosted regatta. I’d like to extend my personal thanks to the parent supporters for their incredible efforts in preparation for Saturday. I am confident the regatta will be a great success; we wish them all the best and thank them all for their fundraising efforts.

I wish all boys, coaches, families, and friends the very best for an enjoyable regatta tomorrow.

Open First VIII (Round 1)	Open First VIII (Round 2)
QLD Youth (invitational row) – 1st	ACGS – 1st
BBC– 2nd	NC – 2nd
ACGS – 3rd	GT – 3rd
TSS – 4th	TSS – 4th
NC – 5th	BGS – 5th
BGS – 6th	BSHS – 6th
GT – 7th	QLD Youth (invitational row) – DNS
BSHS – 8th	BBC – DNS

GPS Swimming Championships

The 2021 GPS Swimming season concluded last Friday with many excellent performances from both our junior and senior swimmers. Our junior team placed a very commendable fifth and our Senior team recorded a close second in a tightly fought GPS Swimming Championships.

It was an exciting morning for the BGS boys at Junior GPS this year. As a team we had 34 individual PBs, which included 14 first places across all divisions in individual events. Some of our highlights included Josh Holmes in 12 and under Division 2 100m Freestyle dropping five seconds from his entry time. Mason Gao swam a very strong 50m Breaststroke and collected a GPS record with his time of 44.33. Lucas Tian was a clear winner in the 10 and under 50 Butterfly Division 2 placing first. Our 10 and under Medley relay took first place. This was followed with an additional three relay teams coming in second place, (11 and under 4 x 50 Freestyle Division 2, 12 and under 4 x 50 FS Division 2, 12 and under Medley relay). To top off the morning, Josh Poynter finished strongly in our 12 and under Medley relay! 

We must congratulate our four 12-year-olds swimming up in Seniors GPS: Callum Deacon, Hudson Slater, Samuel Zhang, Henry Mellick – commendable effort, boys.

Name	EVENt
Lachlan Donaldson	10/U 100 Freestyle Division 1 10/U 50 Breaststroke Division 2 10/U 50 Freestyle Division 1 10/U 50 Backstroke Division 1 10/U 4 x 50 Medley Relay
Thomas Gorry	10/U 100 Freestyle Division 2 10/U 50 Breaststroke Division 3 10/U 50 Freestyle Division 2 10/U 50 Backstroke Division 3 10/U 4 x 50 Medley Relay
Mason Gao	10/U 50 Breaststroke Division 1 (new GPS record: 44.33 seconds) 10/U 50m Backstroke Division 2 10/U 4 x 50 Medley Relay
Christopher McKay	10/U 50 Freestyle Division 6
Lucas Tian	10/U 50 Butterfly Division 2 10/U 4 x 50 Medley Relay
Maverick Harris	12/U 50 Breaststroke Division 2
Joshua Holmes	12/U 50 Freestyle Division 6
Oscar Vanderstoep	12/U 50 Backstroke Division 3

I congratulate the team on the way they conducted themselves at the Championships.

With a strong army of supporters cheering on BGS swimmers, the highly anticipated Senior GPS Carnival promised to be an exhilarating and close competition. Many fast individual swims from all of the GPS schools meant that the battle remained very close throughout the early stages of the meet.

Rocco Zikarsky, our newest student to the BGS cohort, swam an outstanding race to record our first victory of the afternoon, posting a winning time of 24.94 in the 15 and under 50m Freestyle. This served to inspire confidence in the rest of the team. In the next race, Harry Steindl put on a masterclass in how to step up and race by winning the 16 and under 50m Freestyle in a time of 24.49 that would place him as one of the fastest 15-year-old's in the state. Rocco also won the 15 and under 100m Freestyle and Josh Anderson won the 16 and under 50m Breaststroke.

We went into the relays with Nudgee leading, closely followed by four other schools, including BSHS, TSS, BBC and BGS. Our relay swimmers once again performed commendably, with most boys recording personal best times in their individual leg of the relay. Our 15 and under and 16 and under 4x50m Medley Relays showed strength and determination to win each of their respective events.

Although we saw many outstanding performances during the afternoon, it was not quite enough to catch a powerful Nudgee team on the points table. During the meet, all of those present witnessed a tremendous team effort by BGS that showed individual talent and team depth.

A special mention must go to the first placegetters.

Name	EVENt	Time
Rocco Zikarsky	15/U 50m Freestyle	24.94
	15/U 100m Freestyle	56.00
Harry Steindl	16/U 50m Freestyle	24.49
Josh Anderson	16/U 100m Breaststroke	30.64
Ronan Mellick, Ed Rimmington, Kai Scott-Thompson, Rocco Zikarsky	15/U 4x50m Medley Relay	1:56.94
Sebastien Roy-Bryant, Joshua Anderson, Edward Sommerville, Harry Steindl	16/U 4x50m Medley Relay	1:50.49

After the relays, the final placings for the GPS Championships were as follows: First - NC, 319pts. Second - BGS, 276pts. Third - TSS, 252pts. An excellent result for BGS Swimming, once again.

I congratulate all swimmers for an outstanding and memorable season. Well done to our Captains William Staib and George Rimmington and the entire senior squad for their superb leadership of the GPS swimming team in 2021. Thank you to the parents who have supported BGS Swimming throughout the year, and to the BGS spectators who were in the stand on Friday.

Finally, to our Director of Coaching, Bobby Jovanovich, Coordinator of Middle School Swimming, Sarah Caithness, our extraordinary panel of coaches, Old Boys and support staff who have given up many hours of their time to ensure that the BGS swimming team recognised their full potential this season, I extend my sincerest thanks to all involved.

Matt Logan
Swimming Director

Clean Up Australia Day

Last Sunday, 14 dedicated students attended Clean Up Australia Day in Victoria Park. Greening Grammar students also attend Ashgrove Bushcare one Sunday morning a month to weed and plant new trees.

A growing number of students with a passion for environmental issues are joining Greening Grammar to raise environmental awareness and initiate environmentally friendly projects and behaviour at BGS.

Waste recycling is one of our activities. Greening Grammar students empty designated waste paper bins in all classrooms and staffrooms. While we couldn’t use our yellow bins for container recycling last year due to COVID-19, we hope to resume soon.

Year 12 students continue to maintain our five worm farms with food scraps from the Dining Hall. The resulting worm tea is available for BGS staff to collect.

Students who are interested in environmental issues are always welcome to join Greening Grammar.

Beate Poida
Greening Grammar Coordinator

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 Student ID cards here. 

The Tuckshop has a new 'Breakfast of Champions' menu here.

Grammar Shop

Open school days from 7.30am to 11.00am.

Senior Winter Uniforms

Only one week remains to submit blazers for embroidery before the Friday 19 March deadline to guarantee blazers’ return before winter uniform starts.

From Tuesday 4 May, all Senior School students must wear winter uniforms (blazer, long-sleeved white shirt, trousers, black belt and optional navy jumper). These items are available for purchase from the Grammar Shop. Year 9 students are encouraged to purchase their blazer this term rather than waiting until the beginning of Term 2.

Students who want their blazer pockets embroidered must collect a yellow Colours Award form from the Cocurricular Office. The form can be handed in at the time of blazer purchase and before Friday 19 March.

ID CARD HOLDERS

The Grammar Shop has new items for sale: ID card holders and reels which can be clipped onto belts or similar. These are proving popular with students for ease of access to ID cards during the day.

Pre-loved Uniforms and Textbooks

The BGS P&F Auxiliary has an exciting new initiative – the Grammar Shop is trialling the sale of preloved uniforms. 

If you have any BGS uniform items that you no longer use, please consider donating them to the Grammar Shop. We will accept preloved items in very good to excellent condition. Complying items will be gratefully accepted at the Grammar Shop during opening hours. Bags of preloved items must not be left outside the door.

EMBROIDERY

Families who are waiting for returned embroidery should check MyGrammar > P&F Auxiliary > Embroidered Item Pick Up List to confirm whether their items are awaiting collection in the Grammar Shop.

Payment 

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

Please call the Grammar Shop on 07 3834 5347 to discuss your needs.

Joanne Villiers
P&F Auxiliary

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

Grammar Shop hours
School days 7.30am – 11.00am

Tuckshop hours
School days 7.00am – 2.00pm

Notice of Annual General Meeting | Wednesday 17 March 2021 at 6.30pm

The Brisbane Grammar School Parents’ and Friends’ Association (Inc.) (BGS P&F) AGM, will be held on Wednesday 17 March 2021 at 6.30pm in The Lilley Centre Function Room at BGS.

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.

• A nomination of Justin Beirne for the position of President has been proposed by Chris Smith, and seconded by Nicola Rahman. 
• A nomination of Nicola Rahman for the position of Vice President has been proposed by Chris Smith, and seconded by Kristine Luke.
• A nomination of Kristine Luke for the position of Secretary has been proposed by Chris Smith, and seconded by Nicola Rahman.
• A nomination of Chris Smith for the position of Treasurer has been proposed by Nicola Rahman, and seconded by Kristine Luke.

Further enquiries should be directed to the P&F Management Committee Secretary at kristine.luke@gmail.com.

Kristine Luke
P&F Management Committee Secretary

COVID has heightened a need for social distancing, and in many ways our homes have become a sanctuary for our closest loved ones. This year, the 2021 Art Show, Embrace. The Art of Togetherness, features an artist who strongly captures this sentiment. The Art Support Group is proud to announce Alexandra Matthews as our 2021 feature artist. She is a well-known Queensland artist and her work is an expression of her deep connections to her local Brisbane area. “I've always had an interest in creating images with a narrative. My Urban Landscape paintings are an extension of that,” Alexandra says.

The promotional material for the Art Show features Alexandra’s work, Budgie Love (pictured below), from her current collection. Alexandra's artwork appears in the Brisbane Grammar School Art Collection and Australian and international private collections, including the Lord Mayor of Brisbane Collections. She has won many prestigious art prizes and has been Artist-in-Residence many times at BGS. Her works continue to be one of the best sellers at the BGS Art Show.

We hope you can join us for the Art Show Gala Night on Friday 11 June to view Alexandra Matthews’ artwork, as well as the work of established and emerging artists. The evening will be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect and celebrate the BGS community.

To keep up to date on the Art Show, artworks for sale and details on ticketing, follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

BGS Art Support Group

Click here for more information on upcoming events.

Term 1
Wednesday 27 January – Thursday 1 April

Term 2
Tuesday 20 April – Friday 18 June

Term 3
Tuesday 13 July – Friday 17 September

Term 4
Tuesday 5 October – Friday 26 November

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. With a limited print run, it is sure to become a sought after collector’s item. Standard edition and limited editions are available.

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