Firbank Grammar School
With Melbourne High School running out 12-7 victors over Brighton Grammar School 2nd XV. Selected in Super Rugby, state and other representative teams during this time. The team was selected from the boys competing in the 48th Australian Schools Rugby Championships which was held at Knox Grammar School, Sydney, July 2022.
Have a great break and I look forward to the boys’ return on Monday 2 October. This year’s annual BGS Anglicare Toy Appeal is being run with Fox FM’s Fifi, Fev and Nick breakfast show. We ask BGS families to either bring an unwrapped gift which can be left at student reception until the end of term or make a monetary donation.
The year level was split across both campuses with the day filled with a mixture of academic classes as well as relationship-building activities. Highlights for the year 7s included exploring each other’s school environments and getting to know each other. The spotlight has been on Science this week with many fantastic events happening around the school to celebrate Science Week. The visit from ‘Rookeepers Wild Display’ was a highlight, with the week being capped off tomorrow with rocket launches on the Crowther.
This year we are also holding a separate Christmas party for ELC families on Monday 27 November, from 4.30–5.30pm so please pop this date and the pageant date in your diary. Our Christmas Pageant will take place on Thursday 7 December and planning is well underway with rehearsals next week, commencing at the start of the day. Boys will need to arrive by 9.00am as we will leave the Centre at 9.15am for rehearsals. Please note that our Saturday Welcome interviews take place on 18 November, with more information to come. Congratulations to our Year 6 soloists; Justin Tan, Myles Burchell, Branden Turner, Benny Li, Tin Tin Zhou and Jack Stretch and our MCs for the evening Terry Ding, Tyler Buckingham and Samuel Smith.
On commencement into both the 3 and 4 year old groups, we can offer a staggered intake for the first two weeks. This will provide the boys with the opportunity to establish themselves within the new environment, and become acquainted with their teachers and peers. For our 48 week long day care boys, we begin the year with a holiday program before the School year begins. It is important we provide a variety of experiences, both at home and school, to continue to develop a love of reading amongst our boys.
JPG End of Term Lunch – final orders due by Thursday 30 March through Flexischools. Our Buddy system, involving all boys from ELC to Year 6, is an important part of our boys’ experiences at Wilson House. Our Buddy Program focuses on the values of friendliness, respect, responsibility, caring, including others and valuing difference. I hope you have already had positive conversations at home in regard to buddies. As this term has progressed, I hope the boys feel good about themselves as they have a strong sense of belonging at School.
We strongly encourage parents to make an appointment with the teacher, if there are any concerns or matters to discuss about your son. We are always happy to chat, but please understand that drop off and pick up times do not provide you with a professional and confidential environment, therefore a private appointment would better suit your needs. Parent/Teacher Discussions will be scheduled for each Term to discuss your son’s development and set his learning goals across each developmental area. We understand they may have ‘accidents’ throughout the year, therefore we require a spare full set of your son’s uniform in his school bag for accidents and experimental play! With our exciting program, sometimes it is impossible to stay clean and dry. This event not only showcases the talent of BGS students but is also the official launch of our newest Parent Group – Friends of Art!
A slide show featuring photos of boys and their mothers will be shown during the church service, and mothers are encouraged to email their favourite mother and son/s photos to the Junior School by Friday 28 April. Our Outdoor Education Program, House System and the Buddy Program are opportunities, over and above the pastoral support our boys gain from their day-to-day classroom experiences. We are a group of parents and teachers passionate about the role of music in your son’s life and the benefits that flow from it. We are committed to providing a nurturing environment that recognises and caters for the different needs of students. We are excited to announce that BGS will hold its first Social Justice Dinner on Thursday 31 August. Community Service is an important aspect of student culture and we are proud of how the community service programs are growing at BGS.
The introduction of a new striped blazer for Years 11 and 12 ensures that the senior boys are easily recognisable as leaders within the School and the wider community. This blazer will be presented to boys by the School at the conclusion of their Rites of Passage program towards the end of Year 10. For some young people, the idea of going to school can cause high levels of distress.
For many, it is the first time they have crossed the road and set foot into our Secondary School, and what a big adventure it must seem for them. The Ross Williamson Scholarship, provided and subsidised by the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, is a short-term bursary for boys whose parent/s are experiencing temporary financial hardship. Helping teenagers develop independent decision-making skills can be challenging for parents. The aim is to try and find a healthy balance between setting limits and allowing your teen to forge their own path. Please return completed forms to Peter Toms at the BGS Development Office, 90 Outer Crescent, Brighton VIC 3186 or by emailing Peter Toms.
We offer a robust and diverse education that addresses a balanced development of the mind, the body, the aesthetic and the spirit. As the Year 12s enter into the final weeks of academic classes, they will be receiving the results of their trial exams held over the holidays. This is always a very busy time for the Year 12 teachers and all involved in coordinating and running these events and we thank them for their time and dedication to these students. There is, of course, a large reading component in classroom lessons throughout the curriculum, including reading of a class novel and the personal reading of library books. Through service-learning experiences, our students can gain insight into the needs of those in the world around them and help them to develop a sense of social responsibility and important life skills such as kindness and empathy.