Headmaster Deputy Headmaster Head of Senior School Head of Junior School TOOWOOMBA GRAMMAR SCHOOL Director of Studies Established 1875 Director of Sport and Activities Director of Boarding Headmaster’s Director of Performance Newsletter Library Tuesday, 19 February 2019 Cadets Careers Adviser School Counsellor Boarder Parents’ Support Group School Notices At a Glance... Parent Lounge Updates Preparing for Outdoor Pursuits and Activities Week Parent Teacher Meetings Assessment Periods School Counsellor and Mental Health ‘Elevate Education’ Parent Seminar Forthcoming Music Events Headmaster Deputy Headmaster Head of Senior School Head of Junior School Director of Studies Director of Sport and Activities Director of Boarding Director of Performance Library Cadets Careers Adviser School Counsellor Boarder Parents’ Support Group School Notices From the Headmaster Dear Parents, On behalf of my wife, Thérèse, and myself I wish the entire school community a safe, rewarding, happy and fulfilling 2019. January 2019 represented the commencement of my seventeenth enrolments as a long-term investment. The outcome will be seen in the year as Headmaster of this wonderful School, an honour of which I am longer term with both the School and you as parents combining in our extremely proud. In my first newsletter to the School, back in January efforts to produce well-adjusted, caring and well-rounded young men, of 2003, I mentioned the warmth of welcome from the parents, staff, who will be offered a range of positive options after leaving school to Old Boys and students, following our relocation from Melbourne to live a full and rewarding life. Relevant to the current drought, my arrival TOOWOOMBA Toowoomba to become the Headmaster of this School. Some things to Toowoomba Grammar School in January 2003 was at a time when GRAMMAR SCHOOL have remained unchanged since 2003 and there have also been huge most of the ovals were without much grass cover and the embankments Established 1875 changes. I wish to consider some of these. on all ovals were bare Toowoomba red dirt. Today we are still struggling but all ovals show some illusion of lushness with our pop-up sprinkling A GPS School for boys Prep - Year 12 system from the bore. Boarders from Year 5 In January 2003 I arrived when Toowoomba and Queensland were PO Box 2900, Toowoomba QLD 4350 AUSTRALIA in a very serious drought. At present we can all relate to this and my 24 Margaret Street, East Toowoomba QLD 4350 AUSTRALIA thoughts go out to all, particularly those in regional, rural and outback My educational philosophy and the goals of the School have largely Telephone: (07) 4687 2500 Facsimile: (07) 4687 2666 Email: [email protected] regions who are reliant on favourable weather conditions. I take the remained constant throughout this period 2003 – 2019. We continue ABN 86 510 299 250 - CRICOS Reg No. 00525D opportunity of thanking all of you as current parents for the sacrifices to maintain a curriculum that is largely academic and relevant; you are making in enabling your son(s) to be educated at Toowoomba Grammar School. I hope you regard the necessary financial cost of Headmaster Deputy Headmaster Head of Senior School Head of Junior School Director of Studies Director of Sport and Activities Director of Boarding Director of Performance Library Cadets however, we have seen significant changes in the subject offerings In this regard nothing has changed. This remains as current and Careers Adviser over time. When I first arrived we did not have the study of Drama in relevant now as it did then and I thank the teaching staff for their efforts the Senior curriculum. Several years ago we introduced a new subject in enabling the boys to learn to the best of their ability. Boys may not School Counsellor called Philosophy and Reason. This year we have introduced the study publicly acknowledge it but they appreciate structure and orderliness of Engineering, Design and Psychology in Year 11. Also, obviously the in their lives, as long as the rules are fair, understood and consistently Boarder Parents’ Support Group information technology (now Digital Solutions) subjects have grown applied. It is in a structured and disciplined environment that the boys School Notices enormously over the years. In other articles in this newsletter, you will are able to learn most effectively, realise that there are consequences also read of the new Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) and associated with their actions and feel secure and safe at school. various changes in names to subjects, such as General Mathematics, Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics replacing the In 2003, I re-iterated, as I do now, the School’s commitment to former Mathematics A, B and C from previous years. Basically in terms single-sex schooling. It is in an all-boy environment that we can best of academic study, the School remains committed to an emphasis on direct our teaching and learning strategies to meet the specific needs Boys may not publically academic endeavour and progress at an individual’s highest possible of boys. The School is a member of the International Boys’ Schools’ level. To this end, I was extremely pleased to see the very favourable Coalition, a world-wide body established to investigate the best acknowledge it but they Year 12 results for the School and our young men in 2018. possible learning and social strategies to promote the welfare of boys appreciate structure and in schools. Whilst we acknowledge that boys learn best in an all-boy Whilst we focus on an academic curriculum, we are still mindful that not environment, we are also actively engaging with the all-girls’ schools orderliness in their lives, all of our boys will seek to pursue academic tertiary study post school. in Toowoomba in a variety of contexts to enable our boys to interact as long as the rules are We therefore continue also to provide a vibrant and extensive program positively with girls. of vocational educational subjects and school-based traineeships for fair, understood and those with such a focus. Finally, the School continues to be committed to the provision of consistently applied. quality pastoral care for the boys. It involves, as a priority, how we as a The School also continues to commit its energies and resources to school can seek to know, understand, care for and guide our students, offering an extensive and engaging program of co-curricular activities. not as a collective mass but as individuals. This is coupled with the This is consistent with our intent on developing the whole boy; that is, students displaying a consideration of the needs of others in the creating opportunities to develop well-rounded young men engaging School and the wider community. The values and behaviours exhibiting not only in academic study but also in sport, music, drama, public honesty, unselfishness, tolerance, initiative, kindness, politeness, speaking, community service, cadets, the outdoors and other offerings. co-operation, team work, commitment, perseverance and resilience are all promoted in the pastoral care program offered by the Houses and In my first TGS newsletter of 2003 I also referred to maintaining a their Pastoral Care Groups. structured, purposeful and supportive learning and social environment. Headmaster Deputy Headmaster Head of Senior School Head of Junior School Director of Studies Director of Sport and Activities Director of Boarding Director of Performance Library Cadets Careers Adviser So, what’s changed since my first year as TGS Headmaster in 2003. I conclusion of the 2020 school year. This will represent my eighteenth School Counsellor arrived to lead a school with an enrolment of only 886 students – 183 year as Headmaster and certainly time for the School to welcome students in the Junior School and 703 students in the Senior School. a new Headmaster who can retain the positive values and traditions Boarder Parents’ Support Group We commence 2019 with a student enrolment of 1,159. At that time of this wonderful School but also to embrace the many challenges of School Notices in 2003, the Year 7s were part of the Junior School and only in that the future. year were Junior School classes introduced to Year 1-3. Later we saw I wish you and your son(s) all the very best for this year. The School the introduction of the ‘Prep’ year and the transfer of the Year 7s to has been extremely fortunate in once again attracting some capable secondary school. In 2003 the Pastoral Care Houses were either for and experienced teachers and administrative staff to join us this year. boarders or dayboys, without an effective integration of both groups. I extend my best wishes to the new staff, new boys, new parents and This changed in 2004. Up until 2012 the boys had to select to play either the existing School Community as we embrace all that is offered at rugby union or soccer, unlike the far more preferable offering at present I extend my best wishes Toowoomba Grammar School. where the boys can participate in the playing of both sports. to the new staff, new boys, new parents and Only some of the current staff can recall the times with me when we With best wishes, only had an outdoor swimming pool, a very small Junior School, no Yours sincerely the existing air-conditioning in the Assembly Hall or Library or classrooms, only one Peter B. Hauser gymnasium, a very small Pavilion, inadequate teaching spaces for art, Headmaster School Community. drama and industrial arts and Boarding Houses requiring refurbishment. Many of you may not be aware that in the early years, we had a driveway through the entire school with vehicles driving through the School entering via Margaret Street and exiting via Herries Street.