“I love sharing my days with talented, thoughtful and down-to-earth young men who make me laugh and always show me kindness and respect.”Mrs Lynnette Yeabsley, Teacher of French - Senior School
I am honoured to be asked to write about my experience as a female teacher at TGS, having started here in 1988 teaching French, English and Social Studies.
My late husband was a teacher, and our four children are all teachers, which we encouraged them to do because it is the best job in the world.
It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for 36 years, working under four Headmasters: Mr Bill Dent, Mr Hugh Rose, Mr Peter Hauser and now Dr John Kinniburgh. I still drive into the School each day and smile, looking at the beautiful place it is — magnificent ovals, gracious trees and historically significant buildings. It is difficult to express the privilege I feel at being the longest-serving female teacher in the School’s 149-year history.
The real reason I have stayed here for so long is the boys. I do not teach many of them now but I have fond memories of many Old Boys.
I have witnessed enormous changes, not only to the School’s infrastructure (the W.M. Dent Library, Heenan block, Dr J.M. Blaikie Health Centre, The Pavilion, Junior School, Hugh Rose Centre, P.B. Hauser Aquatic Centre and Glen McCracken Sports Centre did not exist when I started) but also to the make-up of the teaching staff. In 1988, there was only one other full-time female teacher out of 60.
I aspired to take up a range of promotional roles, not to be the first female in these positions, but because they were things I really wanted to do. It was not straightforward to get promoted in an all-boys school. When I first applied for Housemaster in 1993, my application was rejected because “the School was not ready for a female Housemaster, and there would be Old Boys rolling over in their graves at the thought.”
However, I was persistent. In 1996, Headmaster Mr Hugh Rose appointed me Housemaster of Freshney House. I loved being a Housemaster. My assistant, Mr Craig Harris, and I made a formidable team and our House often won the Headmaster’s Shield.
To have become the first female Head of Department (2001–2014) was just as important to me as I have always promoted Languages as a subject.
When Headmaster Mr Peter Hauser in 2006 appointed me as the inaugural Director of Pastoral Care and the first female on the School Executive, that truly was a great honour.
I am humbled to have been a pioneer in these roles for women at TGS. What was important was not how I saw myself but rather that if other women saw that I could do these roles, so could they. There are now many ladies in these roles, having mastered and perfected them.
I consider that we have a good balance at TGS, as it is essential at an all-boys’ school to have strong male and female role models if we are to achieve our purpose and vision as a School of promoting the values of honesty, kindness, collaboration, respect and integrity.
Latest Blog
Responding to Negative Peer Interactions
As we approach the end of Term 3, we find it is typically a time when boys start to get tired and emotional and are most likely to make poor decisions that can lead to relationship challenges between peers. Comments and humour shared between mates that may have been received without concern in the first week of the term may change as boys start to tire and their tolerance levels decrease. This may lead to boys reacting with heightened and overly emotional responses. This is normal as boys are…
Boarding is who we are
Our boarders make up nearly one third of our student cohort from Years 5 to 12, which enables us to consider the boarding experience in all that we do at the School. Every boarding experience at TGS is about equipping boys with the skills to function as a student and preparing them for their future.
Making a Positive Impact with Homework Assistance
The Anglicare Homework Assistance Program (HAP), run in conjunction with Darling Heights State School, sees many of our boys volunteer their time on Wednesdays after class to help many young refugee and primary school students facing challenging times with their homework, or to chat and play games. Our boys thoroughly enjoy meeting, supporting and learning about the lives of the younger children. This forges community connections and fosters inclusion for the Darling Heights students; it also…
Fresh Faces Guide - TGS Sportsmen into the Fray
With their dedication to excellence and player development, TGS athletes are in good hands as they navigate the challenges and triumphs of competitive sports.
Honouring Tradition, Preparing for the Future
They will invariably be inspired by effective teaching and the satisfaction of personal achievement will always be motivating. At Toowoomba Grammar School, the power of high-quality instructional practices has resulted in the development of a strong academic culture that has endured for nearly 150 years. Preserving core principles provides stability and continuity. However, we must be open to continuously adapting our methods so that our students are well-prepared for the ever-changing world…
We See You - Mitchell Wilkes
That was the heart-wrenching diagnosis for Year 10 student, Mitchell Wilkes, right on Christmas in 2021. Mitchell’s mum noticed he wasn’t reading properly and had a gut feeling that there was something wrong with his eyesight. A trip to the optometrist revealed a thinning in the retina, and further tests showed that Mitchell had a genetic condition called Stargardt Disease, a juvenile macular degeneration illness that results in slow central vision loss.
Correcting our School's official record commemorating World War I and World War II
On the eve of our 150th year, we're calling on the School's alumni, parents, past parents and greater community to aid us in correcting the record of our involvement in two watershed geopolitical events of the 20th century. For the last four years Toowoomba Grammar School Museum Volunteers, Mrs Ann Hallam and Mrs Sue Palmer, have been updating the School records on Old Boys, staff and Trustees for the World War I and World War II theatres of war. Over the years several staff and volunteers have…
A Pioneering Woman of TGS
My late husband was a teacher, and our four children are all teachers, which we encouraged them to do because it is the best job in the world. It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for 36 years, working under four Headmasters: Mr Bill Dent, Mr Hugh Rose, Mr Peter Hauser and now Dr John Kinniburgh. I still drive into the School each day and smile, looking at the beautiful place it is — magnificent ovals, gracious trees and historically significant buildings. It is difficult to express the…
NZ Rugby Tour success, more than winning matches across the Ditch
The teams were undefeated and it was a trip the players will never forget. This tour was years in the making and heralds a new era of touring and hosting different rugby schools to give our players opportunities for growth as athletes and as people. Head of Sport - Rugby, Mr Lincoln Clapham, explained they selected 46 students to take part in the ten-day tour and began training last year. From Term 1 onwards, the squad trained twice weekly on the oval plus two and sometimes three gym sessions…
