As a member of the Junior School Leadership Team at Toowoomba Grammar School, my role involves ensuring that the Junior School’s Teaching and Learning programs are designed, implemented and managed effectively. This role is grounded in the vision, mission, and values of TGS and is crucial in supporting the Head of Junior School and the Director of Studies in providing an exceptional learning experience for our boys.
At TGS Junior School, we prioritise the use of explicit teaching to ensure that our students receive a systematic, direct, and structured approach to learning. We believe that this approach helps our boys to develop a deep understanding of the content being taught and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for academic success. Our teachers use various techniques such as modelling, guided practice, and feedback to ensure that students are actively engaged in the learning process.
Literacy is also a critical component of our educational program, and TGS Junior School places a high priority on promoting literacy skills. Our teachers provide a range of opportunities for students to develop their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. We believe that literacy skills are essential for academic success and lifelong learning.
We recognise the importance of care and wellbeing in education. We prioritise creating a positive learning environment where our students feel safe, supported, and valued. Our teachers are able to recognise, and cater for, the different learning needs of each student and provide appropriate support to promote academic and social-emotional development.
In my role as Deputy Head (Teaching and Learning), I work closely with the Junior School teaching staff and operations and support staff to develop and implement professional learning plans aligned with the strategic goals and priorities of our School. I also support the ongoing development of the Junior School teaching staff through coaching, mentoring, and professional development opportunities.
Roles that involve the leading of teaching and learning at TGS Junior School are critical in ensuring that our students receive a high-quality education that is grounded in explicit teaching, literacy, care, and wellbeing. Through the use of evidence-based teaching practices and a focus on the whole child, we are committed to providing an exceptional learning experience that prepares our boys for a successful future.
Latest Blog
Gummingurru Excursion - Deep Time History of Australia on our Doorstep
Gummingurru is unique in being the best-preserved initiation site in southeast Queensland, including bora rings and various stone arrangements that have ancient links to the totems and kinship practices of the Jarowair and Giabal people of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, as well as the broader region within the highly significant cultural landscape of the Bunya Mountains. The boys were welcomed to, and guided through, the site and its learning centre by Mr Shannon Bauwens, a Western Wakka…
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…
