Mac Flegler TGS Old Boy (2017-21) and Corfe House Boarding Supervisor
I have returned to where it all began, and I feel right at home.
My parents decided when I was very young that I would attend Toowoomba Grammar School as a boarder. Coming from a property surrounded by a small community, my parents believed that sending me to TGS would provide me with many fundamental skills needed for a young man, as well as an education that I could not get in my hometown.. Starting my journey at TGS in Year 8 as a boarder in Mackintosh, adjusting from a small country high school to one of the biggest private schools in the country, was frightening but exciting. While at TGS, although education my primary focus, I was involved in many co-curricular activities including cricket, football, rugby and track and field.
I loved my time as a boarder. Living with 56 other people probably doesn’t sound like the most enticing thing to many people; however, when you put that into the perspective of a teenage boy, it’s more like a sleepover with 56 of your mates! Over the five years of my time within Mackintosh, I was able to create many memories and make many friends which will be with me forever. I graduated in 2021 and it didn’t take me long at all to realise that I missed boarding so much, that I wanted to come back, this time as a staff member.
Currently I am studying Psychology at UniSQ in Toowoomba while also committed to playing sport for local clubs. My Psychology studies, along with my experience as a TGS boarder , means that working in the Year 7 boarding house (Corfe House), is a great opportunity to assist many of the young boys in their development into young men by providing advice based on my own experience. As a Boarding Supervisor in Corfe House, my role is to provide a supportive outlet and friendly face to make the boys feel as if they are home. From working with the boys to complete their homework, or playing table tennis with them, providing a role model or someone to point them in the right direction is essential in helping the boys to reach their full potential both academically and as young men of good character. What I enjoy the most though, is being able to create a home away from home for the boys and provide them with rich memories that will stay with them forever - just like mine.
The importance of role models for TGS boarders cannot be understated, and whom better to do this than the TGS Old Boys themselves! Being able to understand the daily routines as well as help the boys with any specific questions, whether that be directions to a classroom or which oval their sports training is being held, this help never goes un-appreciated by the boys. I would encourage any Old Boys to get back involved within the TGS community in any capacity. Our own experiences and knowledge of the School can help produce many more great experiences for countless students as they engage in their transition from young boys into good young men.
Latest Blog
Developing Generational Change in our Men – Stand Up and Speak Out
The devastating effects of domestic and family violence (DFV) are more prominent today as this previously ‘taboo’ issue is finally being publicly recognised and addressed. Toowoomba Grammar School is proud to be leading the way in creating generational change for this sensitive issue through a variety of School initiatives and by supporting community groups associated with DFV. Our programs are aimed at developing good men of the future who will “Stand Up and Speak Out.” TGS became a White…
The Barbour Connection
They will tell tales of meeting someone on the other side of the world whom they spotted wearing a TGS cap. It led to an instant connection. Of getting their dream job by simply proudly sporting a TGS Old Boy tie at the interview. It led to an instant connection. There is no denying that Toowoomba Grammar School students share a special bond. We celebrate it with our annual Old Boys’ Sons and Grandsons photo and our Old Boys’ Generations Gathering dinner. You see it in the playground at…
“I’ll Be There for You” at Toowoomba Grammar School
“I’ll be there for you” was the theme of National Boarding Week. This statement is particularly relevant at Toowoomba Grammar School as the boarders, the dayboys and the staff, help each other in the good times and the bad. We see our school as a ‘boarding school’, not a ‘school with boarders’. We are proud to be one of the oldest and most highly regarded boys’ boarding schools in Australia, providing a home away from home for boys for almost 150 years. TGS came from very humble beginnings. The…
Helping families navigate rules, rewards and consequences for boys
Recently I was in a webinar that aimed to tackle the issues surrounding technology and its effects on students. Some members of the forum started openly criticising boys for their poor behaviour. Whilst their criticisms were not directed specifically at our boys, I was offended at their general statements. We can be too quick to criticise boys and we forget that their frontal lobes are still developing. We also forget that their brains are “wired” differently from girls and that they don’t see…
Accepting Our Past, Creating Our Future
Toowoomba Grammar School has added the new role of Indigenous Education Coordinator to the School’s offering, to further promote a culture of diversity, inclusivity, and reconciliation. Mr Scott Gale has been appointed to this ground-breaking position that aims to spread awareness and understanding of the significance of Australia’s culture and history. “That’s something that has been lacking in Australia’s education system for so long,” said Scott. “It’s an extremely significant part of our…
The Gift of Music
You can feel the pride and passion exude from Janelle Fletcher as she reflects on her thirty-year career as a Music Tutor at Toowoomba Grammar School. “It’s a long time to stay in any job,” she admitted. “But working with the boys, seeing how important it is to have music in their lives and to develop not only as musicians but as people, that’s what’s kept me here.” Janelle believes staff in an all-boys’ school have a real understanding of boys. “It’s been very positive for me to see the…
