The boarding journey offers students a plethora of opportunities to step outside of their comfort zone and take advantage of new environments, relationships, and opportunities during their time at Toowoomba Grammar School.
We often talk about “character education” – a theory that originated in the US and has been increasingly embraced by leading schools globally. It is encouraging all students to develop new approaches to their learning, including aspects of morals and ethics, thinking, behaviour and risk taking.
Risk taking is not something we do naturally; and the older we become, the more risk-averse we become. Adolescence tends to be the time in the lives of boys when they are most likely to be ready to take risks, with the exception of in the classroom (unfortunately). Boys are particularly mindful of asking questions of their teachers or even putting their hand up in class. Why? The fear of getting it wrong.
Boarding at TGS opens a world of new opportunities and challenges all boarders, all students in fact, to step outside of the familiar and try something new. Since its introduction just over a year ago, the TGS Boarders’ Activity Program has offered a smorgasbord of opportunity. Furthermore, the appointment of new boarding supervisors in each of the residential houses has given the boys a greater level of exposure to members of staff with new and often diverse interests. Over the next year or so, the challenge for us is to ensure that the new staff are best utilised to support our boarders to explore new avenues and opportunities, and whilst they may not be ‘out of the comfort zone’ in the traditional sense (…think bungy jumping or free fall parachuting…!) they are simply different from what has been provided before.
Students are now able to play golf, get involved in music production or sampling, go indoor rock climbing or go-kart racing. These Sunday offerings get the boys out and about and we will be adding more, and richer, opportunities to the menu on offer.
In our post-COVID world, there were three year groups that had never experienced a social event with a girls’ school and whilst, at first, this does not seem to be an ‘edgy’ or ‘out of the comfort zone’ event, it truly turned out to be! Ranging from somewhat nervous to downright terrified – and that was just the staff – the trepidation of a ‘social’ was interesting to behold; however, upon their return from Somerville House in Brisbane, the excitement and enjoyment was real for these boys who had all just stepped out of their comfort zone, taken a risk and simply enjoyed themselves in the company of girls from another school in another city.
Activities take place because of the hard work of staff behind-the-scenes, from Helen Hemmings (Deputy Headmaster’s Secretary) co-ordinating the paperwork, Nick Byron (Director of Boarding) looking after the calendar and individual members of staff giving up their time to support the boys. The entire TGS community is supportive of trying to give every boy every opportunity to flourish and make the most of his time here – step outside their comfort zone, try new things and develop into men of good character, who are resilient and ready to face the challenges of life in the real world.
- by Phil Kefford, Head of Boarding, Stephens House
Latest Blog
The Transition to Secondary School
Research shows us that the move from a primary school to a secondary school is one of the most significant life changes that our young men will face. You can help make the transition to Senior School smoother by ensuring that the boys attend the orientation days, practice packing their bags and getting their sports, music, and activities equipment ready. When asked about tips for the boys coming into Year 7, current Year 7 dayboy, Ollie Wells suggests boys should “Be organised. Pack the night…
Nothing is Impossible
Toowoomba Grammar School's Year 7C English has been studying 'Cool Runnings' to learn about how stories or movies based on real life aren't always completely true. Extremely fascinated by the topic, young student Harry Ryan took it upon himself to message (via LinkedIn) the bobsled driver, Mr Dudley Stokes - he responded! After a little communication between the two, Harry asked Mr Stokes if he could FaceTime him during an English lesson, to 'meet' his teacher Mr Paul Irwin and classmates…
Simple Acts of Kindness
Giving back to the community is an important value that Toowoomba Grammar School endeavours to instill in our boys. Year 12 student, Tumoana Strugnell is a shining example of how it costs nothing but our time to help others, especially as we move into the Festive season and the challenges of life seem heightened. I first became involved in community service when I was in Year 6, through my local primary school’s involvement on ANZAC Day and my parent’s involvement in local community events. I’m…
A Holistic Approach to our Boarders' Activities Program
A true education is about much more than just lessons in a classroom. It’s about providing experiences that challenge a child, physically and mentally. It’s about providing opportunities that build independence, resilience and that help develop their good character. Toowoomba Grammar School is proud to offer a broad and liberal education that stretches way beyond the walls of a classroom and equips our boys with the skills to flourish as an individual. We offer a diverse and engaging…
A Beginner's Guide to Manga
If your son has brought home a book with big eyed characters, and he seems to be reading backwards, chances are, he's discovered Manga. The Dent library has a Manga collection that would be the envy of many schools, with over 100 unique titles. It Is easily the most visited section in the library, over half of the top 100 titles borrowed this year are Manga! But what is Manga? Manga is an umbrella term for a variety of print comics and graphic novels originating from Japan. Unlike western…
A Safe, Welcoming and Joyous Community
Tell us about yourself My background, at least that associated with boarding and teaching, is long and varied with a number of different aspects leading to this chosen career path. For the most part, I was schooled in Canberra but had extended periods in Lesotho, Norfolk Island, and Samoa as a result of my father’s work in foreign aid. My schooling was quite disruptive, and I wasn’t a model student! I was always passionate about English; often distracting myself (amongst other things) immersed…
Facilitating Respect
Recently the 2022 TGS Prefect group spoke at the Headmaster’s Assembly about respecting individuality. But what does this mean? The foundations for a successful relationship with peers, family, co-workers, and others is framed and supported by a two-way street of respect. However, for this two-way street to be functional it is important to know that respect cannot be demanded, it can only be earned. Toowoomba Grammar School is no different and respect is nurtured in various forms such as in the…
The Benefits of Early Learning at TGS
Making a decision about our children’s education can be difficult; especially when there are so many options available. Once upon a time parents simply sent their children to the school that was a walkable distance from home. Much research has evolved since the early 1900s about what is best for our children to foster a love of learning and feel confident and safe in the classroom. Here at Toowoomba Grammar School, we take this very seriously. Pastoral care comes before anything else; we see…
Outside of the Text Book
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” — Ludwig Wittgenstein There is no denying that learning a foreign language can sometimes be a challenging experience, particularly with limited opportunity to practise outside the classroom. However, learning a language is a skill that will add to many facets of your life, often without you even realising, and as part of a well-rounded education, the value of language learning cannot be underestimated. "A different language is a…
