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 the most academic growth when a child feels safe and engaged in the school environment.
Our Early Years classrooms cater for a variety of different learning styles, and we treat each child as an individual. Our class sizes allow staff to spend time one on one with the boys and engage with them to assist in developing a curriculum that suits their needs. Along with appropriate programs we offer a range of seating options; from rocking chairs, to stools, to tables that allow for standing or sitting on the floor.
During the school day boys are offered many opportunities to run and play free from constraints of the classroom. Our days are planned to incorporate a “brain break” each hour. In the morning, the boys have what we refer to as “Munch and Crunch” because we recognise that a 6:00/7:00am breakfast time means 10:30am morning tea is a long way away for a growing boy who is trying to learn new skills. They are also given the option of running “2 laps” – a course used by all boys in the Junior School, or to participate in fun, physical activities such as skipping. These brain breaks provide the boys with a chance to burn off pent-up energy from sitting after an hour of learning and they then engage better in their academics.
We teach the boys that providing our brains with fuel is as important as putting fuel in the car. To ensure the Prep and Year 1 boys are fuelling their bodies efficiently they are provided an area to sit away from the older boys to eat their lunch with an adult supervising and assisting them with opening their lunches. All boys across the School are provided with 15 minutes to eat and socialise with their friends before playing. Once playing, the boys are offered a range of options from playing on our glorious TGS ovals to their very own sandpit with diggers, spades and buckets and a creek for water play. All these options provide the boys with opportunities to develop their gross motor skills.
Our REACH program builds the character in our boys to become fine young men. Some of the skills they learn in this program are how to celebrate their success in a way that shows they are proud but not being disrespectful to others, how to be active listeners, when it is time to be loud and time to be quiet, demonstrating appropriate manners to our teachers and our friends. These attributes are rewarded and exemplified in many ways throughout the week. Starting in Prep means these behaviours are developed over many years and supported throughout their entire journey at TGS. The boys have role models in the older students and their male and female teachers.
Whilst our School recognises the benefits of single-sex education, we also believe in the need for the boys to socialise with girls on a regular basis. Many of our boys have sisters, however, we provide opportunities throughout the year for our boys to mix with the girls from other single-sex girls’ schools. In Prep and Year 1 the boys participate in picnics and sport days, when they get older the days take on more of a curriculum focus where they can share ideas and learning with the girls. During this time boys and girls are mixed to have an even ratio of boys to girls in small groups to encourage conversations and to work on the skills we have developed in our character development program.
Setting up the foundations for your son in the early years fosters many different elements of learning. We take the development of our young men very seriously. Our objective is to work with parents to ensure the boys grow up to be men of good character who make the most of their strengths and are respectful members of society.
Discover more about the TGS Junior School here https://bit.ly/3Af2Wjz
Jess Galbraith
Prep-3 Coordinator
Year 1 Teacher
Latest Blog
TGS Academic Enrichment Program for Boarders
Toowoomba Grammar School provides an inspiring and broad curriculum for boys, delivered by dedicated educators who understand how to engage boys in their learning. Our staff go above and beyond in providing an outstanding education and support network for our boys. They are regularly available to answer questions, assist with homework and assignments and provide academic support for all our students. This is particularly so for our boarders, thanks to our Academic Enrichment Program (AEP). All…
Teacher as a Student
As a teacher at Toowoomba Grammar School, I teach mathematics and business studies, and manage the GPS Chess team. Prior to teaching, I worked as a financial analyst. Recently I have completed a master's degree in science at the University of Southern Queensland. My study was focused exclusively on data science, and I have become an expert in the management of big data with a specialisation in modelling and forecasting using machine learning techniques. The motivation for this study was…
Developing Healthy Relationships
Healthy relationships are extremely important for the development of mental health in our youth. When you spend time with people you care about, who care about you, this can help you feel connected and supported. This term is one of the largest in regard to boys participating in activities and sports ranging from field, to court, to thought. This is in addition to music and drama programs. At Toowoomba Grammar School, we believe this allows for plenty of opportunity to develop the ability to…
Striving for the Best
Director of Volleyball, Mr Eric Smith has spent the past 20 years at Toowoomba Grammar School not only shaping the minds of the young men in his science classroom but also working tirelessly on improving his capacity to coach volleyball to the highest level. Starting at the School in 2003, Eric quickly rediscovered his passion for volleyball, something he had not experienced since playing for Ipswich Grammar School during the ‘90s. “I felt completely at home back on the volleyball court and…
When it comes to Music, Variety is the Spice of Life
In the Queensland Curriculum, the content of the music syllabus includes the study of the people, places and cultures involved in musical creation and performance. As our country becomes increasingly diverse, it is important for students in every school setting to study a wide variety of musical styles, cultures and genres. The Toowoomba Grammar School Music program of 2022 embraces this holistic approach to the study of music, encouraging teachers and students to explore a variety of musical…
Successful Decision Making - Subject Selections
Term 3 tends to be an important time for students making decisions, and for some, possibly the first time they have really had the opportunity to make a decision that could impact the course of their future. Year 8 students are taking control of their academic program for the first time, being able to select their electives for Year 9. For most, these decisions are mainly about getting the opportunity to pursue subjects which interest them and the joy of not taking some subjects which really do…
TGS Rugby Ambassadors' Program
“As a Grammar boy, you have the Blue and Gold in your blood for life. You’ve got connections and networks because of this special bond. It’s hard to describe what it is exactly; I think it stems from the history and traditions that are passed down to each generation but it’s something you carry your entire life, you’re part of this team.” – TGS Old Boy (1960-63) John Campbell, Senior Prefect 1963, Captain 1st XV Rugby 1963. John was excited to learn in a recent edition of The Blue and Gold…
TGS Leading the Way for IT in Education
Toowoomba Grammar School is fortunate to have a strong partnership with Microsoft / School Locker. We are a Microsoft Lighthouse School, leading the way in technological advancement and deployment in Australian schools. This recognition would not be possible without two key factors: our “whole school” approach to IT, whereby the School supplies every student with the same devices, ensuring equality for all boys from Prep to Year 12.our dedicated IT team, who are based on-site to immediately…
Holiday Reading
Reading is one of those activities that, the more you do, the better you get, and with the holidays fast approaching, now is the perfect time to read that book you’ve always wanted to, finish a book you’ve started or try something new. It is important to keep reading over the holidays, so that we don’t step backward in our reading journey. As the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has found, reading for pleasure is a habit that can prove essential to performing well…
