“The School is aware of the need to help students and staff teach and develop coping strategies to ensure they flourish in all facets of their lives.”
Benefiting Students and Staff Alike
In 2024, the School re-established the Head of Pastoral Care position. The role will be pivotal in supporting all staff to foster a supportive and nurturing environment at Toowoomba Grammar School.
Integral to the role’s success is the parallel expansion of the Wellbeing and Character Development (WCD) program to yield multifaceted benefits for both staff and students. For staff, the Head of Pastoral Care provides guidance, support and resources, aiding in their efforts to address students’ emotional, social and behavioural needs. This support grows staff morale and job satisfaction, empowering them to perform their duties with confidence and compassion.
Simultaneously, students reap the rewards of a caring and inclusive atmosphere where their holistic development is prioritised as much as their academic needs. The Head of Pastoral Care facilitates belonging and security, encouraging positive relationships and enabling students to thrive academically and emotionally. By nurturing a culture of empathy and understanding, the Head of Pastoral Care creates an environment conducive to learning, personal growth and overall wellbeing for staff and students alike.
This year, we have commenced another phase of evolving the WCD program by utilising the Wellio platform. This platform is adaptable to the School’s needs and is based on well-informed research. It equips staff and students to progress through the stages of personal character development. Moreover, Wellio helps the School update the scope and sequence of lessons in response to relevant topics and live data.
Many guest speakers have been carefully selected to complement the WCD program. It is wonderful to be supported by so many professionals in the adolescent emotional research and wellbeing sector.
The core focus of our program units is relationships. Relationships that enhance trust and foster a sense of belonging are woven into the lessons. It is important for students to trust the staff so that they feel safe to contribute in and out of the classroom. This term has seen the Tomorrow Man service working with Year 10 and 12 students to develop their ability to have sincere and genuine conversations supported by their peers. Our Year 11s have continued their road safety awareness campaign after completing the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness program last year. They also heard presentations from the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland and Mrs Melissa McGuiness of YOU CHOOSE — Youth Road Safety. Later this term, the boys will hear from inspirational speakers such as Mr Lorin Nicholson, Mr Eric Bailey and the Character Builders team. All our guest speakers are selected to complement the WCD Program.
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…
