Introducing TGS’s new Director of Boarding, Mr Nick Byron
This is the best time possible to take over the role as Director of Boarding according Mr Nick Byron who is settling into his new appointment at Toowoomba Grammar School.
“There is a lot of new staff bringing fresh ideas and positive energy to the School and it’s very exciting to be part of this new chapter,” said Mr Byron.
“I’m looking forward to meeting the TGS community, particularly the boarding families and working closely with them on their son’s journey through the School.”
Mr Byron’s philosophy on developing good young men is to recognize each individual’s character.
“The best thing about TGS Boarding is the positive relationships developed between the boys and staff,” he said. “We want to nurture each boy’s personality and passions. I strongly encourage students to be themselves and I value their individuality.”
He plans to work very closely with families to achieve this and wants good strong communication with families, seeking their input.
“They’re part of this journey too,” said Mr Byron.
“I don’t want them to just drop their son off and that’s it. I want to develop partnerships between the School, the boys and their family.”
Mr Byron is a strong advocate for an all-boys’ education because he believes they have good role models and classes tailored to their interests which helps them enjoy learning and discover their passions in life.
“School isn’t just about English and Maths. Teaching boys how to be good young men is the most important part of their education here and I want to foster that through not just the staff, but the senior students too; their behaviour and values have a huge impact on the younger boys, particularly in boarding,” stated Mr Byron.
This desire to develop mindful young men through the strong family values instilled at TGS was one of the factors that attracted Mr Byron to applying for the Director of Boarding position.
“The School’s values have been clearly evident, right back to when I was a student at Brisbane State High School and would play against TGS in the GPS competition,” Mr Byron said.
“The TGS boys have always had a reliability and integrity that impressed me.”
After graduating BSHS, where he was School Captain in 1997, Mr Byron combined his pursuit for a rugby union career with his teaching career. He represented Queensland and Australian in U16-U21 rugby and played in Australia, New Zealand and the UK whilst teaching at various state and independent schools. He hopes to eventually share his rugby knowledge and experience with the TGS Rugby teams, but his priority for the first 12-18 months is developing a strong boarding program, particularly with three new Heads of House, Mr Brad Allen, Mr Eugene Massi and Mr Chris Stearn also stepping into their roles from Term 1 this year.
Mr Byron will draw on his strong background in pastoral care to further strengthen the TGS Boarding experience. He has worked in pastoral care in almost all his previous positions, citing the most rewarding experience at Tenbury High School in the UK. He taught there in the Learning and Behaviour Support Unit, looking after special needs children and students with behavioural problems.
It was also during his time at Tenbury that he met his wife, Freya, who was also teaching at the School. They have two daughters, Elizabeth (Libby) who is almost 10 years old and Bridget who is 7 years old.
The fond memories of their rural lifestyle in the UK were one of the drawcards for coming to Toowoomba Grammar School.
“We lived in a farming and agricultural community and we loved that lifestyle,” said Mr Byron.
“Toowoomba is also an ideal place to raise a family.”
Mr Byron has spent the past five years as the Head of Residence at Brisbane Grammar School and while acknowledging that the TGS boarding program is bigger than BGS, he is excited about the opportunities that await him and his new team.
In the coming weeks we look forward to sharing information about our new boarding Heads of House, Brad, Eugene and Chris.
Latest News
2022 GPS Basketball Premiers - TGS!
The Toowoomba Grammar School community is celebrating following a history-making win on the weekend. Our 1st V Basketball team has taken out the prestigious 2022 GPS Premiership, after a nail-biting victory over Gregory Terrace on Saturday. There are nine GPS Schools involved in the competition, regarded as the highest level high school basketball competition in Queensland, so this victory effectively rates TGS as one of the best basketball-schools in the State! The 2022 1st V is regarded as…
TGS is The School of Rock
Toowoomba Grammar School is proud to play a leading role in the production of Toowoomba Choral Society’s major musical production for 2022 - "School of Rock". TGS has five staff, two students and a TGS Old Boy involved in the Production: TGS Director of Performance, Mr Mark Chalmers is the On-stage Band Mentor and Guitar 1 in the Pit Band which accompanies the show;TGS Teacher-in-Charge of Music Curriculum, Mrs Wendy Evans is the Musical Director;TGS Old Boy (2009-13), Christopher Thomson is…
Chess Success for TGS
How many sporting teams can boast claiming over a quarter of a century of consecutive Championship titles? Well, the Toowoomba Grammar School Chess Team can do exactly that! In an impressive feat for any discipline, TGS has just won its 28th consecutive Toowoomba Secondary Chess Championship title. All secondary schools from Toowoomba were invited to attend the championships which were held over two days 6-7 August. Toowoomba Grammar Schools Open team placed first with 18 points out of 20, our…
Top Volleyball Coach at TGS
Toowoomba Grammar School Director of Volleyball, Mr Eric Smith is one of the highest ranked volleyball coaches in Queensland following a recent accreditation course. Eric attended the first ever Australian-based Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) Level 2 Coaching Clinic in July. The five-day course involved both theory and practical work with the 29 participants really put through their paces, led by FIVB Educational Instructor and multi-national coach Mr Peter Nonnenbroich. This…
TGS Musician Selected for S.H.E.P
Some wonderful recognition for talented Year 8 musician, Finlay Waring. Finlay was offered a place in the prestigious State Honours Ensemble Program (SHEP) for Southeast Queensland. SHEP was held at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane from 15-17 July, with the first wo days consisting of workshops and rehearsals, culminating in a concert on the final day. Finlay was part of the wind ensemble, which was made up of 80 students and he was one of eight students playing 1st Clarinet.…
Chess King at TGS
International Chess Master and professional player, Gary Lane is sharing his skills and knowledge at the three-day Toowoomba Grammar School Chess Clinic (June 21-23). Mr Lane has won the Commonwealth Chess Championship and represented Australia at several Chess Olympiads. He is the author of over thirty chess books and has arrived at TGS after just playing in the premier division of the Doeberl Cup, 'The Australian Chess Grand Prix'. Mr Lane will provide expert advice on chess strategy and…
Mr Phil Kefford - Head of House - Stephens Boarding
“If students are educated the right way, they will make a difference in whatever community they live and work in.” That is the philosophy of Toowoomba Grammar School’s new Head of House, Stephens Boarding, Mr Phil Kefford. Phil grew up in Warrington, in the north west of England and realised early on that he came from a place where “I had just one shot to get out and I had to focus and work hard to do that.” He was accepted into university in London where he fell in love with History, was…
Student's Script to the Stage
Toowoomba Grammar Acting Academy (TiGAA) performers are excited to take to the Empire Theatre stage to present a play written by one of our very own students. There are not many schools that can boast an entire production of this calibre being created solely by the students, and TGS is thrilled to support our talented young men and provide them with this opportunity. Greek Mythology for Millennials has been a three-year project by Year 12 student, Gabriel Donaldson. The work was shortlisted in…
Future Film Stars at TGS
Toowoomba Grammar School could have the next Stephen Spielberg in its midst, with Year 11 student, Ben Rosenberg reconised at a National Film Festival for the second consecutive year. Ben won '2021 Best Director' at the Nextwave Youth Film Awards which were held in Coffs Harbour last week. The award was for his film ‘Time Macheen’ which also won the 'Best Film' for the 15-17 years category. Toowoomba Grammar School also won the Best School Spirit Award (1 of only 3 schools awarded), for their…
