As your child enters the new and unknown world of secondary school, it is a very important time to nurture the confidence and self-esteem of your son. Adolescence can also be a time of bewildering physical changes and strong emotions, opinions and increasing independence. Nurturing their confidence, self-esteem and assertiveness will go a long way to helping them to have the self-belief to tackle difficult new academic challenges, to developing new friendships and social skills, and assertiveness.
• Give praise willingly but also don’t encourage mediocrity. Always support your son to do their best and it is okay to calmly challenge them to reach the next level. It is of course always important not to highlight any of your child’s shortcomings or show frustration if they are struggling with a subject for example.
• Concentrate on what they are doing well and let them know that you are proud of them if they are applying themselves and making the effort. It is also important to ask them if they need help and encourage them to problem-solve issues themselves.
• It is also very important to devote quality time with your son in the evening. Allow your son to have full access to you if they need it. Don’t brush aside their worries or concerns or say ‘’we’ll talk about it later”. This will only result in them feeling that they can’t take their problems to you and that you don’t take them seriously.
• Make the effort to offer your support and ask your son about their day. It may be best to feed them first as growing boys get very hungry at the end of the day! Ask them also ‘’what was the best thing about school today?’’ and so as not to make him feel the spotlight is on him, share the best thing about your day too.
• Always focus on the positives but encourage discussions about what things can be improved. Emphasise that it is okay to make mistakes and whenever possible try not to be critical if your son has had a bad day or not performed to expectation in an assessment task or game. The important thing is to emphasise that failing in part or whole is a natural part of life and that excellence can only occur when one has learnt from their mistakes.
• Encourage your son’s independence and open thinking. Encourage stimulating discussion where their opinions are listened to and integrated into adult conversation. This will serve to help your child to develop good social skills and also give them a strong sense of self. Giving them more responsibility to get up in the morning on their own, setting out their uniform at night and ensuring their bag is packed are all ways to start to increase their independence, particularly those in the first few years of secondary school.
• As a parent, you need to be in tune with your son’s emotional state. Sometimes changes are noticeable whilst others are less obvious. If you think there is a problem, ask your child. Listen to them, believe them, and explain that you are not angry with them. Take their concerns seriously, stay calm and contact the School to seek their assistance.
We wish your son the very best as commences Year 7, we are privileged you have chosen Toowoomba Grammar School to share this journey and to develop his good character.
Latest Blog
Women of Grammar Luncheon
A Tribute to the Heart of the School Originally scheduled for International Women's Day but rescheduled (thanks, Cyclone Alfred!) to the eve of Mother's Day, the timing felt serendipitous. It was a day to honour the women—past and present—whose quiet strength, tireless support and enduring love have shaped the School's legacy and the lives of its boys for 150 years. The marquee was beautifully appointed for a day of merriment
Lachlan Stuart's Marathon Feat
Mr Stuart will return to TGS again for the event held on Wednesday, 28 May to support the Year 12's significant fundraising G150 Gift Run event. The boys are running 1500km in a relay format to honour a 1968 TGS Interact Club fundraising project that will help upgrade the original School gates on Herries Street, along with raising funds for the Nerve Connection Foundation.
Remembering Private Colin Stirling, a TGS Old Boy (1899-1900)
This was the headline that screamed out on the pages of the Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser on Thursday, 15 August 1901. With ANZAC Day just last Friday, this week we continue to honour many of our Old Boys who gave the ultimate sacrifice including Private Colin Stirling, a TGS Old Boy (1899-1900) and our first former student lost in the Boer War. The story began with: “News was received on Tuesday afternoon that in an engagement at Kopjesfontein, on the 6th instant,…
Honouring Tradition: Toowoomba Grammar School and ANZAC Day
This year marks 98 years since TGS and the 13 Army Cadet Unit (Toowoomba Collective Unit) first participated in ANZAC Services in Toowoomba. The School's commitment to these services is a testament to its deep-rooted military traditions and the enduring spirit of remembrance. Mounties out the front of School House in 1908. A Legacy of Service Toowoomba Grammar School's military traditions date back to its early days. The School's Cadet Unit, formed in 1892, has been a cornerstone of its…
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Stories behind key TGS staff helping shape our students
It was my great privilege to join TGS as Head of House - Boyce Boarding in 2024. The opportunity to lead these young men of character on their TGS journey carries great weight but is also enormously exciting. Embarking upon this project alongside my wife Meg as Boyce Boarding House Manager strengthens the team further. I am hopeful that we will demonstrate to the boys how positive relationships can foster a warm and supportive environment. I know that many of our boys are familiar with strong…
More Than Just an Education and That Makes All the Difference
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Stewardship: Leading the Way in Safety, Sustainability and Security
However, the challenges facing the Director of Facilities, Mr Bengie Dickeson and the Director of Information Technology, Mr Ron Robinson certainly are. This month's weather has been nothing if not unpredictable and it's in those conditions that both these men's skills come to the fore. With Tropical Cyclone Alfred and its threat to our School campus and community - Mr Bengie Dickeson and Mr Ron Robinson played integral roles in keeping everyone and everything on our 150-year-old campus safe.…
Pursuing New Horizons in Horticulture
Jake Moon is a sixth-generation primary producer. He is dedicated to agriculture and is currently working at his family’s St George farming enterprise, tackling some of the sector’s biggest challenges. The 28-year-old says his family moved to the St George irrigation precinct in 1978, initially growing rockmelons and watermelons, hence the business name Moonrocks. Seasonal and market changes led them to switch crops frequently, growing grapes, broccoli and even wax flowers over the years.…
