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 understand how to maintain successful relationships through healthy interaction. Developing boys into men of good character works hand in hand with the academic and sporting programs on offer. All modern athletes are aware that for an individual to be successful in a team sport, the whole team needs to have a clear goal determined through good communication and relationships.
So, what is the measurement of a healthy relationship and what do you when a relationship becomes unhealthy? Recently I read the biography of Eddie Jones and he consistently refers to healthy relationships being about communication. There are multiple forms of communication – verbal, non-verbal, written, visual and listening. Communication can be as simple as a look, movement of body or facial expression. For adolescent minds this is where confusion can set in and where relationships can start to deteriorate. A misinterpretation of meaning can often result in students becoming anxious about where they fit into their social network. What one student may interpret as acceptable can be misinterpreted by another and this is where a relationship can become fractured. Once this happens it can be difficult for adolescents, or anyone, to rebuild as the individual may now feel vulnerable.
But here’s the thing, according to leading groups such as Headspace – the more boys work on their relationships, the stronger they get. Toowoomba Grammar School provides pathways for these attributes to develop through the pastoral program offered.
Here are the top five tips for developing healthy relationships:
- Focus on positive relationships that make you feel good about yourself. Those where you support each other and where you feel you can be yourself.
- Every relationship can bring you different benefits, so try to keep a variety of people in your life, such as friends from work or school, teachers, parents, people who have similar interests and more.
- Communication is important! When you are open with people, they will be more open with you - which strengthens your relationships.
- Understand that socialising and keeping relationships can sometimes be hard and have challenges. Occasionally you may feel left out or not all agree. Just remember, it’s normal to feel this way sometimes.
- Your relationship with yourself is an important relationship too. And, when you look after yourself, it can teach you how to look after others as well.
For more information regarding healthy relationships, visit the Student Locker Room and select ‘My Pastoral Care’ and follow the links provided.
Michael Hall
Head of Senior School – Students (Acting)
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…
Outdoor Pursuits and Activities Week - Developing Good Character Beyond the Classroom
We offer a range of enrichment activities for our boys, but the last week of Term 1 is a very special opportunity for all of our Senior School students. It's Outdoor Pursuits and Activities Week, which provides age-appropriate physical challenges in a safe, well-supervised environment. Activities on the various camps may include ropes courses, rock climbing, bodyboarding, surfing, mountain biking and canoeing. The aim is to foster a love of the outdoors and an appreciation of the environment.…
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
Toowoomba Grammar School excels in its extensive co-curricular programs, particularly in performing arts and sports. Our boys learn that success comes from hard work and dedication. This ethos is inspired by quotes like “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great,” “The harder I work, the luckier I get” and the words emblazoned on our P.B. Hauser Aquatic Centre wall “Success is the celebration of preparation.” These opportunities allow students to excel in programs…
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.…
