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. Additionally, other cohorts have work experience opportunities and our Year 12 boys engage in various enriching activities and even gain qualifications. Our Year 6 students have an incredible trip interstate and an opportunity to immerse themselves in how our Federal Government operates.

Year 6 – Sydney and Canberra

Our Junior School leaders have embarked on an exciting journey to the nation's capital after a brief stopover in Sydney. This trip is tied to their HASS unit on Democracy and Government. Day one kicked off with a visit to Sydney’s Taronga Zoo before heading to Canberra. Day two was packed with learning: exploring the National Film and Sound Archive, visiting Parliament House and participating in a role-play on how laws are passed. They also paid their respects at the Australian War Memorial during the moving Last Post Ceremony with the Captain and Vice Captain laying a wreath. The Year 6 boys also visited the Australian Institute of Sport, Questacon and the National Portrait Gallery.

Year 7 – Alexandra Headland

Our Year 7 boys had an exciting adventure at the Sunshine Coast, hitting the beach and making unforgettable memories. This is their first time heading away as a larger Senior School group and the camp aims to help the boys get to know one another and develop new friendships. It also fosters interaction between boarders and dayboys, cultivating acceptance, tolerance and respect for one another. The boys worked on building independence and self-confidence, working as a team and deepening their understanding of TGS.

Years 8 and 9 – Noosa North Shore

The Years 8 and 9 camp at Noosa North Shore started with the boys arriving at the Tewantin Ferry to find a submerged carpark and the ferry closed to the public. Total Adventures had a huge operation planned to get everyone across the river to start their activities.

The camp enabled boys to continue getting to know one another on a more personal level away from the classroom, develop new friendships and an understanding of each-others’ backgrounds. Interactions between dayboys and boarders as well as between the Years 8 and 9 cohorts were a highlight.

Despite the rain, the boys enjoyed an introduction to outdoor education within a mastery program - complete with surfing, mountain biking, high ropes, abseiling, fishing and dodging giant goannas.

Year 10 – Work Experience

Our Year 10 students have had the opportunity to complete work experience, attend industry-based tours and hear from employers across our region. Some of these employers are TGS Old Boys and we love it when they come back to share their career journeys with us. These connections and opportunities help our students make more informed decisions about life after School and develop an understanding of different industries.

Year 11 – Leadership Conference

Camp and Activities Week for our Year 11 boys is all about leadership at the Sunshine Coast. The Leadership Conference allows the boys to participate in a range of structured activities focused on experiencing leadership in action, gaining an understanding of self and awareness of others and developing greater unity within the year group.

Activities included teamwork exercises, mastering negotiation and decision-making skills, raft building, conquering high ropes and various team challenges. These skills will set them up not only for their final two years at TGS, but for life. It’s the perfect opportunity for the boys to strengthen their connections and feel empowered to lead and serve others.

Year 12 – Beyond the Blue and Gold

Many of our Year 12 students are planning a university pathway, while approximately one-third are looking at trade pathways, which can be started while they are at TGS. Our academic program caters to all students, whether they are interested in pursuing careers in the creative arts or medicine. We offer both academic and vocational pathways, leaving many doors open for the boys when they leave the security of TGS.

Along with gaining their First Aid certification, boys have also been able to attain their Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) this week. They have also had the opportunity to tour universities and colleges such as Bond University, Griffith University, QUT and UniSQ. Some chose to visit local professional and trade businesses, including tours of health, law and business entities. Others explored careers in professional sports with visits to the Queensland Reds, Ballymore, Queensland Cricket, Brisbane Broncos and Brisbane Bullets.

Beyond the Blue and Gold, held on Thursday, gave our boys the chance to consider their future directions and careers with a guest speaker, Chris Black, founder of Purpa’s business coaching and mentoring. The boys also attended a resume writing workshop, an essential skill for entering the workforce.

The careers fair was a great success, featuring a diverse range of businesses and organisations. Attendees explored career paths in sectors such as Manufacturing and Engineering, Agriculture, Construction, Property Valuation, Architecture and Design, Drone Pilot and Surveying, Psychology, Finance, Gap Year opportunities, Law Enforcement, Aviation, Financial Planning, USA Summer Camps, Mining, Civil Engineering, Real Estate, Medical Imaging, Media/Journalism, Health, Justice, Law and Professional Sport. It was an excellent opportunity for our boys to connect with industry professionals and explore a wide range of career paths.

Our Greatest Hope

For our boys in Year 6 we hope your interstate adventure evoked your curiosity and created some core memories.

For boys in Years 7, 8 and 9, we hope we've equipped you with some of the tools needed to navigate your secondary years and that you've formed and strengthened friendships with other boys in your year level.

Students in Year 10 have now had a taste of the workforce and we hope this provides food for thought when considering your future career path.

For our Year 11 boys, this is the foundation for you to move into your leadership roles, we hope this experience has solidified your camaraderie as a group.

For those in Year 12, we hope this week has given you the tools to successfully enter the tertiary system, trade pathway or the world of work. As our vision states, we aim to ensure boys exit TGS with the skills to be independent, well-balanced and successful in life, to respond well to challenges and to achieve lifelong wellbeing.