“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
Crushing it at Cricket and Conveying Culture
He explains that he’s named after Yarramundi, a respected and influential leader of the Richmond tribes of the Dharagnora (Hawkesbury-Nepean region of New South Wales) and a respected elder of the Boorooberongal clan of the Dharug people. “I’m proud of my culture and excited to have just started learning Dharug Dalang as part of the language revitalisation with my family.” During one week late last year he juggled exams, balanced representative cricket in Mackay with being the emcee of the…
Disappointment: A Necessary Part of School Life
Schools are inherently hopeful and happy places. Their natural focus on growth, connectedness and preparing youth for a better future creates an optimistic atmosphere in which ambitions are born. These positive emotions and experiences lay the foundation for our expectations and while these can be highly motivating, they come with a catch: the greater our expectations, the greater the disappointments, too. Disappointment is not a popular feeling. Rightly so, not many of us wish to feel sad,…
Boys and Belonging at TGS
As a boarding master of adolescent boys, my role fundamentally concerns pastoral wellbeing and character development to support a successful academic journey. A positive sense of belonging — where boarders feel safe, supported and heard — is fundamental to an effective boarding environment. As such, I felt there was a distinct connection between the International Boys’ Schools Coalition’s (IBSC) theme for the 2024–25 Action Research Cohort, “Boys and Belonging” and what I believe is best…
Fostering Growth and Resilience
This philosophy is vividly demonstrated through our Junior School MATES program, an initiative designed to equip boys from Prep to Year 6 with the skills they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom. Year 6 leader Hugo Seaby epitomises what the program is all about. As a leader in Stephens House, he explains its importance: “It’s about spending time with the younger boys and learning about honesty, respect, kindness and other attributes like that.” He said that it’s helpful for the…
Preparing for the Future of Work
For months I have been watching the earthworks being undertaken ahead of construction for the new DET Centre at Toowoomba Grammar School with interest. It is hard to miss, given that the Headmaster’s residence, our family home, is right next to the building site. The vibrations can be unsettling, and the noises are constant. However, each day reminds me of the important work underway to secure a part of the School’s future. Soon, all boys at TGS will have the opportunity to immerse themselves…
“Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
Whether it was American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson, Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, or even UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s father who coined the phrase “watch your character, it becomes your destiny,” it was Dr Linda Evans who gave it real relevance to a theatre full of students, staff and families. After a decade and a half in charge of Toowoomba’s respected Fairholme College as Principal and some 22 years in total on staff, Dr Evans will leave the institution she has led and loved by…
Preparation for Boarding: Practical Tips and Tricks
In fact, I’ve coined the phrase “the clearer the runway, the smoother the landing” as a neat summary of this observation. A great deal of boarding experience can be initiated at home in the weeks and months leading up to your son’s departure, helping him prepare psychologically and logistically for his upcoming journey. At TGS, we acknowledge that the boarding journey for boys and families starts long before they enter the house in late January. In the mind of a new boarder and their family,…
Exploring the Role of Neuroscience in Supporting Teenage Boys
Recent insights from neuroscience reveal that the teenage brain undergoes significant changes, particularly in the frontal lobe, which is essential for decision-making, impulse control and emotional regulation. By leveraging this knowledge, we can create supportive environments that guide our boys through the complexities of their teenage years.The Prefrontal Cortex The prefrontal cortex, located in the frontal lobe, is one of the last areas of the brain to mature, significantly impacting…
Wellbeing and Character Development Program — 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’…
