Junior School Welcome

Dear Junior School families

On behalf of the Headmaster and Junior School staff I would like to welcome all families to the 2026 school year. I hope the break period has been a restful and enjoyable one for all and the upcoming school year an exciting one ahead.

This letter provides key information and key dates to help support a smooth start to the year. Class teachers will also send out specific details for your son’s class including timetable, routines and other logistical information that will be helpful for the commencement of the school year.

2026 Orientation Website
A reminder to all families that all start of year details can be found on the Welcome to TGS 2026 website. This resource is a wonderful reference point for checklists, uniform details, handbooks, upcoming events, term dates and much more. I encourage all families, both new and returning, to preview the relevant sections most helpful for you.

Junior School key points of contact for Learning and Pastoral Care
Supporting students and families with learning, pastoral care and wellbeing shapes every aspect of a boy’s experience and growth at school. Our approach values strong relationships, communication and a genuine commitment to supporting each student’s academic, social, and emotional development. Key staff contacts for parents can be found here, ensuring families always know who to reach out to for guidance or assistance.

Ms Hall, Deputy Head of Junior School (Students) is available to support boys and their families as we transition back into school routines, helping to create a smooth, confident start to the year.

Mrs Bauer, Deputy Head of Junior School (Teaching and Learning) is available to support the learning goals of boys at their different ages and stages and works with the Diverse Learning Co-ordinator, Mrs McLean, when specific supports for learning are required.

Junior School Co-Curricular and Enrichment Program Sign Up
Families should have already received an e-mail from the Sports and Activities department detailing the Sports Co-curricular sign-up details and Music program. If you haven’t received this e-mail please contact the Sports and Activities team via the details below:

• Sport And Activities Team- Mrs Kellie Richter/ Mrs Liz Pratt, sports@twgs.qld.edu.au

For detailed information about our co-curricular programs, please visit the Co-Curricular Information on the orientation website.

The Junior School Enrichment program with commence in Week 2 with all information to be sent by email to all families on Monday, 19 January. Registrations will close on Thursday, 29 January at 10:00am. Should you have any queries or questions about the Enrichment Program please contact Ms Hall.

• Afterschool Enrichment Program – Ms Amanda Hall, Deputy Head of Junior School (Students), a.hall@twgs.qld.edu.au

Parent Lounge
Families new to TGS in 2026 will have received an email from the enrolments team regarding their access to Parent Lounge. The Parent Lounge portal is an important source of information and communication. I encourage all families (new and returning) who are experiencing difficultly logging in to contact the School’s enrolments team at enrol@twgs.qld.edu.au.

TGS App and 2026 School Calendar
The TGS App provides access to the School’s online calendar which is regularly updated should adjustments be required. The App calendar can also be synched to your own smart phone by accessing the App, clicking on the calendar, clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the calendar, clicking on ‘subscribe to calendar’ and then following the prompts. The TGS App can be downloaded via the App Store or Google Play. Our TGS 2026 wall calendars will be mailed to each family, please make contact with the Junior School Reception if you haven’t received your copy by the start of term.

Junior School Supporters’ Group
We warmly welcome new families joining the Junior School this term. There will be many opportunities to connect in with our community throughout the term, and our Junior School Supporters’ Group (JSSG) President, Ms Anna Wischer, is a wonderful initial point of contact for you to connect in with families in your son’s cohort. Mrs Wischer’s contact details are below.

• Junior School Supporters’ Group – President, Mr Anna Wischer, a.wischer@twgs.qld.edu.au

Junior School Parent Information and Welcome Evening - Tuesday, 27 January
I would encourage all families to make best use of this occasion as it will provide a wonderful foundation for information and connection for the year ahead. Beginning in the Junior School Hall at 3:30pm, we will provide whole of Junior School messages before breaking off into classrooms with class teachers for more specific cohort messages and daily routine information. After the class teacher presentations, we invite all families to reconnect at the Headmaster’s Welcome Function on the Pavilion Lawns.

First Day Arrangements - Wednesday, 28 January
The first day of Term 1 is Wednesday, 28 January. Junior School boys are to go directly to their classrooms. Supervision is provided from 8:00am. Parents are welcome to join Junior School Leadership staff for Morning Tea from 8:45am in the Junior School Hall.

Junior School Carpark and Drop-off/Pick-up Zones
A few reminders to support the safe and smooth operation of the drop-off/pick-up zones. Morning drop-off can be made utilising the Aquatic Centre loop or Herries Street loop zones. Afternoon pick-up will be utilising the Herries Street loop internal drive outside the Corfe/Groom/Stephens boarding houses. This area will have staff supervising the waiting and collection areas for students.

Supervision is provided in the morning from 8:00am and boys should not be arriving prior to this time. The school day ends at 3:10pm and the pick-up zones are supervised until 3:30pm. When using the drop-off/pick-up zones, please remain in your vehicle and allow your son to exit or enter independently. This is helpful for growing their independence but also helps to keep the car line flowing. If your son requires more assistance with their gear, please find a park in a bay so you can support them.

Uniform and Hair
Presenting ourselves well is something we value highly. Wearing our uniform correctly ensures all boys present themselves well. Blues uniform in Term 1 consists of shorts with shirts tucked in and navy blue socks. Boys are permitted to wear the TGS jacket with their Blues uniform (Monday – Wednesday). Blazer uniform is worn on Thursdays. When in Blazer uniform, boys are required to have their white shirt buttoned to the collar with ties secured neatly. In keeping with presenting ourselves well, school shoes are to be kept in good order and polished, hats similarly maintained and named.

For clarity, Blazer uniform this year will be worn on Thursday for both Assembly and MATES. If there are special circumstances like an event or activity held on a particular Thursday requiring a different uniform this will be communicated to families specifically.

Haircuts are conservative in style, neatly shaped around the back of the neck, off the collar and ears, blended and fringe above the eyebrows. The School recognises that some students may request exemption from these expectations based on their cultural and faith backgrounds.

Attendance
The School expects that students will attend school every day the program is offered. Acceptable absences from school are medical, family reasons and co-curricular representation, which need to be submitted using Parent Lounge. For early departures, late arrivals or dropping off any items, please ensure you visit Junior School Reception.

We ask that parents are aware if applying for leave from school for their son for periods longer than 3 days, outside of the reasons above, this requires approval from Head of Junior School. If this process is not followed, his absence may be recorded as “unapproved” leave. Whilst we try to be understanding of any requests for leave outside of those listed, we are bound by the Education General Provisions Act and may not be able to approve a student’s leave.

Health Centre
The Dr J M Blaikie Health Centre is located on the ground floor of Boyce Boarding House. The Junior School administration building has a first aid room enabling staff to provide an initial response to Junior School boys needing assistance. For boys who require daily medication administered by nursing staff, a member of the Health Centre team will attend the Junior School at a set time to administer this medication. For boys who require simple analgesia like Panadol for minor ailments, a staff member from the Junior School will contact parents seeking permission to administer this.

If a boy is ill or injured and needs to be collected, a staff member from the Junior School will contact parents or carers requesting them to collect the boy from the Junior School office.

Forthcoming Events
Looking ahead, there are many events and occasions to enjoy together, and I’ve included a brief summary below of whole of Junior School activities for the first week and for Term 1. For a more detailed overview of the term for year level cohorts please visit the School calendar via the TGS App. Fortnightly looking ahead information is also included in Junior School section of The Blue and Gold newsletter.

More specific information for each of these events and occasions will be provided by the relevant staff member or department in the weeks leading up to each occasion.

For other key dates please refer to the TGS calendar which has details of all events and dates of camps for Years 2 to 6 in Term 1.

Communication Avenues for Families
A reminder for the range of avenues families can access to communicate with staff at School. Depending on the scenario, the following options provide some guidance to support you.

Student Diary
All boys are provided with a student diary and the expectation is that it is brought to and from school each day. It is ideal for brief messages and reminders for each day. We encourage this for all age groups, Prep to Year 6. Teachers check student diaries daily. Particularly for students in Prep to Year 3, it is a helpful reference point for teachers to remind them what activities they have on at the end of the day or pick-up arrangements. Teachers can also write short responses or clarifications in diaries.

Junior School Reception
This is best for real-time responses, passing on information/updates on arrangements, clarifying details, asking where or who is the best point of contact for a query.

Junior School reception is attended by a staff member throughout the day and can provide quick responses and/or relay information in a timely way. If arrangements for your son after school or during the day change, using the Junior School reception staff will relay the information to the relevant staff member and your son.

• Junior School Reception - tgsjuniorschool@twgs.qld.edu.au or 4687 2555

E-mails to Staff Directly
Emails are useful for sharing more detailed information, seeking further clarification, organising future meetings or arrangements for your son. Teachers will typically check e-mails daily during the week, but depending on class schedules may not respond within a day but will endeavour to provide a response or acknowledgement within 24 hours.

In-person Quick Catch-ups or Meetings Before or After School
For sharing short explanations of details that are particularly pertinent to that day. These are often helpful for families with children in the Early Years particularly. If there is helpful information for the teacher to be aware of before the start of the day or at the end of the day, this is welcomed but please be mindful that our teachers may only be available for a few minutes as they are likely to be getting ready for the day ahead or attending to after-school matters (meetings, co-curricular or other responsibilities). If a longer conversation is required, this can certainly be arranged with a scheduled meeting.

Our sincere best wishes for a wonderful Term 1 and year ahead.

With warmest regards

Mr Ken Raven
Head of Junior School
k.raven@twgs.qld.edu.au
(07) 4687 2525

Mrs Chantelle Bauer
Deputy Head of Junior School (Teaching and Learning)
c.bauer@twgs.qld.edu.au

Ms Amanda Hall
Deputy Head of Junior School (Students)
a.hall@twgs.qld.edu.au

Friday, 16 January 2026