Blue Mountains Grammar School Newsletter

Vol 26, 13th September, 2019

FROM THE HEADMASTER

Blue Mountains Grammar School is in the business of education, so that means filling our students heads with knowledge and ‘academic’ skills so that they excel in the HSC and other academic pursuits, however this is a very narrow definition of education. We also value the skills and knowledge students learn in their co-curricular programs, their sporting endeavours, their Wild Ed adventures and our camping program. Whilst we want each of our students to work hard and excel in their studies and to develop a complete set of co-curricular skills, our vision for them has more to do with the inner person they are becoming than their achievement. Fortunately, we are also in the business of spiritual formation, character formation, and of growing the dispositions and capacities necessary for students to successfully navigate the rest of their lives.

I have been working with the staff throughout the year to frame this vision and we are approaching the time when we will be able to share it with parents and students. As we wrestle with which particular values, character traits and learning dispositions to include it is very encouraging to see those same values, traits and dispositions displayed by BMGS students. Many of them were on display this week:

Debating Teams as they won the highest honour in the NSW-wide HICES debating competition - Champion Debating School;

Two HSC Drama students gaining acknowledgement from NESA through nominations for the HSC performance showcase OnStage;

Senior and Junior Tournament of Minds Teams as they won their way through to the State Finals;

Student Leaders at all three campuses as they have demonstrated authentic leadership within their new roles; and our

students as they both lead and participate in global youth initiatives that accord with their convictions.

This is a fabulous school that provides a wealth of opportunities for students not only to develop the values, traits and dispositions we desire for them but also gives them the opportunity to put them into practice and refine them.

Mr. Ian Maynard Headmaster

FROM THE CHAPLAIN God is Not Dead For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made […] - Romans 1:20 (NIV) During Senior School Chapel this Term we have been discussing some of the big questions and objections about God and Jesus; these came from the students themselves. Important and perennial questions such as ‘who made God?’ and objections such as ‘religion can only lead to hatred and hurt’ have been asked. While I make it clear that these are age old questions that cannot be ‘solved’ in twenty minutes, I think it is important to at least scrape the tip of the iceberg and hopefully create food for thought. It has been fascinating to see the huge range of beliefs and opinions and my intention has been to bring everyone into the conversation no matter where they stand. It is a challenge to clearly lay out what Christians believe across a range of ideas while making sure that people don’t feel judged or excluded for not believing or having differing views. My goal is to teach the doctrines of Christ to the best of my ability in order to demonstrate that belief in Jesus’ divinity takes a holistic approach, employing the use of our rational minds and our metaphysical attributes. Beneath my daily search to know, understand, and love God is the acceptance that I will never know everything about God. If I, or anyone, knew everything about God then He would be no greater than our finite minds and subsequently would not be God. However, knowing little is not the same as not knowing enough – I know enough about Jesus to believe that He was who He said He was – “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ ” (John 14:6, NIV) I don’t impose an expectation of belief in Jesus on anyone else; it is obviously up to each individual to decide what they believe or don’t believe. I have had some great conversations with students and staff over the last few weeks and I am encouraged by peoples’ motivation to engage with these big questions. Belief in God is not dead, as Friedrich Nietzsche famously proclaimed He was in 1882; God is alive and waiting for us all to connect with Him. “Lord God almighty, although my finite mind cannot comprehend the magnitude of Your greatness, I have felt Your presence in the quiet of my heart and I am gladdened.” – A prayer from the Billy Graham Daily Devotional website. Mr. Luke Webb

IMPORTANT COMMUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT

PREPARATORY SCHOOL

FROM THE HEAD OF THE PREPARATORY SCHOOL Lunchtime Games and Activities On Tuesday and Friday last week, the Year 4 Wellbeing Team hosted their first ‘Lunchtime Games and Activities’ session for students from Pre-K to Year 4. On Tuesday, the younger students enjoyed playing Duck Duck Goose, Fruit Salad and Rob the Nest. Years 1 to 4 enjoyed their opportunity to join the Wellbeing Team for an epic game of ‘Capture the Flag’ at lunch on Friday. Almost all the students at School last Friday were involved in this lunchtime activity. There were frontal attacks, surprise attacks and fierce guarding of the coveted ‘flag’ from both sides. It was an amazing spectacle of teamwork in action. Congratulations to Zarah Snedden for her work in coordinating these events with James Klein and Declan Thomas as part of the Preparatory School leadership team.

Labelling Clothing: Term 3 has seen an increase in the amount of clothing and other equipment going missing at the School. Please ensure that all clothing and equipment is clearly labelled with your child’s full name.

Spare Hats: Our cache of spare hats has been drastically reduced. We ask that parents and caregivers check bags and return any spare hats to Reception. They are bright orange and hard to miss!

School Banking: A reminder that School Banking Day is each Monday. Currently we have only a very small number of children using this program. For School Banking to continue at the Preparatory School and for the program to remain viable, the number of participants will need to increase. If you would like to know more about School Banking, information packs are available from the school office or visit: commbank.com.au/schoolbanking

Preparatory School Awards: Pre-Kindergarten: Jack Blunt and Mila Davidsen Kindergarten: Jari Povelsen, Harry Burgess, Claire Rutherford and Connor Diskin Stage 1: Lucille Coombes, Edie Jensen, Eva Tilley and Jack Lowe Stage 2: Hester Kinnear, Charlotte Scott, Angus Magill, Zarah Snedden, Elise Lowe and Cody Mackin Miss Alicia Brace

JUNIOR SCHOOL

FROM THE HEAD OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL Mr. Cockington is on leave this week.

STAY & PLAY DAY AT THE JUNIOR SCHOOL The Early Learning Department (Years Pre-K to 2) will be hosting a Stay & Play Day for parents and children next Wednesday, 18th September, from 9:00am to 11:00am. This is an excellent opportunity for parents to speak with our Early Learning teachers about the wonderful programs we offer our youngest students, and for children to spend time in the classroom with our teachers. Current parents with younger siblings are warmly invited to join us for the morning. Similarly, if you know of families who may be considering BMGS for their child, please encourage them to book in for this fun and informative morning in our Early Learning Department: http://www.bmgs.nsw.edu.au/stay-and-play-days

STUDENT AWARDS At Assembly this week, Gold Awards were presented to Stage 2 students Madeleine Lowrie and Amelie Emmerson.

FROM THE JUNIOR SCHOOL PARENTS’ & FRIENDS’ ASSOCIATION On Friday 6th September we held our first Family Bowling Night, This was the Term 3 joint campus community event for the Junior and Preparatory campuses. It was lot of fun for all and with a great atmosphere. Congratulations to Team Red on winning the BMGS laser tag challenge. What a great night! Mrs. Bonnie Mamo

SKIING SUCCESS On 24th August, siblings Connor, Finley and Zarah Snedden, together with Monty Darwin, competed in the Cross Country Hoppet Race at Falls Creek, Victoria. The students participated in the Joey Hoppet, which was raced over a distance of 7km. The students’ excellent results are listed below:

JUNIOR SCHOOL

CODE CAMP RETURNING IN THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS These Spring holidays Code Camp are returning to Blue Mountains Grammar School to teach your child to code, or to help them continue on their coding adventure!

Code Camp has already taught more than 50,000 students in Australia and is a great way to spend time over the holidays as kids have lots of fun with friends while learning important new skills including logic, creativity, problem-solving, app development and game building. It’s fun and engaging, and gets them prepared to take on the digital world of the future. This season from Tuesday, 1st to Wednesday, 2nd October BMGS will be hosting Spark and 3D World Builders. Bookings can be made via this link: www.codecamp.com.au/BMGS

Code Camp has also been working

with Service NSW and we are proud to announce that we are one of the first approved providers eligible for the $100 Creative Kids rebate! Just enter booking to receive $100 back on you enrolment. Please click on the following link for more information: www.codecamp.com.au/creative-kids-nsw

SENIOR SCHOOL

FROM THE DEPUTY HEAD – HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL Connecting with something bigger The founder of Positive Psychology, Martin Seligman describes three pathways to a positive life. Here, he contrasts the life of pleasure with lives filled with engagement and meaning. We know that our students want to connect with something bigger than themselves. This may spring from a faith position such as the Christian worldview which seeks to look after those on the margins of society, or it may also stem from a desire to do something for others. As a school, we are committed to providing students with meaningful opportunities to serve in the local and broader community. For some, this will involve travelling overseas to experience life in a developing country and work in partnership with those on the front lines of fighting poverty such as Compassion. However, we know that these issues are also real in our own backyard. In recent times the School has been growing a strong relationship with Junction 142 in Katoomba through fundraising activities. May I commend this letter written by our Community Engagement Captain, Holly Camilleri, who is a passionate advocate for social justice. May I also remind families that this year we will again be raising funds through the sale of Christmas Puddings in association with our local Rotarians. More information on this fundraiser will be reported in future Newsletters. We want to celebrate Service. To this end, can I also remind students to regularly record their Service hours in their diaries and submit their hours to their Tutors so we can recognise them with Service Awards, as outlined in Page 13 of the student diaries. Mr. Andrew Beitsch

FROM THE DEPUTY HEAD – HEAD OF TEACHING & LEARNING Study and Procrastination - The Carrot or the Stick? It’s that time of year for our Year 11 and 12 students, when study is a priority, with end of year exams and the HSC just around the corner. For many other Year groups there are also a number of assignments due, and exams scheduled for early next term. But it’s so easy to sabotage yourself by procrastinating. Procrastination is the act of putting off a task which you know you have to do, even though you know that putting it off will probably be worse for you in the long run. For example, when you procrastinate about starting an assignment it doesn’t make the assignment go away, or the deadline change, it just gives you less time to get the work done. There are some basic concepts you need to understand about yourself to help you on your way when thinking about how to overcome procrastination – are you a “carrot” or a “stick” sort of person? That is, are you more motivated by the hope of a reward (that carrot), or the desire to avoid negative consequence or punishment (the stick). Most of us like a little bit of both – whilst fear may be a good motivator, you do not want to be ruled by it; too much can lead to anxiety. Equally, rewards can lose their shine, if offered too cheaply or easily. Here are a few tips to get your started:

SENIOR SCHOOL

1. Jump into the Learning Pit. We often think learning should be easy and therefore get discouraged when we don’t feel in control. James Nottingham talks about the need to jump into the learning pit, and being prepared to feel lost, ill-equipped, uncertain, and to struggle before we achieve success. You need to recognise it is normal to face some difficult emotions as you engage in challenging new learning.

2. Become aware of the excuses you use. Make a mental note when you procrastinate. What excuses do you give yourself? Too tired? Too difficult? Too boring? Too busy? Being aware of what you are thinking is the first step in changing your behaviour. Keep yourself honest by asking questions like “Is this the best use of my time at the moment?” and “Am I doing this as a way of avoiding what I really should be doing?”

3. Reduce or eliminate distractions. Creating a clear, uncluttered work environment, free from distractions, will help you avoid procrastinating. Delete those Apps! You know the ones – those that chew up your time - check your screen time records if you’re not sure! Turn off your social media, turn off your music or TV, and close the door. It’s easy to get distracted and lose focus on what you are trying to do, or to procrastinate by surfing websites that are barely related to the topic you are meant to be researching.

4. Make a prioritised list. Before you start work (or procrastinating) take a few minutes to work out what your priorities for the session are, based on your deadlines. Take into account all the time you have available and make a prioritised list.

5. Eat that elephant! How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! If you have a big task that you have to do, or something that you really don’t want to start, think about how it can be broken up into smaller parts. A big assignment might need a plan, the purchase of resources, some research, and then several days to produce and refine each section. If you just focus on doing one of these tasks it’s easier to commence.

6. Just do it! Stop focusing on getting it done perfectly, or even well; just make a start, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Starting the task makes you realise it’s not as daunting as you originally thought and allows you to make a small amount of progress which encourages you to keep going. Sometimes once you get started you can even do more than you originally thought you could or would.

Mrs. Megan Hastie

FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT Diary Dates: Orpheus Student Concert: Sunday, 15th September, 3:00pm, Katoomba Public School HSC Music Practical Examinations: Tuesday, 17th September (Music 2 & Extension), Wednesday, 18th September (Music 1) SYO Audition Applications: Due by 22nd September Mountains Youth Band Scholarship Applications: Due 27th September Music Department Staff

SENIOR SCHOOL

FROM THE PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT Congratulations to James Barrell and Miriam Cooney, who have both had their HSC Drama IP (Performance) works nominated for inclusion in ONSTAGE, the HSC showcase of exemplary drama performances selected from this year’s HSC practical examinations. A fantastic achievement by Miriam and James! We also congratulate Year 12 students Ethan Bromilow and Bella Wellstead, who have been selected for the Riverside Theatre Upstage Club, a highly selective national program which offers applicants access to performances and exclusive workshops led by professional theatre makers, throughout the year. In further exciting news, Bella has also been selected as a Griffin Ambassador in the Griffin Theatre's program for students in Years 10 to 12. This program gives students access to all areas of Griffin Theatre's operations, industry professionals, performances and workshops, with the aim of supporting young and talented theatre-makers. Bravo, Bella and Ethan! Performing Arts Staff

ANNUAL 45KM WALK

The 2019 45km Charity Walk to Bungawarra will take place on Saturday, 12th October.

The Walk is from the School property at Wentworth Falls to the School’s campsite at Bungawarra on the Cox’s River.

The event is a sponsored walk for charity and operates only through the generous support of Staff, Parents and Caregivers. This year the money raised will be in aid of the Compassion Program in Indonesia, the Ibulanku School Project/Uganda, Maleke School in Fiji and Greystanes Disability Services. Students are encouraged to gain sponsorship for the walk.

Walkers will meet at the Senior School at 5:30am and start the Walk at 6:00am at the Roundabout, finishing at Bungawarra at approximately 5:00pm. As far as possible, the route takes advantage of dirt tracks and alternative roads, however, there are times when we are walking on some busy roads. The walkers are escorted by a number of support vehicles and these are driven by parents and staff who are familiar with the walk’s route.

SENIOR SCHOOL

Limited transport will be available back from Bungawarra but it is preferable for parents/guardians to collect their students at Bungawarra so that they can share in their child’s achievement. Family members, staff and friends of BMGS are welcome to participate or help on the day.

To WALK or VOLUNTEER in the event, use this Trybooking link

The registration fee of $21.50 will cover the Trybooking fee and the costs of food on the day. Payment of registration fees will only be accepted ONLINE through the Trybooking system Places are limited to 250 participants and allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Sponsorship forms and the 45km Walk Map link will be emailed upon registration Volunteers are required to register online to confirm acceptance of the risk warning.

REGISTRATIONS TO WALK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER FRIDAY, 20th SEPTEMBER Please contact me at epeters@bmgs.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions. Mrs. Emily Peters

SENIOR HICES DEBATING After 535 debates, involving 45 schools, 236 teams and 1,388 students, the 2019 HICES Debating Competition has now concluded. Although none of our teams reached the Finals, they achieved tremendous success in each of the rounds in which they debated. Every member of the HICES teams showed a tremendous passion for debating and contributed to the overall success of their team and the School. Due to that unbridled enthusiasm and dedication in ensuring they gave of their best in each round, I am thrilled to announce that the winner of the HICES Champion Debating School for 2019 is Blue Mountains Grammar School - a magnificent achievement! Congratulations to all. At Assembly this week Matilda Merry, our Captain of Debating, proudly presented Mr. Maynard with the Champion Debating School Shield, to be hung in a suitable conspicuous place. The Blue Mountains Debating Competition has one more round to go but at the moment Blue Mountains Grammar are the leading teams in all Divisions. To acknowledge the achievements of our students, Ms Grassmayr and I will be hosting a Debaters’ lunch in Bartlett Building next Tuesday, 17th September. We are looking forward to an even better 2020. Mrs. Elaine Manners (MIC Debating)

SENIOR SCHOOL

FROM THE UNIFORM SHOP We are now ready to place the order for Year 11, 2020 Senior Skirts. In order for the order to proceed, however, all deposits need to have been received. Please contact me in the Uniform Shop on 4757 9004 on Monday, 16th September to ensure the order is placed prior to the end of Term 3. Many thanks for your co-operation. Mrs. Kymberley Arrell

STEPTEMBER Stepping Out for Steptember 2019 – End of Week One We have now completed our first full week of Stepping here at BMGS! Old rivalries are heating up, discussions are being had about who is the team to beat, Grandmas are being hit up for donations, and laps of Leura Mall are being walked on weekends. A number of our Steppers, though not all, are pictured right. At the time of writing, our 23 teams have collectively stepped 6,994,667 steps, and raised $4,809.99. By my calculations, this places us as the second highest fundraising high school in Australia! We are currently sitting in 83rd place Australia-wide (of any organisation). We are trailing Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School, who is the highest fundraising school and who have a whopping 93 teams compared with our 23 teams. This is a massive effort on our part, considering our small population. Step wise, BMGS is in 116th place overall Australia-wide. Our nearest school rival is SHORE, who has three times the number of steppers than we do. One week in and we have already raised more than our final total of last year.

If you would like to donate, please click the donate button on the official Steptember website and search for either individual steppers or BMGS as an organisation: https://www.steptember.org.au/

Ms Danie Evans (Week One Step Count – 127349) Head of Ziele House Steptember Team - BMGS Performing Arts

SENIOR SCHOOL

PARADOXUM: BMGS F1 IN SCHOOLS UPDATE Exciting news this week as the Team received its first significant sponsorship from Aquapac – the Water Treatment and Chemical Specialist - www.aquapac.com.au. If there are other businesses who would like to support our Australian Champions in their bid to take on the world at the F1 in Schools World Championship in Abu Dhabi in November, please check out the website at www.paradoxumracing.wordpress.com.

The team were also interviewed again last week on Radio 2GB and they continue on other fundraising efforts. If you’re in the Springwood area on 27th October, please visit Bunnings for a Paradoxum STEM-sausage!

Mr. Chris Burgess

FROM THE HEAD OF SPORT

Orienteering Congratulations to Oliver Freeman (Year 9) who won the Under 14 Boys’ NSW Orienteering Schools Championships held in the Southern Highlands last weekend in both the Sprint and Bush disciplines.

ISA Athletics Team Congratulations to the following students who have gained selection in the ISA Athletics team and who will compete at the NSWCIS Athletics carnival on 24th September:

Maia Deluca Lloyd Goodlet Olivia Harris Angus Herron Amelie Hugo Max Klein

Mirah Larkin Max Lucas Phoebe Mason Bronte Pickering Hayli Shiels Victoria Stenner

Rosie Sullivan Koko Wilson Jack Wiseman William Zakis

School Athletics Congratulations to the following students who were our Athletics Age Champions for 2019:

Age Group Boys’ Champion Girls’ Champion

12 Years Max Klein Amelie Hugo 13 Years William Zakis Olivia Harris 14 Years Max Lucas Taylor McLeod 15 Years Wyatt Schmold Katerina Reynolds 16 Years Jack Wiseman Phoebe Mason 17 Years Ethan Ward Hayli Shiels 18 Years Lloyd Goodlet Bronte Pickering

and Victoria Stenner (Joint Champions)

House Shield Congratulations to Deane House on winning the House Shield for Athletics for 2019, which was presented by the Captains of Athletics to the Captains of Deane House at Assembly this week. Pictured above with Headmaster, Mr. Maynard, are Bronte Pickering (Captain of Athletics), Brodie Wylde (Deane House Captain 2018/2019), Evie Saville (Deane House Captain 2019/2020), Oscar Lee (Deane House Captain 2018/2019), Lloyd Goodlet (Captain of Athletics) and Mrs. Megan Harris (Head of Sport).

SENIOR SCHOOL ISA Athletics The ISA Athletics Carnival was held on 10th September at SOPAC. It was great to see the level of enthusiasm from all our athletes at the ISA Carnival. The placings for each Division are listed below. Special mention must be made of the Boys’ team who finished in 2nd place overall in Division 2, only missing out on 1st place by 25 points.

Girls’ Division 1 Junior Boys' Division 2 Junior Place School Points Place School Points 1 RED 354 1 SPY 339 2 CCGS 336 2 BMGS 324 3 KWS 332 3 SACS 276 4 OXL 305 4 CHEV 261 5 BMGS 291 5 RFC 249 6 CHEV 210 6 SPGS 211 Intermediate 7 SAS 157 Place School Points 8 SMGS 0 1 RED 260 2 BAR 245 Intermediate

3 KWS 223 Place School Points 4 CCGS 210 1 SAS 234 5 BMGS 175 2 RFC 208 6 OXL 169 3 SACS 193 7 CHEV 143 4 SPY 179 Senior 5 BMGS 178 Place School Points 6 SPGS 155 1 BAR 301 7 CHEV 109 2 CCGS 232 8 SMGS 0 3 RED 205 4 OXL 167 Senior

5 KWS 165 1 RFC 212 6 BMGS 162 2 SAS 196 7 CHEV 89 3 SPY 186 Overall 4 BMGS 179 Place School Points 5 SPGS 157 1 RED 819 6 SACS 138 2 CCGS 778 7 CHEV 134 3 KWS 720 8 SMGS 0 4 OXL 641 Overall 5 BMGS 628 Place School Points 6 BAR 546 1 SPY 704 7 CHEV 442 2 BMGS 681 3 RFC 669 4 BMGS 607 5 SACS 587 6 SAS 523 7 SPGS 504 8 SMGS 0

ISA Athletics Uniform A reminder to all students who attended the ISA Carnival and who hired a singlet that the singlets are to be washed and returned to the Uniform Shop to obtain the refund of your bond.

Summer Sport Teams All summer sport teams have now been finalised. These teams have been listed on the Sports noticeboard. All players who have been selected in summer sport teams need to go to the Uniform Shop if they require a new uniform.

Any student who missed Touch Football or Girls’ Basketball trials yet are still interested in playing, please see the relevant MIC to discuss vacant positions.

SENIOR SCHOOL Triathlon To date I have received only three team nominations for the NSWCIS triathlon. These teams need to be finalised by the end of this term. Please email me if you have organised a team (mharris@bmgs.nsw.edu.au).

For any student who would like to put a team together, please note that your team will be based on the age that you turn in 2020. Please note that each person in the team only completes one leg of the event. The events are as follows:

Juniors 400m SWIM 10km CYCLE 3km RUN Intermediates/Seniors 600m SWIM 15km CYCLE 4km RUN

The top 50 teams from each Division at the NSWCIS Carnival will progress to the All Schools Carnival in Term 1, 2020.

All students who wish to enter as an individual will be entered directly to NSWCIS to compete in the NSW All Schools’ Carnival.

Mrs. Megan Harris

THE WEEK AHEAD – SEPTEMBER

Friday, 13th

September – Year 10 Luna Park Mathematics/Science Excursion Friday, 13

th September to Thursday, 20

th September – Year 11 Examinations/Assessment Period

Sunday, 15th

September – Tournament of Minds State Finals Tuesday, 17

th September – Senior School Vaccinations, 3

rd Visit

Wednesday, 18th

September – Junior School Stay & Play Day Wednesday, 18

th September – Year 9 wilderness Education Multi-Pitch Climbing #2

Wednesday, 18th

September – Preparatory School Book Week Celebrations Wednesday, 18

th September – Year 10 Wilderness Education Class 2, Kings Tableland

Thursday, 19th

September – Junior School Early Learning Parent/Teacher Interviews Thursday, 19

th September – Junior School Student Led Conferences

Friday, 20th

September – Junior School P&F Mexican Fiesta Disco Friday, 20

th September – Year 12 Formal, Hydro Majestic

Saturday, 21st

September – All Years’ Reunion Lunch Saturday, 21

st September – Alumni 1999 20-Year Reunion Dinner