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Blue Mountains Grammar School Newsletter Vol 34, 23rd November, 2018
FROM THE JOINT ACTING HEAD
Full STEAM ahead in the Junior School!
As many of you may have heard, we have a few changes ahead for the Junior School in 2019. With a
change in enrolment numbers, we will be creating a single Stage 2 class. The idea of Staged classes
can sometimes cause great concerns with families. It is sometimes seen as an educational
compromise. But I would like to spend a moment or two looking at the Why of Staged classes.
At this point, my first response is
Why not?
Year of Birth Myth
There is no educational evidence that says staged classes are educationally detrimental. As Sir Ken
Robinson has pointed out (see the RSA animate version of his talk Changing Education Paradigms
here), the idea that the year of a child’s birth is the best way of organising learning groups is an out-
dated factory model that assumes all students born in the same year are at the same developmental
stage. Through our greater understanding of child development, neuroplasticity and evidence-based
educational research, we now know that children mature at different rates, and that even the one
child can have a wide “age range” in their skills and knowledge. Within the one year-based class, it is
common to have a 5 to 7 year educational difference between the children. Differentiating is a
regular part of what teachers do every day. We are assessing our students and making regular
adjustments of learning for individual students and groups within their classes.
NESA structures
Already NESA outcomes recognise that students are very different, and all their curriculum structures
are based on a two year span. This recognises and supports more flexible approaches to learning.
This approach allows for more flexible grouping of students in their learning.
Social and Emotional Development
By taking two smaller groups and putting them together, it creates a broader bigger group for the
students to make friends, with greater advantages for social and emotional development. Making
friendships across Year groups offers a greater depth and fosters our whole School community. After
two years in a Staged class, students will have built friendships across three Year groups; there are
many natural opportunities for older students to mentor and lead younger students, and for younger
students to be able to stretch and grow.
What “Distinctives” will we be offering in the Junior School?
We have a few exciting new developments as we seek to ensure your children will continue to have
an outstanding and unique learning experience here at BMGS. Some of the specialised programs we
will be offering at BMGS are:
• Continuing with French language learning across K-6
• Continuing with PDHPE across K-6 using Senior School specialist teachers
• Introducing STEAM for all grades (Years 1 – 6) – 1 hour lesson once a week
This final option is an exciting new development and a vital part of ensuring we are equipping our
students to be future-ready. Again, this is possible because of our access to the specialist training
and experiences of our Senior School teaching staff. Mr Laws has now been running STEAM in the
Preparatory school for two years now, and we will be matching these wonderful experiences in the
Junior School.
Staffing Changes
It is common at this time of year to inform our families of some staffing changes that are occurring in
2019.
Firstly, Mrs Andrea (Andy) O’Doherty will be leaving us after fifteen years of exemplary service. She is
loved by students for her outstanding role as an educator, igniting a passion for Science for many
students and helping them achieve results beyond what they thought possible. Mrs O’Doherty has
also provided excellent pastoral care to students in Ziele and Deane House and served as Shared
Acting Deputy Head – Pastoral. Mrs O’Doherty is an accomplished sports administrator, serving as
MIC and Coach in a range of sports including Basketball, Hockey and Netball and also being involved
in ISA sports administration. More recently she has stepped into the role of Careers Advisor and has
helped students to access opportunities they did not know existed. Her kindness, enthusiasm and
care for students and staff are well known.
Mrs Katrina Knight has been a valued member of staff in her role in Learning Support commencing
in 2013. She has played a key role in establishing our School’s partnership with Compassion, which
has become an integral part of our Service Learning program. Katrina has been an active member of
the School community as a parent, particularly in support of the School’s major theatrical
productions, when Katrina would, on many occasions, organise meals for the casts and production
Staff prior to their opening nights.
In the Junior School, Mrs Julie Gillman will be leaving us at the end of the year to undertake some
further study and spend some much needed time with her family. Mrs Gillman started at the Junior
School in 2007 as our Pre-Kindergarten (then known as Transition) teacher and has filled many roles
since, teaching Kindergarten and Year 1, and more recently in the Library and Learning Support. Mrs
Gillman was our Early Learning Coordinator from 2012 to 2016 and introduced many valuable
initiatives to our Early Learning section of the school including ideas to welcome new families into
the school and the introduction of our early intervention program for struggling readers, MiniLit. Mrs
Gillman wore other hats in her time at the Junior School including coordinating and coaching
Basketball, Debating and Chess. Mrs Gillman has been a valued and well-loved colleague and an
integral part of our school community over the past 12 years.
Finally, Mrs Jenny Barman has faithfully served the School for sixteen years, as a foundational
member of staff and passionate supporter of the Preparatory Campus. Mrs Barman has served in a
range of roles including the role of Casual teacher, Teacher’s Aide, Year 1 Science teacher, Learning
support teachers and After School Care. Her current role has traversed French and Pre-Kindergarten
teaching. Mrs. Barman has also been known to us through her role alongside her husband, Trevor,
being actively involved throughout the life of the School. Her kindness, warmth and care for our
students and staff was.
We will miss each one of these teachers, and want to thank them for the amazing and different
contributions each one has made to our community.
Our best wishes go to all these wonderful ladies as they enter the next exciting phase in their lives.
BLUE MOUNTAINS GRAMMAR SCHOOL marks the end of the year by
acknowledging the inspiring achievements of our young people.
PRESENTATION DAY 2018 Wednesday, 5th December 2018
TW Cuff Hall (Please note new venue)
Junior School and Preparatory School at 12.30pm (please be seated by 12.15pm)
Senior School at 6.30pm (please be seated by 6.15pm)
ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND PRESENTATION DAY
(full School uniform is to be worn)
All parents, grandparents and family members are most warmly invited to attend.
Mrs. Megan Hastie
Joint Acting Head
FROM THE ACTING CHAPLAIN
Generosity
“Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth. Moths and rust will destroy treasures here on
earth. And thieves can break into your house and steal the things you have. So store your treasure in
heaven. The treasures in heaven cannot be destroyed by moths or rust. And thieves cannot break in
and steal that treasure. Your heart will be where your treasure is.” - Matthew 6:19-21 (ICB)
This week I would like to share with you a message concerning generosity that I recently discussed
with our Junior School during Chapel. The big idea here is, ‘when we’re generous, we’re like Jesus’.
While money and things are great to have, God doesn’t want this to be the main thing we think
about. God wants us to be generous in all areas of our lives, not just financially. Jesus teaches us
that generosity comes from the individual heart rather than the amount or type of giving. Let’s read
The Widow’s Mite from the book of Luke:
“Jesus saw some rich people putting their gifts into the Temple money box. Then Jesus saw a
poor widow. She put two small copper coins into the box. He said, “I tell you the truth. This
poor widow gave only two small coins. But she really gave more than all those rich people.
The rich have plenty; they gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she
gave all she had. And she needed that money to live on.” - Luke 21:1-4 (ICB)
Generosity is defined as, ‘showing a readiness to give more of something, especially money, than is
strictly necessary or expected.’ In this passage from Luke we learn that the widow was the poorest
but she gave the most because she gave all she had. The story isn’t only about money; it’s about
giving from our hearts and giving to God in a sacrificial way. We should give because we want to
honour God rather than receive praise from the people around us.
If we keep all we have for ourselves then we are not being generous and we’re not living a life that
helps others. And keeping everything we have for ourselves is not nearly as exciting as sharing
whatever we have with others. When we give our time, or our talents, or anything that means
something to us but can also be useful to others, then we are being generous like Jesus. Let’s visit
the definition of generosity again, ‘to be happy to give more of something, especially money, than is
necessary or expected.’ Corinthians comments on this type of intentionally happy giving:
“Each one should give, then, what he has decided in his heart to give. He should not give if it
makes him sad. And he should not give if he thinks he is forced to give. God loves the person
who gives happily.”- 2 Corinthians 9:7 (ICB)
God can see our hearts, our intentions. If we give but don’t really want to then this doesn’t make God
or us happy. But if we give because we want to, because God has given us life, then we are being
generous like Jesus. This Christmas most of us will do a lot of giving and receiving of gifts. But the
greatest gift we can give to each other is our authentic selves, and the greatest gift we can give to
God is our love and faith in Him. So let’s be generous with our time, talents, gifts, and love for each
other and make this one of the most joyous and memorable Christmases so far.
L. Webb
SENIOR SCHOOL NOTICES
Vaccination Additional Catch Up Date
The local NSW Health service are providing us with an additional catch up vaccination morning on
Wednesday 28th November, for Catch up 1st or 2nd dose for Year 7 and 8 (parents will be contacted
from a list provided by the nursing team) and Catch Up Meningococcal for Year 10 and 11 for
students who missed out earlier in the year. Consent forms can still be collected from Student
Reception if you have not already completed them, but need to be returned to Student Reception
prior to the clinic date.
Reminder Year 10 Formal
Year 10 Formal tickets are now on sale via TryBooking (link below), final numbers and special dietary
needs are required today Friday 23rd November to ensure the venue has adequate time to prepare.
https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?embed&eid=443031
A. Beitsch
Acting Head of Senior School
FROM THE HEAD OF MUSIC
Soireé 3
The final Music Soireé of 2018 was held last Tuesday in the Recital Room, showcasing a variety of
musical styles and talents from students in Years 6 to 11.
I would like to congratulate all the students who performed that evening: Jesse Blenkhorn (Year 8),
Alastair Bowman (Year 9), Jack Laurie (Year 6), Luke Ferguson (Year 6), Thomas Archer (Year 6), Tom
Delaney (Year 9), Wei Qi Yin (Year 8), Oliver Drew (Year 7), Tien Attwater (Year 7), Gabriella Antarakis
(Year 9), Mary Smallhorn, (Year 9), Michayla Clark (Year 9), Indigo Franklin (Year 9), Brendan Symons
(Year 9), Annika Bertinat (Year 11), Sarah Fallon (Year 11), Annabelle Huston (Year 11) and Miriam
Cooney (Year 11).
I would also like to extend my thanks to the Music Captains who compered the evening, Mrs Linda
Hall for the wonderful program, Mrs Cooney, Mr Neill Duncan and our very supportive and
encouraging audience members.
Presentation Evening
A reminder that all musicians are required to attend rehearsals for Presentation Evening
commencing promptly at 3:00pm in Cuff Hall on Wednesday, 5th December.
Music Camp 2019
A reminder that Music Camp will take place in the April school holidays in 2019. We are looking
forward to learning lots of new music in the lovely surrounds of Stanwell Tops. There will also be an
opportunity for students to perform in a talent evening and parents are welcome to attend the final
concert on the Wednesday evening.
Students who are yet to pay their deposits are encouraged to do so promptly to secure their place.
Diary Dates
Presentation Evening: Wednesday, 5th December
Music Camp: 14th to 17th April, 2019
D. Smith
FROM THE HEAD OF VISUAL ARTS
Year 12 Art & Design Showcase
We congratulate our Year 12 students on the completion of their practical Major Projects and Bodies
of Work for 2018. In order to recognise the achievements of our students, their work will be
exhibited in an Art and Design showcase, in the foyer of the Art & Design Building which will be run in
place of the Dr Marshall Exhibition this year.
The Art and Design showcase will take a different format this year. Students will receive their
certificates and medallions at Assembly and parents and members of the community will have an
opportunity to view the students work on Wednesday, 5th December, the last day of term, prior to
Presentation Night.
This will be a wonderful opportunity for parents and friends of our students to celebrate the
wonderful work created over the year and catch up before the holidays.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions about the evening.
We look forward to seeing you on 5th December.
S. Herron
FROM THE HEAD OF STAFFING SERVICES
In the lead up to Christmas, Blue Mountains Grammar School is aiming to involve its students in
service to support the many needy people in our own local community. As such, we are affiliating
with Junction 142 - a collaboration with Earth Recovery Australia that aims to provide food, shelter
and other essential services - to create hampers that will be distributed to those in need during this
important festive time.
To enable us to assist the greatest number of people, we are seeking your assistance in contributing
products that will be placed into these hampers. Below, you will find a list of suggested items that
you may like to contribute. Please note it is important for the items to be non-perishables and have a
long shelf life.
Dessert items such as puddings and Christmas cakes
Special treats such as chips, lollies, chocolate
New clothing items such as socks, underpants, singlets etc.
Used clothing items in good clean condition such as jumpers, shirts and shorts
Toiletries such as soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste etc.
Non-perishables such as pasta, pasta sauce, tinned fruit, tinned vegetables etc
Party items such as festive bonbons etc.
During the Senior Preparation week, Year 10 will be giving their time as an act of service to
assemble the items in boxes ready to be delivered to Junction 142. Therefore, we ask that the items
be delivered to the School prior to Friday, 30th November. Students and parents can bring the items
to Coorah Reception, where it will be collected.
The School would like to thank you in advance for your help in enabling our community to assist
those in need.
N. Webb
FROM THE PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT
*** Coming Soon ***
Save the Date(s)!
Students in Years 7 to 9 invite you to their upcoming presentation of Dickens' classic tale, A
Christmas Carol, which will be performed over six evening shows, Tuesday, 27th November to
Saturday 1st December at 7:30pm and one matinee performance on Saturday, 1st December at
3:00pm.
Tickets are now available online via www.TryBooking.com.au:
https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?embed&eid=447934
FROM THE UNIFORM SHOP
All Girls’ Navy Senior Skirts have arrived, and are ready for collection at the Uniform Shop. Your
balance will need to be paid prior to collection.
A reminder to families that all Blazers presented to the Uniform Shop for re-sale must be dry-
cleaned, with tags still attached.
K. Arrell
FROM THE LEARNING SUPPORT
DEPARTMENT
A reminder that I will be in the Library Resource Centre (LRC) on
Tuesday this term after school. This after school assistance is for
homework help, however can also include help in organising a
study plan or just general assistance in organising your workload.
If you are interested in attending, it is a great idea to contact me
on email [email protected] so that I can prepare
best for the time spent together.
A. Michielsen
BLUE MOUNTAINS AND GREATER WEST RUGBY SEVENS
CARNIVAL
The Active Axons Blue Mountains and Greater West Rugby Sevens
Carnival is on this weekend and all indicators are pointing to an
outstanding day of quality Rugby, a carnival atmosphere and many
special guests.
With 18 Men's teams and 8 Women's teams playing non-stop Rugby in
the fast and entertaining pace of Rugby 7s, the day is set to entertain.
Combined with this will be a live DJ, a players’ Village, grandstand
seating and a range of specialty food trucks including Monster Rolls
and Qualyvida Acai.
The Australian Rugby Union are joining in on the fun, bringing with them an activation station and
several members from the Australian Men's and Women's Rugby 7s team. Other sponsor stalls on
the day include a OnePoint Health recovery zone, a RAMS hydration station and marquees from
Active Axons and Dixons Cranes.
There is a $5 entry fee, with all money raised on the day going directly to the School's Rugby Club,
which in turn will be used to enhance the Rugby program delivered to our students.
The weather is set to be perfect for a day out, watching quality sport in your own back yard.
We look forward to seeing you there.
N. Webb
FROM THE HEAD OF SPORT
It was great to see so many supporters at our home games last weekend. The BMGS sporting spirit
was alive and well. This weekend, whilst we only have boys at home for Basketball, we do have the
Active Axons Rugby 7s tournament running all day. The quality of the games in previous years has
been outstanding and it is definitely worth taking the time to come and watch a few.
Due to the size of this event, numerous volunteers are required to ensure the smooth running of the
day. If you can give up an hour or two on Saturday please follow the link to register.
https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?embed&eid=435086
Uniform
It was disappointing that last weekend the majority of time I spent on site on Saturday needed to be
used on speaking to students who were not dressed correctly. If you are unsure of the school
requirements for uniform on a Saturday please read the following:
Junior Teams should be wearing the following to and from games (home/away):
Basketball/Touch Football/Cricket uniform
Yellow sports shirt (except for Cricket)
Sports Jacket + navy blue tracksuit pants if the weather warrants these.
1st V should be wearing the following to and from games (home/away):
Full school uniform with Blazer
Warm-up – uniform with warm up top (excluding Touch Football)
The following should NOT be worn:
Hoodies (casual, Football or Rugby)
Casual shorts/shirts
Non-school Caps/hats
Skins/undershirts
Any clothing outside the above stated will constitute you being out of uniform and you will be given a
demerit. 3 demerits will lead to sitting out part/all of the game.
Below is directive from the ISA Boys/Girls Basketball Guidelines which also follows for Cricket and
Touch Football:
School Production
As rehearsals are currently underway for the Years
7-9 production, I would like to remind you that all
students are required to attend games and training
before going to rehearsals. Game times for the
performances have been arranged so that all
students are at home therefore able to meet both
their sporting and production commitments.
Student Achievement
Best wishes to Sophia Chen, who will spend this
weekend attending a training camp at Lake Eildon
Victoria, focusing on her preparation for the Junior
Nationals Competition in January, where she will represent BMGS and NSW in both Slalom Canoe
and Kayak disciplines.
Participation in this training camp is essential for Sophia and will hopefully lead to her being
considered for the Western Sydney Academy of Sport. This is a stepping stone towards selection in
National Development Squad which, in turn, is the entry pathway to NSW Institute of Sport and
future National Selection Training Camps.
M. Harris
Saturday Sports Fixtures 24th November - Round 5
Team Opponent Venue Time Court/Field Bus INFO
Cricket 1st XI Chevalier Chevalier 10:00am Main BMGS 6:45am Lawson 7:00am Springwood Station 7:15am Blaxland 7:30am Return time approx. 7:00pm
15s Wentworth Falls Warriors
Bottom Reserve
8:00am Main N/A
Touch 1sts Barker C Mac Uni 8:00am 1 BMGS 6:00am Lawson 6:15am Springwood Station 6:30am Blaxland 6:45am Return time approx. 1:30pm
Football Junior B St Spyridon Mac Uni 8:00am 2
1sts Barker D Mac Uni 9:00am 1
Junior A BYE BYE BYE BYE N/A
Boys’ 1st V St Pius Home 11:00am 1 N/A
Basketball U17 St Pius Home 09:00am 1
U15 Gold St Pius Home 10:00am 1
U14 St Pius Home 10:00am 2
U13 Gold St Pius Home 9:00am 2
U15 Blue Redlands NBISC 10:00am 4 BMGS 7:15am Lawson 7:30am Springwood Station 7:45am Blaxland 8:00am Return time approx. 1:30pm
U13 Blue Oakhill Gr Oakhill 2:00pm Benildus BMGS 11:45am Lawson 12:00pm Springwood Station 12:15pm Blaxland 12:30pm Return time approx. 4:30pm
Girls’ 1st V SACS SACS 9:00am TBC BMGS 6:30am Lawson 6:45am Springwood Station 7:00am Blaxland 7:15am
Return time approx. 1:30pm
Basketball Inter SACS SACS 10:00am TBC
Open C St Spyridon St Spyridon 10:00am 1 BMGS 7:30am Lawson 7:45am Springwood Station 8:00am Blaxland 8:15am
Return time approx. 1:00pm
Junior A St Paul's St Paul's 10:30am 2 Own transport
Junior B Redlands NBISC 10:00am 3 BMGS 7:15am Lawson 7:30am Springwood Station 7:45am Blaxland 8:00am
Return time approx. 1:30pm
MATCH REPORTS – 17TH NOVEMBER, 2018
Touch Football (NB: No match reports received this week)
Junior A defeated Redlands B, 6-0
Junior B defeated Chevalier College, 4-2
Junior B were defeated by Oxley College, 6-4
Firsts drew with Chevalier College 5-5
Firsts defeated Oxley College, 6-1
Boys’ Basketball
BMGS U13 Blue were defeated by St Patrick’s College, 36-9
The boys came up against extremely tough opposition this weekend and unfortunately couldn’t come
away with a win. The boys gave 100%, but the top of the table St Patricks’ team were just too good. The
boys will learn from this game and hope to give St Patricks College a run for their money in the reverse
fixture.
BMGS U13 Gold defeated St Paul’s Grammar School, 33-14
The hard work that the boys are putting in at training is paying off! The boys started out strongly, kept a
good lead throughout the entire game and didn’t once look like faltering. It was an excellent all round
effort which was rewarded with a good win. The team will be seeking to push on to the next round with
wind in their sails. Get ready!
BMGS U14s defeated St Paul’s Grammar School, 31-27
These boys hit the ground running this game! Their execution offensively and defensively put them in
front from the beginning. They showed determination throughout, and were able to hold off a fast
finishing St Paul’s team. We are hoping for many more entertaining games like this to come. A well-
deserved win, boys!
BMGS U15 Blue were defeated by Oakhill College, 39-8
The BMGS Blue 15s team played against Oakhill Grammar on Saturday. While Oakhill are sitting on top
of the ladder, the BMGS boys played formidable defence and started out giving them a run for their
money. Flynn Boundy and Andrew Mungai played a tight game of offence and newcomers Connor
Wodrow and Flynn Shiels were impressive as they set up some great plays. Unfortunately, the boys’
shots weren’t sticking and an accurate Oakhill team pushed ahead, ultimately resulting in an 8 to 39
loss for BMGS. Andrew Mungai is the Coach’s choice for MVP of the match. The Blues are making
dramatic improvements in their game week by week and we look forward to an exciting remainder of
the season.
BMGS U15s Gold defeated St Paul’s Grammar School, 52-22
The 15 boys played against St Paul’s Grammar at home and played a great game. The boys started out
in a full court press and gained a 10-point lead. It was great to see the boys working together and
executing on both ends of the court. Throughout the game the lead went up and down, but always
remained at least 10-15 points. The boys were given a target to be up by 20 at half time and they
achieved that with hard work and good execution in both defence and offence. It was a well-deserved
win for the U15 Gold, and it was great to see the boys achieve a 30 point win in the end. All the boys
played hard and are improving every week.
BMGS U17 were defeated St Paul’s Grammar School, 37-7
The team were presented with an opportunity to show how much they have developed over the last few
rounds. They continue to be strong starters, displaying good defence helping to keep the game close.
This week, as the game progressed, we started to have lapses in concentration and St Paul’s were able
to take full advantage. Moving forward, the team will need to focus on going back to basics and look to
develop fundamental skills.
BMGS 1st V were defeated St Paul’s Grammar School, 65-52
The 1st V boys played a hard fought game against St Paul’s on Saturday but unfortunately were unable
to come away with the win, losing 52-65. The boys played a good first quarter with an 11-11 tie going
into the second quarter. This was a great effort, considering two of the boys had 2 fouls half way
through the first quarter. In the second quarter, the team did well to stay in the game with players still in
foul trouble and the referees being firm with their calls. It was a physical game that tested the boys both
mentally and physically. I am proud of how the boys handled themselves in the last quarter, fighting for
the win all the way until the last buzzer sounded. These boys cannot be faulted on their efforts in the
last quarter and I am proud of how they finished the game. We have some things that we need to work
on for the rest of the competition.
D. Rajasekar, MIC Boys’ Basketball
Cricket
BMGS U15 XI defeated the Wentworth Falls Demons
It was another successful week for the U15s cricket team last Saturday, who were playing their second
game on the turf wicket at School against the Wentworth Falls Demons. After losing the toss and being
sent in to bat, BMGS made a healthy 7/97 off 23 overs, led by Oliver Freeman who scored a
comfortable 36, before being caught by an excellent catch at mid-on. In the second innings, some
efficient bowling by Wil Stacy (0/5), Xavier Busch (0/4), Luka Donnelly (0/6) and Max Anicic (0/6) kept
the pressure on the opposition, and wickets to Jayden Gibson (1/6) and Oliver Freeman (1/5), and a
run out to Tom Delaney helped to keep the Demons to 3/68. This was a great all round team effort, and
another great win.
D. Weibye, Coach
BMGS 1st XI were defeated by Oxley College
On Saturday we travelled to Bowral to play Oxley College in a top-of-the-table clash. After again losing
the toss, we were asked to bowl first. We were going to have to bowl well against a very good batting
side; unfortunately, throughout the innings, we bowled too many loose balls and were punished heavily.
The pick of our bowlers were Tom Bloodsworth (1/25), Mitchell Browne (1/32) and Jeremy Colbourn
(0/29). One of the highlights on the field was watching Dillon Hunter’s wicket keeping. His standing up
at the stumps against the quick bowlers was outstanding. After 50 overs Oxley had scored 4/211, a
score that was always achievable with good batting on a smaller ground. Our innings started steadily;
however, wickets fell regularly with poor shot selection. The only highlight - in a team score of 111 - was
a very well compiled innings of 63 n.o. by Jackson Prowse. The boys now know the level they have to
play at to be competitive this season. This Saturday we travel to Bowral again to play Chevalier.
S. Collins – MIC Cricket
Girls’ Basketball
BMGS Junior A were defeated by Central Coast Grammar School, 41-12
This week the girls came up against a very strong central coast team. We all knew we would be in for a
tough game. However, in the first half the girls really contained CCGS to within a reasonable score. In
the second half, however, fatigue set in and CCGS’ experience came to the fore and they dominated the
remainder of the match. I am extremely proud of these girls; every week the process is showing and this
game was no exception.
BMGS Junior B were defeated by Central Coast Grammar School, 32-8
The Junior Bs played a hard game against CCGS, unfortunately experiencing a loss. Despite this, the
girls maintained their determination and ferocity from last week, fighting for the ball and not being
afraid to drive it into the key. Full court layups and free shots were available as each girl began to settle
into the game. The girls continue to improve each week especially in their teamwork; keeping their eyes
up when they are dribbling to look for the pass, and assisting in goals.
BMGS Intermediate B defeated Central Coast Grammar School, 29-14
This week’s game brought the Intermediate girls up against Central Coast Grammar School. After taking
the court, it was clear to see that the CCGS team had a great height advantage over us and it became
clear that it was going to be a challenging game. However, this did not dishearten the girls! They pushed
hard in the first half, using skills they had learnt in training, drawing many fouls and putting the other
team in fouls trouble. This enabled our girls to continue putting points on the board and take the lead.
Their solid defence ensured that the CCGS’ scoring was kept to a minimum and led to another great win
for the Intermediate girls.
BMGS Open C defeated Barker, 23-8
Once again, the Open Cs played an outstanding game of Basketball, this time against Barker College.
The game got off to a slow start, with neither team scoring above ten points for the majority of the first
half. However, the Open Cs defended exceptionally well this week, taking on board the advice gleaned
from training sessions to take the opportunities they are given to shoot more, which improved their
attack tremendously. I am incredibly proud of how the girls played, as they all stepped up to the plate
and delivered exactly what was asked of them, resulting in yet another solid win for the Open Cs. Well
done, girls.
BMGS First V defeated Central Coast Grammar School, 31-12
The 1st V girls played Central Coast Grammar School, taking the court with the knowledge of the strong
reputation CCGS has in Basketball. The girls started strongly with the first few baskets. We did slump at
the start of the second half, however, the girls maintained their intensity throughout the game to come
away with the win. These girls surprise me every week and are exceeding expectations every week. They
should be really proud of their achievements.
Mr. C. Ingold, MIC Girls’ Basketball
FROM THE HEAD OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL
Earlier this week, the School community became aware of some of our plans and visions for the
2019 school year and beyond. Please refer to the letter sent out earlier this week on this particular
topic. Since the announcement of the introduction of a Stage 2 class in 2019 I have been pleased
with the overall positive reaction and willingness for those amongst us with concerns to talk with us
and work with us to help address any issues.
I was certainly very pleased to be able to confirm an ongoing partnership with the Senior School
PDHPE Faculty to provide PE lessons for our classes, and very excited to announce our initiatives in
STEAM Education with Mr Laws. I look forward to seeing how this all unfolds during the course of
2019. If you would like to discuss any matter with me, please contact the office and we will be happy
to make an appointment.
Soon I will be confirming class teachers for 2019. In the meantime I must tell you that Mrs Julie
Gillman will be leaving us at the end of the year to undertake some further study and spend some
much needed time with her family. Mrs Gillman joined the Junior School Staff in 2007 as our Pre-
Kindergarten (then known as Transition) teacher and has filled many roles since, teaching
Kindergarten and Year 1, and more recently in the Library and Learning Support. Mrs Gillman was
our Early Learning Coordinator from 2012 to 2016 and introduced many valuable initiatives to our
Early Learning section of the School, including ideas to welcome new families into the School and
the introduction of our early intervention program for struggling readers, MiniLit.
Mrs Gillman wore other hats in her time at the Junior School including coordinating and coaching
Basketball, Debating and Chess. Mrs Gillman has been a valued and well-loved colleague and an
integral part of our school community over the past 12 years. Though sad to be saying goodbye, we
wish her all the best for the future and look forward to saying a fond farewell on Presentation Day.
Last week I was fortunate enough to join Year 4 on their camp at Port Hacking and I thoroughly
enjoyed the experience. It was great to see the children exploring the mangroves and learning about
adaptations of these plants that ties in beautifully with their science studies back at school. More
fun I am sure for the children was the excitement of the waterslide or perhaps the sandcastle
competition on the sand bar. Mrs Gerrard and Miss Boyd seemed to be having as much fun as the
children!
This camp is an important part of the transition process for the Year 4 children from Valley Heights
as they prepare to join us at Junior School to get to know the boys and girls from our School. It was
great to see the two cohorts mixing together and the friendships being established.
This week ends with a couple of wonderful festive activities; the annual Early Learning Nativity Play
and Christmas Carols on the Bus. We are certainly well and truly into the Christmas season. Next
week is our last full week of school and it includes swimming lessons for Years 3 to 6 and the
Graduation Service and Dance for our Year 6 class of 2018 on Friday. There is still lots to look
forward to as we approach the end of the school year.
N. Cockington
There were no student awards presented this week
Luke Ferguson races Go Karts!
Luke Ferguson of 5/6F has spent his weekends competitively Go Kart
racing for the fifth year. Luke competes in the Cadet 12 category with
up to 30 drivers in each race vying for the number 1 spot. He
competes in the Combined Districts Karting club championship where
he recently won the 2018 Cadet 12 championship finishing in 1st
place overall.
Luke also raced in the very competitive NSW State Championship that
draws drivers from VIC, SA and QLD. He travelled to Coffs Harbour,
Dubbo and Lithgow and he finished 8th overall. Every competitor,
together with their pit crew spends many hours in preparation before
and between each race to ensure that the kart is
reliable and working at its full potential. Luke recently
changed to an Italian, Scuderia PCR kart, which has
proven to better suit his driving style, and races at
speeds of up to 90km/h.
In 2019, Luke will compete in the NSW State Cadet 12
Championship, the Combined District Karting Club
Championship and the National Australian Karting
Championship travelling interstate throughout regions
of Australia and expects next year to be full of some
very serious and competitive racing. Mostly, Luke
enjoys driving fast, the fantastic friends he makes and the fun he has along the way.
Best wishes for a great future in karting Luke!
N. Cockington
Former World Doubles Number 3, Nicole Arendt has been coaching
Blue Mountains Grammar School students (Years 5 and 6) during
Term 4. Ms Arendt runs tennis programs for juniors aged 5 to 18 years
at the Wentworth Falls Tennis Club and Katoomba Tennis Club.
For information on the 2019 Junior ANZ Hot Shots tennis or summer
tennis camps (in the week of 21st January, 2019; times TBA) visit
www.gamefaces.net or email/phone Nicole on nicole-
[email protected] or 0400 948 250.
JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT
Basketball – Round 5
5/6 Boys’ Gold played the Blazers - BMGS Gold won 46 to 4.
BMGS Red played BMGS Gold - BMGS Red won 18 to 10.
3/4 BMGS Blue played Little Hoppers - BMGS Blue won 10 to 4.
5/6 Girls’ Red played The Superstars - The Superstars won 38 to 4.
L. Gerrard
FROM THE HEAD OF THE PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Year 4 Camp
“Last week Year 4 went to Port Hacking for Year 4 Camp – 2018!
There were lots of fun things that to do there and we all had a
great time.
First, we went to a sandbar. Everyone splashed and played in the
water and some people even took some shells to take home.
Afterwards, we played games with some jumbo cards. There were
a lot of different games that we played. In one of them we had to
pick a card, close our eyes and find a partner who was calling out
our card. I loved the games where we had to order cards without
doing different things like talking or using our hands. Playing with
the jumbo cards really made us think and we needed a lot of
skills.
Later that night, we had a mini Olympics. There were
two teams, one called ‘The Golden Ducks’ and another
called ‘Hayden’. Each team had a special chant. We
had to use our chants to get points. It was very close
but in the end, team ‘Hayden’ won!
On Day 2, we went on the waterslide. This was sooooo
much fun! You could go in a double or go by yourself.
After the waterslide we went to the Mangroves. When
we were there we learnt all about them. Did you know
that if you lick a mangrove leaf it tastes like salt? We
also discovered how the trees are able to survive in salt
water and how they are like nurseries for some of the
animals that live there.
After the mangroves we had Christian studies, which was also very fun.
Our second night, we played trivia. Everyone got into teams of four. Teams had names like
‘Puppy Power’ and ‘We Can Do Anything’. Trivia was one of the favourite activities that we did
on camp.
In the morning after breakfast on our third day, we went abseiling. We went from a height of
4m or a height of 8m. It was a bit tricky but a great challenge.
Year 4 camp was an amazing experience that we will never forget.”
By Isabel and Haylee
Toys and Tucker
A big thank you to all the Preparatory School families that made a donation to our ‘Toys and Tucker’
appeal. All of the donations are now being packed up ready to be picked up by Anglicare and
distributed to families in need this Christmas.
Seussical
A reminder that the Preparatory School ‘Celebration Evening’ is happening this Wednesday night the
28th November and will showcase our performance of Seussical!
Parents will need to ensure all students in Year 3 and 4 arrive by 6:00pm and Pre-K to Year 2 by
6:10pm. The Parents’ & Friends’ Association will have refreshments available prior to the
commencement of the show which will begin at 6:30pm.
We look forward to seeing you all there to celebrate the enormous effort that the students have put
in.
A. Brace
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 2018
Friday, 23rd November – Year 8 Japanese Immersion Day, Nihongo Tanken Japanese Language
Centre, Kirrawee
Friday, 23rd November – Junior School Early Learning Nativity Performance
Friday, 23rd November – Junior School Christmas Carols on the Bus (P & F Fundraiser)
Saturday, 24th November – BMGW Rugby 7s Carnival
Sunday, 25th November – Primary Schools One-Day Chess Tournament, NSW Final
Monday, 26th November and Tuesday, 27th November – Years 3 and 4 Swim Program (Katoomba
Aquatic Centre)
Monday, 26th November to Friday, 30th November – Year 10 Senior Preparation Week
Tuesday, 27th November – Year 8 French Café Experience, Katoomba
Tuesday, 27th November and Wednesday, 28th November– Years 5 and 6 Swim Program (Katoomba
Aquatic Centre)
Tuesday, 27th November to Saturday 1st December – Years 7 to 9 production: “A Christmas Carol”
Wednesday, 28th November – Vaccination program ‘Catch Up’ Day
Wednesday, 28th November – Year 11 Geography Fieldwork, Hanging Swamps, Charles Darwin Walk
Wednesday, 28th November – Preparatory School Celebration Evening; performance of “Seussical
Kids”
Thursday, 29th November – Year 5/2019 Orientation Day
Thursday, 29th November – 2019 Junior School Captains Voting
Friday, 30th November – Year 9 Wilderness Education classes to Empress Canyon
Friday, 30th November – Year 10 Formal, Palais Royale
Wednesday, 5th December – Junior and Preparatory Schools’ Presentation Day, TW Cuff Hall,
12.30pm
Wednesday, 5th December – Senior School Presentation Evening, TW Cuff Hall, 6:30pm
Wednesday, 5th December – Term 4 concludes
