Blue Mountains Grammar School Newsletter

Vol 19, 28th June, 2019

FROM THE HEADMASTER NAIDOC Week This week, in response to the invitation of the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC), Blue Mountains Grammar School celebrated NAIDOC Week earlier than it is observed nationally. The purpose of the week was to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to commit ourselves to walking alongside them to make the world a better place. In 2019 the official theme embraces the three elements of the reforms set out in the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart that represents the unified position of First Nations Australians in relation to recognition of their unique place in Australian history and society. This week our students considered the need for Australian society, and in fact the whole of human-kind, to benefit from the ancient Truth, know-how, practices, skills and innovations of which Indigenous Australians are custodians, in the realms of agriculture, science, technology, ecology, and medicine. They contemplated the need for all Australians to hear, and seek to understand, the Voice of Indigenous Australians; the Voice of this wisdom passed down along with their lore and culture, both of which would add amazing value at the decision-making table of Australia’s democracy. They better appreciate how the desire of First Nations Australians to be architects of their own lives and futures has driven their sustained demands for a lasting and effective agreement, or Treaty, with other Australians. Finally, they now grasp how our shared history stands in our way and how we must strive for a common and honest understanding of this history, including the story of colonisation, as the basis for true reconciliation and genuine healing for all Australians. These three elements; Truth, Voice, and Treaty (or agreement) are a wonderful theme for NAIDOC Week, but they are also essential aspirations for all communities, including our School. I plan for my leadership to be founded on Truth and based on an Agreement between staff, parents and students, and for this, all stakeholders’ Voices must be heard. For this reason I encourage every member of our community to engage with the upcoming survey referred to in the article below.

School Surveys Blue Mountains Grammar is an excellent school and is committed to improvement and innovation focused on the needs of every individual in our community. To enable us to better understand the School, review and reflect on current practices, and better appraise the effectiveness of our School improvement efforts we must be committed to listening to the feedback we already receive, as well as instituting further means of collecting regular and ongoing feedback. One way we will do this is through annual School stakeholder surveys. For this reason, I am excited to announce our School’s participation in the Association of Independent Schools NSW (AISNSW) Perspectives suite of surveys. This is a school-wide industry standard survey tool intended to provide all staff, all parents and guardians, all students in Years 5-12, School leaders, and Board members with the opportunity to assist in the growth and development of our whole School community. The surveys focus on five important domains: School Environment, Teaching and Learning, Student Wellbeing, Leadership, and Community. Gathering information about these areas will be of significant benefit to us as a community to help identify our School’s strengths as well as any opportunities for improvement, as we seek to ensure we are meeting the needs of all. Details about accessing the survey, data security, and confidentiality will be sent to parents by email. I encourage every member of our community to engage with the Perspectives survey during Weeks 2 and 3 of Term 3. Should you have any questions please contact the Perspectives Liaison, Janine Hanrahan in the Coorah Office or at perspectives@bmgs.nsw.edu.au. Staffing Changes Two popular and highly skilled Senior School teachers complete the temporary contracts at the end of this term, Mrs. Kylie Hunter and Mrs. Lauren Wade. Whilst Mrs. Hunter leaves us, Mrs. Wade has been appointed permanently to the Humanities staff. The School has a vacancy in the Senior School PDHPE faculty it is yet to fill. I am grateful to every member of staff for their amazing effort this term and recognise every student for their commitment to their learning, thank every parent for their support, and wish every School family a safe and restful July break. Mr. Ian Maynard Headmaster

FROM THE CHAPLAIN One Blood “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” – Matthew 7:12-14 (NIV) Christians often get a bad rap and sometimes that is justly so – the crusades, witch hunts and the Inquisition are only a few atrocities committed falsely in the name of God. Christianity along with any other belief or ideology can be misused for personal gain, dominance, power, or abuse. When this happens under the name of Christianity it is dark deception and the highest form of hypocrisy. A beautiful aspect of Christianity is that the ideas of human rights, equality, and the equal value of each individual are all part of Jesus’s foundational teachings (see Matthew 7:12-14 above for one example) and were radical in His time but are now largely upheld as benchmarks of justice. A part of NAIDOC week is acknowledging and understanding the horrendous events of our colonialist past in order to create a healing path forward. Christians and secularists are implicated in many of these stories but we may find it surprising to find that there were Australian Christian settlers who fought for

Indigenous rights and freedoms in the face of secularist arguments against human equality. The Myall Creek Massacre on the 10th of June 1938 saw at least 28 unarmed Wirrayaraay people of New South Wales slaughtered by eleven colonists. Following this event and the lack of repercussions for the guilty, Baptist minister John Saunders preached a sermon that made clear the Christian response to this tragic day. Author Meredith Lake writes about this in her book The Bible In Australia: A Cultural History:

John Saunders preached a blistering sermon on Isaiah 26:21 – ‘Behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth shall also disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain’. [Saunders] denounced the way the colonists had ‘robbed’ Aboriginal people ‘without any sanction’: ‘we descended as invaders upon the territory and took possession of the soil…From these their hunting grounds, they have been individually and collectively dispossessed’. Not only that, he went on, colonists had killed them ‘wholesale, in cold blood’: ‘The spot of blood is upon us, the blood of the poor and the defenceless, the blood of the men we wronged before we slew… We are guilty here’.

Following a re-trial, seven of the perpetrators were found guilty and received a death sentence which was highly uncommon at the time. A large group of Christians were there to defend the rights of our Indigenous peoples. While there were also secularists who defended Aboriginal rights, the Christian faith when put into action contrasted with the common scientific thought of that time. Lake concludes by writing, “[The biblical idea of common humanity] nevertheless constrained the development of alternative European theories of race. In colonial Australia, it provided the deepest and most important basis for condemning settler rapacity and upholding the rights of Indigenous people. With the authority of God’s own word, ‘one blood’ was the primary foundation for humanitarian thought and action.” My point here is not to wave the historical finger and say that Christians were right and secularists were wrong as there were of course non-believers who maintained that all races are of equal value. My point is to say that Christianity, when lived out and put into practice, offers a justification for objective morality, for fair treatment of all people as we are all born from the Author of the universe and deserve to be treated as equals despite any of society’s prejudices. History also shows that so called Christians did awful things and secular people did good things. However, Christianity as understood from listening to what Jesus said offers many moral and intellectual teachings for defending the rights of all humans. This countered the popular secularist view of the 19th century that often looked down on Australian Indigenous people. Atheist commentator Chris Berg points out, “[W]hile our age may be secular, it is, at the same time, still a deeply Christian one. If atheists feel they must rip up everything that came before them, they will destroy the very foundations of [our secular order].” Jesus strongly teaches that what we should strive for beneath the perceived murkiness of what it means to be human is a common desire to actively treat each other as we would like to be treated, we should love all because God first loved us, we are all one blood in Christ. Mr. Luke Webb

FROM THE PARENTS’ AND FRIENDS’ ASSOCIATION Annual Trivia Night Dust off your capes and your claws, dig out your Acme anvils and Rocket Skates and head out to the Mystery Machine that is located in TW Cuff Hall (Senior School) on Saturday, 24th August from 6:00pm – 10:00pm Under the watchful eye of our Quizmaster, prepare to be mentally challenged by all things trivial! Science, Geography, The Arts, History and, of course, Animation, to name just a few! Prizes categories: Best Score (Adult Table) Best Score (Student Table) Best Table Decorations (Adult) Best Table Decorations (Student) Best Costumes (Adult) Best Costumes (Student) Bookings may be made online with Trybooking.com Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for student/concession players. Put together a table of eight players or take the chance to meet new people! We would especially like to welcome parents who are either new to the School or new to our Trivia Nights and, if you are unable to put together a table of players, we are happy to help you form a team on the night. We are also seeking donations of raffle items or prizes to support the event. If you can’t join us on the night or you have any items that you would like to donate, we would be most grateful if you could support our major fundraising event for 2019. There will be boxes located in the Reception areas of each of the campuses for you to leave prize donations or vouchers. Gourmet food, gift cards, small electrical items, new toys, books, etc., all welcome. We look forward to your company, for what is always a fun social night for the School community with a bit of robust, but friendly, competition thrown in! Mrs. Kate Prowse Event Organiser

PREPARATORY SCHOOL

FROM THE HEAD OF THE PREPARATORY SCHOOL Term 2 has been a whirlwind of learning and activity at the Preparatory School. Thank you to our parent community for supporting the staff and students as much as you do, be it volunteering your time or baking for ‘Morning Tea Munch’ or partnering with us throughout the term. Term 2 has been a seemingly brief but busy term with the students participating in a wide range of events. We began with our involvement in the ANZAC Service in Springwood and then the Service held at the School. We then had the P.I.E. Productions performance at our Wentworth Falls campus, the Mother’s Day stall and breakfast, NAPLAN testing for Year 3, National Simultaneous Story time in Library, a Responsible Pet Visit for our Pre K to Year 2 students, the Athletics Carnival for Years 2-6, Pyjama Day to raise funds for Asthma Australia, a visit for everyone from Healthy Harold and the Life Education team and finally, the Preparatory School disco. Semester 1 Reports Semester 1 reports will be available via the Portal. Change of Uniform Days Due to our gymnastics program running in Term 3, all students will be required to wear their Sport uniform on Tuesday and Wednesday for the duration of the term. Lessons will begin on the first day of Term 3, Wednesday, 24th July and students will need to come to School in their Sport uniform. Holiday Activities Stuck for ideas about what to do during the break? The Preparatory ‘What’s On’ page has a number of suggestions for programs that are happening in the local area during the break. Awards Pre-K Mila Davidsen Kindergarten Connor Diskin Stage 1 Mikhaela Sommerville and Carlia Diskin Stage 2 Hester Kinnear and Nate Clarke Choir Eva Tilley and Harry Burgess The Preparatory Staff join me in wishing all our families a happy and safe holiday; I look forward to seeing you all in Term 3. Miss Alicia Brace

JUNIOR SCHOOL

FROM THE HEAD OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

Well done to our wonderful Wizard of Oz cast who wowed a new audience at Winter Magic on Saturday. Wintry it was, but our cast looked quite at home in all their costuming for the festival. No one batted an eye-lid at Glinda the Good Witch as she strode the streets of Katoomba! Despite the challenge of performing a revised version of our musical, in a confined space in single digit temperatures, the children once again did a marvellous job, dedicating this final performance to the great Judy Garland for whom it was the 50th anniversary of her passing. I am sure she would have been delighted.

Congratulations also to our Chess teams who participated in last week’s NSW Junior Chess League Blue Mountains Tournament against many local schools from Lithgow to Blaxland East. We hosted the Tournament in our hall and our thanks are extended to Mr Bell for facilitating the competition. The standard of chess was high indeed and we were delighted that our B team finished 4th and our A team won the tournament and will go on to regional finals later in the year. Well done, Zach and Ryan Ivery, James Reynolds and Raphael Hampartzoumian.

The Years Pre-K – 4 Semester 1 reports have now been published on the Parent Portal. Stage 3 reports will be published early next week. If you need any assistance accessing the Portal please contact the School and one of our Administrative staff will be happy to help you. If there is any matter that you would like to discuss arising from the reports please contact the relevant teacher on the resumption of school next term to arrange a suitable meeting time.

In my end of term letter to parents, you will find a more detailed reflection on the term just passed with projections and dates for the term ahead. I hope you will be able to find the time to read it. In the meantime, on behalf of the staff I wish you a very happy holiday and look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Wednesday, 24th July.

Mr. Nigel Cockington

JUNIOR SCHOOL

FROM THE JUNIOR PARENTS’ & FRIENDS’ ASSOCIATION

Thank you to Ms Dallas Bennett, Mrs. Linda Emmerson, Mrs. Tina Erne, Mrs. Lauren Griffin, Ms Suzanne Janine, Mrs. Courtney Pascoe and Mrs. Catharine Tierney for running the Pancake Stall last Thursday. A profit of $106.35 was raised for our campus.

Mrs. Bonnie Mamo

CODE CAMP WINTER SCHOOL HOLIDAYS These winter holidays Code Camp is returning to Blue Mountains Grammar Junior School to teach your child to code, or to help them continue on their coding adventure!

With technology changing every single day, it’s important to give our children the digital skills to succeed in tomorrow’s world. That's why we're hosting Code Camp these school holidays. What will your child create?

Code Camp has already taught more than 50,000 students in Australia and is a great way to spend time over the holidays as children 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 prepares them to take on the digital world of the future.

This season, from Monday, 15th to Tuesday, 16th July, Blue Mountains Grammar Junior School will be hosting Spark and 2D Game Makers.

Bookings can be made via this link: www.codecamp.com.au/BMGS

SENIOR SCHOOL

FROM THE DEPUTY HEAD – HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

What one thing, more than anything else, makes your school a great place? This term every student in the Senior School has had to opportunity to answer the following question: What one thing, more than anything else, makes your School a great place?

Reading over the answers has been a great joy. There is much to love about BMGS! While some individuals had some great appearances - including the wonderful Ms Gillian Martin in Student Reception - there were some consistent themes. Below is a selection:

"The friendships that are formed doing co-curriculars such as the School productions, sport etc. As well school is a place where I know I will see all my friends everyday". "It is the best place for education in the upper mountains". "My co-curriculars; I feel like I really fit and enjoy myself when I'm doing things that I love to do with people that I want to be around". “The teachers, learning support and classes is one of the biggest things that make me enjoy going to school". "The teachers and their dedication to you as an individual and seeing you grow and achieve outstanding results to the best of your ability". "The community, amazing students whom I love, my friends, and the teachers who ALL (not one I couldn't not mention as they’re all so passionate and caring towards me and my learning) are amazing at their jobs and as friends also, and just all the parents and staff who make the community, too - it's awesome". "The relationships Grammar provides: teachers, students, everyone is very close and I know I'm welcomed and can ask, or talk about, anything".

Such student testimonies would not be possible without the enthusiasm and open-mindedness of our students, the professionalism and dedication of our teachers and our partnership with families. Thank you!

Please talk to us! Of course, we know that there are always things which we can improve upon as a school and I would like to reiterate Mr. Maynard's request for feedback and extend this also to passing on any concerns, queries or comments about how your son or daughter is going. We want to talk regularly and encourage you to talk in the first instance to the classroom teacher for specific subject related queries, or Tutors for more general queries.

Best wishes to Fiji Tourists With the Term coming to a close, I would like to pass on my best wishes to all students attending the 2019 Fiji Tour. This highly popular event continues to go from strength to strength and this would not be possible without the behind the scenes work of staff. Thank you Mrs. Haines, Mr. Singh, Mr. Horwood and Mrs. Gerrard. We trust this will be a great opportunity to serve others and grow relationships through the universal language of sport.

Mr. Andrew Beitsch

SENIOR SCHOOL

FROM THE DEPUTY HEAD – HEAD OF TEACHING & LEARNING

Important dates Years 7 – 12 UAC information Evening – 6:00pm, Wednesday, 31st July in Cuff Hall Year 11 2020 Information Evening – 7:00pm, Wednesday, 31st July in the Chapel Year 12 Trial HSC examinations – Monday, 5th August – Tuesday, 20th August Year 9 2020 Subject Selection evening – 7:00pm Wednesday 7th August in the Chapel HSC Practical Examination dates Society and Culture PIP – Monday, 5th August Dance practical performance - Commences 19th August Industrial Technology Timber – Thursday, 15th August (marking commences 26th August) Drama – Monday, 26th August English Extension 2 projects – Friday, 23rd August Design and Technology Projects – Thursday, 29th August Visual Arts Body of Work – Monday, 2nd September Music Submitted projects and performances commence - Monday 9th September Science Extension Projects - Friday 20th September Year 12 – holidays and study plans Term three is the final term for our Year 12 students. It’s both an exciting and a highly pressured time for them. They truly are in the final run-up to their HSC exams. For many students completing subjects with practical components, they will have their projects and/or performances due and marked this term. This is both challenging as they will be completing part of their HSC during the term, but also for those who are less comfortable doing examinations, it’s a real blessing to get a significant portion of a subject out of the way! For all our Year 12 students, we encourage you to have a break, enjoy yourself and get some rest. We encourage all students to put together a plan for the holidays. Plan for rest fun and study! However, it is also an important time to consolidate your study notes for your Trial HSC examinations and to put in that final effort for those practical components just mentioned. This is your final opportunity to demonstrate what you have learned, how you have grown and your skills in each area. We want you to do yourself proud! For those who may have been unwell or got behind during the term, now is the chance to catch up! Be proactive, talk to your teacher about where you should focus and get active! All students should be putting together – or consolidating an individualised set of study notes, completing some practice papers and sending them off for feedback. For many students the loneliness of studying can be daunting – learning is primarily a social thing! So if that’s you, meet together with friends for study – just set some goals to make sure you stay on track! Working collaboratively and in a group to test and encourage each other on is a really important thing to do. All courses need to work together as a cohort to build the skills of each other. If students have someone who struggles in their class, they should be aiming to support them and helping them in their difficulties. If our strong students do well and our weaker students grow stronger, it’s good for the whole cohort – so act as a team! We hope all our students and families have a wonderful break! Stay curious, keep learning and enjoy those special times with family and friends! Mrs. Megan Hastie

SENIOR SCHOOL

FROM THE HEAD OF MUSIC An Afternoon of Flute Music Congratulations to Belinda Cunningham (Year 9), Finlay Davis (Year 8), Oliver Drew (Year 8), Josie Howarth (Year 7), Eliza Huckel (Year 9), Frankie McNair (Year 6) and Evie Pritchard (Year 6) who all performed admirably at a Flute Student Concert at BMGS last Thursday afternoon. They played pieces by Beethoven, Elgar, Dvorak, Queen and Coldplay, as well as songs from Les Misérables and Mary Poppins Returns. It was an entertaining concert, indeed. Well done to all. Vocalocity Members of Vocalocity Annika Bertinat (Year12), Miriam Cooney (Year 12), Brodie Wylde (Year12), Bella Antarakis (Year 10) and Aimee Grace (Year 9) performed a selection of contemporary songs at the Winter Magic Festival last Saturday.

Orpheus Strings Concert Thank you to Miriam Cooney (Year 12), Sel Hardaker (Year 11), Indigo Franklin (Year 10) and Mary Smallhorn (Year 10) for their wonderful contribution to the enjoyable Orpheus concert last Sunday afternoon where the audience was taken on a musical journey through classical, film and tango style music. The concert was a triumph and much appreciated by audience members. Blue Mountains Orchestra BMO currently has vacancies in all string and brass sections and would welcome inquiries from any interested students or teachers. Some proficiency is required. The Training Orchestra is also welcoming new players of all ages in String, Brass and Percussion sections. They would particularly welcome someone who can handle a drum kit for popular music arrangements. Rehearsals are on Thursdays at Springwood Public School Hall: Training Orchestra at 5:30pm-6:45 pm and Main Orchestra at 7:00pm-9:00pm.

SENIOR SCHOOL

From the Head of Music (continued) Whole School Concert The annual Whole School Concert will take place in Cuff Hall on Friday 2nd August commencing at 6pm. Students should receive a letter regarding the concert this week. Thank you to all students who have consistently attended rehearsals in preparation for this event. Diary Dates: JMC Workshops: Recording A Band Thursday, 4th or Thursday, 11th July - JMC Perform, Record & Create Music Friday, 12th July WAAPA Music Theatre Audition Masterclass Saturday, 6th July Whole School Concert Friday, 2nd August, 6:00pm, Cuff Hall Parramatta 3-day Orchestral Workshop 2nd to 4th October For details: https://academy.olmc.nsw.edu.au/the-academy/workshops/3-day-orchestral-workshop

Mrs. Debbie Smith

FROM THE VISUAL ARTS DEPARTMENT Year 11 Students Selected for National Arts School Studio Intensive Course Congratulations to five of our talented Year 11 Visual Arts students: Finnian O’Connor, Giselle Vasquez Seers, Holly Camilleri, Matilda Merry and Belle Ashford who have been selected to attend the prestigious Intensive Studio Practice course at the National Art School in Darlinghurst. These students were selected from students across NSW who are achieving at the highest level of excellence in their Preliminary Course and who demonstrate a mature attitude to their studies. The students to part in a very competitive application process for this 1 Unit course. These courses involve a 60-hour Board of Studies indorsed course completed over the period of two holiday breaks. Belle and Finnian have been accepted into the Life Drawing course which focuses on developing observational drawing skills while studying the structure of the human form. Matilda has been accepted into the Painting course where students will interpret the formal qualities and language of a historically significant painting, and develop their own painting as a personal response to the artistic language of the work. Holly will join the black and White Photography and Giselle the digital Photography course learning technical skills and conceptual approaches to this discipline. Blue Mountains Grammar students have consistently been selected over the past fifteen years to extend their classroom experiences and further prepare for the upcoming Higher School Certificate. The opportunity it gives our students is to gain a real life experience of intense studio practice, be surrounded by creative students from all of the various disciplines and have exposure to practicing artists, galleries and have their work critiques by external art professionals. This also gives students the opportunity to spend time on a university campus and feel what it might be like to study art professionally. We are delighted for all the students and look forward hearing all about their experiences and attending their first exhibition in the Cell Block Gallery at the National Art School later in the year.

SENIOR SCHOOL Years 9 and 11 Art Camp to Bundanon Trust As part of the Visual Arts program, Ms Hiam and Mr Randall accompanied Year 9 and Year 11 Visual Arts students on a residential art camp at the Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Education Centre near Nowra. Students were able to meet the Artist in Residence, take part in structured workshops and develop their creativity in the inspirational environment of Bundanon. We started the Visual Arts Camp at the Bundanon Homestead, the location of the Boyd’s family home, Arthurs Boyd’s art studio, the artists in residence program and the Boyd collection.

The Year 9 students toured the homestead and gallery then took part in an ink painting workshop down by the Shoalhaven river bed. The Year 11 students were fortunate enough to visit the studio of the French Artist in Residence, Charlotte Vitaioli, and ask her about her contemporary art practice. They also viewed selected works by prominent Australian artists such Brett Whitley, Saun Tan and Joy Hester from the extensive Boyd collection, unpacking the techniques used to create each work. This was followed by a panoramic drawing workshop in the sculpture gardens of the property. The evening was spent at the Riversdale Education Centre. The students were excited to spend the night in the contemporary building which was designed by the Australian Architect Glen Murcutt, who they have been studying. The location of the building looking over the Shoalhaven River was the perfect environment to inspire their art making the following day. The Year 9s took part in a plein air landscape painting workshop with some fabulous results. The Year 11s walked into the local bushland and worked in charcoal to create some stunning reductive drawings. Ms Julie Hiam

SENIOR SCHOOL

FROM THE DRAMA DEPARTMENT

Blue Mountains Grammar is performing once again at the Q Theatre's Annual Youth Theatre Festival (formerly Flannofest). As the only school who has participated every year that the Festival has run, we have a history dating back over 21 years. This year, Year 11 students are performing an evocative Physical Theatre piece entitled "Hearafter”, exploring parental relationships through the frame of refugees, child soldiers, and childhood games and innocence.

Today our students are performing two shows at The Joan in Penrith. They are fortunate to have gained experience working in a professional theatre setting with lighting and theatre tech, in addition to their term working with theatre director Maggie Davis. Tickets are still available for the 7:00pm performance this evening and all are welcome: https://www.thejoan.com.au/events/annual-youth-theatre-festival-aytf-2019/

Ms Danie Evans

FROM THE SENIOR LIBRARY RESOURCE CENTRE (SLRC) The Library will be open for Year 12 students for the last two weeks of the holiday break (Monday, 8th July to Friday, 19th July). Opening hours for these two weeks will be from 8:30am to 4:30pm weekdays. This is to assist our Year 12 students prepare for their Trial HSC exams. Please note that the LRC will be closed for the first week of the holiday break (1st July to 5th July) and also on 22nd and 23rd July, before School resumes on Wednesday, 24th July. While the SLRC has HSC resources, there are also HSC resources at BMCC library branches, at Blaxland, Springwood and Katoomba. Details can be found on the BMCC Library website: https://library.bmcc.nsw.gov.au If you click on the tab “Youth and HSC Resources” on the right of the page, you will then find two tabs labelled “HSC Resources” (information on what is available for study purposes, and databases) and “HSC Collection” (items for students to borrow). There is also a tab on the left hand side of the YA Newsletter, which currently lists some useful exam preparation and study hints. Best wishes for your exams. Miss Elisabeth Wells

SENIOR SCHOOL

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM Mr Maynard’s Vision for BMGS students is that they know the joy of belonging to a community and develop a willingness to join community activities and serve in whatever way they can.

All great community events include both students and adults and so to bring this vision about we have introduced a Community Engagement program that, when fully operational, will be led and organised by students for students, and will be supported by staff and parents.

So, how can we get this program up and running? We need a number of parents from the Lower, Mid, and Upper Mountains to become Community Hub Organisers to initially help plan and co-ordinate our students’ participation in the events and community projects local to them.

We NEED You to help us make this new initiative successful!

If you are interested in meeting new friends and joining a dynamic parent group who is focused on encouraging BMGS students to get involved in their local community, we would love to hear from you.

I would be able to help with facilitating planning and scheduling meetings in the first instance, but the idea would be that the groups would become independent and become immersed in the local community. I will then seek to work with passionate students to assume leadership of each hub.

Please consider sharing some of your valuable time and ideas by volunteering for our new ‘Vision’. If you have any additional questions, please contact Mrs Danni Hilder at dhilder@bmgs.nsw.edu.au.

Mr. Maynard and I look forward to hearing from you,

Mrs. Danni Hilder BLUE MOUNTAINS WOMEN’S HEALTH AND

RESOURCE CENTRE – COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER Several BMGS students will be performing at the upcoming Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever, to be held at the Woodford Reserve, on Saturday 13th July, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. Participation in this Blue Mountains Community event is free, and donations made on the day will benefit the Blue Mountains Women’s Health and Resource Centre. For more information about the events on the day, follow this link to the Most Wuthering Heights Day event Facebook page.

SENIOR SCHOOL

FROM THE CAREERS ADVISER

Careers Corner Work Experience Opportunity - My experience with the Health Inspirations program. This year I was really excited to do work experience and I really wanted one that catered to my interests. When I found the Health Inspirations program, it really addressed everything I was looking for. This was something that was related to a career in Health. It was interesting and most of all it was practical as well. Before this program started I didn’t really have a full idea what we were going to be doing rather just a brief outline but I expected it to be interesting and definitely fun. As I have gone through the program, each day brought new experiences and new fun and interesting ways to learn about careers in health. I wish I could go into full detail about each and every experience I had but that would take way too long. Tuesday and Thursday were my favourite days in the program and in these we got tours of different areas and got to see the different aspects of the hospital. Some highlights for me included getting a mould of my face in the radiology unit, seeing a newborn being given a bath in post-natal, getting our blood sugar levels tested in diabetes and seeing dentures being made in oral health. Through this program I have learnt about so many professions including well-known ones such as emergency, oral health, radiology, maternity, and all the different sorts of nurses. I took so much from this especially relating to careers but one stand out point was an appreciation for not only all of these professions but how they work together. We visited the sterilisation unit, and saw the Wardsmen, the catering and cleaning and although these professions may not always be associated or the most talked about thing to do with hospital work they are so important in the running of the hospital and as are every single service and this program definitely allowed me a greater appreciation of every layer of work in the hospital. The program was such an awesome experience and I would definitely recommend it to not only people who are interested in health but also as a fantastic opportunity to learn how a work place functions and runs. I can’t highlight enough how great the experience was and I am so thankful for the opportunity. Mirah Larkin, Year 10

Mrs. Alicia Michielsen

SENIOR SCHOOL

ANNUAL WINTER SLEEP OUT

Blue Mountains Grammar School is supporting Mission Australia for their Winter Sleep Out this year. BMGS will be running a sleep out on School grounds on Saturday, 3rd August, to help raise funds for the

homeless, a much needed cause. Please click on the link below and donate today! Share this link with as many of your friends and family as possible. All donations help! https://act.missionaustralia.com.au/fundraisers/bluemountainsgrammarschool Mrs. Leah Opie

MASSIVE MURRAY PADDLE FUNDRAISER The 2019 MMP Committee has been busy planning a bush dance, to be held on Saturday, 17th August, in Lawson, to raise funds for our charity Junction 142. TICKETS ARE A$15 AND C$10 AND ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE VIA

TRYBOOKING OR AT THE DOOR.

3 WEEKS IN SPRING On 13th to 17th August, 3 Weeks in Spring will be playing at Sydney’s iconic State Theatre. Blue Mountains Grammar School has a long association with this inspiring musical about the birth of the ANZAC legend.

The show was created by Mr. Ian Gerrard (husband of Stage 2 teacher, Lori Gerrard, and father of Year 8 student Brynn), with music by former Junior School teacher Russell Tredinnick.

SENIOR SCHOOL BMGS students also featured in the acclaimed 2011 workshop production. Since then, the musical has been extensively rewritten to make it fit for the professional stage, complete with an Original Cast double CD soundtrack album, which will be available to download in the near future. Two former BMGS students, Holly Gerrard and James Tredinnick, are part of the cast for the State Theatre season.

Stage 3 students at Blue Mountains Grammar Junior School have taken up the opportunity to attend one of two free school shows. We hope to see lots of people from the Blue Mountains Grammar community at the shows and invite you to book your seats at https://3weeksinspring.com/ Ten per cent of album and ticket sales will be donated to the Australian War Memorial’s Anzac Foundation.

Mrs. Lori. Gerrard

FROM THE HEAD OF SPORT

Congratulations: NSWCIS Cross Country Last week BMGS had a number of students compete at the NSWCIS Cross Country Championships at Eastern Creek Raceway. All runners were extremely competitive with Casper Larkin who placed 9th qualifying to compete at the NSW All Schools Cross Country carnival to be held at Eastern Creek Raceway on the 26th July. We wish him all the best at this event.

Congratulations to the following runners for their outstanding efforts on the day: Amelie Hugo. Will Zakis, Molly Lewis, Casper Larkin, Mirah Larkin, Max Lucas, Clodagh McDermott, Aleesha Naumann and Gracie Saunders

Blazers Blazer embroidery from 2019 onwards will be done over the Term 2 holidays and Week 1 of Term 3. As a result, ALL students who require blazer embroidery need to have their blazer dry-cleaned and must bring it into School by Monday, 15th July.

Please note that blazers must be in the dry cleaning plastic and have the receipt attached. If they are not in this condition, the embroidery company will not accept them due to OH & S regulations.

Blazers need to be handed into Coorah Reception. This is the only embroidery that will be done each year. If a student does not hand in their blazer by the due date they will have the relevant lines embroidered in the following year.

Saturday Sport Last weekend was the last round of sport for Term 2. When we return in Term 3 there will be three competition rounds followed by Semi-Finals and Finals. Depending on the sport, Finals could be held at a central venue.

Please ensure you are doing some exercise over the holidays to be ready to go straight into training first week back at school with Round 8 being held on 27th July.

Bus Pickup Please note that not all buses will commence at Blackheath each week. If you are catching a bus from BMGS and the Blackheath bus will get you to School in time for your bus, you are welcome to catch that bus even if it is not the bus for your sport.

Athletics Carnival The Senior School Athletics Carnival will now be held on Thursday, 22nd August, 2019.

Mrs. Megan Harris

SENIOR SCHOOL

MATCH REPORTS – ROUND 7, 22ND JUNE

Rugby

BMGS U13 were defeated by Central Coast Grammar School, 55-20 BMGS travelled to Central Coast Grammar School for Round 7 of the ISA Rugby season. Playing the first game of the day, the U13s had a relatively close match with a disappointing result. CCGS were a strong opposition with solid defence in the forward pack and a skilled backline. There was poor ball retention and defence but overall there was a strong effort from the whole U13s teams, crossing four times. There were some standout performances including Jayden Gibson scoring one try, Otto Merry scoring one try, and Jasper Frosh scoring twice. Although we suffered a 20-plus point loss, we are keen to play them next year and limit our mistakes in the games to come. Oscar Costigan, Captain BMGS U15s were defeated by Central Coast Grammar School, 60–7 Central Coast Grammar School displayed excellent, organised and disciplined play in their win over BMGS last Saturday. BMGS held them at 0–0 for the first ten minutes, with excellent defence and two probing attacks from Henry, at Number 8, and Sachin, at Half Back, from the back of great scrums exposed their blind side. Following this early period, CCGS organized themselves with three big forwards running one after the other on the edge of each ruck. These runners would take out one or two of our defenders each time. The remainder of their forwards would secure quick possession, and they were very good at maintaining ball security, and have their next big runner steaming at our defence. This pattern eventually led to superior numbers out wide and that is when they would send it to the backs. The above sounds pretty grim, however, BMGS held CCGS for long periods of time and were dominant over CCGS in the set pieces of scrums and lineouts. A CCGS scrum in midfield led to BMGS’s try. Our forwards, led by Jared, placed enormous pressure on the CCGS scrum, leading to very untidy ball as their scrum went backward. The ball was thrown hastily across field as Ben came off the scrum to apply extra pressure and CCGS endeavoured to move the ball out wide. Max moved through their line and took a spectacular intercept and ran 50m to score under the posts. They had no chance of catching him! Jared, 24 tackles, and Henry, 21 tackles, were outstanding in BMGS’s effort. Jared, on three occasions, made his tackle, gained his feet and made the next tackle as well. Also notable in defence were Rory, Max, Ben, Sachin and Henry. While on defence, Flynn showed great determination in attempting to deal with situations where he was hopelessly outnumbered on the wing. In one particular play, late in the game, he had three attackers heading for him. Flynn moved in on the middle man as he received the ball and threw his body at him. This was enough for the CCGS player to spill the ball. Try saved! Jarrod, Brad and I constantly admire the courage of all the boys, how the treat each other, how they respect the opposition and how they relate to us. Well done, U15s. Have a great holiday. Jarrod, Brad and Glenn, Coaches BMGS U16 were defeated by Central Coast Grammar School, 46-26 What a cracker of a game! BMGS came out of the gate firing knowing that this game was theirs for the taking as they are now quote adept at and confident with the 12-a-side format. The boys dominated until the final ten minutes, when a brain slip saw CCGS take a quick 20m line drop from a ground in goal ball taking the lead for the first time. It was at this stage that the switch turned from fully on to not-quite-on and a tired defence saw CCGS score another three tries in quick succession as they ran their reserves on to the field. This was by far one of the best games the 16s have had this year and the boys should hold their heads high as their play and tenacity impressed both the CCGS coach and MIC who went out of their way to praise our boys publically after the game. Tries to OJ, Josh and Lincoln, and conversions to Mani. Best back was OJ, Best Forward shared by Danny and Aiden (especially for that tackle!) and Best on Field was Captain Mani. Welcome back to Nelson, whose impact was profound. Coach Evans

SENIOR SCHOOL Netball

BMGS Junior A were defeated by Chevalier College, 50-25 Chevalier played a great game and unfortunately, our girls could not quite keep up with the pace. Zoe, Nikki and Brynn did an awesome job motivating the girls and keeping their spirits up. Audrey had some fantastic intercepts, Hayley made good drives to the ball, Ellen was persistent in defence and Olivia shot beautifully. The girls recognised what they needed to work on including accurate passes and improved communication on the court. Onwards and upwards from here! Ms Laura Hall, Coach BMGS Junior B defeated Chevalier College, 21-7 Molly Gale, Scarlett Weston-Cole and Phoebe Mason, Coaches BMGS Intermediate A were defeated by Barker College, 53-31 After travelling to the Brickpit with an understrength team, the Intermediate A girls did themselves proud. We started out of the gates strongly and established a good lead after the first quarter. Although we only had six players (which was reduced to five after an injury), the girls never gave up and gave it their best shot. With fewer players on the court it was inevitable that the physical demands on the girls would take their toll, and consequently we gave up our lead and Barker started to dominate. However, the game was played in the best spirit possible and making the outing a rewarding one all round. Mrs. Michelle Airth, Coach BMGS Intermediate B were defeated by Barker College, 38-14 With no subs, the girls played a good and fun game. Susan, Emma and Kalana, played a solid game in defence, but the Baker attack was strong. The mid court girls, Grace and Belinda were integral in covering much of the court. Georgia and Sam were also a solid duo. The girls showed true sportsmanship in their defeat, always keeping their heads up and making sure they were having fun. Thanks to Nina Gonzales for stepping in as coach for the game. Marni Brown, Coach BMGS 2nd VII defeated St Spyridon, 61-57 Despite only having six players this week, we still managed to get a win over the full strength team of St Spyridons. Unfortunately, both girls who normally play Centre were out, so Ashley played centre in the first quarter, and then Mia played Centre for the remainder. The coach was also coming from the Firsts’ game and only arrived at half time. The teams were quite evenly matched and at half time, we were only one goal in front. If they did fall behind, they made sure to bring it back on track. The best quarter was the third where we scored 19 goals to St Spyridon’s 14 and, at full time, the score was 61 – 57. Some of the things that I noticed were great encouragement from Bella, really good anticipation and intercepting by all the players, good pickups and rebounds by Phoebe and Bella and, overall, great team work and sportsmanship. Thanks to Catherine Van Gelderen for stepping in as coach for the first half of the game. Mrs Vikki Stanton, Coach BMGS 1st VII were defeated by St Paul’s Grammar School, 54-36 A big thank you to Sophia for playing for the Firsts this week, and thank you for playing so well! Once again a full 4 quarter production eluded us. A magnificent first quarter saw us 13 all with St Pauls, one of the competition front runners. Near perfect shooting from Molly and Ellie Gale, coupled with tight one on one defence, saw us push the opposition. The girls played a fluid and precise brand of Netball. Beautiful positioning from April and Emma, coupled with pinpoint feeding passes, made our attack look EASY. Marni, Maia and Sophia all got tips and intercepts in the first quarter, putting extra pressure on the opposition. From the sideline it was a joy to watch. Unfortunately, we could not sustain this level of play. Mrs Vikki Stanton, Coach

Hockey BMGS 2nd XI were defeated by Chevalier College, 1-0 On Saturday, the 2nd XI was up against Chevalier College. When we arrived at Chevalier early in the morning, and it was absolutely freezing. None of the team had expected the ground to be so frozen there in Bowral. Early in the game we put pressure on their goal, with several attempted goals. Chevalier scored early in the first half. Our team was unable to even the score by half time and, even though we put up a fight in the second half, the game ended 1-0 against us. Some stand out players during the game where: Sophie Sutherland, who managed to get the ball numerous times and played some good hits and tackles; Aine Bailey, who made some very good tackles and clears from her role in defence, and Jessica McNair, who was

playing Goal Keeper, and managed to save quite a number of shots from the opposition. A highlight of the game (although none of us where pleased at the time), was our record number of defensive short corners: eight in a row! However, our defence managed to stop every single shot during those short corners, which is a huge accomplishment all on its own! Luca Saunders

Girls’ Football

BMGS First XI drew with Chevalier College, 1-1 It has come to my attention that my match reports can be a little long and overly excited. So, this is just a brief report for our last game of Term 2. Our girls had the ball approximately 50% of the game but we played probably 65% of the game in our own half. This was smart football because Chevalier certainly has a few very talented and direct midfielders. They don’t tend to play short sharp passing and they don’t build the possession up on the wings. Half the time Chevalier sends in long high balls and we defended these very well. So our game plan was to do the opposite to Chevalier and keep the ball away from their Rep players. We played on the wings in the low pressure areas and maintained more possession than Chevalier. We allowed Chevalier to come into areas of the field which we applied high pressure and we didn’t give them many opportunities to score. In fact we had five shots on goal to their three, so our game plan and defence was fantastic and we gave ourselves every chance of scoring. Thank you to Scarlett, Koko and Evie, who played full games in the First XI. We had four regular players missing from the team and the three Intermediate players contributed strongly to our 1-1 draw. We could not have drawn without you and I hope the experience was exciting and motivating. This was a great effort, girls! Have a fun school holiday break and see you next Term for the final games of the season. Mr. Steve Walpole, Firsts Coach BMGS Intermediate A drew with Chevalier College, 1-1 The Intermediates played Chevalier at home on a very cold Saturday morning. The last time we played Chevalier it was an evenly matched game and this game was certainly no different. Once again, the girls worked hard in defence and the mid fielders are improving each week, moving the ball down to the strikers. I was pleased to see that what we had worked on at training was being tried in the game. Scarlett, once again, was so strong at goals, saving many attempts and putting her body on the line. Koko managed to sneak one past Chevalier’s Goalie to give us a 1-0 lead at half time. The second half was very tight, and featured a strong goal from Chevalier that was hard to stop and which levelled the score. I was incredibly proud of the girls’ effort and commitment this game. It showed from the sideline that we were prepared to work hard and dig deep. Let's keep building for the three remaining games of the season. Ms Lauren Wade, Intermediate coach BMGS Junior B defeated Chevalier College, 2-0 The Junior Girls played Chevalier College at home and I was incredibly impressed by how they played. They were back at full strength, with all players able to play, and showed how much they have improved this season. Our defensive pressure and work meant that Chevalier only had a couple of shots on goal, whereas we were unlucky to win just 2-0, with a number of shots being saved by their Keeper or narrowly missing. I enjoy watching the girls learn and improve and I hope they all have a great holiday and come back energised and ready to go for the last section of the season. Nathaniel Hort, Junior coach

THE WEEK AHEAD –JUNE/JULY, 2019

Friday, 28th June – Year 11 Drama AYTF Performance, Q-Theatre Friday, 28th June – Years 7 to 11 House Sports Competition Friday, 28th June – Preparatory School P&F’s Lollipops Disco Night Friday, 28th June – Term 2 concludes Saturday, 29th June to Saturday, 13th July – Senior School Fiji Tour Sunday, 30th June to Sunday, 7th July – Stage 3 Victoria Trip Monday, 1st July to Thursday, 4th July – Year 11 Wilderness Education Snowshoe Expedition Monday, 15th July and Tuesday, 16th July – Junior School Code Camp Wednesday, 24th July – Term 3 commences