THE GRAMMAR WORD 8 October 2014 - Excellence - Leadership - Integrity - Community - From The Headmaster/CEO 151 YEARS AT IGS The 1863 brass plaque has been rubbed mirror bright. As the seniors brush over it on their way to the quad. Every student’s shoe adds a little more buff. Warm To the touch; a yellow sun, it has captured thousands Of souls in its historical pull – ‘The Red and The White’ 7 October 1863 marked the very first school day for Ipswich Grammar School, so it is only appropriate that we start the new term with an extract from Mr Brett Dionysius’ poem written specifically for our sesquicentenary. As we commence our new term we celebrate the thousands of students, staff and families who have come before us. Last Friday we conducted a successful 151 Golf Day; this weekend we have a 151 Gala Dinner, and more importantly we return to school to do what we do best – learn! Best wishes to all Ipswich Grammar School families for the new term. I especially welcome Mr Brett Little (English), a long service leave replacement for Mr John Acutt. Best wishes also to Mr Brett Dionysious, who will assume the Head of English responsibilities in Mr Acutt’s absence. parents we were also able to set up a meeting with the PNG Sport Minister, the Honourable Justice Justin Tkatchenko. A WAR CRY FROM PAPUA NEW GUINEA Congratulations to our students for presenting very well in their summer uniform this week. Our uniform changeover dates will now coincide with term dates. Terms 4 and 1 will be the summer uniform and terms 2 and 3 will be the winter uniform. If we experience extremes of weather we will use common sense with requirements for blazers to be worn. War cries are common at Ipswich Grammar School. However, from time to time they do occur unexpectedly and in obscure places. Former student and now Supreme Court Judge, Justice Bernard Sakora, took great delight in leading Old Boys and current students in war cries during our recent visit to Port Moresby. Former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Moi Moi Avey was in attendance, as were many other Old Boys. More than 120 people attended a function we hosted as we attempt to build our relationship in the region. Capitalising on the business and government connections of IGS Younger Old Boys also attended our functions, including 2002 School Captain Alex Davani. Alex and his brothers Reggie (1998) and Cecil (1999) are keen to assist with attracting future students from PNG to our school. Although it was a great thrill to meet our Old Boys the highlight of the trip for me was interacting with our current students. As always our young men are the best advertisement for our school. I was reminded that our trip was the first Headmaster’s visit since 1998. I am sure it will become a regular event in the years to come. SUMMER UNIFORM Yours sincerely Mr Robert Henderson Headmaster/CEO - Excellence - Leadership - Integrity - Community - From The Deputy THE IMPORTANCE OF CONVERSATION Holidays are a great time to relax and refresh as well as allowing me some time to catch up on some reading. I read a new book by Dr Tim Hawkes titled ‘Ten conversations you must have with your son’. What struck me first is the notion of ‘conversations’ and why they are so important. The generation gap has long been used as the source for hindering good communication, as too our increasingly busy lives. Also there is very much the tendency for your son to begin to prioritise where you sit in order of priority – mates, computer (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), rugby coach, and then comes the potential girlfriend. Ultimately any form of communication is critical to have with your son. The depth of the conversation is not really important, it is the connections that are made and the beginnings of words between sons and their parent/s. So when do we find the time? Like most households, breakfast time is a mad rush as everyone competes for different leaving times. That only leaves dinner time as the best opportunity, yet competition exists. In order to cherish this time, turn the TV off, have dinner together, remember to switch phones off and also establish the rule of ‘no put-downs’ – no teasing or put down during dinner. In order to stimulate discussion each family member is to share something about their day, or even discuss something that has hit the news. Hawkes suggests a way of improving your sons’ communication skills by the acronym TOPIC – Them (centre on them, ask questions, invite opinions), Occasion (use an occasion as the focus of the conversation), People (conversation about people can stir opinions), Interest (something of interest to them), and Compliement (make a compliment and if all else fails comment on the weather!) Conversation is so important and society in many different ways rewards those who are good at conversation. Please let me know how the conversation goes. Have a great term! Mr Tony Dosen Deputy Headmaster/Head of Senior School [email protected] Middle School WELCOME BACK I welcome the entire Middle School community back for the final term of 2014. I hope everyone had an enjoyable break. Being only an eight-week term means that it certainly will be very busy. Below are some key date claimers to assist with early preparations: • Tuesday 14 October: Year 9 Night of Celebration rehearsals for boys in periods 1 and 2. • Wednesday 22 October: Year 9 Night of Celebration, 6.45pm for a 7pm start. Invitations have been emailed. RSVP as soon as possible. • Tuesday 28 October: Middle School Orientation Morning for all Year 7 2015 and new Year 8 and 9 2015 families. Invitations have been emailed. RSVP as soon as possible. IGS CYBERSAFETY COMMITTEE The next round of cyber safety tips is for holders of a driver’s license, which includes many of our Year 12 students. Some very concerning statistics: • When driving a vehicle, a typical response time with no distraction is one second. • A .08 blood alcohol level increases distracted response time by 13%. • A hands free mobile phone increases distracted time by 21%. - Excellence - Leadership - Integrity - Community - • Texting increases distracted response time by 37%. • A hand held phone increases distracted response time by 46%. “Police refer using mobile phones while driving as the ‘mobile phone zombie effect’ where pedestrians and drivers are so preoccupied with their devices that their attention wanders, potentially leading to fatal errors on the road. According to Cognitive neuroscientist Associate Professor Paul E.Dux, despite having powerful brains, humans struggle to concentrate on more than one thing at a time.” – Qweekend, August Mr John Chalvatzis Head of Middle School [email protected] Careers UQ OP ADVICE NIGHT Monday 22 December, 4pm-7pm at the University of Queensland St Lucia. Learn about pathways to your ideal program and gain advice on QTAC preferences. For more, visit http://youruq.com/opresults Sports & Activities BASKETBALL The First V finished their amazing 2014 season by winning the State Championships at Logan Metro. They were at their best demolishing defending champions Saint James 91-62 after trailing by as many as 17 points in the second quarter. “We didn’t panic,” Coach Wellings said. “We kept telling them to weather the storm.” In the early stages of the contest Saint James were unstoppable, making a multitude of threes and playing high octane defense. However, some defensive adjustments by IGS saw them swing the momentum. Information seminars will be held at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane, on 11, 14, 15 and 18 October. Visit http://www.policerecruit.qld.gov.au “After we lost to Churchie in the first week of the GPS season we made a goal to win our last seven GPS games and top it off with a state title, and to the boy’s credit that is exactly what they did,” Wellings added. “They are a great bunch of boys and it was been such a pleasure working with all of them.” After Round 1 of the GPS competition the Spartans won 14 consecutive matches to finish second in GPS and first in the state. At the states they enjoyed victories over Chisholm College, Townsville High, TSS, Saint Columbans, Hillcrest, Ignatius Park and Saint James. Mr Tony Dosen Deputy Headmaster/Head of Senior School [email protected] Mr Michael Wellings First V Coach [email protected] AVIATION AUSTRALIA CAREERS DAY Saturday 18 October, 8.30am-10.30am at 25 Boronia Road, Eagle Farm, Brisbane. Experience some of the most advanced training equipment and speak to industry experts. For more, visit http://www.aviationaustralia.aero POLICE RECRUITING INFO SEMINARS - Excellence - Leadership - Integrity - Community - Ipswich Grammar School DANCE Who: Yrs 7-12 / When: Saturday 18th October / Time: 7.00pm – 10.00pm Where: - PCYC Griffith Road, Eastern Heights EXTRA INFORMATION: Entry: $10.00 includes one drink (School ID required) / Dress: Casual (appropriate) PLEASE NOTE: This dance is POLICE SUPERVISED, DRUG & ALCOHOL FREE - no pass–outs. Organisers: I G S Support Groups STUDENT TRAVEL REBATES Semester 1, 2013 Semester 2, 2014 2014 Bus Fare Assistance • Does your child attend a school outside the Brisbane City Council boundary? • Does your family spend more than $22/week* on fares to and from school (* $17/week if you hold a concession card) • Does your child travel on a publically available bus not owned or associated with the school? Students with Disabilities • Does your child have a verified disability that requires transport assistance to and from school? • Has your school’s learning support teacher assessed your child’s travel capability rating as ‘semi-independent’ or more dependent? Visit our website to see if you qualify for financial assistance to help with the cost of transport and 2014 apply at www.schooltransport.com.au by 31 May 2013. 31 October, 2014 Late applications cannot be accepted. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES TRAVEL REBATE Semester 2013 Semester1, 2,2014 2014 • • Does your child have a verified disability that requires transport assistance to and from school? Has your school’s learning support teacher assessed your child’s travel capability rating as ‘semi-independent’ or more dependent? Visit our website to see if you qualify for financial assistance to help with the cost of transport and 31 October, 2014 apply at www.schooltransport.com.au by 31 May 2014 2013. Late applications cannot be accepted. PLEASE NOTE: This rebate does not apply to students using the Doyles and Stonestreets charter buses.