Light Dark Blue: The Brisbane Grammar School Podcast
Welcome to Brisbane Grammar School’s podcast Light Dark Blue. Our podcast is a window into how the school uses progressive, research-driven programs to help students to thrive intellectually, socially and emotionally. Through interviews with teachers, school experts and students, we provide parents with insight into what is happening in the classroom and offer them practical advice on how they can support their son’s learning. The podcast is also for anyone interested in the changing face of education and how BGS puts students in the driver’s seat of their learning journey.
Episodes
In this episode we discuss the importance of having purpose to enhance a students overall educational experience and how it transforms them into socially responsible citizens both now and into the future.
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The School’s culture was the focus of an external review conducted last year by Dr Phil Cummins of CIRCLE. Dr Cummin’s report relates Brisbane Grammar School’s trajectory of cultural development to an existing global body of work mapping student culture in character education.
Dr Cummins featured in a special episode of the Light Dark Blue podcast in which he discussed his report on the School’s culture in f...
In the final episode of our Wellbeing Series, we hear from five BGS boys about their lived experience at the School. We find out who they turn to when things get challenging, what the BGS culture means to them, and how the range of student Wellbeing programs have helped them thrive.
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What is key to the students at BGS emerging as happy and successful young men? Nathan Simmons, Director of Counselling and Academic Services, discusses the pillars that support the boys to thrive during their time at BGS, some of the common wellbeing issues he sees in his role, and some advice for parents to support their boys.
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Student wellbeing is crucial for every BGS student — none more so than our boarders. We talk to Tim Holzgrefe about how much boarding has changed over the years, the challenges young boarders can face on arrival, and the bespoke program that supports the BGS boarders to feel protected and connected right through their journey at BGS.
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If a student feels like he belongs, he thrives. That is the message from Paddy Last who is an Assistant Head of Year 10 and Drama Teacher. Mr Last’s role is to ensure boys find a sense of belonging and connection with others — whether that is through a combination of sport, academics or on stage in one of the School’s dramatic or musical productions. He explains why students should keep an open mind and try a range of cocurricular ...
Each week, BGS boys help tutor students at neighbouring schools, make sandwiches for kids without school lunches, help raise money to train guide dogs…and so much more. With 14 Public Purpose programs going strong across the school, the popularity of what used to be called ‘community service’ has never been greater. We speak to Crystal Thompson, who leads Public Purpose about why the program is beneficial not only to the community ...
As Head of Year, Craig Timms accompanies students on an extraordinary journey supporting the same cohort from Year 9 through to graduation. In this episode, he discusses his experience of working with students as they grow and mature year-on-year, and how the wellbeing programs help navigate challenges, including those posed by technology.
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Days kayaking on the lake and nights listening to Dreamtime stories over a campfire, Moogerah provides fond memories for many BGS students. Derek Jervis chats to Light Dark Blue about the Outdoor Education program, and how the practical skills – while undoubtedly important – are secondary to the sense of connection and wellbeing gained from “going bush”.
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What is Protect and Connect, and why does it take everyone — teachers, parents, staff and student leaders— to make this model work? We chat with Adam Block about helping boys navigate the shift between junior and senior schools and the importance of connection during this momentous and foundational time in a boy’s life.
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From insufficient sleep and tech dependence to body image and friendship issues, the impact on students of today is significant. We talk to the Director of Student Wellbeing Programs, Philippa Douglas, about how the School is helping students to manage social pressures in a healthy way and how parents can support their sons.
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Why has Brisbane Grammar School put so much emphasis on student wellbeing in recent years? In this episode, we talk to the heads of the Middle and Senior schools about the ongoing, school-wide efforts in building connected and resilient young men who are ready to face the challenges of a changing world.
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This December, students throughout Queensland will breathe a sigh of relief as they receive their ATAR. For those embarking on their journey in year 11 or 12 in 2024, the adventure is only beginning.
Understanding the ATAR system can be a formidable task for students and their parents. In this special edition podcast, BGS Deputy Headmaster of Teaching and Learning Mr Steve Uscinski, offers a comprehensive explanation of ATAR, unr...
Our final episode of the season is for every parent or teacher who occasionally feel their efforts with teenage boys are falling on deaf ears. We hear from three senior students about their personal journeys at BGS and how they have changed as learners along the way. We ask what drives them to succeed, and how their teachers and parents and carers have helped them.
Summary of topics:
- Adapting to BGS from different schools. ...
We dive into the how and why BGS has become a “learning organisation” and what it all means for the boys. We talk to the Director of Organisational Learning, Hannah Campos Remon, who pays respect to the integral role that the late Professor Peter Taylor played in driving this shift.
Summary of topics:
● What is BGS doing that is different from other school educational improvement
programs?
● Customising the program to B...
Research and evaluation of our programs are proving just how effective these outcomes are in delivering better outcomes for our boys. In this episode, we talk to Adam Kuss about tracking the boys’ feedback about their learning journey at BGS.
Summary of topics:
● The bigger picture of learning at BGS – the importance of student feedback
● How to ask open questions to avoid the “model” response from the boys?
● What que...
Director of Student Wellbeing Programs and Geography teacher Phillipa Douglas joins Light Dark Blue to discuss how teaching methods have shifted over her 25 years at BGS. Recent developments in the focus of teaching have revolutionised the way she teaches and how the boys response.
● The importance of collaborative learning and self-regulation.
● Examples of ‘making thinking visible’.
● How to help a student who doesn’t h...
Parents will have heard the term “learning conversations”, but they might not be sure exactly how they run or how they help the boys. Andrew Webb, from the Learning Organisation Team, tells us the importance of these conversations in supporting the boys in their development as a learner.
Summary of topics:
- What are learning conversations and how are they run?
- What is the role of Form Tutors in these conversations?
- What has ...
What is Consolidation Period and why has it been added to the timetable? We’ll answer the question many parents might be asking “what’s to stop the boys wasting this valuable time?” We are joined by a panel of students and Hannah Campos Remon, the Director of Organisational Learning at BGS, to discuss the value of CP.
Summary of topics:
- What do the boys use CP time for?
- Productive failure and the pressure of organising learni...
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