Blue Mountains Grammar School Newsletter Vol 10, 13th April, 2018

FROM THE HEADMASTER

“Education is more like gardening than manufacturing”

Whilst walking up Coorah Hill from the Junior to the Senior School last Monday at lunchtime, I

stopped to chat to some of our new Year 7 students. Now that Term 1 is drawing to a close, I asked

them how they felt they had settled in. Apart from being asked to try a special greeting involving a

high-five and a fist bump, they informed me that they had really enjoyed their first term. They

particularly mentioned the quality of teaching and care shown by staff and that they had formed

strong friendships with one another and their teachers. They felt that they “belonged”, which was

most reassuring to hear.

There is a lovely quote by Sir Ken Robinson, an author, speaker and international advisor on

education:

“Education is more like gardening than manufacturing: the thing is that gardeners know that there

are conditions under which plants flourish and that’s true of all human communities – what it comes

to is the culture of the place.”

I thank our teachers for their dedication to this important work, educating the minds and hearts of

our young people and helping to build our authentic, caring and spirited culture. I thank our parents

too for working together with staff in the best interests of your sons and daughters. We particularly

appreciate the respectful and open conversations that have occurred this term at special School

occasions such as the Icebreakers Evening, the first Centenary Weekend, at Information Evenings

and during Parent/Teacher/Student Meetings. We look forward to further such events that are

scheduled next term.

Two highlights of this week are our Grandparents’ Days, firstly the Preparatory School event held on

Wednesday and the Junior School event later today. Grandparents play such an important role in the

lives of grandchildren. Much of this is seen through the support and help they provide to parents.

Children find unique acceptance in their relationships with grandparents, which benefits them

emotionally and mentally. Grandparents are great role models and mentors for the younger

generation. They are also historians and teachers – guiding values, instilling ethnic heritage, and

passing on family traditions. I extent a special welcome to all grandparents as they attend these

important occasions. I am sure these Grandparents’ Days will be uplifting occasions helping to foster

stronger connections between the families at BMGS and within individual families.

Presentation of Murray River Marathon Nyerna Award to BMGS

At the end of last year, just over 40 BMGS students, staff and parents participated in this 400 km

paddling event.

Mr Gregg Borschmann and Mr Shannon O’Brien attended the Senior School Assembly today to

present our students, Mr Horwood, and me, with the 2017 Murray River Marathon Nyerna Award,

symbolised by the Murray River Flag and four paddles.

The Nyerna Award is presented to the school that best epitomises the spirit of youthful enthusiasm

for being out on the river. The Murray River flag was originally designed in the 1850s and was hand-

stitched by a direct descendant of one of the first families to run a riverboat along the mighty Murray

River. The Award (pictured) looks

very impressive housed in its

wood and glass framed display

unit.

Year 12 students Tara Shields

and Jessica Dance spoke about

the enjoyment gained paddling

the Murray with fellow students

and parents and the satisfaction

gained through raising funds for

people who live along the river,

as well as for other projects such

as Junction 142, who looks after

those living in need in Katoomba,

and for Marine Conservation in

Cambodia.

Pictured, above, l to r: Tara Shiels, Jessica Dance, Mr. Shannon O’Brien, Mr. David Horwood and Mr. Gregg Borschmann. Pictured

below, l to r: Mr. Borschmann, Mr. Barman, Mr. Horwood and Mr. O’Brien.

As the term draws to a

close I offer my warm good

wishes and gratitude to all

BMGS families and staff.

Term 2 will bring more

opportunities to celebrate

our Centenary year and to

form connections with one

another.

I wish all in the BMGS

Community a restful, happy

and safe break.

Trevor Barman

Headmaster

FROM THE ACTING CHAPLAIN

A Wrinkle in Time

When I was a child my dad read to me Madeleine L'Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, a novel she wrote in

1962. The story was (and is) captivating and tells the story of a young girl trying to find her genius

scientist father who mysteriously disappeared after discovering a new planet. The girl, 13 year old

Meg, is guided through the universe by three astral travellers. The story is about the battle between

the light and the darkness, and deals with issues such as social conformity, death, and truth. The

novel is ultimately empowering and encourages us to become the light rather than be sucked in by

the darkness. The darkness is incredibly strong, alluring, malevolent, and totalitarian and exists in a

character named IT. Even IT can be overcome by making the choice to be part of the light.

L’Engle reminds us of the power of the choices we make and that our choices change the outcome

of our lives, and the outcome of others’ lives. She writes, “Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its

freedoms, is like a sonnet: You’re given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself.” The

novel beautifully depicts the mysterious nature of God, “I don’t understand it any more than you do,

but one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to understand things for them to be.” I am

sometimes asked by students to give proof for God’s existence, which is a question that I enjoy

thinking and talking about. The more I think about defining God, the more I am blown away by the

magnitude of the task and the impossibility of fitting God into an empirical box. If God is God then

He is unlimited, which is quite a contrast to the limited beings we are. But as L’Engle points out, this

is far from saying God is unknowable, unbelievable, or non-existent. In fact, the very limits we have,

serve to make life an incredibly diverse and magnificent journey. Because we are limited, we can

never know everything in its entirety, no matter how much we progress or advance. These limits then

become the very reason we keep on searching for meaning, understanding, and God.

As a believer in God and Jesus, I think God must love when we use our imaginations, skills, thoughts,

words, and creativity to discover who we are, what this world is, and who He is. He loves it when we

push our minds to their outer limits as we truthfully search for the light, the light being all that is

good and of God. This book is a great example of how words and stories can become life changing

agents and transcend the pages they are written on. L’Engle writes, “A book, too, can be a star,

‘explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly,’ a living fire to lighten the darkness,

leading out into the expanding universe.” While Ava DuVernay’s recent film adaptation of A Wrinkle

in Time is a beautiful spectacle, I felt it leaves a lot to be desired. It is worth a watch but certainly

does not do the novel justice. If you are looking for a good read that might help you to think about

God (and Christianity) in fresh and exciting ways, then I highly recommend picking up a copy of A

Wrinkle in Time and reading it with your family these school holidays. I might even see if my dad can

come over and read it to me again – happy holidays to you all and God Bless!

L. Webb

FROM THE PARENTS’ AND FRIENDS’ ASSOCIATION

Book Donations Sought

We are seeking donations of pre-loved

books for two upcoming Second Hand

Book sales – the first of these is on

Saturday, 26th May, when we will be

holding a book stall in conjunction with

the Centenary Daffodil Drive (please see

below).

Donations Sought for 2nd Hand Book Sales

We are also collecting donations of books for the Spring Fair in September. We would ask parents if

you have an opportunity during the upcoming holidays to sort through your book collections (no

magazines, periodicals or text books please) and donate any books that are no longer needed at

home to the School. These may be handed in at the Preparatory School Reception (for transfer to

the Wentworth Falls Reception) or directly to Coorah Reception.

Thank you, in advance, for your support of our upcoming Book sales.

Parents’ and Friends’ Association Spring Fair Committee

BMGS CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Daffodil Drive

The BMGS Daffodil Drive is back!

In 2008, our 90th Anniversary Daffodil

Drive resulted in a stunning display,

each Spring, of golden daffodils lining

the road into the Senior School. At that

time, more than 1,500 bulbs were

planted in specially prepared beds

lining the roadway. Further bulbs were

planted in many gardens around each

of the three campuses.

The Daffodil Drive is back for our

Centenary year! On Saturday, 26th

May, from 10.00am to 1:00pm, we will

be holding a Bulbs and Books Sale.

The bulbs are of the School’s own

special variety, from the Narcissis

genus, and they are great performers in

the garden; they are easy to grow and

can be left in the ground to naturalise.

They can be relied upon to produce

masses of spring colour for years to

come. Purchase them for your own

gardens and think of BMGS’ Centenary

when they flower for you in Spring. Or,

you may wish to purchase bulbs to

donate bulbs to the School, to be

planted in the planned anniversary

bulb gardens at all three campuses.

Cost: 3 for $4.00; 6 for $8:00 or a

dozen for $15.00

There will also be a second hand book

sale on the day.

In appreciation of your support of this

Bulbs and Book Sale, we are offering a

complimentary cup of coffee or tea and

your choice from a selection of cakes,

cookies or slices with every purchase.

Keep Cups

Our newly minted, special (and limited) edition Keep

Cups have arrived!

Not only is this a great memento of our Centenary

year, it will help us reach our waste reduction targets

within the School.

The cups are available for $15 each and can be

purchased from any of our three School Receptions.

We will also have them for sale at the upcoming

Daffodil Drive and at various functions held

throughout the year, such as the Annual Trivia Night

and the Spring Fair.

Let’s help the environment and play our part in the

war against waste!

Centenary Jackets

A limited edition of Centenary Jackets, bearing the Anniversary logo, will be available for purchase

until the end of Term 2 (June). The jackets are available in two colours: black with a white crest or

navy blue with a yellow crest, and all sizes are $45.00 (Men, Ladies and Children sizes available).

The jackets can be purchased through the Uniform Shop and Mrs. Arrell has

a range of sizes/samples available now for fittings. 50% of the purchase

price is to be lodged with your order.

The complete calendar of events has been published on our website.

Please visit the Quick Links page for regular updates and details of each

upcoming event: http://www.bmgs.nsw.edu.au/bmgs-100-year-

anniversary. Upcoming events will also be promoted on the School’s

Facebook page.

BMGS Foundation Committee

CENTENARY QUILT

BMGS Centenary Quilt News

The cheerful group of quilters and embroiderers creating a BMGS Centenary Quilt is making great

progress! We would love for more members of the School community – students, parents,

grandparents and friends – to have the opportunity to be a part of this special project. If you have

particular skills in appliqué or embroidery and would like to contribute to whatever extent you are

able, please contact Elissa Drew at elissa.drew@ozemail.com.au. We look forward to hearing from

you!

FROM THE ACTING DEPUTY HEAD – HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Rest

As an undergraduate, some of the most enthralling lectures had to be in Psychology. Before the days

of ethics committees, social scientists were able to conduct studies which would make one shudder

today. One such experiment related to a sleep study. A team of researchers took turns to follow

participants who were pushed to see how long they could stay awake, while lab-coated researchers

jotted notes on their clipboards.

While I am not able to refer to a specific study here, I am sure that all would concur what must be a

universal understanding: people need to rest. It is a good thing. It was mandated to Moses in the

wilderness and continues to be verified by researchers (see for example

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mental-downtime/).

But we don’t have to go far to verify these findings - I am sure that rest is one thing which any parent

of a child who has just finished their first term of Year 7 would nod their ascent to.

As Term 1 draws to a close I would like to thank all staff and students for a most successful

beginning to the 2018 academic year. Across the Senior School I am regularly overwhelmed by the

opportunities for students to grow within the BMGS community to be compassionate and

adventurous young people. This is a School where every student is valued. A special mention must

be made of the Year 7 students, who were applauded in Assembly this week for finishing the first

stanza of their time at BMGS with good humour and intellectual curiosity.

Have a wonderful break.

Vote for Isobel Knight (Vice-Captain and class of 2014).

A special mention should also be made to Isobel Knight, who has recently completed her first album.

Isobel’s work has a quintessentially Australian folk feel. It is warm, rich and honest. Her songs tell

stories of life and growing up in the Blue Mountains. May I strongly suggest you listen to three songs

which are published on Triple J’s Unearthed website. Each listen, download and review will help!

https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/isobel-knight

A. Beitsch

FROM THE DEPUTY HEAD –

TEACHING & LEARNING

Reminders about Assessment requirements for

students in Years 10-12

In the final years of schooling, with the externally-

credentialed ROSA grades awarded at the end of Year

10 and Year 11, and the HSC at the end of Year 12,

students are required to follow strict guidelines to

ensure that no student is given an unfair advantage

over another, and that all students are treated

equitably. This is particularly important when it comes

to formal assessment tasks, as they are used to rank

students, and influence their final result. The full

assessment policies are set out in the Assessment booklets that can be found on the Year page on

the Portal, but some key reminders about the BMGS Assessment policy have been reprinted here, for

each family’s benefit.

Submission and/or presentation of Assessment Tasks

All assessment tasks specified in the Assessment Program must be submitted to the Class Teacher

in class by the due date, OR to a specified location at a specified time as per the assessment

notification OR submitted via the Turnitin website.

BMGS students are encouraged to use computers (e.g. word processing programs, PowerPoint, etc)

for the presentation of Assessment Tasks but should note the following:

A student cannot come on the day an Assessment Task is due and claim that they cannot hand in, or

complete, the task because:

(a) the computer broke down

(b) the printer won’t work, or

(c) other similar excuse

and expect to be granted an extension.

If there is a problem with a computer, students must be able to show the class teacher hard copy

evidence of the task during its construction, i.e. students need to print a hard copy and/or make a

‘soft copy’ backup at various stages of the task and/or email the task to your school email account

and keep this as evidence, until the final task has been submitted or presented.

Failing to Submit or Missing an Assessment Task

If you fail to hand in an Assessment Task by the due date you will receive a mark of zero unless you

do the following:

If you are sick on the day an assessment task is due to be handed in you must arrange to get

the task to your teacher by the due date.

Where you feel there is a valid reason, such as serious illness, for missing the task or being

unable to hand it in on the due date, you must do each of the following:

1. Phone the office of the Deputy Head – Teaching and Learning by 9:30am on the

morning of the task.

2. Visit a medical practitioner and obtain a medical certificate (these can also be

obtained at some pharmacies).

3. Obtain an Illness and Misadventure Form from either the Portal, the Head of

Department or Deputy Head – Teaching and Learning.

4. Report to the relevant teacher or Head of Department immediately upon your return

to School, with a medical certificate and a completed Illness and Misadventure Form.

You will need to discuss your case and find out what the outcome will be depending

on the nature of the task.

5. If the task was a take-home task, you must hand it in, completed, with your

completed Illness and Misadventure Form immediately upon your return to School.

If you have followed the above procedure and the reason for your absence is accepted, you will be

required to do one of the following:

complete the original task

complete an alternative task, or

in the case of an exam you may be given an estimate.

In the case of being asked to complete the original assessment task or an alternative task, be

prepared to do so at the earliest time available as determined by the Head of Department of the

relevant faculty. A mark will be awarded in this instance.

Notes about medical certificates

Medical certificates must give specific details of the illness and state that you are ‘unable to

complete the (state specifically) assessment task(s)’. It is your responsibility to bring this to the

attention of your medical practitioner.

The medical certificate must be completed by someone other than a family member.

Overseas trips, extended holidays, dental appointments, meeting relatives, etc are not valid

reasons for missing assessment tasks.

If, for family reasons or severe illness, you will be absent from School for extended periods you

must request leave from the Headmaster in advance. If leave is granted you need to negotiate a

completion date with your teacher.

Malpractice associated with the conduct of an Assessment Task

Malpractice is any activity that allows you to gain an unfair advantage over other students.

All students have completed ‘All My Own Work’, the on-line course mandated by the NSW Education

Standards Authority (NESA), and thus have a clear understanding of what constitutes plagiarism.

If serious malpractice (such as plagiarism, copying, taking forbidden material or devices into a task,

test or examination) is detected, the mark awarded for the assessment task may be zero. Cheating

or other misconduct associated with the performance of an Assessment Task may result in the

award of a zero mark.

Being absent from school in the days leading up to the submission/completion of a task may be

seen as having an unfair advantage and will require the completion of an Illness and Misadventure

Form, accompanied by a medical certificate.

These rules are put in place to keep processes fair and transparent, in order to protect students who

work hard and adhere to the set deadlines, as well as those who have a genuine reason for not

being able to submit a task on the set day.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

M. Hastie

FROM THE HEAD OF MUSIC

Music Amongst the Autumn Leaves

Our Stage band will again be performing as part of ‘Music Amongst the Autumn Leaves’, on Sunday,

6th May. This Community event, sponsored by Springwood Rotary, features musicians from various

local schools. Please bring a picnic basket and join us for a wonderful afternoon of Music 1:30pm -

3:00pm, ‘The Old Farm’ Purvines Road, Yellow Rock.

Orpheus Strings

On Sunday, 8th April, Indigo Franklin (Year 9), Sel Hardaker (Year 10) and Miriam Cooney (Year 11)

played with Orpheus Strings in our beautiful Celebration Concert at Katoomba. Congratulations to

these dedicated students for their commitment and contribution to an adult community orchestra.

ANZAC Service

Thank you to all those students who have indicated they are available to perform at the ANZAC

Service in Wentworth Falls. Mrs Cooney is still keen to hear from any other musicians who would like

to contribute to the service. There will be a rehearsal during lunchtime this Friday in the Recital

Room of the Performing Arts Centre.

Diary Dates:

ANZAC Service: Wentworth Falls, Wednesday, 25th April – 6:00am.

Music Amongst the Autumn Leaves: Stage Band – Sunday, 6th May- 1:30pm – 3:00pm

Soiree #2: Thursday, 31st May

D. Smith

FROM THE UNIFORM SHOP

Centenary Jackets

A limited edition of Centenary Jackets, bearing the Anniversary logo, will be

available for purchase until the end of Term 2 (June). The jackets are available

in two colours: black with a white crest or navy blue with a yellow crest, and all

sizes are $45.00 (Men, Ladies and Children sizes available).

The jackets can be purchased through the Uniform Shop and Mrs. Arrell has a

range of sizes/samples available now for fittings. 50% of the purchase price is to

be lodged with your order. Visit the Anniversary page on the Quick Links page of our website:

http://www.bmgs.nsw.edu.au/bmgs-100-year-anniversary

K. Arrell

FROM THE HEAD OF SPORT

Congratulations

Last Friday night Isaac Nicholls, who plays Junior Representative

Cricket for Penrith, was awarded the Bowling Award for his team, for

being the top wicket taker, together with a special award for taking 5

wickets for 20 runs from 10 overs against the Northern Districts in a

game played in January 2018. Isaac was also the leading wicket taker

for the Penrith Junior Representative Cricket Association for all

Representative games played over the season from Under 10s to

Under 16s (approx. 180 Penrith District Representative players in

total).

Cross Country Carnival

The Senior School Cross Country Carnival will be held on the 8th May at

School. The course will be run across both the Senior and the Junior

School campuses. The approximate start times for each age group are

as follows:

Provisional Distances and Start Times:

8:45am Boys’ Senior 6,000m 4 laps

8:55am Girls’ Senior 4,000m 3 laps

9:15am Boys’ 16 years 6,000m 4 laps

9:25am Girls’ 16 years 4,000m 3 laps

9:45am Boys’ 15 years 4,000m 3 laps

9:55am Girls’ 15 years 4,000m 3 laps

10:15am Boys’ 14 years 4,000m 3 laps

10:25am Girls’ 14 years 4,000m 3 laps

10:45am Boys’ 12 and 13 years 3,000m 2 laps

10:55am Girls’ 12 and 13 years 3,000m 2 laps

11:30am HOUSE CHEERS

11:45am Expected Finish

Please note that normal Periods 4 and 5 will run in the afternoon.

Active Kids Rebate

The $100 Active Kids government refund that is available for parents is only for community based

sport programs. e.g. sports clubs. For those students who are representing BMGS in a local

competition, e.g. U14s Cricket in the Blue Mountains competition or Junior Basketball at Katoomba,

parents can claim registration fees. For more information you can go to the Active Kids website.

https://sport.nsw.gov.au/sectordevelopment/activekids

ISA 2018 Winter Season

A reminder that all round games for the ISA competition commence on the first Saturday in Term 2.

All training sessions will run in the first week. If you have not purchased your uniform, the only

opportunity that you will have prior to your first game is on Monday or Tuesday (before end of lunch).

Attendance at all games and trainings is compulsory if you have committed to the winter season. I do

understand that at times appointments may clash but please be mindful of training and game times

when making appointments.

Training Uniforms

During Terms 1 and 4 students are permitted to go home in school shorts and polos. Once Term 2

starts, those students who do not wish to get changed at the end of training MUST have their full

school tracksuit otherwise they will need to change back into their full school uniform.

Training gear must be BMGS gear. Uniform detentions will be issued to those students who do not

comply with the uniform rules for sports training.

Winter Sport – Bus Pickup

As was introduced at the end of last year please note that there will be NO pickup from Hazelbrook.

Instead, students from this part of the mountains are to wait at Lawson for the bus.

The Springwood pickup for all sport will be Springwood Station in both directions. The bus will not be

doing a pickup at Buttenshaw Park, unless players are advised on the particular week.

These decisions were made based on safety considerations.

Have a safe holiday and remember to stay active.

M. Harris

FROM THE HEAD OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

At the time of writing we are all very excited about our impending Grandparents’ Day and Book Fair

to finish off what has been a wonderfully exciting Term 1. The Library Resource Centre looks

fantastic and has been a hub of activity recently so be sure to drop in and browse through our Book

Fair. Mrs Gillman and her enthusiastic team of helpers have done a magnificent job in getting ready

for this favourite occasion.

Mrs Cooney, Mr Forbes, Miss Kahn and Mr Webb have been energetically preparing the children for

what should be a spectacular Grandparents’ Day concert and the weather this week has been

beautiful so we are all hoping for a lovely day to help us finish off the term with a picnic lunch.

Earlier this week our Performing Arts Captains Tom Archer

and Meri Tinkler-Smith compered a Talent Quest and the

audience was treated to a number of entertaining

performances ranging from original (and quite unique)

dramatic performances, beautiful singing, graceful dancing

(except for the boys’ hip hop!) and instrumental

performances ranging from pop songs

to classic rock. Well done to all those

entertainers who shared their talents

with us.

Congratulations to James Saad (6G)

who was selected in the HICES football

team to compete at the CIS Championships on Monday. James represented his

school and association proudly as HICES took on the might of larger

associations. I am told the boys acquitted themselves well and had a couple of

close matches walking away with a win against HRIS. Well done, James!

On Tuesday we were visited by Senior Constables Pritchard

and Rosevear who came to talk to us about staying safe in

the community (K-2) and staying safe online (5 and 6).

There were some excellent questions and thoughtful

comments from the children and a number of the older

children decided as a result to go home and check their

security settings on their mobile devices, which is a great

outcome.

Thank you to Mrs Mamo, our tireless P and F coordinator, for once again organising the Cadbury

Easter Egg fundraiser. Over $800 was raised to go towards our next P and F project for the benefit of

all the children.

Although a little way off, ticket sales are now open for the IPSHA Performing Arts Festival at the

Sydney Town Hall on August 20th in which our choir and orchestra always perform with distinction.

We are selling tickets online, so to order your tickets for the evening please go to the following link:

https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?embed&eid=362684

As part of an active Blue Mountains community we are proud to be promoting the Stronger Families

Alliance School Holiday Activities calendar for families in the Blue Mountains. For further information

about local free/low cost local activities across the Blue Mountains for families, children and teens

visit www.strongerfamilies.net.au

Congratulations to Amelie Emmerson (3R) who was the first lucky winner of the Random Acts of

Kindness lucky dip. Our Student Wellbeing Leaders have been on the lookout and taking note of

children who are upholding our School values of kindness and compassion. Nominations are put into

a box and a name drawn to have a lucky dip. Amelie was commended for being kind to younger

children. Well done, Amelie!

At the conclusion of Term 1 our much beloved and devoted Learning Support teacher Mr Phil Dormer

will be taking leave for the remainder of 2018. He is looking forward to spending some time with his

family and he has a number of activities planned. Importantly, he is not retiring, as he will be

returning to School for the commencement of 2019. We wish Mr Dormer a very relaxing and

enriching period of leave and thank him for all that he has done to work with children, their teachers

and their parents to help close the gaps in the children’s learning. Mrs Danni Hilder has been

appointed to the position of Learning Support teacher for the remainder of 2018 and has spent

some time with Mr Dormer this week working with him to ensure a smooth hand over. Mrs Hilder is

well known to all of the children and teachers as she has filled a number of contract positions in

recent years and is a regular casual teacher. We look forward to welcoming her to her new role as

Term 2 commences.

Whatever it is that you do this upcoming school holidays, enjoy a well-deserved rest with your family.

The Staff and I look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 2 on Monday, April 30th.

N. Cockington

Student Awards

At Assembly this week the following awards were presented:

Bronze – Ruby Gale (4G) and Finley Snedden (4G)

FROM THE FRENCH ROOM

Year 4 French“Je suis une Pizza” activity

Yesterday, Year 4G students made pizza with Madame O’Hara as a

reward for learning our song, “Je suis une Pizza,” during Term 1. The

students enjoyed singing the catchy tune and learning the names of

all of the pizza toppings in French. We learned about fromage,

champignons, oignons, tomates, etc. etc.

It was such an enjoyable activity and the children loved eating the

delicious fruits of their labour during the term! Delicieux!

Formidable! Miam!

We extend a huge Merci to Mrs. Bonnie Mamo for all her invaluable

help today. Merci beaucoup!!!

Madame O’Hara

FROM THE CENTENARY COMMITTEE

Keep Cups

Our newly minted, special (and limited) edition Keep

Cups have arrived!

Not only is this a great memento of our Centenary

year, it will help us reach our waste reduction

targets within the School.

The cups are available for $15 each and can be

purchased from any of our three School Receptions.

We will also have them for sale at the upcoming

Daffodil Drive and at various functions held

throughout the year, such as the Annual Trivia Night

and the Spring Fair.

Let’s help the environment and play our part in the

war against waste!

FROM THE PARENTS’ AND FRIENDS’ ASSOCIATION

Book Donations Sought

We are seeking donations of pre-loved books for two

upcoming Second Hand Book sales – the first of these

is on Saturday, 26th May, when we will be holding a

book stall in conjunction with the Centenary Daffodil

Drive (please see advertisement on Page 4 of this

Newsletter).

We are also collecting donations of books for the

Spring Fair in September. We would ask parents if you

have an opportunity during the School holidays to sort

through your book collections (no magazines,

periodicals or text books please) and donate any books

that are no longer needed at home to the School. These may be handed in at the Preparatory School

Reception (for transfer to the Wentworth Falls Reception) or directly to Coorah Reception.

Thank you, in advance, for your support of our upcoming Book sales.

Parents’ and Friends’ Association Spring Fair Committee

FROM THE UNIFORM SHOP

Centenary Jackets

A limited edition of Centenary Jackets, bearing the Anniversary logo, will

be available for purchase until the end of Term 2 (June). The jackets are

available in two colours: black with a white crest or navy blue with a

yellow crest, and all sizes are $45.00 (Men, Ladies and Children sizes

available).

The jackets can be purchased through the Uniform Shop and Mrs. Arrell

has a range of sizes/samples available now for fittings. 50% of the

purchase price is to be lodged with your order. Visit the Anniversary

page on the Quick Links page of our website:

http://www.bmgs.nsw.edu.au/bmgs-100-year-anniversary

K. Arrell

FROM THE HEAD OF THE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Term 1 has been a wonderful time of learning and adventure at the Preparatory School. The staff

and especially the students are all feeling the effects of an intense but – certainly from my point of

view – positive and productive period. I hope the holidays provide you and your family with an

opportunity to rest and reflect on all the learning that has occurred over the past weeks.

Grandparents Day and 100th Anniversary Celebration

Wednesday April, 11th was an extremely special day at the Preparatory School as we celebrated

Grandparents Day and the 100th Anniversary of the School.

Grandparents play an important part in the lives of many of the students at the Preparatory School

and it was wonderful to open our School to them. Having them join us meant that the grandparents

were able to get a sense of the values that guide the Preparatory School and the warm sense of

community we work to foster.

Donations Sought for 2nd Hand Book Sales

The grandparents were treated to a talk from Mrs Marlene Plumber, our archivist, about the unique

history of Blue Mountains Grammar School as well as some musical performances by the students.

They then spent time in classrooms decorating squares for a Centenary quilt and some paper

daffodils that are already gracing the Preparatory School reception area in our ‘daffodil garden’.

Following their classroom visits, there was the cutting of a special Anniversary Birthday cake

accompanied by a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday, BMGS” and three hearty cheers. Assisting me

with the cake cutting was our very youngest student, Jack Foate (Pre-Kindergarten), and Year 2

student Charlotte Scott’s grandmother, who had travelled the furthest to be with us on the day, all

the way from Harvey Bay in Queensland.

The love and support, which we receive from grandparents, is unlike any other relationship that we

will know. It is something to cherish. Watching the interactions between the students and their

grandparents was a perfect reminder of the importance of celebrating our grandparents!

Thank you to all the grandparents who came to celebrate with us. We are so very grateful for the

time you gave to be with us, and the contribution you make to the lives of the Preparatory School

students.

Preparatory School P&F

We would like to say a big thank you to our Preparatory School P&F for their continued hard work on

behalf of all of us. They have helped make the final week of term very special for the students and

their families by organising morning tea for the Grandparents’ Day and School Centenary

celebration. They have also organised an Easter egg hunt, the barbeque for ‘Picnic on the Lawn’ and

our beginning of year tea and coffee. Thank you all for giving of your time and energy to help on

behalf of the Preparatory School.

Co-curricular Clubs

A reminder that ‘Cooking Club’ will commence for Year 1 on the first Tuesday back in Term 2,

Tuesday, 1st May. There will also be a ‘Book Club’ commencing for the Stage 2 students during

Friday lunchtimes.

Uniforms

Our warm Sydney weather is continuing to transition into autumn cool. From the commencement of

Term 2, students may wear either full summer OR full winter uniform, however, they MUST NOT wear

a combination of the two. Winter uniform is compulsory on the first Monday back after Mother’s Day

– Monday, 14th May.

House Groups

Our final House under the spotlight in our look at the different House groups is Kelley House. The

House is named after Mr William Kelley. Mr Kelley has provided distinguished honorary service to

Blue Mountains Grammar School in a range of positions on the School Council, including Treasurer

and on the Conservatorium of Management Committee, a reflection of his great love of music. Bill

and Kath Kelley also donated the main front gates to the Senior School.

Colour: White

Emblem: Ram

Important Dates for Term 2:

Monday, 30th April Start of Term 2

Tuesday, 8th May Junior and Preparatory School Cross Country

Friday, 11th May P&F Mother’s Day Stall and Breakfast

Monday, 14th and Tuesday, 15th May Life Education Van visit

Tuesday, 15th to Thursday, 17th May NAPLAN Testing

Friday, 18th May NAPLAN Catch up Testing Day

WAS Cross Country Carnival

Monday, 21st May Morning Tea Munch commences

Monday, 21st May Preparatory School Book-a-Tour

Friday, 29th May HICES Cross Country

Friday, 8th June Asthma Foundation fundraiser – Pyjama Day

Friday, 22nd June Athletics Carnival

Friday, 29th June End of Term 2

Assembly Awards:

Kindergarten: Isabella Kelly, Robert Sommerville

Stage 1: Carlyle Magee, Cody Mackin

Stage 2: William Cottle, Isabel Dolbel

A. Brace

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY – APRIL 2018

Friday, 13th April – Junior School Grandparents’ Day & Centenary Celebration

Friday, 13th April – Year 9 Visual Arts students, to Scenic World

Friday, 13th April – Term 1 concludes

Wednesday, 25th April – ANZAC Day Services

Saturday, 28th April and Sunday, 29th April – Rehearsals, Years 10 to 12 major production, A

Midsummer Night’s Dream

Monday, 30th April – Term 2 commences