From the Principal
Dear Blue Mountains Grammar School Families,
A Fortnight Worth Celebrating
The past fortnight has offered many reminders of what is good about our School. Across our classrooms, performance spaces, workshops and formal occasions, our students have been asking thoughtful questions, completing significant work, sharing their talents and accepting new responsibilities. These moments may look quite different from one another, but each reflects the commitment, courage and generosity that characterise our community.
We were delighted to learn yesterday that two of our Stage 2 classes won their respective categories in the Mathematical Association of NSW Investigating with Mathematics competition. Amy Spohr’s Year 3 students investigated local bird species and the influence of factors such as wind direction and humidity on their habitats. Ty Culbert’s Year 4 students explored the hidden microclimates found across our Wentworth Falls Campus.
These were not simply enjoyable classroom activities. Students were required to formulate their own questions, establish the parameters of an investigation, collect and analyse data, and communicate their findings. Curiosity becomes powerful when young people learn how to pursue it with discipline. Our students were not merely completing mathematics. They were using mathematics to understand something real about the world around them.
Both investigations will now progress to the National Mathematical Talent Quest. Congratulations to Amy, Ty and their students on this excellent achievement. It is a wonderful reflection of their hard work and of the thoughtful, authentic learning occurring throughout our Junior School. We are very proud of you.
Our Year 12 Music and Drama students also presented their HSC performances during the fortnight. These performances were not intended as a polished showcase. They were an important opportunity for students to practise performing before an audience and to test their work ahead of their practical examinations next week.
Anyone who attended could see the considerable preparation behind each performance. Presenting creative work publicly requires technical skill, discipline and courage, particularly when that work will soon be formally assessed. Congratulations to every student involved, and to the staff who have guided, challenged and encouraged them throughout the process. We are behind you as you begin this important stage of your HSC journey.
Another significant Year 12 milestone was reached with the completion and submission of the Design and Technology major projects. These projects represent many months of research, planning, experimentation, problem-solving and refinement. Reaching the submission deadline is an achievement in itself, but the quality and ambition of many of the completed projects made the occasion particularly worth celebrating.
Congratulations to our Design and Technology students for seeing their ideas through from an initial concept to a finished product. I want to acknowledge the staff who have given so generously of their expertise and time. Major projects are rarely completed without setbacks, revisions and occasional moments when the finish line seems rather distant. Helping students navigate those moments is an important part of the work.
We also inducted our new Senior School student leaders. It was an opportunity to recognise the trust being placed in them, but also to remind them that leadership is not primarily about a title or badge. Leadership is demonstrated through service, consistency, courage and the way we influence those around us.
As we welcome our new leaders, I want to thank our outgoing student leaders. They have served the School generously and have made their own contribution to the continuing legacy of leadership at BMGS. Each group of leaders inherits something from those who have gone before them and carries a responsibility to leave that legacy stronger for those who will follow.
These are only some of the stories from the past fortnight. There are many people, achievements, and moments I have inevitably missed, but I am sure those stories will be told around dinner tables, during drives home, and in homes across the Mountains.
Together, they tell the larger story of a School community with much to celebrate.
Warm regards
Steven Coote
Principal
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