Term 3 Week 9

Learning to Learn, Thinking to Think

As an educator, I am firmly committed to the concept of teaching thinking skills. To provide opportunities where we can ask students to look at issues free from the constraints of preconceptions and develop their thoughts. To look at a topic calmly, without prejudice, and consider their opinion as well as others. As the Australian author Hugh MacKay wrote:

To listen to someone means devoting time to the process, putting your own concerns on hold, and remaining silent even when you’re dying to say something. Patient listening also involves a willingness to postpone judgement about what is being said. Mostly, we want to rush in to agree, to disagree, to object, to correct; but listening demands the patience to let all that wait until the other person has finished saying to us what they want to say to us.  

Through active listening, we may well change our own minds by listening to an alternate opinion. Socrates told us;

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. 

Currently, students are bombarded with information about the upcoming referendum. To vote Yes? To vote No? As educators, we aim to help students come to their own conclusions based on the information at hand. We do not seek to give them our thoughts, rather teach them to listen, teach them to research, teach them to question and teach them to come up with a considered opinion. 

To that end, we were fortunate to have Professor Henry Reynolds speak to our grade ten students this week. Henry co-authored a recent book with our own Dr Nick Clements. Henry encouraged our students to challenge their thinking; to talk to others, to listen to others, to not be frightened to voice their own ideas in the face of criticism, and above all to be thoughtful about what they had learned in making their own opinion. 

As Kahil Gibran wrote a teacher; 

If he is indeed wise, he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.

We need to teach our students to be critical thinkers. More than ever, this is a vital skill; thinking about thinking. To make up their mind after listening, asking questions, and weighing up the facts. To have a considered view.  

I hope you have a chance to talk about some topical issues with your children this weekend. And I hope you too can be a good source of provocation for your children, but also a good listener.

God’s blessing.

Nick Foster

Head of Senior Campus

We had a wonderful assembly today. We awarded the 2024 Peter Sculthorpe Alumna Award to Audrey Youl, and that was fun. Mrs. Youl has achieved wonderful things in many areas of life, especially in swimming really fast backward, and we profited in learning more about what she has done.

However, the big reason I thought the assembly was so excellent was that Mrs. Youl and our Principal gave us a beautifully measured message urging our students to:
1) Identify their passions
2) Commit to pursuing them
3) Pursue them with humility, and
4) The mutual help of others.

That may not sound so radical, but there are so many ways people get befuddled about how each of those things must be in equal measure and consequently lose one or more resulting in the corruption of the dominance of the other.

For instance, the pursuit of passion in itself and for itself (or only ‘ourself’) can alienate the people who want to love us and tend to see humility as a hindrance to personal success rather than its key goal.
Clear outcomes require clear goals – I am grateful that at Launceston Church Grammar School we don’t tend to confuse our students with unclear goals.

Here is the message:
Identify and pursue your passions.
do this with humility,
do it with other people.
A balanced recipe for remarkable Grammarians.

Rev. Matthew Pickering

School Chaplain

Dear Hawkes Boarding Families and Grammar Community,

I can’t believe we’ve almost reached the end of Term 3 and are getting ready for another holiday break. I am grateful to report back on another successful Term in Hawkes Boarding which was filled with activities from trips to the Gorge, movie nights, Evandale markets, the Grade 12 Formal, the Boarders Ball, our Christmas in Winter dinner, and staff vs students’ netball game. The wonderful experiences and activities our students have would not be possible if it wasn’t for our dedicated staff that work tirelessly to ensure our students are cared for, not just academically, but also emotionally and socially. Their commitment to our students’ well-being is excellent as they endeavour to get to know each student personally, and I’m incredibly proud of the dedication they bring to the Hawkes Boarding family.

As the holidays are approaching, I’d like to remind our parents that student rooms need to be packed up completely. For the first time since 2019, we are hosting the overseas boarders from Hutchins and Collegiate during the holiday break. As such, students will need to empty their wardrobes/cupboards and clear out all belongings from their rooms so that our visitors can enjoy their two-week stay with us. Our cleaning staff will also be doing a deep clean over the holiday period. I will provide students with boxes that can be left in the storage rooms. Your assistance with this is appreciated.

Thank you for another fantastic term and your ongoing support of what we do in the boarding house. It is evident that your input and support is what drives the culture of Hawkes Boarding. The co-caring you entrust us with enables our boarders to embrace living away from home, to create a warm and welcoming environment where everyone has agency and a sense of belonging. I hope you all have a lovely weekend and, when the school holidays start next weekend, you have a safe and restful break with your children.

Kind Regards,

TJ Pieters

Head of Boarding

For the past two years, Savigny have been fundraising for the charity Dolly’s Dream.

Dolly’s Dream is a charity that is committed to help raise awareness to the mental health problems that many teenagers suffer from, with bullying being the main cause for these issues. As the co-owners of this charity, Kate and Tick had their fourteen-year-old daughter taken from them, after she suffered  bullying, both behind a screen and in person.

This year, Savigny will be raising vital fund for this charity, through selling raffle tickets for a beautiful hamper, filled with Tasmanian produce, worth a total of $170. To purchase raffle tickets, each student that belongs to Savigny house has been sent home with raffle tickets, that are available to purchase. There are also tickets available to purchase at the Senior Campus Reception.

Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5.

Today, we had thirteen students and one staff member ‘brave the shave’, as they shaved their heads to raise money for SPEAK UP Stay ChatTY. This charity event has been organised by Mac M., a Grade 12 student that has been growing his hair since Grade 6, specifically for this cause. Now, 12 of his friends and one of his teachers are jumping on board in the hopes of raising vital funds for the cause.

Our Information Technology and Digital Systems students are currently completing a Major TCE Project. As part of that, they have decided to build a Chatbot to support future and existing members of the Grammar Community, to enable searches for relevant information on the website and social media.

As part of that study, and in conjunction with the Launceston Grammar Marketing Department to learn from the findings, the students have created a short survey that will support them in the creation of their Chatbot. If you could help support this student-led initiative by completing the survey, that would be greatly appreciated.

Access the Survey Here

Michelle Bradley

Head of Digital Technology

Melbourne Reunion – 17 November

Combined Reunion – 15 December