NEW LATIN HONOUR BOARD

Vires Acquirit Eundo

She Gathers Strength As She Goes, the motto of the city of Melbourne, taken from the words of the esteemed Roman poet Virgil, aptly describes Latin studies here at BGS. Virgil also penned the School’s motto: Meliora Sequamur.

An Honour Board has been created to record, each year, the highest Study Score achieved in VCE Latin. Its gilded letters laud prestigious scholars including Ian Tongs (OB 2016), David Lawlor (OB 2017), Kosta Arvanitakis and Michael Dean (OB 2018), David Li (OB 2019), Jaikob Akinci (OB 2020), Charlie Catt (OB 2021) and Thomas Galinas (OB 2022).

Latin is a relentlessly challenging subject that demands a great deal from our students: independent study skills from a very early age, discipline, mental gymnastics, problem-solving and exceptional long-term memory all the way from Year 7 right through to Year 12. Yet, despite these seemingly unappealing attributes, coupled by its anachronous reputation as a dead language, increasing numbers of BGS boys are braving this rigorous subject, with 2022 boasting the largest Year 12 Latin class in the School’s history.

Numbers are equally promising in Year 7 and Year 8. Tonners are not afraid to Fight the Good Fight and this also translates to our students’ willingness to take on academic challenges.

Many BGS parents and students realise that Latin is, in fact, an immortal language and is the study of grammar in its purest form, with invaluable benefits to literacy. The fact that Latin is no longer spoken has paradoxically brought about its immortality, for, unlike its modern descendants, this language is no longer changed or simplified, neither does it continually evolve as modern languages inevitably do.

Constancy is its greatest advantage. Besides the intellectual challenge of Latin, students are drawn to the stories, myths and connections they can make to politics, cultural artefacts, the law, scientific nomenclature and vocabulary, all of which form the foundations of the Western tradition.

Three entrepreneurship subjects are now part of the School’s curriculum - iDesign which takes place over three terms in Year 8, WeDesign, a week-long Year 9 intensive course and Year 9 Entrepreneurship which is a semester-long elective.

The F1 in Schools and Creative Design and Technology programs also adopt the design thinking approaches that entrepreneurship provides. The recently opened BHIVE building and soon to be constructed Centre for Science, Creativity and Entrepreneurship are also dedicated spaces for this forward thinking.

‘We are teaching students to collaborate, network and problem solve. They learn there is no such thing as a bad idea and all the skills they are developing are transferable’ says Jamie Watson.

The School’s entrepreneurship subjects engage students across a wide range of strengths, weaknesses and skills.

‘We also emphasise the importance of feedback and students learn to listen to their teammates, as well as to go out and seek feedback from the public on their ideas,’ Jamie said.

The next step will be supporting students to turn their ideas into realworld businesses. ‘We would like to scaffold our students to go through their own start-up process if they wish, nurturing their ideas right the way through to market.

‘It would be great for students to be able to pitch to investors for start-up funding, and perhaps invite entrepreneurs in our Old Boys’ network to be mentors. I see that as a good way to bridge the gap between Year 9 and tertiary education, which exists because VCE doesn’t currently accommodate entrepreneurship.’