6 minute read
End of the road
Special memories near journey’s end
The end of a student’s school journey not only signals the end of an era for that student but also for their family, particularly if you are the youngest of five children. The Maynard family from Jambin, has been a part of the RGS community since 2009 when their oldest daughter Sabrina started in boarding. The 2022 school year also signals the end of era for parents Geoff and Alison Maynard.
Rockhampton Grammar School Captain Faith Maynard grew up watching her three older sisters and brother leave their Jambin family home for boarding school. At the end of this year, Faith will graduate from Year 12, ending a long journey for the Maynard family that started when they dropped their eldest daughter Sabrina to RGS in 2009 to start boarding in Year 8. Sabrina would be followed to RGS by Guthrie (RGS 2015), Bonnie (RGS 2017), Olivia (RGS 2019) and Faith (RGS, Year 12). “I didn’t like watching the house get quieter and quieter as each one left,’’ Faith said. “It was especially hard when Olivia left for boarding school and I was the last one left at home for my last couple of years at Jambin State School.” When it was Faith’s turn to start boarding in Year 7 (2017) she still remembers being excited trying on her new school uniforms and finally becoming a boarder at RGS. “I loved having both Bonnie and Olivia there when I first started, definitely made it much easier to settle into the new routine,’’ Faith said. The entire family is now preparing to say farewell to RGS when Faith graduates. Like many parents, Geoff and Alison Maynard are just as big a part of RGS as their children. Geoff attended boarding school but Alison did not. For Alison, the prospect of sending her eldest child (Sabrina) to boarding from the tight-knit family home at “Mount Eugene” did not sit well. They pushed ahead with a school tour in 2008.
The Maynard family (from left) Bonnie, Guthrie, Alison, Sabrina, Faith, Geoff and Olivia.
Geoff Maynard
“Both Alison and Sabrina , were very impressed with the variety of classes, the resources and facilities on offer at RGS, as well as the neat and tidy boarding accommodation,’’ Geoff said. “It was without a doubt, one of the most gutwrenching experiences we had been through. “From having a tight knit family of seven, living in a tightly clad small four-bedroom farm house, we had grown to be a close family in more ways than one. “To drop off the first born left us imagining, and possibly magnifying, the potential anxiety, sadness, and loneliness they could be experiencing. This made us continually question, ‘had we made the right choice?’. “This eased, when stories of new friends, beach excursions, food packages, team sports, laughter, and pillow fights all filtered back.”
Geoff said they had been “delighted” with the Grammar experience. “It’s exactly what all parents hope for their children,’’ Geoff said. “They have made many new, wonderful and diverse friends, they have life-long memories and lessons, memorable mentoring teachers, competed in team and individual sports at levels beyond expectations, and delivered vocational opportunities far broader than originally foreseen.” The endless road trips between Jambin and Rockhampton are fast drawing to a close, and it is with both with a sense of “relief” and “sadness” that this journey is nearing its end. “We’re relieved we are completing the secondary education of our children, hopefully with some degree of success (no pressure Faith),’’ Geoff said. “We have been fortunate, that we have been able to maintain reasonable regular contact with all our family, but I fear, that is going to change as many start to travel far and wide and experience what the world has to offer. “We are learning to appreciate the moments we have together.” Geoff said the secret to keeping his family close during their boarding school years, and beyond, has simply been his wife Alison. “Our family is lucky in that Alison, is the cables, conduit, modem and server that keeps the family communication happening. She makes the time to attend a varied number of events, whether it be sport, award ceremonies or teacher interviews. She initiates regular contact, whether that be phone calls, visits, or texts. I imagine all mothers do. And Alison has no hesitation in reminding the rest of us to follow suit.” It is also a surreal time for Sabrina as she watches her youngest sister prepare to graduate from RGS. “Faith was five when I left for school,’’ Sabrina said. “We’ve been lucky to all attend RGS together over the years especially living on campus together. It allowed us to stay close and still grow up together which is not always possible in a boarding school format.” Faith said she is both “excited” and “nervous” to leave school.
“I’ll definitely miss the people and the supportive environment at RGS,’’ said Faith, who currently hopes to study business at Rockhampton’s CQUniversity next year.
Geoff Maynard
Get creative
David “Campo” Campese played 101 Tests for the Australian rugby union team over 15 years, scoring 64 tries. Campese had some clear advice for RGS rugby fans during his training clinics at the School.
David Campese wants young people to get the basics right in their sport and to look what’s in front of them, not just following a set play. “It’s about getting the basics right, especially when you’re not under defensive pressure at training, watching the game you love and most importantly having fun playing the game,’’ said Campese, who was guest speaker at the RGS Rugby Club’s Red & Black Dinner in Term 3. Still a fan of running rugby, Campese wants young players to find creativity in their game. “A lot of coaches are tied up in one way of coaching. You have to let these kids experiment and be free. Then you can talk them about what worked and what didn’t work,’’ Campese said. “It’s all so structured now. I want them to create something and think about what makes a good player. 95% of kids I talk to don’t watch the game and don’t have an idol. It’s hard to play a sport if you don’t want to be like somebody.” Campese also wants young players to not only look at their own game, but that of their opposition, to not only play to your strengths, but target the the weaknesses in your opposition. “Most importantly, it’s also about just having fun. If you make a mistake don’t worry. The most important thing is that you learn from your mistakes. It’s also important that your team mates say don’t worry about it and let’s go. Once you’ve made a mistake it’s history. You can’t change it.”
AROUND THE GROUNDS
Rugby League
In the grand finals of the Rockhampton District Secondary Schools Rugby League (RDSSRL) competition, the RGS 8As went down 22-12 to St Brendan’s College while in the 10D grand final, RGS lost 34-8 to TCC. RGS players of the grand finals were (8A) Cormack Werner and (10D) Riley Hansen.
Football
The RGS Junior Girls Football team finishied runners-up to Emmaus College after wet grand final at Emmaus College. Chloe Hutson was named the RGS player of the final. RGS was also represented in the Senior Girls competition this season.
Tennis
Tennis titles were on the line at the annual RGS Primary Minniecon & Burke Tennis Championships. Shivam Karthikeyan won the boys final against Aarya Goswami, 6-2, while Zara Kummerfeld won in a tiebreaker against Siyarna Puslednik, 9-7.
