Character & Wellbeing
P-12 Co-curricular Program
By Mr Steven Fryer, Director of Sport & Activities
Overwhelming pride in wearing the Blue and Gold is a familiar emotion for Toowoomba Grammar School students, as is abundantly evident in all our boys, from Prep to Year 12. This emotion and passion for the School is the essence of our TGS culture and defines what it means to be a TGS student. The launch of the 2022 - 2026 Strategic Plan creates an exciting opportunity for our co-curricular program, which links perfectly into the “character and wellbeing” pillar. The development of good character for TGS students is at the forefront of the Strategic Plan, underpins all our program planning and provides the Sport and Activities Department with a crystal-clear vision for how we intend to deliver our cocurricular programs.
Character Development Student character growth and development are the primary focus of our rich co-curricular offerings. Character is defined as the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual, and our co-curricular experiences are shaped purposely to enhance these qualities. These activities are a wonderful medium for a student to express his individual character, and our programs have a strong emphasis on sportsmanship and team building. Resilience is
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another quality enhanced through all co-curricular programs, focussing on students’ awareness of situations, their emotional reactions and the behaviour of others. These are high expectations for TGS students and life-long learning experiences that emphasise a phrase in our School song, “Toowoomba Grammar always plays the game”.
Fun and Engagement The development of a diverse and engaging co-curricular program must incorporate student engagement objectives. There is significant evidence to suggest that when students are actively engaged in activities, they have a happy disposition, and their overall wellbeing improves. We are fortunate to regularly witness many examples of happy and engaged students participating in a variety of musical showcases, cadet bivouacs and GPS sporting matches. Other examples of our wide-ranging programs include the Mountain Bike Club, the Camp Draft team and the Show Cattle team.
Performance and Results While we strive to do our best in all competitive settings, winning is not the driving factor in measuring the success of our co-curricular programs. Pressure to perform will always exist inside and outside a school setting and comes from a variety of external and intrinsic factors. We see winning as the by-product of successfully enhancing the students’ character qualities and engagement levels. It is not the driving influence. There will be times when specific teams or groups will strive harder for performance success, which will increase the external and intrinsic pressures on students to perform. These experiences, both positive and potentially negative, will help students to build resilience and to flourish when they leave school. The success of our programs can also be measured through the level of engagement in activities post-school. Witnessing our Old Boys’ participation in sports or performing arts validates our strategy of providing skills for life.
