TGS School Handbook - Boarding

Boarding Handbook 2024 ABN 86 510 299 250

CRICOS REGISTRATION No. 00525D

Table of Contents Table of Contents...............................................................................................................1 Headmaster’s Welcome..................................................................................................2 Boarding at Toowoomba Grammar School.......................................................3 Leave..........................................................................................................................................5 Health Centre........................................................................................................................8 General Information.........................................................................................................9 Belongings...........................................................................................................................12 Routines................................................................................................................................14 Boarding House Contacts..........................................................................................15 Appendices.........................................................................................................................17

Boarding Handbook

Page 1

Headmaster’s Welcome We are extremely proud to say that boarding life has always been an integral feature of this School since the first boarders arrived in 1877. The boarders bring to Toowoomba Grammar School particular personal qualities and give the School a soul, a life and sense of community. We have prepared this booklet to assist you and your son in knowing more about the practices of boarding here at Toowoomba Grammar School.

In this booklet you will find information concerning leave arrangements, communication with boarding personnel, daily timetables for all Houses, clothing lists and general boarding matters. We hope that it will be a handy reference for you in understanding the care we provide and the opportunities that exist for your son.

One of the most positive aspects of boarding is the pride the boys have in their community. I encourage your son to take advantage of the opportunities that exist at the School and in the boarding community. By doing so, he will quickly feel part of an extended “family”.

Please feel free to contact any of the boarding staff or visit us the next time you are at the School. I look forward to seeing you in the near future.

Dr John C. Kinniburgh Headmaster

Boarding Handbook

Page 2

Boarding at Toowoomba Grammar School Toowoomba Grammar School was officially opened in 1877 following building which commenced in 1875 on the current site of the School. On 1 February 1877 a total of 44 boys started their schooling, of whom 20 were boarders. The boarders hold a special place at the School, and have throughout the years. Toowoomba Grammar School has a full-time boarding community and a very strong commitment to families from country areas.

The boarding community at Toowoomba Grammar School aims to provide a second home, in a communal environment, for the boarding students at the School. Our boarders should enjoy the friendships, security and care of their second home.

We aim to provide an experience for our boarders which helps them to develop into young men of character by providing: »

A community where they feel safe and accepted

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Structure and discipline

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Encouragement to be involved and reach their potential in all areas

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An environment where social skills can be developed

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Opportunities to build resilience.

The education we offer to every student is a broad one including the academic, cultural, sporting and recreational areas of a boy’s life. Every boy is expected to take part fully in each of these areas.

At Toowoomba Grammar School we have six Boarding Houses and group the boys vertically according to age groups, except in Corfe House (Year 5-7 boarders). There are many advantages of this system, the most obvious being that it permits the boys to mix not only with boys their own age but across age groups.

Whilst all Houses strive to achieve the same overall aims, each has its own ‘flavour’ and new boys soon feel connected to their House. Each House has a House Captain, supported by a Vice-Captain and House Prefects. Their role is to assist in the general running of the House and help the younger boys.

Each of the six Houses is equipped with recreation areas which generally include a pool table, table tennis table, television and other games. Students have access to the kitchen facilities which include toasters, fridges and microwave ovens.

As part of the School’s technology program, boys in the boarding houses will have access to their own laptop after school hours; each boarding house is also equipped with a

network printer for the boys to use. Each Boarding House has wireless internet to enable boarders to use the world wide web for research or to contact home. The same filters are applied to boys using Wifi in the boarding houses as when they are using Wifi at school during the day.

In addition to our boarders, the School has approximately 30 boarding staff on the property. The Headmaster, Deputy Headmaster, Director of Boarding and Boarding Heads of House reside within the School grounds as do our boarding medical staff. The Boarding Head of House and Assistant Head of House are generally appointed from within the teaching staff and four or five permanent staff are attached to each House. Emergency and security personnel are on call 24 hours a day to deal with maintenance or security issues. The Head of House and his family live in accommodation either attached to or adjacent to the House. Other boarding staff live within or near the House.

This arrangement helps facilitate a more family-like atmosphere amongst the entire boarding community.

Settling In – Organisation of Personal Belongings This is one area which often proves difficult for new boarders and which is sometimes overlooked. The boys need to be able to keep their drawers and wardrobes tidy and, therefore, need skills such as folding T-shirts and shorts, underwear, putting socks together in pairs, storing toiletries and so on in a particular area. It would be of great assistance to your son if he receives some instruction in the organisation of personal belongings before he commences boarding, including the ability to make a bed in a neat manner and iron various pieces of clothing.

Living Away From Home Some boarders experience difficulty adapting to the living situation in a dormitory, especially in regard to the number of other people living in close proximity to them. Personal hygiene is essential for each student. Your son must know the importance of showering daily, changing underwear and socks regularly, using clean linen and towels, the need for soap, clean hair and roll-on deodorant. It goes without saying that he will be expected to be sensitive to the needs of others in the boarding house, to accept differences in personal interests and to be respectful of other’s personal property.

Boarding Handbook

Page 3

Homesickness We feel it is perfectly normal for a boy living in completely new surroundings to miss his home and family. To overcome the common problem of initial homesickness we suggest that it is important for you as parents to: »

emphasise the need for your son to be fully involved in and out of the classroom. Involvement in sport, games, music and other activities is essential and should be encouraged wherever possible.

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realise that you will hear of, or experience, the worst of your son’s homesickness. He will tend to ring when he is feeling at his lowest. He may also tend to exaggerate the worst features of the boarding house in an effort to convince you of his “predicament”.

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understand that poor grades and difficulty with work can be related to homesickness in the early stages.

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appreciate that recurrence of the problem is quite common after the first few weekends out, or after term holidays. However, usually this is overcome quickly on returning to school.

Further to this, too many outings with family over the first few weeks may cause great difficulty for your son in making the break from home. Let your son experience the normal activities of the boarding house, particularly during weekends. It is in the school boarding environment, particularly on weekends, that he will establish new friendships.

Please encourage your son to see his Head of House, a member of the Resident Staff or the School Counsellor if the problem seems to be reaching an intolerable level. Often, discussing the problem with someone is of great assistance.

Experience suggests that the better you as parents cope with the natural anxiety associated with separation from young ones, the more quickly the boys will adjust to boarding life. Boys pick up on and may often reflect the anxiety in a parent’s voice when communicating and may respond accordingly, even though they may be for the most part enjoying the boarding experience. Be aware of a common and usually short-term period of adjustment.

Understanding, patience, friendliness and firmness would appear to be the most important qualities necessary to ensure a quick and smooth transition to a new environment.

Boarder Parents’ Support Group Each boarding house has a parent representative. You are welcome to contact this boarding parent to discuss any general query. The contact numbers will be advertised in the School newsletter and can also be found on the Parent Lounge under ‘Boarding’. Every term there is a voluntary meeting of

boarder parents to hear from the Headmaster and senior staff about general school matters and issues specific to boarding. The dates, times and venue of these meetings will be advertised in the School newsletter and School calendar.

Behavioural Expectations All boarders are subject to the School’s day-school policies.

A crucial criterion for enrolment is that boys want to be in boarding at Toowoomba Grammar School. Generally when boys want to be here they abide by the School’s clearly articulated expectations and rules, respecting the trust shown to them by the staff at the School. In the life of any boarding community there may be an occasion when a boarder may make the wrong choice and break this trust. Such breaches of discipline will be dealt with in accordance with the School Behaviour Management Policy.

Each boarding house and Head of House has expectations and standards to ensure the smooth running of the House. The Head of House, acting in loco parentis, accepts responsibility for monitoring the behaviour of each boarder in his care. Rewards and sanctions are applicable to each House; these may vary from a withdrawal of privileges, extra duties around the House, or, in more serious and rare cases, withdrawal of leave or suspension.

Should there be a serious breach of expected behaviour, the Head of House will conduct an initial investigation. If the matter is deemed to be of a serious nature, then the Director of Boarding will consult with the Head of Senior School, Deputy Headmaster and the Headmaster. Ultimately, the Headmaster is responsible for all matters of discipline at the School.

Boarding, being a tight-knit residential community, means that some behaviour is deemed to be totally unacceptable in a boarding house. Such behaviour includes: »

Stealing or breaking into restricted areas

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Leaving the House after lights out

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Bullying at any level, in any form

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Consuming alcohol or bringing alcohol or illegal drugs onto the premises

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Having unauthorised people in the boarding house

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Being off campus without permission

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Showing disrespect to any boarding staff.

As far as possible incidents that occur during day-school hours are dealt with by the relevant School staff. While a boy’s Head of House may well be informed of problems during the school day, any action would be similar to that of any student of the School whether dayboy or boarder.

Boarding Handbook

Page 4

Leave Leave can normally be granted only by the Head of House when a Reach leave form has been submitted before 8:00pm on Thursday for any weekend or overnight leave on a weekend. 24 hours notice should be given for any other leave during the week. It is the parents’ responsibility to contact the host family and to make sure their son/s will be fully supervised and cared for when on leave.

The Head of House reserves the right not to grant leave if he is not satisfied that there will be adequate adult supervision, or that all details have been provided, including exact pick-up and return times. The Head of House can also refuse a leave request if the boarder has been gated.

All leave is subject to a boy meeting any school or sporting commitment. This means that if a boy has opted for a cocurricular activity, he should never miss that activity because of a leave request. Boys can only play for outside clubs if they first complete their commitment to the School.

Please note that no normal leave can be arranged through the School Reception; it must be through the Boarding Head of House. Hosts must be at least 25 years of age, unless they are older brothers or sisters and have your permission to collect your son. The responsibilities of a host are listed in the appendices. It is an expectation that a host reads and accepts these responsibilities before taking a boy on leave.

The only exceptions to the above are as follows: »

In the absence of a Head of House, the Assistant Head of House may grant leave if he or she is satisfied that all requirements have been met.

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The only time Resident Staff would ever grant leave would be if a boy’s parents unexpectedly turned up and requested leave. This must be only with the boy’s parents.

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Parents/hosts must notify the School if a boarder is injured whilst on leave.

Leave Types Special Leave – Missing School / Across School This must be arranged through contacting the Head of Senior School on (07) 4687 2653. Special leave is any leave given to a boarder to miss all or part of a normal school day. A Head of House may not grant special leave unless he first hears from the Head of Senior School.

Parent Leave This refers to a boarder being taken out from the House by a parent for any period, overnight or extended stay. This would include any medical appointments, meals out or family events that a boarder goes to with his parents.

Host Leave A host is anyone who takes a boarder out of the House that is not his parent. A host is able take a boarder on leave for any length of time such as during the day or overnight stay and returned the following day. This would include any medical appointments, meals out or family events that a boarder goes to with a host.

Non TGS Sport Leave This refers to a boarder being taken out from the House for club or cocurricular commitments not related to Toowoomba Grammar School.

Leave During Year 12 External Examinations Students in Year 12 have External Examinations at the end of the year. Parents of boys in Year 12 may request leave (via the Boarding Head of House) for their son to go home if he has several days between examinations.

This should be submitted as parent leave on Reach.

Day Leave This refers to a boarder being taken out for the day, morning or afternoon only.

Boarding Handbook

Page 5

Local Leave

Visiting Other Schools

These are leave locations in the local area around the TGS campus. The most popular examples are Eastville restaurants and Grand Central. With their proximity to boarding houses and the casual nature of their use, parent approved leave requests are not required for these locations. However, boarders will be expected to adhere to the following protocols:

Boys in Years 8 to 12 may visit other schools on Saturdays and Sundays with the following regulations applying:

Visitors to Toowoomba Grammar School Girls who visit boys at Toowoomba Grammar School must report in to the staff member on duty and may be only in the area in front of the boarding house.

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Permission is always sought from the Master on Duty and boys must also ‘sign out’ with the staff member at this time.

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Boarders in Years 12 and 11 must be in groups of two or more.

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Boarders in Years 10 must be in groups of three or more.

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Boarders in Year 9 and 8 must be in groups of three or more and accompanied by a year 12 or Year 11 boarder, and leave for these Year groups is always at the discretion of the Master on Duty.

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Boarders should always adhere to the timings allocated for their leave location. These are clearly displayed in boarding houses.

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At all times boys must be attired appropriately and thongs are not to be worn.

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If parents want their son’s town leave restricted, they need to submit a written request to his Boarding Head of House.

Parents are required to make any necessary travel arrangements and bookings for their sons for travel to and from home at the beginning and end of the school holidays. All families are advised to plan ahead in this area.

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Upon their return, boarders must ‘sign in’ with the Master on Duty.

Bus Travel

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Corfe Boarders local leave will always be supervised by boarding staff, and it will be scheduled to occur throughout the term.

The School facilitates bus services to Brisbane Airport at the start and end of every term and transport to Wellcamp Airport.

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All boarders should have their mobile phones with them and respond to calls from the Master on Duty.

Girls must NEVER be in a boarding house. The only exception would be sisters and only then if accompanied by parents.

End of Term Departure Parents are asked to provide early notification to the Boarding Head of House of how their son will be departing at the end of each term. These details should be entered into the Reach boarding system. Designated student travel days are allocated so that boys avoid missing classes.

End and Beginning of Term Travel

In addition, many boys use the Greyhound, Murrays or Bus Qld services located within 15 minutes walking distance from the School. Boarding Staff are usually available to transport boys when they have luggage to take with them.

Boarding Handbook

Page 6

International Air Travel Parents must make international bookings for their sons to travel overseas and submit this leave into Reach at least two weeks prior to their departure. It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that passports and visas are current and the boys keep them well secured.

If you have any problems or queries with regard to transport, please contact the Director of Boarding.

Taxis From time to time your son may need taxi transport around Toowoomba for private purposes (e.g. medical/ dental appointments, travel to and from transport terminals at holiday times, travel to and from work experience placements, town visits, etc.)

Parents must ensure that each boy has the means to pay for private taxi travel. Taxis may not be charged to the school account, except for Junior School boarders.

It is recommended that parents arrange a Cabcharge account for those who want an ongoing 30 day account. A Cabcharge account may be set up by contacting Black and White Cabs by phone on 133 222 or by fax on 07 3860 6000.

Boys who wish to use a taxi have a number of alternatives: »

They pay cash.

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EFTPOS – They use a debit card (e.g. Heritage card).

Boys should be aware these usually attract a surcharge.

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Their parents open an account with one of the local taxi companies. This may require a deposit and may attract a surcharge on all fares.

Driving and Travelling in Cars Boarders are not permitted to have cars at the School unless with the direct authority of the Head of Senior School and only to drive home or to a school related work placement.

Because of the risk involved, the School will require that the boarder and his parents agree in writing to restricted use of the vehicle. No boarder is to ride as a passenger in a vehicle driven by a dayboy or another boarder.

Boarding Handbook

Page 7

Health Centre Health Centre If parents have any health concerns about their son, please phone the Health Centre nurses on 07 4687 2504 (between 7:00am and 9:00pm) or email at health@twgs. qld.edu.au. All boys are informed that routine medical attention is available to them from 6:30am to 8:10pm.

The Health Centre is staffed 24 hours a day during term time. The Head of House will contact the Health Centre for all injuries and illness outside of normal hours and the nurses will assess and admit to the Health Centre as required. Families will be contacted if their son is admitted to the Health Centre for a stay longer than a few hours.

The Health Centre is staffed by registered nurses with a vast knowledge of first aid, emergency, paediatric, adolescent, orthopedic injuries and mental health conditions. Assessment is made by the nurses and treatment is attended to. If further review is required by a medical practitioner, we have visiting doctors from East Toowoomba Clinic scheduled to see the boys at school three days a week. This is a bulk billed service. If medical treatment is necessary prior to the GP clinic at the school, the Registered Nurses will arrange for your son to be reviewed down at the clinic.

For all emergencies that require hospital review, we contact parents first to confirm the preferred hospital to attend.

St Vincents Private Hospital is next to the School, and it is recommended your son has private health insurance as a visit to the emergency department will usually cost a minimum of $300. The public, Toowoomba Base Hospital, is 10 minutes away and is a free service. We also have physiotherapists from Peak Performance visit the Health Centre two days a week and appointments are made through the nurses.

The physiotherapists will contact parents for payment.

Boarders’ Medication All boarders must hand in regular medications to the Health Centre before school starts for the year. No medications are to be kept in the boarding house. This includes vitamins, acne tablets, cold and flu tablets, anti-inflammatories and analgesia (paracetamol, ibuprofen). Toowoomba Grammar School has a duty of care and legal responsibility to ensure no student has access to any medication.

The only medications allowed in the boarding house are asthma puffers, diabetes and anaphylaxis emergency medications. Please ensure you do not send your son to a boarding house with medications in their possession, we need to guarantee the safety of all boarders.

All medications must be appropriate labelled from either a pharmacist, homeopath, naturopath or medical doctor containing the boys name, dosage and recommended times.

These medications are to be brought to the Health Centre

and the nurses will follow up any paperwork required by medical practitioners and will ensure that parents complete a ‘consent to administer medication’ form. All medications will be dispensed by the nurses and organised with the boys as to the appropriate time to receive their regular medications.

Pharmacy Accounts Please ensure your son has an account set up at a preferred pharmacy or chemist. This assists when boys require scripts filled and medications organised by our doctors. Our main chemists are Moreton & Coote and Scott Street Pharmacy. To set up a pharmacy account please complete the forms located on Parent Lounge.

Appointments The Health Centre needs to be contacted (by email preferably) regarding all student medical, dental, optical or any other allied health service appointments. The Health Centre generates the leave forms and adds the appointment to the School diary, so that we know the whereabouts of your son.

All Year 5 to 8 boarders require an escort when going to appointments. If you are unable to organise an escort for your son, please inform the Health Centre. A boarding house staff member or senior student can be arranged to escort your son.

Boarders Visits to the Health Centre Generally Health Centre dispensary, or treatment, hours are between 6:30am and 10:00pm each day. Outside these hours the Health Centre staff are on-call to attend to boys as needed.

If a boy is unwell and believes he needs to visit the nurse outside the hours above, the following process should apply: »

The boy should report to the Master on Duty and explain why he needs to visit the Health Centre.

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The Master on Duty should telephone the Health Centre and advise that a boy is on his way.

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If the ailment is serious, or if the event is very late at night, then another boarder should be delegated to accompany him to the Health Centre.

In cases of serious injury or illness, he should be accompanied by a Resident staff member.

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In most circumstances, the boy should report back to the Master on Duty on his return and advise of the treatment recommended. If in doubt, the Resident should telephone the Health Centre to confirm.

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If a boy needs to go to Toowoomba Base or St Vincent’s Hospital for outpatient treatment, he should always be accompanied, preferably by House staff or at the very least a senior boy.

Boarding Handbook

Page 8

General Information Boarders’ Church Services

Fire Safety

Toowoomba Grammar School is a non-denominational, Christian school. The Headmaster leads the boys and staff in a hymn and prayers at Assembly. Boys attend the churches of their denominations if they and their parents wish. The Anglican Church conducts a service for boarders once a term on Sunday evenings in Old Hall and this is open to boys of all denominations. Attendance at the Boarders’ Church Service is voluntary and you may wish to speak with your son’s Head of House should you wish your son to attend.

Fire Extinguishers

Pocket Money

Fire Alarms

Boarders are responsible for their own pocket money. At no stage should they have large amounts of cash on them.

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Each House will have regular fire drills.

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If there is a false fire alarm, the names of the boys responsible will be passed on to the Director of Boarding or the Head of Junior School. The boys will normally be charged the cost of the call out by the Fire Brigade, which can be in excess of $1000.

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To minimise the risk of false fire alarms, all aerosols, electric blankets, fan heaters and double adaptors are banned.

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If a boy is making toast, he MUST stand beside the toaster at all times to avoid burning toast causing a fire alarm.

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If any boy is caught tampering in any way with a fire extinguisher, he will be sent to the Director of Boarding. The most likely punishment will be a Saturday detention. The boy will also be responsible for the cost of recharging the fire extinguisher.

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Staff will also be vigilant for any tampering with smoke detectors, and/or damage to exit lights and signs.

Automatic Teller Machine The Heritage Bank maintains an Automatic Teller (ATM) at the School for the use of boys, staff, parents and visitors.

The ATM is currently located on the ground floor of the main administration building near the Reception counter and will operate using cards from most financial insitutions.

Your son should be aware that using debit cards from other financial institutions may incur a charge by that institution.

Any cards captured by the ATM are retrieved by Chubb Security staff on their fortnightly visits and will be taken to the Heritage Bank, Heritage Plaza, 878 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba and will not be handed to the School’s Reception. Any non-Heritage cards will be destroyed. It is the card holder’s responsibility to contact their nominated bank regarding the collection or replacement of their card.

Haircuts We recommend that haircuts for boarders are made with the School Marshall’s barbering service. Bookings can be made through the Parent Lounge, under the “Whole School Links” section. Boys may get haircuts when out on town leave with other boys. Boys are not permitted to have hair clippers at school and are not permitted to cut the hair of another boy in boarding houses.

Damage Charges Boys’ accounts will be charged appropriately for the cost of any repairs resulting from damage caused (either deliberately or through carelessness) within the boarding house. It is expressly forbidden for boys to play with any sporting equipment within the boarding houses. This includes kicking, passing, bouncing or even rolling balls within the dormitories, as inevitably such games escalate to the point where damage can occur.

CCTV To ensure the safety of boarders, there are CCTV cameras positioned throughout the hallways and external access points to boarding houses. The school has a comprehensive CCTV policy that is available on the school’s website.

Dress Code While casual dress in “civies” is permitted within each Boarding House, if a boy is around the School during the day (e.g. at weekends or after school), he must be dressed in school uniform - blazer, blues or golds. Under no circumstances should a boy be outside without footwear; thongs are not permitted outside of the boarding house.

Boarding Handbook

Page 9

Mobile Phones, Laptops and Gaming Consoles All boys are permitted to have a mobile phone. There is, however, an expectation that boarders use their phones responsibly and the boarders technology policy is available on the schools website and should be read at the start of each academic year. Mobile phones must not be used at all during the school day, or during evening Prep. In some of these instances boys will be expected to hand phones in or keep them securely stored. Each boarding house has a lockable cabinet and boarders are required to hand in their phone prior to lights out. This is to ensure a good night’s sleep for every boy. Phones are re-issued the next morning. The School takes all care but cannot accept any liability for misuse or loss of a mobile phone.

Furthermore, there are expectations regarding the responsible use of laptops and gaming consoles. As all boarders are all issued school laptops, their use must meet the guidelines set out by the School. Gaming consoles are not permitted in student areas. This includes personal computers set up for gaming. Any use of gaming consoles should occur in common room areas at the discretion of the Head of House.

Security Each boarder will receive from his Head of House a combination lock to be used on their cupboard. The advantage of the School providing a lock to the boys is that the Head of House can store the combination in a secure area as well as having a master key for locks that may need to be opened. It is recommended that boarders keep their wardrobes locked.

Mail Incoming mail is distributed by the Head of House.

Parents and relatives are requested to address mail to their sons, care of the boarding houses in which they reside.

Parents are asked to provide stamps for their sons if they need to send items or letters home. There is an outgoing mail box beside the Heritage ATM in School House.

Posters and Pictures Students are permitted to bring posters to school but these must not be offensive or suggestive in nature. Any offensive reading or viewing material will be destroyed and parents will be notified. Any pornography or inappropriate material on a student’s computer is totally unacceptable and strict sanctions will be imposed according to the School’s policies.

Internet All Houses have wireless Internet access. Boys have access to the Internet only through the School network and everything is maintained by our systems. Random checks are carried out by our IT Staff on a regular basis. The boys are strongly encouraged to use the system responsibly. There should be no need for a boarder to bring his own computer and permission must be sought from both the Head of House and IT Staff before it is connected to the system.

The internet is available between 6:00am and 10:30pm.

Prep Time All boarders have two Prep sessions per night during the week.

Other sessions on weekends vary within Houses. The first Prep must be under quiet conditions with no talking. During second Prep boys may seek assistance from each other but only after being granted permission from the Master on Duty.

All boarders are expected to work hard during these sessions and are not to distract others around them.

Visitors to or from other Houses are not permitted at all during first Prep but may seek help during second Prep if they report to the Master on Duty. All Houses have wireless connections that boys may use for assignments or to email home. The library is also open on Sundays.

Any playing of a computer game during Prep will be reported to the Head of House. Further offences of viewing inappropriate sites will result in the laptop being confiscated for a specific time period as deemed fit by the Head of House.

Boarders are not allowed to use mobile phones during Prep times and parents are requested not to contact the boys during these times.

Boarding Handbook

Page 10

Guidance for Boarders Involved in Non-TGS Activities TGS Boarding is supportive of boarders participating in activities outside of the TGS program. Playing sport, being part of an orchestra or dramatic performance, is a great outlet for a boarder and being involved provides them with an opportunity to participate in an activity they might not be able to access at home. Overall, there are many positive outcomes for a boarders physical and mental wellbeing.

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There will be times when the activity is delayed and a boarder will be late. In this instance a boarder MUST contact the relevant Master on Duty (MOD) phone and let their boarding house know that they will be late.

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Late meals are provided for boarders out on leave and at the conclusion of the activity, boarders should travel directly back to their TGS boarding house.

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If a boarder would prefer to get their own meal after training or a fixture, they should have this collected for them so it is ready at the end of their training or game or delivered to TGS to coincide with their arrival back at the school. (In this instance a boarder should cancel their late meal to avoid unnecessary wastage.)

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Boarders must be respectful on the boarding environment upon their return. There should not be any loud conversations and any meals should be consumed in common rooms away from their peers who would already be asleep.

If a boarder is to participate in a non-TGS activity, the following guidelines should be adhered to: »

Leave MUST be submitted in REACH. This should be specific to each practice, rehearsal, training session or game.

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If the boarder is due to return after 10:00 (SundayThursday) or 10:30pm (Friday & Saturday), they must discuss this leave with their Head of House at least 2 days before the leave so appropriate arrangements can be organised. Arrangements may include extended shifts and changing rosters or a senior boarding staff member to remain ‘On Duty’.

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This process depends upon clear communication from boarders to staff about the commitments of their activity.

Boarding staff are supportive of your involvement and regularly share this information with other boarding staff.

Whilst it might not be possible to do so every week, boarders should try to stay with a host if they are going to return after the recommended time.

Boarding Handbook

Page 11

Belongings Bedding Normal linen is provided (sheets, blankets, pillowcases and towels). Every boy is to have his own doona with a removable cover. Extra blankets will be available should the need arise in cold weather.

The sewing room is staffed after school until 4:00pm each week day. The sewing room is located in the Quad. Boys can visit the sewing room and leave items for sewing repair.

Electrical Appliances »

No electric blankets are permitted.

Laundry

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No personal heaters are permitted.

The School operates its own laundry off-campus to wash boarders’ uniforms and everyday items such as underwear, socks and handkerchiefs (once a week for each boarding house). The cost of this service is included in the boarding fee. The School Laundry can wash non-uniform clothing. A washing machine and a dryer are available in each boarding house if the boys wish to wash their own non-uniform clothing. Items requiring dry cleaning are handled by local commercial laundries and the cost is charged to the school account. Parents and boys should note that the School Laundry is not equipped with facilities to launder woollen thermal underwear and delicate or drip dry clothing.

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No double adapters - only power boards with cut-off switches.

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If these items are found in the boarding house they will be confiscated.

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All electrical appliances must be switched off when the boys are out of their cubicles. This particularly applies to fans.

Each House has allocated days for its main laundry collection.

The boys in each House put their sheets, towels and pillowcases out on the morning of their main laundry day by 8:00am. Personal laundry will therefore be bagged the previous evening, with care taken to empty pockets, roll down sleeves and undo buttons. Boys’ socks and underwear must be in separate mesh bags. Boys will then collect their clean laundry from the House collection area at 3:10pm on their laundry day. The laundry/School cannot be responsible for damage caused to clothing due to foreign objects left in pockets.

Boys from each boarding house are also able to launder their sports uniform and the mesh bags (with underwear and socks) every day through the week. Rugby and football jerseys can also be put out for washing. This daily service is in addition to the main washing day for each boarding house. The daily service does not operate on the individual House laundry day.

Refrigerators »

Refrigerators are permitted for Year 12 students for personal use only and must not be used for trading goods with other students or boarding house residents.

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All fridges must be removed from the boarding house when Year 12s finish at the end of the year. Any remaining will be disposed of.

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Fridges must be no more than 100 litres.

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There must be a tray underneath the fridge. This is a separate drip tray, not just the tray that comes with the fridge.

»

There will be a power charge on the account for the fridge.

»

If the fridge has a lock, then a key must be given to the Head of House who has the right to check the fridge at any time.

»

Any rotting food found in a fridge will result in the boy being asked to remove the fridge.

Main Laundry Days for each House

Personal Food

»

Groom - Monday

»

Stephens - Tuesday

»

Corfe - Tuesday

Boys are permitted to bring personal items of food into the boarding house, but any food must be stored in sealed containers. All boarders are encouraged to limit the amount of unhealthy food they consume.

»

Taylor - Wednesday

»

Mackintosh - Thursday

»

Boyce - Friday Boarding Handbook

Page 12

Suggested Personal Items Please ensure prior to arrival at the School that all clothing (both uniform and personal clothing) is clearly labelled with nametapes which include the House number (Taylor - 1; Boyce - 2; Mackintosh - 3; Groom - 4; Stephens - 5).

Boys in Corfe House do not need to have a number on their labels. Any second hand clothing must be relabelled. Labels can be purchased from the Uniform Shop and items purchased through the term can have name labels sewn on by the School seamstress.

Boarders may require more clothing than dayboys.

Toiletries soap and plastic soap box toothbrush and toothpaste shampoo and conditioner brush and comb deodorant (must NOT be a pressurised can) shaving gear (if applicable)

Shoe Polishing Kit black shoe polish

Recommended Personal Clothing at least 7 pairs of underwear (boxers or briefs) singlets (if worn) sleeping attire (pyjamas/boxers) 4 handkerchiefs towels (for sport) 1 pair thongs (for showers)

brush cloth

Electrical Power board with cut-out switch Fan (if desired) - must have appropriate blade guards fitted. Any fan appearing unsafe or damaged will be removed.

1 pair casual shoes/deck shoes board shorts, t-shirts casual long pants

Items not allowed

2 collared shirts

´ External modems of any type

1 tie

´ Aerosol cans

1 pair of dress slacks

´ Audio systems larger than 30-40cm

1 dress shirt

´ Clothing with offensive language

Bedding

´ Knives/slingshots or other weapons ´ Inappropriate computer games or videos

doona

´ Skateboards and scooters

pillow (if a boy wishes to have own pillow)

´ Bicycles (unless with express permission from the Director of Boarding)

small torch

´ Electric blankets ´ Personal heaters ´ Double adaptors ´ Refrigerators (except Year 12 boys) ´ Ammunition (whether live or spent) of any kind

Boarding Handbook

Page 13

Routines Senior School - Monday to Friday

Sunday

This will vary a little from House to House but will be very similar to:

9:00am...................................Inspection of cubes

6:40am...................................Master on Duty 6:45am...................................Boys rise 7:00am–7:10am...............Roll call 7:15am...................................Breakfast 7:45am–8:00am............... House duties - boys to clean up their cubicles 8:00am...................................Inspection 8:10am................................... Boys must be out of Houses and heading to class 8:30am–3:10pm...............Lessons 3:30pm..................................Sport/Recreation

9:30am...................................Breakfast 10:00am................................ House clean up - emu parade of allocated school section 1:00pm..................................Lunch 5:15pm..................................Showers 5:55pm..................................Roll call 6:00pm..................................Dinner 7:00pm–8:00pm..............Prep 8:50pm..................................Lights out - Corfe 9:00pm..................................Lights out - Years 8 & 9 9:30pm..................................Lights out - Years 10-12

5:20pm..................................Showers

Corfe House - Year 7 - Monday to Friday

5:45pm - 6:10pm.............Roll call

6:30am...................................Boys rise, make bed

6:00pm approx.................Dinner 7:00pm–8:30pm..............First Prep - examination conditions 9:00pm..................................Lights out Years 8 & 9 9:30pm..................................Lights out Years 10-12

6:45am...................................Roll call 7:00am...................................Breakfast 7:30am–7:45am............... House duties - boys to clean up their cubicles 7:45am...................................Inspection

Boarding Daily Routine Saturday and Sunday Saturday

8:00am–3:10pm...............School 3:10pm–5:00pm..............Sport/Recreation 5:00pm–5:30pm..............Showers 5:30pm–6:20pm..............Dinner, roll call

7:00am...................................Boys rise

7:00pm–8:30pm..............Prep

7:25am...................................Roll call

8:50pm..................................Lights out

7:30am...................................Breakfast 12:00pm...............................Lunch 5:15pm..................................Showers 5:55pm..................................Roll call 6:00pm..................................Dinner 9:00pm..................................Lights out - Corfe 9:30pm..................................Lights out - Years 8 & 9 10:00pm...............................Lights out - Years 10-12

Boarding Handbook

Page 14

Boarding House Contacts Director of Boarding: Mr Nick Byron Office: 07 4687 2654 Email: n.byron@twgs.qld.edu.au

Head of House: Boyce House: Mr Michael Hall Office: 07 4687 2507 Email: m.hall@twgs.qld.edu.au

Which number is the best number to call?

Master on Duty: The Master on Duty contact times are from 6:45am until 8:10am and from 3:30pm until 9:00pm on weekdays and from 7:30am until 9:00pm on weekends.

You would call the Master on Duty if: »

you needed to contact your son and it is of an urgent nature.

Corfe House: Mr Henry White Office: 07 4687 2660 Email: h.white@twgs.qld.edu.au

»

your son is going to return late from leave.

»

you have a concern regarding boarding and you are not sure who to call.

Groom House: Mr Chris Stearn Office: 07 4687 2514 Email: c.stearn@twgs.qld.edu.au

Head of House Home Number: »

you need to request leave and can’t send an email.

Mackintosh House: Mr Brad Allen Office: 07 4687 2506 Email: b.allen@twgs.qld.edu.au

»

you are concerned about your son’s health or welfare.

»

you are concerned about your son’s academic progress and would like an update from his teachers.

»

there is an issue at home that will possibly affect your son’s behaviour and/or academic progress.

Stephens House: Mr Phil Kefford Office: 07 4687 2526 Email: p.kefford@twgs.qld.edu.au Taylor House: Mr Eugene Massi Office: 07 4687 2521 Email: e.massi@twgs.qld.edu.au

Master on Duty Telephone Numbers: Boyce House

0419 145 396

Corfe House

0419 145 403

Groom House

0419 145 399

Mackintosh House

0419 145 398

Stephens House

0419 145 401

Taylor House

0419 145 404

You would call the Head of House if:

General Numbers: »

If there is an emergency and you need to contact your son during regular school hours (8:15am – 3:30pm weekdays), contact the front office on 07 4687 2500.

»

If your son requires medical treatment, please inform the Health Centre on 07 4687 2504.

»

If you require special leave, please contact the Head of Senior School on 07 4687 2653.

General: Main Reception: Office: 07 4687 2500 Health Centre: Office: 07 4687 2504 Head of Senior School (Special Leave): Office: 07 4687 2653 Email: k.wormwell@twgs.qld.edu.au Boarding Handbook

Page 15

Conclusion

It is our wish that your son quickly learns to love his time in boarding at Toowoomba Grammar School. For our part, we will do all we can to ensure his happiness and welfare.

Please remember that if you have any concerns or queries, do contact us at the School. Similarly, if your son has a concern, he must let us know straight away so that we may assist him.

We hope that your son will form life-long friendships with other boarders and forever value his years spent boarding at Toowoomba Grammar School.

Boarding Handbook

Page 16

Appendices Appendix 1 Notification of a Host’s Duty of Care A host’s responsibilities when taking a Toowoomba Grammar School boarder out on leave are extensive. When you take a boarding student on leave, the School believes you are obliged to pay attention to important leave protocols.

Before collecting a student: (a) Contact the boy’s parents to (if needs be) introduce yourself, outline your plans for the time you will have the boy on leave and exchange phone numbers/addresses. Leave will need to be requested by the boarder or his parents.

Whilst a boy is out on leave with you and under your duty of care: You are to be responsible for his well-being and whereabouts at all times. This includes the obvious (providing meals, accommodation, etc.) but also involves a number of other more onerous responsibilities: (a) In the event of an accident or emergency, please contact the parents and, if possible, the boarding house, in order to co-ordinate the return/treatment of the boy;

(b) Note that a host must be 25 or over (unless it is a sibling of the boy who has his parents’ permission).

A boy cannot be collected by someone over 25 years of age to be transferred subsequently into the care of someone younger than 25 years of age.

(b) Owing to your responsibilities under the common law principle of ‘in loco parentis’ (literally “instead of the parent”), you must not transfer a boy into the care of another person, without informing the boy’s parent of that fact. Dropping a boy off to any form of social function without accompanying him is a definite breach of this obligation, even if the host of that function is over 25 and agrees to take responsibility for the boy.

When collecting a student:

Upon returning a student:

Present at the relevant Boarding House office to sight the Master on Duty and have that staff member sign the boarder out. If the Master on Duty is not present, simply pick up one of the phones in the foyer; this will redirect your call to the Master on Duty’s mobile.

Present at the relevant boarding house to sight the Master on Duty and have that staff member sign the boarder back in. Once again, if the Master on Duty is not present, simply use one of the phones in the foyer.

Please note: Failure to abide by these leave protocols will require the School to make recommendation to the boy’s parents that you no longer be eligible to take their son out on leave.

Boarding Handbook

Page 17

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Address 24 Margaret Street TOOWOOMBA QLD 4350 Postal Address Toowoomba Grammar School PO Box 2900 TOOWOOMBA QLD 4350 Telephone Numbers Main School Office (07) 4687 2500 Junior School (07) 4687 2555 Email and Home Page Addresses tgsjuniorschool@twgs.qld.edu.au tgs@twgs.qld.edu.au www.twgs.qld.edu.au