THE BLUE AND GOLD - Friday, 6 March 2026

This commitment is reflected not only in the relationships we build and the habits we cultivate, but also in the systems and structures that support our boys every day. As digital demands become increasingly complex, our responsibility extends beyond the classroom to ensuring that the environment around our students is safe, resilient and fully prepared.

Earlier this week, the leadership team participated in the Critical Incident Response Planning (CIRP) workshop, led by TGS Director of Information and Technology, Mr Ron Robinson, Cultural Cyber Security’s, Mr Brian Hay, Mr David Dunn and internationally recognised author and expert in Chinese cyber espionage, Lieutenant Colonel Bill Hagestad (Ret.).

This workshop represented a deliberate continuation of Toowoomba Grammar School’s cyber resilience program, following foundational workshops conducted in April and November 2024. The focus of this phase was not on technical controls, but on executive‑level preparedness, how the School’s leadership functions under pressure during a major cyber incident. It combined a structured ransomware tabletop exercise with a strategic threat briefing delivered by Lt Colonel Bill Hagestad (Ret.). These components were designed to strengthen the School’s ability to respond to high‑impact, fast‑moving cyber incidents in a manner that is calm, coordinated and aligned to the School’s mission and values.

A consistent theme throughout the workshop was that cyber security maturity is not a fixed end‑state. The threat landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and organisational resilience depends on continual learning, adaptation and rehearsal rather than static plans.

Our long-term partnership with Cultural Cyber Security supports our brand pillar of Academic Excellence and Future Readiness, helping ensure TGS remains forward thinking and equipped to navigate this digital landscape with confidence.

As always, I remain grateful for the partnership between home and school that strengthens everything we do. Thank you for your continued trust and for sharing in our commitment to nurturing boys of character, care and capability.

Dr John C Kinniburgh
Headmaster

TGX Students Learn From Sector Leaders

TGX is well underway this term, with students engaging deeply in real‑world sustainability challenges. Taking inspiration from complex or ‘wicked’ problems faced by industry and society, students have explored how these issues might be reflected within their own school context. Through a sustainability lens, they have examined campus operations and systems, considering where genuine challenges exist and why they matter.

The first phase of the program has focused on thorough problem discovery. Students have spent time observing, questioning and analysing sustainability systems across the campus, working collaboratively to move beyond assumptions and surface‑level issues. This deliberate approach has encouraged students to slow down their thinking and develop a shared understanding of problems before attempting to solve them.

Importantly, students are also learning that even with careful investigation, they may not get it right the first time. It is possible that some solutions developed later in the program may miss the mark, addressing symptoms rather than the root cause. In TGX, this is not seen as failure, but as an essential part of the learning process. Students are encouraged to test ideas, learn from what does not work and refine their thinking. This focus on resilience, reflection and iteration mirrors the realities of the real world and helps students develop the confidence to adapt, persist and try again.

Students have now commenced the ideation phase, where they are beginning to generate and explore possible responses to the challenges they have identified. This work is informed by design thinking and structured innovation methodologies and grounded in the realities of the school environment.

Industry collaboration is a defining and shaping feature of the TGX Program. Students have already had the opportunity to hear from leaders and innovators across agriculture, environment, facilities and industry, helping them understand how complex problems are approached beyond the classroom.

We have had a host of industry leaders speak to our students including Jo Sheppard, CEO and Company Secretary of the Queensland Farmers’ Federation; Bruce McConnel, Manager of the Southern Queensland and Northern NSW Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub; Stuart Tighe, Owner and Director of Boolah Farms and founder of the PURE Grain Network and Bengie Dickeson, Director of Facilities, TGS.

One of our first TGX workshops saw a presentation from Matt Norton, Director of AgDSA and specialist in planning, environmental compliance and intensive livestock industries, who helped boys look at defining and framing their problem.

These industry perspectives challenge student thinking, provide authentic context and reinforce the relevance of the work they are undertaking. This engagement will continue next week as students hear from Conrad van Rooyen, Chief Innovation Officer of NRG Services.

Alongside their project work, students are also working towards stackable microcredentials. Many boys have recently completed their first microcredential in AI Literacy and are now launching into their next credential. These microcredentials support students in their TGX journey while also building recognised, transferable skills that will support them well beyond school.

Crystal Hede
Director of Learning and Innovation

Serving others and the ethos of Interact in 2026

Service is often described as a random act of kindness done out of the blue, but to me it is so much more than that. Service is about noticing the needs of others and making a conscious effort to consistently help. It is a mindset rather than a moment. When you start looking at service this way, you realise that many boys at Grammar are already serving without even knowing it. Helping a younger student with homework, supporting a mate through a tough week, trying at a House event or even showing respect in everyday interactions are all forms of service. In the same way, every boy at this School has been served by someone else.

I am no exception; throughout my life I have been privileged and shaped by the service of others. I have benefited from teachers who pushed me, family who supported me and mentors who guided me. I can never fully repay the people who have helped me become who I am, but I can pay their kindness forward. That is the meaning of service. It is not about paying off debt it is about continuing a chain of generosity that will continue throughout our lives.

People often think of service as a one-way transaction where someone gives up time, money or effort for no return at all. This could not be further from the truth. In my own life, service has been one of the greatest opportunities for personal growth. It has helped me work on myself, build human connections and gain experiences that I would never have had otherwise. You get out of service what you put in. When you show up with genuine intent, you learn about empathy, responsibility and perspective. You learn to see the world through someone else’s eyes. You learn that your actions, no matter how small, can make a real difference.

Service also plays a crucial role in why Grammar has not only survived but thrived for more than 150 years. A school is strengthened when its students look beyond themselves. Service builds gratitude, humility and leadership. It reminds us that our education carries a responsibility to contribute to the world around us. When boys serve, they learn that leadership is not about authority but about lifting others up. As Simon Sinek (author and inspirational speaker) demonstrates, some of the highest performing teams in the world, including the US Navy SEALs, follow this principle. Their leaders serve first and the youngest members eat before the senior ones. The principle is simple: the best leaders are those who serve.

One of the greatest examples of service in action at our School is the Interact Club. Through Interact I have had countless opportunities to help others and to grow myself. It has been inspiring to see the impact the club has made in our local community, across Australia and even internationally. Whether it is fundraising, volunteering or raising awareness, Interact has shown what can happen when young people commit to serving others. The changes we have seen are real, meaningful and lasting.

Service is not something reserved for a select few. It is something anyone can take part in. It does not need to be dramatic or large scale. Small, consistent actions matter. When we choose to serve, we strengthen community and ourselves.

Peter Barac
President - Interact

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