Head of House - Mr Brad Allen
This week has been National Boarding Week, an important week as we work especially hard to promote boarding inside and outside of schools to create greater understanding of the special diverse circumstances that our boarders deal with every day. We also must acknowledge the fact that boarding for many students is not easy, but it is excellent.
During this week, we had a Boarder's Assembly focus where speakers and leaders from boarding shared their experiences with their peers. Clancy McCosker spoke about the activities and opportunities for engagement at TGS, from the small moments that really matter with mates in the Houses, to the massive all boarding events like the ANZAC Day Dawn Service where we acknowledge and respect the service and sacrifices of those past, but all support others in their endeavours, like Cadets and the Arts.
In Mackintosh House, we have amazing boarders, who above all other things, support their mates and peers when times are tough. They also enjoy those moments of immense fun that you cannot describe. These are the ‘you had to be there moments’, where the boys really have fun and learn with each other, sharing jokes only they know. This is the hidden curriculum, the unseen learning, and important social skills that our boarders develop. They are key skills developed while living with others. Unfortunately, our boys don’t always share these moments with us, as they may not fully understand how significant that moment was until much later on in life. They will reflect on these once they have departed. They will look back fondly. They won’t always share these moments in time with parents or staff but when we get to witness them, we feel privileged, entertained and somewhat validated as all the hard work from the boys, parents and staff is truly worth it.
I am impressed by the way our oldest boys are the kindest to our youngest, especially when they don’t realise others are watching, or their mates are not around. When a junior boy asks a senior a genuine question or requests help, there is always compassion and time for each other. This is the servant leaders, the shepherds looking after their flock and protecting their vulnerable. Recently I have been impressed with the way several of our boys have showed great resilience and stoicism at school while significant circumstances and major weather events were happening at their homes.
Returning to my first sentence, National Boarding Week, this is an important week as we work especially hard to promote boarding inside and outside of schools to create a greater understanding of the special and diverse circumstances that all our boarders come to school with and deal with daily. We have promoted our boarding program during this week while acknowledging the people that help and support us. It would have been fitting if our Mother and Son Dinner was this week.
Good luck to all boys involved in DD Rugby grand finals today and all GPS fixtures this weekend.
Regards
Mr Brad Allen
Head of Mackintosh House Boarding
Matty Wise - Mackintosh House Leader and Vice-Captain
Leadership and Service in Boarding
Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most selfless and influential leaders of all time, once said: "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others". During my time at TGS, I have always followed this philosophy, searching for any opportunity to donate my time to help others, and I am happy to say that many of our Mackintosh men do too.
On 12 March, the men of the House gave their time, effort, and donations to the AEIOU Foundation for children with autism during the annual Take a Hike fun run. I am incredibly proud of the House and our efforts to raise $17,647. The Pike brothers and their dad, a Mackintosh Old Boy, raised over $2,000 for Soldier On and also hiked over 130km through the mountains of Papua New Guinea to complement it. Dougal McInnerney, Harry McMillan, and I are also taking part in the Kokoda Challenge, a series of hikes tallying 174km in total, and have already raised $4,200 for the Kokoda Youth Foundation and around $600 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Sam Shannon, Samson Chow and Fraser Coleborn participated in the World's Greatest Shave, raising upwards of $1,000 each in 2022. Will Flegler, a Mackintosh House Prefect, is captaining this term's push-up challenge for mental health.
It's not only the boys of the House who are involved with service; Mr Lachmund, with the help of Mr Moore, former Mackintosh Resident Housemaster who departed in 2022, and Mr David Russell from Wippells Autos all helped to donate a car to Protea Place on behalf of Gip's Restaurant. Protea Place is dedicated to helping women affected by homelessness and domestic violence. The car will be appreciated and used by those who truly need it. A number of the boys and I started this project in 2022, and the car was delivered to Protea Place in Term 2, 2023.
As Year 12 students, my cohort and I have faced many new and great learning experiences about the importance of servant leadership. Our goal is to create a culture of respect and character in the Mackintosh boarding house and to give the boys a home away from home. We often sacrifice our time to spend time with the younger boys of the House to help them enjoy their time here and to help them find their way through the struggles of high school life. This sacrifice of time is often difficult to see or formally recognise as it happens at small and opportune moments between the time when our seniors find themselves training every day for their various sports, working hard at their job, and studying hard for their assessments and examinations. Senior boys manage to find time to do their part in leading the House, creating a game, and helping junior boys with a question or with their prep.
It's this culture that makes our boarding house a home. Comfortable and supportive of all boys. I hope our legacy of helping each other will carry on years after we're gone.
Matty Wise
Mackintosh House Vice House Captain
Mr Clayton Lachmund - Assistant Head of Mackintosh House Boarding
I am writing to you on Mother’s Day evening. It’s been overcast, with just the hint of
a cool breeze here in Toowoomba – perfect for the various outings that have
taken place throughout the day as various lads caught up with their mums on
this special occasion. And if such a catch-up wasn’t possible, then the appropriate
phone call was logged as a way of acknowledging the role that mothers play in
the lives of their sons. I hope every Mackintosh mum had a great day.
Yesterday (Saturday, 13 May), many of our boys played Football and Tennis against Brisbane Boys’ College. I
was with my football team, the 3rds, and I also got to see my son, Charlie,
have a run around with the 10A side. All our boys performed to their best,
always demonstrating the highest level of sportsmanship across each age level.
Congratulations must go to the Football 1st XI for their second win of the
season, a 2-0 victory in front of a big crowd. The BBC lads tried hard, and to
keep them scoreless was a fantastic feat. Mr Mulvey will no doubt be happy at
having notched up another victory (along with two draws) and I’m sure he’ll
enjoy an optimistic mood going into training this week.
I would
like, now, to make special mention of Matty Wise, a young man whose positive
attitude and sense of humour permeate all levels of boarding house life here in
Mackintosh. His work throughout the School is an inspiration to all. He takes
his role as one of the House’s key leaders very seriously and remains an
exemplary role model to the wider School community. I have been fortunate
enough to share Matty’s five-year boarding journey. He has built a rich
experience that will live vividly in his memory for the rest of his life. Well
done, Matty.
There
have been a series of very positive steps taken by our boys in academic
commitment as they seek to improve the numbers on behaviour and work ethic in
the classroom. Keep up the great work, boys. This type of ‘standard-raising’
never goes unnoticed.
Mr Allen
and I have often commented on how enjoyable it is to work in Mackintosh House.
The boys, with their generally excellent attitude and behaviour, create the
opportunity for the staff to relax into their roles and share the space in a
harmonious manner – this is something we never take for granted. The Senior
boys have been the main facilitators of this very positive mood and atmosphere,
and we are all the beneficiaries of their genuine and sincere work. This needs
to be said and acknowledged. I’m just glad I got the chance to set it down in
this newsletter.
The House’s growing addiction to table tennis and pool has been awesome, too.
Enjoy
your week.
All the
best
Clayton
Lachmund
Assistant Head of Mackintosh House Boarding
Mackintosh Family Evening
We hope you can join us for this wonderful annual event and the chance to catch up with other Mackintosh Families. Click here to find out more
Mackintosh House Year 12 Mother and Son Dinner
All our Year 12 Mackintosh House mothers are invited to this special evening where your sons will show their appreciation for all you have done for them. Make sure you bring tissues! More details are here
Mackintosh House Events
We are looking for the upcoming social event for boys, staff, and families in the coming weeks.
Mother and Son Dinner – Thursday, 25 May 2023, 6:00pm
- Year 12 Boys and Mothers evening at Gip's Restaurant
Mackintosh Family Evening – Thursday, 26 May 2023, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
- A social evening for all Mackintosh Senior School Families
House Track and Field Championships - Thursday, 15 June 2023