8. Spelling and commonly used words/phrases
For any spelling queries, refer to the Macquarie Dictionary (Ninth Edition).
The following words and phrases are commonly used within BGS publications. (If you have queries about others, please email MarComms and we’ll add to the list.)
n = noun
adj. = adjective
v = verb
the Centre for Science, Creativity and Entrepreneurship
| A | Notes/examples |
| A-team, B-team | |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander | |
| Aboriginal peoples | Plural |
| advisor | |
| affect (v.) / effect (n.) | His attitude will affect his work. |
| His attitude has had a positive effect on his work. | |
| AFL | No full points |
| age-appropriate | |
| ageing | Not aging |
| aid | Something to assist a child’s learning |
| We will use bead frames as an aid. | |
| aide | A person assisting a child |
| a teacher’s aide | |
| alumni | Plural |
| alumnus | Singular |
| among | Not amongst |
| and | Not & |
| the Annandale Gym | |
| the Annandale Pavilion | |
| Anzac | Use ANZAC only when referring to the army corps itself |
| the Atrium | |
| apps (no capital) | |
| APS Sport | No full points, no need to write out in full |
| BGS qualified for the APS Finals. | |
| artwork | |
| Assembly | Initial capital |
| Friday morning’s Assembly | |
| Australian Government | |
| autumn | No capital for seasons |
| B | |
| B2M | Boys 2 Men |
| BGS+ | For the sub-brand of extracurricular programs. Where possible italicise |
| BGS Parents Group (BGSPG) | |
| Beating the Bounds | Valedictory event. Note it is not Beating of the Bounds |
| behaviour | |
| benefited, benefiting | Single ‘t’ |
| BGS | No full points |
| BHIVE | |
| billycart | One word |
| bookwork (n.) | |
| Borwick House Choir | |
| boy | No capital (but ‘Old Boy’) |
| Brighton Grammar School | |
| Buddy, Buddies | Initial capital (refers to a School program) |
| C | |
| camp | Do NOT use term! Use ‘Outdoor Education program’ or ‘Outdoor Education journey’ instead. |
| Choral class | Capital because ‘Choral’ is a Learning Domain |
| classmate | |
| classroom | |
| classwork | |
| Co-captain | |
| co-curricular | |
| co-education | |
| coordinate, coordination | |
| cooperate, cooperation | |
| counsellor | Unless referring to a person on a council – councillor) |
| counterproductive | |
| coursework | |
| co-worker | |
| criterion | Singular (plural – criteria) |
| cross country (n.) | But cross-country race (adj.) |
| Use the title in full, do not abbreviate in any manner | |
| the Crowther Centre | |
| curriculum vitae, CV | |
| D | |
| data | Plural and singular (not datum) |
| database | |
| daydream | |
| daytime | |
| decision making process | |
| Distinction Certificate | |
| Dr | For doctor – no full point |
| the Duigan Centre | Prounciation: DYE-GAN /dʊɪɡæn/. Previously named as: the Centre for Science, Creativity and Entrepreneurship |
| Dreamtime | |
| E | |
| e.g. | |
| e-book, e-commerce, e-learning, e-resources | |
| effect (n.) / affect (v.) | His attitude has had a positive effect on his work. |
| His attitude will affect his work. | |
| Effective Learner model | |
| ELC3 | No space |
| English (subject) | Capital letters for Learning Domains; lower case for subsets (e.g. spelling, punctuation) |
| enrol, enrolment, enrolled, enrolling | |
| enquiry | Not inquiry, unless referring to a formal inquiry, e.g. a police inquiry |
| etc. | |
| everyday (adj.) | Mindfulness is an everyday practice at BGS. |
| We practise mindfulness every day at BGS. | |
| extra-curricular | |
| eye contact | |
| F | |
| fine-motor skills | |
| first aid (n.) | |
| first-aid kit (adj.) | |
| First XV, Second XI, Third VIII | Sporting teams |
| focused, focusing, foci | |
| fulfil, fulfilled, fulfilment | |
| Full Colours | Full Colours for Badminton. |
| He played badminton. | |
| full-time (adj.) | full-time work |
| G | |
| the G B Robertson Hall | |
| gross-motor skills | |
| ground-breaking | |
| Guided Reading | Capital letters for Learning Domains |
| H | |
| hands-on (adj.) | |
| handwriting (n.) | |
| hard-working (adj.) | |
| the Hay Family Lecture Theatre | |
| high-frequency (adj.) | |
| homeroom | |
| homework | |
| homework book | |
| Hon. (e.g. The Hon. John Smith) | |
| House | Crowther House |
| House Swimming | |
| House Chess competition | |
| No cap if referring to all ‘houses’. | |
| The boys are allocated to houses. They undertake various activities with the rest of their house. | |
| the Hub | lower case ‘t’ |
| I | |
| i.e. | |
| in-depth (adj.) | He has an in-depth knowledge of Australian history. |
| Indigenous | In Australian context; lower case at all other times |
| International Parents Support Group (IPSG) | |
| Interschool | Interschool Sport, Interschool Debating |
| internet, intranet | |
| iPad | |
| J | |
| judgement | With an ‘e’ |
| Junior Parents Group (JPG) | |
| Junior School | |
| K | |
| kind-hearted (adj.) | |
| L | |
| labelled, labelling | |
| labour | But Australian Labor Party |
| laptop | |
| lead-up (n.) | |
| Learning Support | |
| learnt | Not learned |
| letter-sound | |
| lifespan | |
| Literacy Rotations | |
| Long Day Program | In reference to Year 11 and 12 after-hours study |
| M | |
| masterclass | One word |
| masters degree | No apostrophe |
| Mathematics | Capital letter for Learning Domains |
| Merit Certificate | |
| metre | Not meter |
| Middle School | Do not refer to Middle School, only Secondary School |
| mindfulness | |
| mini-project | |
| Monitor | Initial capital where the title is specified |
| Science Monitor | |
| most valuable player (MVP) | |
| Mothers’ Day | |
| Mr, Mrs, Ms | No full points |
| multicultural | |
| multidisciplinary | |
| multimedia | |
| multipurpose | |
| multi-syllable | |
| multi-task | |
| the Musical | Initial capital when referring to a specific production |
| He was the lead part in the Musical. | |
| N | |
| no one (no hyphen) | |
| non-fiction | |
| non-verbal | |
| note reading | Two words |
| note taking | Two words |
| O | |
| the Oak Tree | |
| OB 1978 | Use abbreviation with peer year after the name of an Old Boy, no space |
| John Jones (OB 1960) | |
| Old Boy | |
| Old Brighton Grammarians’ Society (OBGS) | |
| on task | |
| on-site | do not use onsite |
| one-one-one (adj.) | He received one-on-one tuition. |
| ongoing | |
| online | |
| open-ended | |
| open-minded | |
| organise | Not organize |
| P | |
| parent groups | |
| Parent Teacher Discussions | Not Interviews or Meetings |
| Use initial capitals | |
| per cent, percentage | |
| PhD | |
| postgraduate | |
| PowerPoint | |
| practice (n.), practise (v.) | I attend my cricket practice on Monday. |
| I practise conscientiously every Monday. | |
| prerequisite | |
| pre-empt | |
| proactive | |
| problem solve, problem solving | |
| program | Not programme |
| Various sports programs are run across the School. | |
| Program | In reference to a specific program |
| Year 10 boys participate in the Tomorrow Man Program. This Program introduces them to… | |
| proofread | |
| Q | |
| the Quad | |
| quick-thinking | |
| R | |
| realise | Not realize |
| rebut, rebuttal, rebutting | |
| Record Book | Initial capitals |
| reread | |
| retell | |
| risk taker (n.), risk-taking (adj.) | |
| the Robert Sanderson Centenary Hall | |
| role model | |
| role play | |
| the Rosstrevor end | |
| the Rosstrevor Hall | |
| S | |
| SACs | No apostrophe |
| SATs | No apostrophe |
| Schoolbox | No space |
| School Captain | Previously Captain of School, Captain of the School |
| school year | |
| Secondary School | |
| self-confident, self-confidence | |
| self-corrects | |
| self-edits | |
| self-esteem | |
| self-motivate | |
| Semester 1 | Capital ‘S’ when written with a number. |
| Use number and not word. | |
| semester | Billy worked well this semester. |
| semi-final | |
| senior students | |
| Show and Tell | |
| single-campus school | But: BGS consists of a single campus. |
| Sizzling Starts | |
| the S J Priestley Conference Room | |
| Smart Spelling | |
| Snowsports | One word |
| sound–letter (adj.) | Note: en-dash (not hyphen) |
| e.g. sound–letter recognition | |
| the St Andrew’s end | |
| staff | Music staff |
| state (state of Victoria) | |
| storyline | |
| story telling | |
| story time | |
| story writing | |
| School | (upper case S only when referring to Brighton Grammar School specifically) |
| The School’s core values are passion, respect, integrity and accountability. | |
| The School’s website etc. | |
| school life | |
| school work | |
| school mate | |
| Secondary School | Do NOT refer to Secondary School as Senior School |
| South East Asia | |
| summer | No capital for seasons |
| spring | No capital for seasons |
| Still Cloud | |
| Syndicate Program | |
| T | |
| teacher aide | |
| team mate | |
| team work | |
| tech-savvy | |
| Term 1 | Capital ‘T’ when written with a number. |
| Use number and not word. | |
| THRASS chart | Teaching Handwriting Reading and Spelling Skills |
| timeframe | |
| timeline | |
| Torres Strait Islander peoples (plural) | |
| TryBooking | |
| the Tuckshop | |
| 21st century | |
| U | |
| the U14 team | |
| undergraduate | |
| undervalued | |
| upper case | |
| the Urwin Centre for Learning | |
| V | |
| Vice-Captain | Capitals when referring to an individual |
| W | |
| warm-up (n.) | |
| webpage | Refers to an individual page on a website |
| website | |
| wellbeing | |
| the Wellbeing Centre | |
| well-developed, well-mannered, well-organised | |
| Wi-Fi | |
| workbook, worksheet | |
| workspace | |
| worldwide | |
| World Wide Web | Title case (this is a proper noun) |
| Y | |
| Year 1; Years 9–10 | Not Year 9–10 |
| Also, do not use ‘Year 8s and 9s’ (instead, say ‘Year 8 and 9 boys’) | |
| You Can Do It | Program |
| Year 7 | Capital Y, not Grade 7, Y7 or Year Seven |
| YouTube | |
| Z |