Dear members of the Terrace Family,

It would appear that we have all successfully navigated Term 3 without any lockdown or closure.  I thank staff, students and parents for their diligence regarding social distancing and hygiene.  It has been important for us all to have a Term 3 that was as normal as possible, and thankfully, we are just about there.

The major focus of my Terrace News article this week is around exams and good practice at this stage of the term.  All students from Years 5 to 11 are now on exam block, and this will continue into next week.  Maintaining a good routine, adequate sleep, appropriate diet and a balanced revision plan are all keys to a successful exam block.  For the majority of students, the Checklist for their year level provides the best revision program possible.  By working through the Checklist, students can identify what content needs to be covered and therefore assess how well they are understand the work that will be examined.  The Checklist, coupled with revision sheets, need to form the regular revision program for students over the coming days.  I also remind students that having the correct equipment (pens, calculator, etc.) is also very important.  Good luck to all students over the coming week.

Term 3 will finish next Thursday 17 September at 3pm.  Friday will be a Pupil Free day and a marking day for the staff.  Term 3 reports will be produced and emailed towards the end of Week 1 in Term 4.

Last Saturday, the GPS Gymnastics Championships were held, and the Tennis, Basketball, Rugby and Football teams played The Southport School, marking the end of our Term 3 GPS program. There will be a few games played against Downlands this week and the 1^st XV will play Ipswich Grammar School on Friday 18 September. However, the GPS season for other schools continues this weekend and as such, premierships and final results have not been determined.  I will leave those results until next week’s edition of the Terrace News.

Please keep the family of Prof John McAuliffe AM (GT 1958), father of Stuart (GT 1987) and Brett (GT 1989), and grandfather of William (Year 5 Buckley) in your prayers.  John passed away peacefully this week. Prof McAuliffe was a long-time supporter of the College.

Finally this week, it is my pleasure to announce that Matthew Cho (Year 12 Kearney), has received the 2020 Peter Doherty Award for Excellence in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education.  This is a prestigious award and Matthew is one of only eleven students across the state to be honoured with the award. Congratulation Matthew and well done.

Have a great week

God Bless.

Dr Michael Carroll
College Principal 

With humility, it is fair to say that Terrace enjoys an excellent reputation across Queensland for the holistic education provided to the young men fortunate enough to attend our wonderful College. One of the strengths for which we are well known is the academic rigour and the excellent outcomes achieved by so many of our young men. Excellence does not necessarily mean being the best; rather, it is about an individual performing at his best. From a staff perspective, we hope that every teacher becomes better at their craft as a result of the decision to work at Terrace. If our teachers perform at their best, both they and their students benefit. Schools are places of frequent change and the College Leadership Team regularly explores ways to improve our pedagogical practices. This has led us to introduce a new senior leadership position to the College at the commencement of 2021. The role-holder, known as the Dean of Pedagogy and Learning Innovation, will be charged with helping teachers to be the best classroom practitioners possible – another example of the pursuit of academic excellence. Recruitment for the role will commence this weekend and we are excited by what lies ahead.

R U OK? Day has received significant attention this week. Mental health is an ongoing issue for people of all ages, and the events of 2020 have made us more attuned to the fact that others who walk among us may be metaphorically wearing a mask that disguises the fact that they are struggling. While students are always our focus, it is important to remember that all adults in the Terrace Family also have a story that may include moments of struggle and darkness. R U OK? Day is a great opportunity for all of us to reach out and genuinely ask a friend, colleague or family member how they are. The care, concern, company and conversation that we gift each other can and does make an enormous difference to our wellbeing. I encourage all in the Terrace Family to embrace the idea that every day is an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others who most need it. A simple question and a chat are all it takes. I wish everyone well for the final week of Term 3.

My Crossroad

Happy Father’s Day for last Sunday to all our dads, granddads and father figures within our Terrace Family - I trust you had a great day. I was treated with breakfast at a local café with my wife, daughter and extended family. Being one of five children, I am constantly in awe of the role my parents played in raising and shaping us, and Sunday was another reminder of the incredible man my father is.

We pray for everyone who has a fathering role in our lives; to fathers who have lost children, who have lost fathers, those with strained father relationships, fathers with strained child relationships, those who are not able to be fathers, those yearning to be fathers and non-biological fathers.

Year 10 Retreat

In their class groups, students in Year 10 commenced their Retreat program last week. This retreat replaces the Immersion experience that has previously been a part of Year 10. Unfortunately, we were unable to go ahead with usual Immersions due to COVID-19. 

A retreat can be defined simply as a definite time spent away from normal life. The spiritual retreat program at Terrace provides students with Gospel-centred formative experiences through which their spiritual growth and Christian self-understanding are nurtured. I recently came across this acrostic for the word retreat:

Relax and really be here 
Energy and enthusiasm 
Time for being together 
Reflect, pray, plan for action 
Everyone matters 
Activities to have fun while we learn 
Try to make a difference

The theme of the Year 10 Retreat program is Our World – My Crossroad. This theme acknowledges that students will be faced with many crossroads on their journey, and the recent pandemic is just one example. At the end of this year, they will be faced with another crossroad in their lives – returning to the main campus. We hope through this retreat that we can show our readiness as a community to support the boys through all of life’s crossroads. We also hope they will take away from their retreat a number of learnings such as:

• Focusing on being selfless (not selfish) members of society.
• Awakening to adulthood and seeing their true and deeper gifts as they transition into the next phase of their lives.
• Identifying the importance of relationships.
• Awareness of the social and emotional needs of others.
• Introducing them to role models - people who have engaged with our world and have come through their crossroads a better person.
• Developing an appreciation of the fragility of our world – and our responsibility for it.

Tuesday Morning Mass

A reminder about Tuesday morning Mass at 7.30am in the Chapel of The Holy Family. Reidy House is leading Mass next week (Week 10).

Due to the current COVID restrictions in place, parents who attend will need to sign in (via the EVA check-in app) and follow social distancing requirements. We appreciate your support with this.

Live Jesus in our Hearts…Forever

Many of you would be aware that it is R U OK? Day today. The significance of this day has never had so much relevance than it does in 2020. Our vulnerable students who work so incredibly hard to keep in the ‘green zone’ have really felt the pressure build in subtle ways over the last six months. The need to have a genuine sense of connection with those around us continues to be challenging. This year’s theme, "There’s more to say after R U OK?" focuses on the follow up actions. Today we have played some games with Years 5 and 6 students and have taken the opportunity to speak with the boys about listening to others, encouraging action and to remember to check in from time to time. This is another great conversation starter around the dinner table as it was discussed with all boys during AM Pastoral Care group this morning.

The influence of others has always been a very strong and powerful force in the lives of our young men. In many cases, this unfolds as a positive influence, but we do become acutely aware of the potential pitfalls this influence can have on our sons as well. In schools, it is the unwritten rules that people fear being judged over. Whether it is being too loud or too quiet, too different, too interested in sport, not interested enough or the way you look that can lead to that feeling of being disconnected within the community. Often boys will choose to conform rather than staying true to their values and individuality. Building one’s capacity for moral courage is certainly a long game. Schools will never stop judgement, but we need to teach boys to make judgements more mindfully. Furthermore, we can teach our boys that it is possible to make a judgement and not feel the need to articulate it. If you cannot be kind, be quiet. Last week, I spoke about the challenges the internet presents for children in this space. They can be quick to judge and feel entitled to express those judgements.

Finally, I would like to take the opportunity to highlight some of the great work one of our Seniors has been working on throughout the year. Barrett House Captain and proud indigenous man Emerson Locke has driven Project Aurukun with members of his House to support the people of Aurukun in Cape York. They have been able to send 20 boxes of shoes and thongs and 30 boxes of clothing in recent times to this community. Emerson has been an outstanding leader for not only Barrett House but the Terrace Family. Well done Emerson!

This week exams have commenced for Years 5 to 11 students. This summative assessment is an opportunity to inform students of their subject progress and attainment. However, for many subjects, this is the culmination of formative assessment, checkpoints and drafting that has been ongoing through the term. As Bob Stake, an assessment expert from the University of Illinois, explains – When the cook tastes the soup, it is formative; when the guest tastes the soup, it is summative. Both formative and summative assessment is important. All assessment is an opportunity for both students and teachers to be informed of student progress.

However, assessment outcomes are immensely powerful for teachers. Professor John Hattie from Melbourne University posits that a major purpose of assessment should be to provide information to schools and teachers about their impact on student learning. This knowledge then provides the opportunity to adapt further teaching and learning.

For our Year 12 teachers and students, the insights gained from the recent mock exams will strongly shape their revision strategy moving forward. Year 12 students will be receiving feedback on their mock external exam when they return to class next week.

At Terrace, following an assessment period, we examine student results and utilise it in several ways:

• Identifying students who require further support with literacy and/or numeracy and implementing an intervention to assist students. For example, the Learning Assistance program (LAP).
• Identifying students who need extension and implementing programs to extend. For example, the Math and English Honours programs.
• Intervention interviews with students who have demonstrated a major downward trend in their results.
• Identification and tracking of cohort strengths and weaknesses in literacy and numeracy. Revised class teaching and external program support is then supplied.

Consequently, for both students and teachers, this assessment period is an opportunity to inform progress and ascertain attainment. However, and most importantly, it is not the knowledge gained that is of paramount importance, it is the reinforcement of behaviours that have led to success or conversely, the changing of those that did not enable success, that is the mark of successful assessment.

I wish students all the best for the remainder of their exam block.

GPS Chess vs TSS

Well done to the Premier Board for their draw against TSS. Overall we had a team win with four board wins, two board draws and three board losses. Well done again to Matt Brown (Year 10) who played his entire GPS season undefeated and also to Suren Jansz (Year 10) who by playing more games than Matt, earns him the most wins for Terrace.

Please note a correction from last week's Terrace News.  We erroneously noted that Yang Zhang had played on the Premier Board for Terrace Chess for five years.  He has, in fact, played for six years - for the entirety of his time at Terrace.  Apologies to Yang for the error and an even bigger congratulations for this outstanding achievement. 

Inter-School Chess

Last Thursday, our Senior Chess players competed in the second heat of the Inter-School Chess tournament where we placed sixth in Division 1. This effort puts us on the cusp of representing Terrace in a State Final, and we are eagerly awaiting this news.

Terrace Music intake for 2021      

Last Friday, after the Years 5 and 7 scholastic testing, our music team placed over 100 new students into 2021 ensembles and lessons. This single intake is the largest opportunity each year for our team to capture continuing musicians who have started their journey in primary school and are keen to hone this passion within the Terrace Music program. The boys had a great understanding of what they were getting into and were very excited to begin their journey in the red and black. This year will see 22 Year 12 musicians graduate, which shows Terrace Music is yet to reach its full potential.

Staying in touch   

To keep in touch with all things Cultural, we would suggest you download the Terrace App and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to ensure you don’t miss anything.   If you have any photographs or videos that you would to share, please tag us. 

TWITTER           @GTCulture

INSTAGRAM      terrace_gtculture

YOUTUBE          Terrace Culture YouTube Channel

Welcome to Week 9

Last Friday we held Placement hearings for our incoming 2021 Years 5 and 7 boys. We commenced with a choral experience for the boys before hearing them on their primary instruments. Our sincere thanks to all the Music staff and Terrace musicians who came out on the day to help out with the BBQ and running handball games while the new students waited to be picked up.

Please note that Music Hall next week will be run only for percussion.

As of Term 4 we will be running all ensembles based on our 2021 membership. For many this will mean a change. Families will be contacted soon as to which ensemble(s) and the requirements needed.

Rhythm Section workshops

I would like to draw your attention to the Rhythm Section workshops, Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 September (Week 2 of the holidays). These focus purely on the guitarists, pianists, bass players and drummers of our four big bands and the Terrace Rock Band. We will be bringing in specialist tutors to work with the boys to hone their individual and collective ensemble skills. For some of these musicians, they will be newly minted members of these ensembles!

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact the Music Department  music@terrace.qld.edu.au

Term 3 events

• Friday 18 September - AMEB Brass Clinic
• Monday 21 – Friday 24 September - Choir Camp
• Friday 25 September - AMEB Speech and Drama Exam
• Monday 28 September and Tuesday 29 September - Rhythm Section Workshop
• Wednesday 30 September - AMEB Brass Clinic

Basketball

The allocated Bye in the final round saw Round 8 of GPS Basketball double as the conclusion to the GPS season for Terrace. The program encountered a tough opposition with an away round against The Southport School and some challenging games against the higher division BBC and BGS teams in the supplementary draw.

In a strong on-court display, the program won 17 of the 23 games (74%) played between Terrace and TSS, and the 1^st V capped off an excellent season with their seventh win against a good Southport unit. The A program was impressive, showing their class to win all but two age group games, with the 8As showing great fight to come back from a five-point deficit with minutes remaining to win by two points. The B-D teams were also very good on Saturday, with dominant wins for a number of these sides, highlighted by a 66-point victory by the 9Ds.  These results once again exemplify the development and improvement of players as they progress through the program, following the carefully constructed coaching curriculum available to the students.

On Saturday, the Terrace Senior students played their last game in the red and black. We must recognise and thank all of the Year 12 students for their support and resilience, playing the sport into their Senior year. We hope that they have enjoyed their time in the program and look forward to their continued involvement and interest in Terrace Basketball as Old Boys.

The 1^st V had an impressive 11-point win over TSS to finish their season off with a seven-win, one defeat record. This means they will need results to go their way in Round 9 to be crowned joint premiers. Regardless of the final result, the season can be considered a success as this group consistently played at a very high level of Basketball and picked up tough away wins against Toowoomba, State High and Southport. This group has worked and played hard on court and has gained the respect of many in the Basketball community.  The Terrace program is extremely proud of this group of young men.

As the season draws to a close, we thank all players for their commitment, dedication and passion for Terrace Basketball and the wider community for their ongoing support of Basketball at the College.

Gymnastics

Brisbane Grammar School was at its very best hosting the last GPS Gymnastics Championships on Saturday. We thank everyone who made the day a success, particularly Brisbane Boys’ College and Mr Josh Chambers, along with his coaches, for the support and training they have given our students over the last two years.  A special mention also goes to the Gymnastics Support Group, and all those parents of the program who support their boys in a very demanding sport.

The young men themselves did a fabulous job in competing on Saturday and several personal bests were achieved.  Acknowledging these young men below – congratulations on your performance but more importantly how you represented Terrace and your own families on Saturday. Thank you also to the other students who have trained and pushed these competing students to be at their best.

Division 3

• William Fletcher
• Connor Gleeson
• Harry Hislop
• Hugh Barrett
• Alex Buswell
• Oliver Marriott

 Division 2

• Anton Fang
• Edward Fletcher 

Division 1

• Patrick Gleeson (Captain)
• Sean Coman (Vice Captain)
• Mike Carr (Vice Captain) 

Results

• Division 1 – Fourth
• Division 2 – Fourth
• Division 3 – Third
• Overall – Fourth

Football

Our final round of the GPS season was against The Southport School, a dominant force across the GPS competition. All games on the day were played in great spirit with all players aware this was our last hit out in what has been a difficult year. 

A big congratulations must go to our undefeated teams this season: well done to the 9Cs, 8Bs and 8Cs on their fantastic runs, and to the 5As for achieving this in their first ever season of GPS Football. 

Unfortunately, our 1^st XI could not get the win against the undefeated TSS 1^st  XI who walked away with the GPS Football Premiership. Our boys deserved a better send off for their final game, but ultimately the better team won on the day. The match demonstrated how high stakes the GPS competition is, where just a single loss can remove you from premiership contention. 

While it wasn’t our day on Saturday, all of us are incredibly proud of this team and the way they have played this season. The depth of skill and character in the team bodes well for seasons to come, and we hope our great effort this year will prove a springboard to future success.

Well done to all our teams this season for playing with resilience and spirit. Thank you to our players’ families for their patience and understanding this season, the Football Support Group for your efforts every week and to the coaching staff for all you have done for our players this season.

Rugby

On Saturday, Terrace Rugby took on The Southport School (TSS) in the main draw and Anglican Church Grammar School, Toowoomba Grammar School and Nudgee College in the supplementary draw for our final round of GPS fixtures. Many thanks to all involved for your support in making our last GPS games of the season such a success. We had great results across all age groups against TSS, a traditionally strong rugby school: over the 24 games played on the day, GT came away with 17 wins and 7 defeats. Well done also to those teams who played in the supplementary draw. 

Team of the week

The team of the week goes to the undefeated 11A team coached by Mr Doogan O’Hanlon and assisted by Mr Ed Nasser. The boys finished their season with a 98-0 win over TSS for a season aggregate of 243 points for and 52 against. 

Congratulations to the 12A, 13A and 14C teams who also finished their GPS seasons undefeated and a special mention to the 11B, 11C, 13C, 15C and 16D teams who only lost one game. 

Season 2020 | Thanks

The continued growth of our program is a direct result of the enthusiasm and professionalism of our coaches, referees, ground staff and medical staff, the positive and supportive environment created by our Rugby families on game day and the ongoing commitment of the Rugby Support Group. 

A special thanks must go to Director of Sport Mr Tony McGahan, and age group coordinators Mr Blair Copelin and MR Brendan McGrath who juggled team lists to ensure we had enough boys to fulfil our commitments to the GPS and the supplementary draw. 

Well done to all our young men who displayed great sportsmanship and respect for their opponents. Thank you to their coaches, many of whom are teachers, parents/caregivers and Old Boys, for giving up their time to the program. The success of Terrace Rugby is due in no small part to their invaluable assistance. A special thanks to those coaches whose sons are graduating this year who have dedicated countless hours to the program. 

The Rugby program is very fortunate to have such a fantastic group of people supporting us every step of the way. Special thanks must go to: 

• The Terrace Rugby Support Group, led by Mr Anthony Kirk and Mr Lee Bodimeade – these two are the first to arrive and last to leave Tennyson on game day to set up and pull down. 
• Mr Michael Fallon from the Rugby Support Group and Mrs Kirsten Carroll from the TLG, along with all parents and caregivers who assisted in the BBQ Pit and the Canteen on game days. 
• Ms Rosanna Ferguson and Ms Zoe Morgan for their efforts with the Game Day Program. 
• Dr Ben Forster, his team of parent doctors and Twelve9teen physiotherapy who ensured all boys were in safe hands at our home games. 
• Our Terrace Referees who quietly go about their jobs. 
• Mr Alan Kennedy and Mr Matt Wrathall who prepare the fields at Tennyson each weekend. 
• All the members of our Rugby family – parents, caregivers and friends – who supported from the sidelines. 

 Finally, I would like to acknowledge our Year 12 players. We thank you for your commitment to the Rugby program over your years at Terrace: your hard work on and off the field, your embodiment of the Terrace spirit and the pride with which you have worn the red and black jersey. We hope you have enjoyed your time representing the College in rugby, and we wish you all the best in your adventures ahead.

Please be advised that the College has extended the Term 4 sport sign on until the end of this term.  Parents/caregivers are asked to ensure that boys are signed up to their chosen sport via the Parent Lounge by 3pm Thursday 17 September.

 A reminder that the sports offered in Term 4 are:

• Cricket
• Rowing
• Swimming
• Volleyball

For full details about each sport, including a general overview of the program along with uniform, levy, and training information, please refer to the Sign On Booklet via the College App or Parent Lounge.

A reminder that sport sign on now occurs via the 'Extra-Curricular' section within Parent Lounge.  Assistance in navigating this change also available via the College App.  Please note - a number of parents/caregivers appear to have overlooked Step 6 - please ensure that you select 'submit to school' as the final sign on step to ensure that your son is registered to play.

Terrace Performing Arts is raising money with Entertainment  

Help a great cause, support local community and save on a 12 or 24 month membership.

Go to the link here for more information.

Thank you to the ladies who were able to join us for our first virtual TLG meeting on Monday.  For those unable to attend please find a link to the meeting video here.

The next virtual meeting is scheduled for 9 November.  Please note that this is a calendar change from 26 October.  We will be sure to move closer to the camera for the next meeting!

We pray for the families of the following members of the Terrace Family who have gone to their eternal rest. 

Professor John Frederick MCAULIFFE AM, GT 1951-58

Volunteering at the Terrace Shop

During Term 4 we are welcoming our newest students to the Terrace Family and we need your help! We would love to have you assist us in the Shop as each new student is fitted for his Terrace uniform.

It is a lovely tradition to have current parents volunteer in the Shop during this time. It gives new families an opportunity to meet other parents and ask those everyday questions in a friendly and welcoming environment.

It doesn’t matter if you have not volunteered with us before – we warmly welcome everyone! We will be here to help you and will give you a quick cheat sheet for the fitting process.

We will attend to the uniform fittings from Term 4 Week 1 -  Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8.30am - 2.45pm. 

On Tuesdays 27 October, 10 November and 17 November we will need assistance until 5.15pm. There are two families booked at one scheduled time, therefore we hope to have two volunteers kindly assist after school.

If you are interested in helping us, please put your name down to volunteer via the following links.

• October 5 https://volunteersignup.org/3R3HT
• October 12  https://volunteersignup.org/AFR9Y
• October 19 https://volunteersignup.org/K3DPT
• October 26 https://volunteersignup.org/MJERA
• November 2 https://volunteersignup.org/KAW3C
• November 9 https://volunteersignup.org/XTR7P
• November 16 https://volunteersignup.org/8HQ8A

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We both look forward to welcoming you!

Donna Asnicar and Felice Gatenby terraceshop@terrace.qld.edu.au

LAST CHANCE to support Red and Black basketball and be in with a shot of winning some incredible prizes listed below:

• 1st prize - LG LED TV valued at $1195
• 2nd prize - Nespresso machine valued at $399
• 3rd prize - Bunnings wheelbarrow with goodies

Tickets $25 each or 5 for $100 (+ booking fees)
Please click the link below to purchase. 

Details: Friday 9 October - Saturday 10 October
Venue: Maroon Outdoor Education Centre
Cost: Free
RSVP: via the below link by Tuesday 6 October
For further information or camp enquiries, please contact
Brendan McGrath | BrendanMcGrath@Terrace.qld.edu.au 

Terrace Volleyball invites you and your friends to Red and Black retail bliss at the Estee Lauder Corporate Store - 40% off brands such as Estee Lauder, Clinique, M.A.C., Bobbi Brown and more!

Details: Saturday 24 October & Saturday 31 October  | 10am – 4pm 
Where: Level 2, 33 Park Road, Milton 
Cost: $10 (+ booking fee) | Includes entry 
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 31 October
For further information or enquiries, please contact
Diana Weeden | polloni.weeden@optusnet.com.au

To comply with COVID-19 guidelines and to ensure physical distancing can be maintained only 8 people per hour will be permitted to enter the store.

The College looks forward to celebrating this very special occasion with all the Terrace Family in 2021.

Date: Saturday 6 March 2021
Venue: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
RSVP: Tickets on sale early 2021. All tickets currently not refunded will automatically transfer to this new event. 
For further Ball enquiries or refunds on current tickets, please email
Terrace Communications | office@terrace.qld.edu.au 

Year 6 End of Year Break Up

Details: Friday 27 November | 12 - 3pm
Venue: Centenary Pool, Gregory Terrace Spring Hill
Cost: Admission - $15 (+bf) | Includes admission, sausage sizzle & cake
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link
For further information or enquiries, please contact
Catherine Hennessy | terraceclass2026@gmail.com