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Principal’s Message | Dr Michael Carroll

 Dear members of the Terrace Family,

Last Friday, I wrote to all families to provide information regarding some of the programs offered to students and parents relating to respectful relationships and to reinforce how strong, positive partnerships between home and the College are key to forming the Gentlemen of Terrace.

On Monday, we celebrated International Women’s Day, the theme of which was Choose to Challenge.  A challenged world is an alert world.  Individually, we are all responsible for our thoughts and actions – all day, every day.  We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality.  At various College forums this week, International Women’s Day, and importantly the issue of respectful relationships has been addressed.  In my own life, the unquestionable role that my mother, my wife, my daughters and my sisters have played and indeed, continue to play is significant, and I would not be who I am today without the support, guidance and unconditional love shown to me by these women over many years.  Each of us could share similar stories about the importance of women in our lives.  As an all boys’ school, we have both the opportunity and a particular responsibility to Choose to Challenge, not limited simply to this week but all day, every day.

In my letter last Friday, I referenced the importance of the partnership between the College and parents in continuing to form young men who are respectful and who do Choose to Challenge.  One afternoon last week, while driving home, I listened to an interview with author Rob Sturrock on ABC Radio.  The context of the interview was the importance of a strong and positive relationship between father and son.  Sturrock has written several articles and a book titled Man Raises Boy, which I purchased and have begun reading.  Sturrock talks about boys being allowed to be free to blaze their own trail and not be caught in the masculine stereotyping of previous times. The book has certainly made me reflect on the challenge of raising boys, and Sturrock certainly challenges fathers to step up and take more responsibility in this process.  My personal view is that mothers also play a pivotal role in setting their sons free.  The need for a strong partnership between home and the College has never been more important as we work to support each other and your sons as they navigate the journey of life.

As the term quickly progresses, I would like to acknowledge our co-curricular program and some of the achievements of this term.  Last Friday night, the GPS Swimming Championships were held at Chandler, with student spectators in attendance, for the first GPS event since the corresponding championships in 2020.  The Terrace Swimming team placed a gallant fifth overall in what was an excellent outcome.  However, what was most impressive was the nature of the team effort on display.  Despite recording just one first place from 42 events, the effort and commitment shown by all swimmers to gain that extra place or strive for their best time were extraordinary.  I congratulate the swimmers, their coaches and the many supportive parents who have toiled for many months to achieve this result.  Thank you, and well done.

This week is another exceptionally busy time for co-curricular activities.  The Head of the River will be held this Saturday at Lake Wyaralong – the culmination of months of hard work and sacrifice by our rowers, their coaches and their dedicated parents.  I wish all rowers the very best for the weekend.  The GPS Debating program also continues this Friday night with the highly anticipated match-up against Brisbane Grammar School to see who claims the King of the Hill bragging rights for 2021. Saturday will also see Cricket and Volleyball fixtures against BGS. Now that student supporters are permitted, I am sure that we will have strong numbers at the various venues across the weekend.  Good luck to all involved.

Finally, this week, by way of early notice, the College will celebrate St Joseph’s Day with a whole school Mass on Friday 19 March.  During the Mass, we will also launch the College’s new Strategic Plan – Towards 150.  I will share more about this in next week’s edition of the Terrace News.

Have a great week.
God Bless.

 

Deputy Principal | Mr Damien Fall

As we approach the latter stages of the term, a focal point for our teaching staff is preparing for exams and the associated marking and reporting process. Most importantly, early in Term 2, parents, caregivers and students will have the opportunity to participate in Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews. As per the calendar, these will be held across two days as follows:

  • Monday 19 April (Student Free Day) 11am-7pm
  • Wednesday 28 April 1.30-7.30pm

The Monday session above is a new initiative designed to provide more opportunity for parents to attend across a broader range of times. Given that COVID is still a potential threat and the need to decide now to allow for planning, the College has again elected to run all these interviews remotely via Teams. We have taken a conservative position and will not be offering face to face meetings for this round of interviews. I trust that families will understand our decision. This decision was made easier when we considered the enormous volume of positive feedback from parents and caregivers following remote interviews last year.

At the completion of the above sessions, we will again survey parents and monitor QCEC guidelines and social expectations before deciding the format for interviews at the start of Term 3. Communication will come home soon regarding the process for booking interviews and instructions for connecting remotely and attending the interviews via Teams. The two main negatives of this interview style are the lack of personal contact with face-to-face interviews and the difficulty of sharing student work with parents. While the first of these cannot be changed, we are exploring ways to improve the capacity to show student work in this forum.

The College website is an important source of information about all matters relating to Terrace. One area that may be of interest to parents is our Policies section which can be found here. Many of the policies refer to student matters, while others refer to topics such as grievance, bullying, harassment and student protection. I recommend parents and caregivers take a few minutes to familiarise themselves with these documents and their location if there is ever a need to refer to them.

I was fortunate to attend Xavier House Mass on Tuesday morning. It was heartwarming to see so many families and staff join the students for Mass. Father Gerry was in great form as he broke the Gospel down to make it understandable for our students. Tuesday morning Mass is a wonderful community activity, and I thank those parents and caregivers who can come along and join us. I wish all in the Terrace Family the very best as we head towards the final weeks of term.

Dean of Identity | Mr Terry Thompson

Challenge

On Monday, we celebrated International Women’s Day. It is a special time to honour the significant role women play in our lives - our mothers and grandmothers, our sisters, our daughters, our colleagues, our teachers and our friends.

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge –

 A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we are all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day. We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge.

For more information, head to https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

As a College, we engaged in various activities this week to acknowledge and celebrate the work of our women on staff at the College. Specifically –

  • Students and staff were challenged to wear a purple ribbon this week to reflect the significant role women play in their lives.
  • There was a morning tea on Monday to celebrate and highlight this day. All female staff were relieved of their playground duties and office spaces to attend. Thank you to the male staff for volunteering to cover these duties in their absence.
  • Jake Laherty did an amazing job at College Assembly yesterday unpacking the theme #ChooseToChallenge. He asked students to go home and talk to their mum, sister, girlfriend or aunt about the challenges they may have faced with gender bias and inequality. Challenge your understanding, challenge your mates’ understanding, to think more thoroughly about the gender debate.
  • House Captains led prayer and reflection at their respective House Assemblies to reiterate the significance of the day.

In the Church, I would like to celebrate the achievements of Mary MacKillop. Mary dedicated her life to bringing the message of God’s love to all whom she encountered. She was a woman with a dream to make a difference in our world. Her dream encompassed opening simple schools with no class distinction, offering refuge to the marginalised, and bringing practical help to families.

Let us pray that Mary MacKillop’s spirit and values continue to inspire the Terrace Family to make a difference in the lives of those we meet.

Gracious God,
We pray for all women around the world and celebrate those who came before us, those who stand beside us now, and those who will come after.
Strengthen us to stand in solidarity with our sisters experiencing injustice.
Open our hearts to listen and serve.
Give us the courage to hope and work for a better future for all genders.
Awaken us, that we may fully realise our connection to our one global human family.
We pray that we can live the Gospel Spirituality of Justice and Solidarity to create an Inclusive Community so that all can have a Liberating Education.
Live Jesus in our hearts…Forever

 

Next week

Monday: Year 7 Buckley Camp + Retreat at Maroon (all week)
Tuesday: Year 6 Blue and Green Mass – 7.45am (Chapel), National Close The Gap Day
Wednesday: St Patrick’s Feast Day
Friday: St Joseph’s Feast Day

Dean of Students | Mr Damien Cuddihy

I was fortunate to attend the GPS Swimming Championships last Friday evening, and I felt a great sense of pride in the way our supporters engaged in their role, but more importantly, in the way the swimmers went about the competition. Coming fifth was a fantastic result for the team. While there were some memorable results, it is fair to say that several of our young men entered races with little prospect of coming anywhere other than at the tail end of the field. I admired the fact that all of our swimmers, whether they were hot favourites or rank underdogs, went into every race to give everything they had.  All we can ask of our young men is that they give their best to everything they undertake and walk away proud that they could give no more, which they certainly did on Friday.

This Friday night, we are hosting Brisbane Grammar School for Debating. It is always a lively contest and an excellent display of public speaking by both teams. It will be held in the Campbell Centre, with families reminded to scan in before entering the Campbell Centre. On Saturday, the Rowing season reaches its culmination at the Head of the River Championship at Wyaralong Dam. These young men need our support, and I encourage any student who is not involved in another co-curricular activity on Saturday to come along.  We will be taking students on buses that will depart the College at 6.30am this Saturday 13 March. The 1st VI Volleyball match against BGS also promises to be a tight clash with plenty of supporters from both schools expected. As with all GPS championship events and First teams, we ask that students from all year levels wear the white shirt with their tie, including the red HPE cap, when supporting these events.

Michael Carr-Gregg and SchoolTV have released a special program titled A Conversation on Consent. Further to Dr Carroll’s letter to the community on Friday, the link to this resource can be found here. The basis of this presentation is developing an understanding of consent. As mentioned last week, All Hallows’ and Terrace are hosting Michael Carr-Gregg on Wednesday 17 March for a webinar commencing at 7pm on Building Resilient and Happy Children. The link to this presentation can be found on the Terrace App.

Finally, thank you for your support with school socks and haircuts in the last couple of weeks. The number of old school socks has significantly diminished, and the boys that needed a quick trim have followed through with that. Again, your support is much appreciated.

Dean of Studies | Mr Mason Hellyer

At Nudgee College two Saturdays ago, I stood on the sidelines and watched the 1st  VI Volleyball team take on the undefeated Nudgee 1st VI. In the first set, which they lost convincingly, nothing went right for them, and every time they attempted to take a step forward to get back in the game, it didn’t work – an attack got blocked, a call went against them, the spike just went out.

However, between sets, they regrouped, went back to the basics and worked their way into the next set – their only focus being to win the next point, then the set. And they did. Serves went in, passes went to the setter, attacking spikes hit the floor, blocks were made. This resulted in the team closely winning the second set, then the third set, and then dominating the fourth set - and ultimately the game.

For our Years 5-11 students, we are currently in the middle of a demanding part of the term. Assignments are due, and exams are only two weeks away. Students will feel like there is a lack of time or motivation at present. However, we need to take a lesson from the 1st VI, when you are feeling pressure and performance is not at its best – go back to the basics and concentrate on what you have to do next:

  • Revisit your study plan. If you have moved away from the plan – get back on track.
  • As assignments are handed in – reallocate that time to prepare for your exam subjects.
  • Students have all received your exam timetables – plan backwards from each exam, how much time you will spend preparing. Make sure you spend time to prepare for each subject.
  • Use the resources around you. There are many opportunities for staff tutoring (tutoring timetable is on the College App), be an active learner, use this time to get assistance with the aspects of your work that you don’t know.
  • Most importantly, start now. Like the 1st VI, attend to the basics – have a plan, work consistently, focus on the next task. Then you will experience success.

Terrace Library

Director of Culture | Mr Matt Cocking

Terrace Debating – QDU

Last Wednesday night, we had a very successful round of debating for our Years 10 and 12 students.  Congratulations to the following teams: 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 12.1, who all won on the night, and 12.2 won through forfeit.

This week saw our Year 8s debating, with 8.1 and 8.2 winning their debates.  Commiserations to the 8.3 team who lost by one point.  Our Senior A team debated against Brisbane State High School in what was a rematch of Round 2 in GPS – except for the result! Congratulations to these young men who soundly won by 2.5 points.

QDU State Trials continuing success

Fergus Farrell,Tom Musgrave, Thomas Nunn-Rutledge continue their success with the QDU State trials and have progressed through to the top 12.  We congratulate these students as they debate through to the next round.

Terrace Debating – GPS Round 7

This week, we have our King of the Hill debate against Brisbane Grammar School.

This is a significant round for both Terrace and Grammar, and we typically have a large group of supporters. Therefore, we need to put some steps into place to ensure that there are equal opportunities to attend.

We will organise an electronic sign-on for students to support the Senior A team. There is a room cap of 65 spectators from Terrace. Grammar will also have its supporters, and to accommodate the space needed for Senior A personnel, priority will be given to debaters and Year 12s (non-debaters) when spectating the Senior A match.

A reminder that all guests (debaters, coaches, staff included) must sign-in using QR codes upon arrival. While there will be spectators for the Senior A debate, the policy remains to arrive, debate, leave. Room caps for all debates except Senior A stand at a total of five spectators for each team, including coaches and reserve debaters.

Teams will need to organise which parents will spectate at each debate.

We look forward to having a large Red and Black audience for this top of the table debate.

Terrace Music

Thank you to our Terrace Family who filled the Edmund Rice Theatre last Thursday night for our first live music concert of 2021.  It is encouraging for our young musicians to perform in front of sold-out theatres.

Terrace Chess

Well done to our young Chess players who competed in the Interschool Chess tournament last Friday at Nudgee College. Each player won at least two of their games, which helps to improve their Chess Ratings.

It is not too late to sign up to play Chess for Terrace.  Please visit the Parent Lounge and follow the sign-on information.

Holiday workshops

Please keep an eye on the Terrace App, Parent Lounge and emails for Event Memo regarding upcoming holiday workshops.  There have been some additions due to the lifting of COVID restrictions for some activities.

Support Group meetings

The next Debating Support Group and Terrace Performing Arts meetings will be held on Tuesday, 16 March, at Mt Sion, with sessions starting at 5.30pm.

Staying in touch   

To keep in touch with all things Cultural, download the Terrace App and follow us on Twitter (@GTCulture) and Instagram (terrace_gtculture) to ensure you don’t miss a thing.   If you have any photographs or videos that you would like to share, please tag us.

TWITTER                  @GTCulture

INSTAGRAM               terrace_gtculture

YOUTUBE                 Terrace Culture YouTube Channel

Director of Music | Mr Derek Rose

Notice

If any student wishes to discontinue the Instrumental and Speech and Drama program, written notification by parents/caregivers needs to be received two weeks before the end of the term (Wednesday 17 March).

Years 5 and 6 Norman Clarke Music Program (Classroom Music)

All students in Years 5 and 6 will sit their first performance assessment for 2021 next week - Week 8. Students have all been informed of the repertoire required for this solo performance. Additionally, all Band students have access to the Essential Elements online platform. This is a great asset that assists boys to practice and prepare.

The key to success for any musical instrument is practice. Please use these quick tips to assist you and your son.

  • Set aside time for home practice to happen, a fixed 10-minute timeslot, four days a week, would see your son significantly improve. Regular practice is the key!
  • As a parent, if you can stop and take an active interest in what your son is working towards, this interest can serve as a great motivation for him and can be achieved in several ways, including checking their OneNote goals set for this week by their teacher or asking him to practice in the same room as you.
  • Positive reinforcement is, of course, an excellent motivator for your son.

Terrace Jazz Night

The annual Terrace Jazz Night will be held in Week 9 this term. This evening promises to provide a unique opportunity for our Jazz Ensembles to showcase their talents through an enjoyable evening of entertainment. Included as part of the evening will be a guest Jazz artist. More information, including venue, date and time, will follow in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for further updates.

Save the date

Term 1 
  • Tuesday 16 March - TPA Meeting 
  • Thursday 25 March - Terrace Jazz Night 
  • Thursday 15 April - Anzac Band and Red Thunder Drumline
  • Thursday 15 April - Drumline Workshop Afternoon
  • Friday 16 April - Anzac Band and Pep Band Workshop
  • Sunday 25 April - Anzac Band March and Red Thunder Drumline
Term 2
  • Sunday 25 April - Anzac March Band March and Red Thunder Drumline
  • Thursday 6 -Saturday 8 May - Middle School Musical Performances
  • Tuesday 25 May - TPA Meeting

The Weekly Wrap

Volleyball

Congratulations to the 10D Volleyball team for their great effort and win against BBC last weekend.  Well done boys!

Cycling

Congratulations to James Panizza (Year 12).  James has been selected for the Queensland Under 19 team to compete at the Australian National Track Cycling championships.

Cricket and Volleyball team photos

Please see the photo schedules attached for Cricket and Volleyball.

If your team is not on the schedule it will be taken at a later date.

Don't forget to be on time and in the correct uniform!

Cricket Photo Schedule 13 March

Volleyball Photo Schedule 13 March

Captains’ Corner | Vice Captain, Luke Ames

John Wooden is a revered American basketball coach, leading his college basketball team to ten NCAA championships in 12 years. At one point, his team won seven championships in a row and he is today considered one of the best basketball coaches of all time. 

However, what interests me is not the success of his team, nor the tactics that he employed to achieve sustained success, but rather the unique lesson he would teach his team at the start of every season. At the very first session of every season, he would teach his team - some of them grown men - how to put on their shoes and socks.

He would start with putting on the sock correctly, ensuring that there are no wrinkles around the toes and that the sock fits well to the shape of the foot. Then, he would talk about putting the shoes on, ensuring that they were the right size and lacing them up correctly to ensure that they were comfortable and wouldn’t fall off while practising or in the game. Sometimes, these sessions could go for as long as half an hour.

These lessons individually may have had no influence on the team's success, but many believe that the lesson that was taught laid the foundation for the rest of the season and the success to follow. Core to Wooden’s belief was that the small things in life make the big things possible. It is the small actions, picking up that piece of rubbish, saying hello to a stranger during lunch, that makes you a better person. 

It is the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen. - John Wooden

As I travel through Terrace, I have been blessed with an abundance of people willing to go to the ends of the earth for me, whether it be family, teachers, mates or coaches. I have experienced the simple head nod that brightens up my day when I am feeling down. A simple head nod tells the other person that you are there for them.

Of all the encounters that I have had at Terrace, one stands out the most when talking about doing the small things right. It would have been about the third week of Year 5 for me, and we had just been issued our instruments. The majority of students casually strolled to either their bus, train or car with their newly gifted instrument. But I was given the Double Bass. This thing was huge. It felt as if it was almost twice the size of me as I struggled to carry it to my PC Group. It was there that my buddy offered to carry it to the car for me, alleviating both my worries of whether I could make it and my quickly tiring arms. It was five minutes out of his day that he volunteered to help me. 

These actions, often quick and simple, can have a significant impact on the people around us. 

In light of the recent focus on how men have and continue to treat women - both at Terrace and in broader society - I think that the idea of doing the small things right and treating everyone as your equal is more important than ever. It is having respectful relationships with both the women and men around you, carrying your buddy’s double bass to the car and having the patience to learn to put your shoes on.  Actions, no matter how small, can change the world of the people around you.

Answer the Call to do the little things right, and always remember to tie your laces!

TLG

Mothers ’ High Tea  

On Friday 30 April the 2021 Years 5-9 High Tea will be held at Victoria Park. This event has coined the phrase #friendraising.  The day is centred on connecting and reconnecting with fellow Terrace parents. In our busy lives, this day offers time to sit, talk and meet new people. The event is always very popular, so please stay tuned for details to be released very shortly, including how to purchase your tickets, which are always in very high demand.

Terralicious ’21

The Terralicious team is currently very busy with a range of preparations. A huge thank you to those mothers who have Answered the Call, albeit a little daunting, and offered to model for us on the day. We still need a few more brave mums to ‘strut their stuff’ on the catwalk.  Grab a friend and experience the day as one of the Terralicious model team!   I promise we will make it fun!

The fashion team are working on assembling an incredible range of gorgeous fashions to showcase on the day.  We are especially keen to extend an invitation to anyone within the Terrace Family connected with designers, boutiques and fashion lines, including accessories, that may be interested in showcasing some of their own label/lines at the event.  If you know of anyone, please have them contact Kiki McLaughlin at contact@kikijdesigns.com.au or email us at tlg@terrace.qld.edu.au.

Finally, are you or do you know a hair or makeup stylist?  If so, we want you/them!  Join the ‘back of house’ fun for Terralicious 21, email us if you are interested at tlg@terrace.qld.edu.au.

Upcoming events 

  • 30  April - TLG Years 5 to 9 Mothers' Morning Tea, Victoria Park Golf Course.
  • 10 May  – TLG Meeting.
  • 10 May  - Open Day.
  • 11 June – Terralicious ’21 Fashion Parade.

Please note that the Past Mother’s Mass and Morning Tea (previously scheduled for 27 April at 7.30am) has been moved to Sunday 15 August at 9am.

Events

Please find all your upcoming Terrace Family event details here...

An invitation to all Years 5 - 9 Mothers and Caregivers
Tickets on sale 9am this Monday 15 March via College Events

Details: Friday 30 April | 10am - 3pm
Venue: The Marquee, Victoria Park Golf Complex, Herston Rd Herston
Cost: $55pp (+ booking fees) | Includes champagne on arrival, traditional high tea and lucky door prizes
RSVP: Please RSVP via College Events from 9am Monday 15 March via link on College Events
For further information or event enquiries, please contact
Tammy Butterfield | tammy@bfhs.com.au

Details: Thursday 25 March | 6 - 8pm
Venue: Newstead Brewery Co, Castlemaine St Milton
Cost: $30pp (+ bf) | Includes drinks on arrival & finger food
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 22 March
For further information, please contact
Chris Shaw | Chris.67.shaw@gmail.com

Football Support Group Launch | Book Here

Details: Saturday 27 March | 3 - 5pm
Venue: Terrace Courtyard, Rogers St Spring Hill
Cost: No cost event. Cash food and beverage bar.
RSVP: For planning purposes, please RSVP via the below link by 24 March. Free drink for all those who RSVP
For further information, please contact
Anne McMahon | anne.mcmahon@tpg.com.au

Volleyball Celebration | RSVP Here

An invitation to all Years 5 - 12 Terrace Football students. Sign on via Parent Lounge

Details: Thursday 8 & Friday 9 April | Years 5 - 8 | 9 - 11.30am
Thursday 8 & Friday 9 April | Years 9 - 12 | 12.30 - 3pm
Cost: $50 per player for both training days | Includes specialised coaching. Prizes to be won!
Venue: Tennyson Playing Fields

Year Level Parent Social Functions

Find all your upcoming Parent/Caregiver year level event details here...

Year 11 Parent/Caregiver Coffee Morning

Details: Friday 12 March | 8 - 10.30am
Venue: Victoria Park Bistro, Herston Rd Herston
RSVP: No RSVP required. Please feel welcome to drop in for a coffee
For further information, please contact
Simone Long | simone@longbrothers.net

Year 8 Parent/Caregiver Function

Details: Saturday 27 March | From 6pm
Venue: Port Office Hotel, Edward St Brisbane
Cost: $40pp (+bf) | Includes drink on arrival & canapes
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 17 March
For further information, please contact
Chanelle Simpson | chanellesimpson@optusnet.com.au

Year 8 Function | Book Here

Year 12 Mother/Caregiver & Son Breakfast

Details: Friday 14 May | 6.30 - 9.00am
Venue: Victoria Park Marquee, Herston Rd, Herston
Cost: $29pp (+bf) | Includes continental breakfast and drinks
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 31 March
For further information, please contact
Julia Joseph | jjoseph@alfredechave.com.au

Year 12 Breakfast | Book Here

Terrace Book Hire

Terrace Book Hire is closed Friday 12 March

The shop will reopen on Monday 15 March at 7.30am