Dear Members of the Terrace Family,

It has been a welcome experience to have our Years 11 and 12 students return to regular classes at the College.  There is a buzz around the campus again, and we are hopefully tracking towards all students returning on Monday 25 May.  The Queensland Government will provide an update tomorrow (Friday 15 May).

Earlier in the week, I sent a letter outlining organisational details for the remainder of the term and also flagged some changes for early next term.  I will not revisit these details in this newsletter, but I do encourage parents to read the Week 4 parent letter to ensure you are aware of what is planned, particularly as there will be some significant changes over the coming weeks.

In writing this newsletter article, I reviewed the College calendar to see what was planned for the next couple of weeks across the Terrace Community.  Interestingly, NAPLAN for our Years 5, 7 and 9 students was to occur this week and the College Open Day was scheduled for Monday 11 May. Clearly, our current challenges have impacted on both these events.  While it seems unlikely that we will be able to hold an Open Day in 2020, we are currently working on creating a virtual tour of the College and its campuses, including Tennyson and Maroon.  This should be released later in the year.

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on all of our lives, how we do things and how we have changed our lifestyles in response to our current restrictions.  I am sure we have all witnessed the dramatic increase in people walking, running and exercising, with many of Brisbane’s popular walking paths very crowded at the moment.  The isolation has also meant that families are together more than usual.  I know with my own family it has been nice to have more time together and enjoy more meals together.  It has been good to be less busy in our lives during this time and to have the opportunity to look after ourselves a little more.  As the staged rollout of relaxation on restrictions unfolds, I do hope that we can all keep hold of the positive outcomes from COVID-19, such as family time, healthy exercise and even reconnection with our local neighbourhood.

Finally this week, I again thank parents and caregivers for their ongoing support.  The online classes remain in place for another week for students in Years 5-10, and it is important that students remain focused on completing the work set by their teachers.  I again reiterate that if there are people needing support, please contact the College.

Have a great week.
God Bless.

Dr Michael Carroll
College Principal

As we approach the end of Week 4, we are nearing what I would consider ‘phase 2’ of the term. The second five weeks will see us returning to something resembling our usual mode of operation, and things will undoubtedly feel more normal when we see all students on campus from 25 May. A great deal has been written and spoken about students over recent weeks, but the College’s staff have also been very much front of mind in our planning and deliberations. One positive outcome of the recent months has been the rapid upskilling of staff in terms of delivering online learning. There has been an incredible spirit of collegiality as staff have shared their knowledge, skills and ideas. We have all learnt some new tricks as a result; a classic example of the growth that can come from a period of discomfort or an unfamiliar situation. It has also been important for us to look after staff by providing some flexibility in terms of working from home when possible, allocating each teacher their own teaching space, and assisting staff with social distancing and hygiene. I extend the thanks of the Terrace Family to our staff who have worked hard and adapted their skills to a unique situation.

The coronavirus pandemic took away our opportunity to offer the Parent/Teacher/Student interviews that we usually run at the commencement of Term 2. We are currently making a significant number of necessary adjustments to the Term 3 calendar. These changes include removing the student-free day to start the term and gain an extra day of teaching and learning. We will run interviews on the first two Wednesday evenings of the term, but they will also need to have a different format to the one we have become accustomed to. We will need to have multiple venues, rather than one large gathering in the Campbell Centre. We are also conscious that the demand for interviews is likely to be greater than the available time. We will provide details about how these evenings will be run once planning is finalised.

“The more things change, the more they stay the same”

The above quote is a reference to situations where there appears to be a meaningful change, but many underlying fundamentals are still the same. While the current educational change due to the pandemic should not be considered meaningful, it has highlighted the underlying fundamentals to academic progress.

Organisation

Organisation is key. Whether at home or school, a student needs to be organised and have a plan for success. At Terrace, this starts with a term study plan. This allows a student to plan out the draft dates and due dates for their assignments, then plan when work can be completed for those tasks. Later in the term, the exam calendar will be available, and students can plan their study preparation. In Formation this week, students will be creating their Term 2 study plan. This plan should be printed out and placed above the desk or even on the fridge!

Consistent effort + time = academic success. Organisation allows for time to be found to enable consistent effort. Over time this becomes a habit. This positive academic habit provides the opportunity for a student to improve.

Motivation

In the early years of schooling, many students rely on external motivation (teachers, parents, awards, punishments) to ensure their academic progress. However, as an academic matures, they need to develop internal motivation (desire for personal improvement, love of learning) to be the driver of their progression. Our current circumstance has challenged students to be internally motivated. This can be a tough lesson for some and does not evolve overnight, as many parents have witnessed over the last four weeks. However, it is undoubtedly essential for students wishing to succeed at the highest level.

For our seniors here on site and our juniors at home – the mode of delivery is different, but the underlying factors that ensure academic progress are the same.

The teaching staff are certainly looking forward to having all the students back in Week 6, so we can assist every Terrace student to be the best that they can be, and continue to develop their internal motivation for academic progression.

All the best.

On Monday we were excited to welcome back Years 11 and 12 to the College. The added connection that the face to face environment enables is significant. As we hopefully transition to a return to campus for all students in the coming weeks, I would like to thank parents and caregivers for their support. It is important that over the next week students from Years 5 to 10 remain committed to their studies in preparation for the 25 May start if confirmed by the Queensland Government on Friday. 

On campus, we have increased the signage around the College to promote a high personal hygiene standard in our community. In particular, coughing into the elbow, the use of water bottles only for drinking and the need to wash hands frequently throughout the day have been emphasised. While social distancing restrictions do not apply to schools, the government authorities have recommended that all assemblies are suspended for the rest of the term. As a result, we will not be holding any College or House assemblies. 

When students return to the College, it will be important that they quickly settle into the usual school routines to make the most of the remaining time left this term in the classroom. As communicated previously, being prepared with winter uniform and a high standard of personal grooming will assist with this transition. 

Year 8 Camps have been cancelled for all Houses. The College is hopeful that we will be able to return to running camp programs at Maroon in Terms 3 and 4. This would likely see the rescheduling of the remaining Years 5 and 7 camps and the Years 9 and 6 camps to be conducted as per the calendar. 

Gospel spirituality 

Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers and mother figures within our Terrace Family. I hope you had a lovely day on Sunday. You are all amazing and we would be lost without you. My two-year-old daughter, Isabel, woke me up nice and early to make breakfast for my wife, Vanessa. Thankfully our local café was open for takeaways! We also got to see our parents which was nice. Here is a short video of some of our students acknowledging the love and support of these significant role models in their lives. 

To those mothers who have lost children, or mothers, those with strained mother/chid relationships, those who are not able to be mothers, those yearning to be mothers and to non-biological mothers – we pray for everyone who has a mothering role in our lives.

Fittingly, May in the Catholic Church is the month of Mary. This is a time to pay tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of the Church. Like our mothers within the Terrace family, Mary was a shining light, and her example of unconditional love, care and support is of great importance in our faith. 

This brings me to one of our four touchstones of a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice tradition, Gospel Spirituality. In essence, this touchstone means ‘talk the talk and walk the walk’ – which Mary certainly did throughout her life. This touchstone invites all people into the story of Jesus to strive to make his message of compassion, justice and peace a living reality within our community (EREA, 2017).

At Terrace we live this touchstone through our Big Brekkie program. We conduct a Big Brekkie each weekday for people who are vulnerable in the parks and surrounding areas of the inner city. Each Big Brekkie has a team of four students assisted by two members of staff. The program aims to enhance and make students aware of the dignity of the person and to nurture right relationships of respect with those most marginal within our society.  We provide this through a simple community breakfast, conversation and a smile with our friends who gather at Wickham Park. This gesture fosters understanding, justice and compassion with those in our community and as such, generates an authentic connection with this touchstone. 

As mentioned in previous weeks, to ensure we can maintain our connection with God, the Identity Team has created a Virtual Prayer Space within GTCare@Home. You are encouraged to engage with this Virtual Prayer Space every week and your prayer contributions are very much welcome. Please see the Community Prayer Intentions for Week 4 here. 

Live Jesus in our Hearts…Forever

Do you take care of yourself? 

In what ways do you take care of yourself?

Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional and physical health.  Although it is a simple concept, in theory, it is something we very often overlook. Good self-care can improve your mood and is key to a good relationship with oneself and others. Self-care is also vital for building resilience toward those stressors in life that you can't eliminate. When you have taken steps to care for your mind and body, you will be better equipped to live your best life. It is important to assess how you are caring for yourself in several different domains so you can ensure you are caring for your mind, body, and spirit. 

Ask yourself the following questions to assess your self-care.

Physical self-care

• Are you getting adequate sleep?
• Is your diet fuelling your body well?
• Are you taking charge of your health?
• Are you getting enough exercise? 

Social self-care

• What are you doing to nurture your relationships with friends and family?
• How are you deepening your relationships?

Mental self-care 

• Are you making enough time for activities that mentally stimulate you?
• Are you doing proactive things to help you stay mentally healthy?

Spiritual self-care

• Are you engaging in spiritual practices that you find fulfilling?
• Are you engaging in practices of meditation, mindfulness, contemplation, or prayer?

Emotional self-care

• Do you have healthy ways to process your emotions?
• Do you incorporate activities into your life that help you feel recharged?

Even when you feel like you don't have time to squeeze in one more thing, make self-care a priority. When you are caring for all aspects of yourself, you will find that you are able to operate more effectively and efficiently.

Personal counselling is available to all members of the College community. If you would like to make an appointment or find out more information about the services offered, please complete the online counselling referral form.

Throughout the world, the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing people to adapt to a new normal. Despite the closure and cancellation of countless events, music remains a steady presence in our world. Professional artists are streaming concerts from their homes and our Terrace students are no different with our GTCouchella@Home Sunday Sessions. Music educators and instrument instructors are hosting remote lessons for their students over Teams, all guided by our mission and vision for music education, leadership and excellence for our students.  We remain committed to music education and a high emphasis on music in our community and we thank you for your generous support during this time. 

GTCouchella@Home

Well done to Year 12 student Matt Cho who collaborated from home to produce a Daft Punk song. This was released on FaceBook and the Cultural Instagram last Sunday as part of our GTCouchella@Home Sunday Sessions. 

Matt is very interested in Chromesthesia, which is a neurological condition in which a person involuntarily perceives colours when hearing sounds. After watching a video about Melissa McCracken – a Chromesthesia artist who paints what she hears, he was curious to find out whether computers are similarly capable of translating music into art. To investigate this, he created an artificial intelligence model to perform two major functions:

1. Extract emotions and musical elements (e.g. instruments, music genre) from his audio file of the song.
2. Generate an abstract painting which fits that style of music. 

What an amazing result.

Sunday sessions will continue to be released on the College FaceBook and Cultural Instagram at 3pm every Sunday for you to enjoy. This week, look out for the Waterford String Quartet.

“ISO” Chess Tournament Round 3

This week was a close tournament with four students placing equal fifth! 
• Alex Ong (Year 11)
• Joshua Alfredson (Year 9)
• Yang Zhang (Year 12)
• Max Elliott (Year 5)
• Darcy O'Rourke (Year 11) , Justin Jeyarajah (Year 12), Adrian Jesuthasan (Year 10), Tom Beckmann (Year 8)

Support Group meetings

Due to the current health situation, all Support Meetings have been cancelled for the term. If you need to contact the Support Group Chairs, please use the email details supplied below. 

• Terrace Performing Arts – TPAChair@terrace.qld.edu.au 
• Debating Support Group – DSGChair@terrace.qld.edu.au

Staying in touch 

To keep in touch with all things Cultural, we would suggest you download the Terrace App and follow us on Twitter (@GTCulture) and Instagram (terrace_gtculture) to ensure you do not miss anything.   If you have any photographs or video that you would to share, please tag us.

  https://twitter.com/gtculture        https://www.instagram.com/terr... 

Rugby wrap

Clothing and equipment

Terrace Rugby players will need to ensure they have all appropriate clothing and equipment before the Rugby season begins in Term 3. These are:

1. Terrace jerseys, shorts and socks – available from the Terrace Shop
2. A mouthguard – a fitted mouthguard from a dentist is strongly recommended

Coaching at Terrace

Terrace Rugby are keen to hear from any parents interested in coaching a rugby team this season. There are currently vacancies across several age groups. Please contact Mr Tyron Mandrusiak (tyronmandrusiak@terrace.qld.edu.au) if you would like to get involved.

Interview – Harry Wilson

This week’s guest coach is GT 2017 Old Boy and current Reds lock Harry Wilson. Harry joined us to talk about his current isolation training, and his fondest memories in the Red and Black. His interview is available on the Terrace Rugby YouTube channel here.

Weekly isolation skills

1. Catch + Pass with Isaac Lucas (watch here)
2. Ball Handling with Isaac Lucas (watch here)
3. Offloading with Harry Wilson and 1^st XV Head Coach Ryan Schultz (watch here) 

Don't forget to tag us on social media #TerraceFamilyConnect so that we can share your involvement on Terrace Rugby Twitter @TerraceRugby and on Instagram Terrace_rugby

At Terrace, we pride ourselves on having a close and inclusive community, and as both Year 12s and leaders, we take on the responsibility of connecting with the younger students. Not surprisingly, being at home made this task notably more difficult. So, as captains, the decision was made that last week we would try something a little bit different with the Year 5s. We were each assigned to one of the Year 5 classes and twice a day over three days, we jumped into a call with them. 

Now, my first thought after being pitched the idea went something along the lines of: “How do I hold a conversation with  Year 5s for 15 minutes?”. But thankfully, this concern was quickly extinguished because honestly, they did all the work for me. All I had to do was mention Minecraft, and the rest took care of itself. But seriously, we were very fortunate to have the opportunity to meet and talk with our youngest Terracians. All the boys were very genuine and friendly, and I am happy to report that they all seem to be handling school from home well. Thank you to all the guys from 5 Red for being so open, I had a great time and can’t wait to see you back at school. Until then, stay safe and enjoy the time at home with your families.

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

Mr Jeffrey Bernard FLYNN, GT 1966-67

Terrace Shop update

With the whole school returning on 25 May, our limited stock of black blazers for boys in Years 5 to 10 are selling quickly. If you are yet to purchase the winter uniform and Term 3 sport items for your son, please bring him into the shop as soon as possible to ensure you obtain your preferred size. 
 
Our current opening hours of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - 7.30am-12pm and 12.35- 3.30pm will continue for the rest of Term 2.
 
We have taken several precautionary measures to ensure our shop is a safe, hygienic environment for everyone. The health and safety of our Terrace Family is our first priority.

• We are limiting the number of people in the foyer – as per COVID-19 rules, there is a maximum of three people at one time.
• We are providing hand sanitiser for customers on entry.
• We are regularly cleaning and disinfecting high touch areas.  
• We are encouraging customers to stay at a safe distance by maintaining at least 1.5m apart when queueing and in the shop.
• We have placed floor markers in the shop to guide social distancing.
• We are encouraging cashless payment to limit personal contact.
 
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we endeavour to serve everyone as quickly as possible. Thank you.