Dear Members of the Terrace Family,

Today we farewell the 2021 Year 12 class and wish them the best as they prepare for the next stage of their journey. They should be proud of both their achievements and their contributions to the College over the years. My special thanks to the College Leaders – Jake Laherty, Luke Ames, Oliver Casey-Ryan, Benjamin Chatwood and Eden Chan for the way in which they have led their cohort throughout the year. I also wish to acknowledge and thank the parents, caregivers and staff who have journeyed with these young men during their years at Terrace. The support and encouragement have been crucial in shaping these young men, and I thank you sincerely.

At the final assembly today, on behalf of all within the Terrace Family, I offered an Irish Blessing to the young men and urged them to continue to Answer the Call.

May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And may the rain fall soft upon your field.
Until we meet again,
May you be held in the palm of God’s hand.

Thank you, and congratulations to the Year 12 class of 2021.

Last Saturday, after several false starts, GT on the Green, our annual long lunch, was held at Tennyson. It was another fabulous day and a strong show of the spirit and sense of community within the Terrace Family. Nearly 1000 people gathered at Tennyson to have fun as a community and, importantly, support our House Friendship Groups in raising valuable funds. While the fundraising results are still being finalised, I know that we, as the Terrace Family, will be able to provide significant funds to Para START, our House Friendship Groups and the College Support Groups. My thanks to the organising group which included staff, parents, caregivers and friends of the College. I would also like to thank our generous sponsors, whose support added so much to the day. It was an outstanding community event and my sincere thanks to all involved.

Volleyball remains a popular and successful activity at Terrace. I am pleased to announce the 2022 Volleyball Captain and Vice Captain and congratulate both young men.

• Captain – Nicholas Lawrence
• Vice Captain – Harry Lane

Today saw the commencement of the Semester 2 exams for the remainder of the student body. Exams will continue until Friday 26 November. It is essential that for the rest of the term, all students remain focused and are preparing well for each of their exams. The year will conclude with a liturgy in the Campbell Centre, commencing at noon, with students being dismissed at 12.30pm.

It is with sadness that I inform the Terrace Community of the passing of Dr Justin Nasser (GT 1984). On behalf of the Terrace Family, I offer my sympathy to the extended Nasser family, including Justin’s family, parents, siblings and nephews who are currently students at Terrace.

Please keep in your thoughts and prayers Br Tony White, former College Principal, currently in the hospital dealing with some health issues. Br Tony is a tremendous supporter of the College. I know that your prayers are most welcome.

Finally, this week, I am very pleased to inform the Terrace Family that Terrace’s latest Rhodes Scholar, Damian Maher (GT 2011), has recently been elected to an Examination Fellowship at All Souls College at the University of Oxford. Damian is only the fifth Australian to be elected to this position and only the second ever Queenslander. The two Queensland recipients are both Terrace Old Boys – Damian Maher and Simon Quinn. This is a tremendous achievement for Damian and on behalf of the Terrace Family, I offer our warm congratulations.

Have a great week.

Schools are very much about cycles and with another Senior cohort farewelled this week, the sequence of events that make up school life continues at Terrace. Schools are constantly faced with the challenge of finding a balance where we embrace the best of the past while always looking for new and improved ways to do things. The tradition of saying farewell to our Seniors is an important ritual. Still, the journey of a Year 12 student (and teacher) has changed somewhat in recent years for many reasons, most significantly the introduction of ATAR to Queensland. This week’s Valedictory Assembly, Mass and Dinner remain important events in our calendar and provide a fitting conclusion to our Seniors' school years.

Our Year 12s leave us this week with our very best wishes. It has been heartening to hear their positive reports after each of the external exams. Going into an exam that an independent body has set is potentially nerve-wracking, but the fact our young men have emerged from each of these exams satisfied is a testament to the extensive programs at Terrace that prepared them for these important papers. Our teachers are a dedicated, expert team who have again worked selflessly to maximise outcomes for their students and the Seniors can be genuinely grateful for this.

We look forward to hearing more about their academic outcomes in the near future and we wish the Senior cohort of 2021 the very best as they enjoy some downtime over the coming weeks.

As we work to finalise events for 2021, we are also looking ahead and planning for 2022. The College calendar planning will be completed next week, as is the timetable and planning for staff professional development. The College has decided to increase our total number of teaching staff by three and has added Program Leaders in Years 9 and 10 to provide extra support for students in formation and academia. We view the addition of additional staff as a wise investment for our students.

Staff Professional Development weeks in December and January will strongly focus on our new Learning Management System known as SPIRE. We feel confident that it will make a solid contribution to classroom pedagogical practice and give parents and caregivers greater insight into their sons’ teaching and learning experience at the College.

Finally, the College has engaged Mr Michael Elphick to facilitate a parent satisfaction survey. Mr Elphick is a consultant who provides this service across the network of EREA schools, with the confidentiality of respondents his priority. The link to complete the survey has been shared with families this week. Data from this survey is de-identified and will be reviewed to determine themes for consideration across the College. In the interest of identifying areas for improvement, we would welcome responses from as many parents and caregivers as possible. Many thanks in anticipation of your assistance with this. My very best wishes to all for the final week of the academic year and the exam period for our students from Years 5-11.

Gregory Terrace Old Boys

Today marks the final day for our Year 12 students.
Tonight, we celebrate the Eucharist with family and friends.
Tomorrow, we call them Gregory Terrace Old Boys.

I want to share the wise words of a long-time friend of our College, Br Damien Price. These words were delivered by Br Price to the graduating class of 2007 but remain ever so relevant today.

Seniors, as you leave us, remember life is a journey. Enjoy it. It will have its ups and downs, its twists and turns, but value the journey, and you will pull through. Some around you will put all sorts of value on titles but remember that life’s truly great titles are the simple ones – dad, friend, brother, mate – and that many a king and leader wished they were remembered for these and not wars or other matters of state.

You will make mistakes, for no one is perfect, but better the risking and the failing than trying not at all. You will be hurt in love, but better to have risked love than grown old wishing. As you journey, may you come to know that the earth is your mother. Be gentle with it, caress it, listen to it, and learn to love it, if not for your sake, then for your children and their children.

As you journey, you will need a compass; make honesty a compass point. Honesty is often hard, and you will be tempted to take the easier path, but really there is no other way. All around you, you will see those who live by plastic pleasures, and you will be tempted to do the same – march to your own drum. Don’t die with the music, your music, inside you! You will have times of hurt and anger, disappointment, and betrayal, even with those you love, but never close the door of your home nor of your heart; it is never too late to forgive, and you are a long time dead. In all that you do, be gentle with yourself; the hardest journey is the journey inward, and the hardest hurdle is to forgive yourself. But both the hurdle and the journey are worth it.

Your feelings are a compass too. Do not shackle feeling; neither be afraid to cry nor to laugh. Trust friendship before the share market and integrity before false pleasure. Judge no one for your ego will always look for a battle where there is none to be won. Value yourself just as you are and leave the rat race, appearance and status for the shallow and the lost. Set yourself high goals that stretch your inner self, and you will always have a bounce in your step and a sparkle in the eye.

Put family before promotions, friendship before perks, relationships before envy. I lost my dad when I was 17 and I was not there by his bed – never leave unsaid what needs to be said, nor leave undone what needs to be done. You will not come this way again. On your journey, when you are in doubt, take risks and hug and love. Nurture self-discipline and remember to keep balance in all things. Honour your body and the bodies of others; you truly are the temple of God’s Holy Spirit. Cultivate compassion and make the hallmark of your life how you treat others, especially the poor, the weak and the vulnerable. Never buy an ‘if only’ T-shirt.

But in all of this, as you journey, always remember that you never, never walk alone. No matter what you do or fail to do, your God is there walking beside you and will always, always, always love you.

As our Seniors of 2021 celebrate this wonderful moment with their friends and families, let us use the words of Oscar Romeo as a reminder to us of the special role that parents, caregivers, teachers and mentors play in nurturing our Terracians of today and our Gregory Terrace Old Boys of tomorrow.

A Step Along The Way

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realising that.

This enables us to do something and to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, anopportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the masterbuilder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.We are prophets of a future not our own (Archbishop Oscar Romeo).

Live Jesus in our Hearts…Forever.

St Joseph…Pray for us.

Today, we farewelled our Seniors at their final College Assembly, and this will be followed by the Valedictory Mass and Dinner tonight. We often refer to a student’s time at St Joseph’s College as his 'Terrace Journey'. For most young men, this journey of five, six or eight years represents a large portion of their short life. Hence, the end of the journey is a significant time that brings forth a mixture of feelings.

I take this opportunity to pay tribute to what has been a good cohort of young men. We thank the Year 12 students for their commitment to all aspects of their schooling and how they have led the student body throughout 2021. They will be remembered for their passion and spirit, particularly how they supported each other, both at school and in co-curricular pursuits. On behalf of the College, I wish these men all the best as they move on to the next phase of their lives. I am sure they have mixed emotions as they depart, but they know that they will always be members of the Terrace Family and are always welcome through the gates of the College.

We have always made a point of inviting parents and caregivers to be part of their son’s journey at Terrace, and we are blessed to have such a strong level of support from our parent/caregiver body. There is evidence indicating that a united approach from school and home helps get the best out of young men. Parents and caregivers want to be part of their son's education, making Thursday’s Valedictory is an emotional time for them as well. More than 100 of our families conclude their journey at Terrace this week. On behalf of the College, I thank all our 'departing' parents and caregivers for placing your faith in Terrace over the years.

Year 11 students have now entered exam block and are only required at school when they have an exam – their academic year is finished when they complete their final exam. For the remaining students, exams will continue over the coming days. Please note that for students from Years 5 to 10, school will conclude at 12.30pm on Friday 26 November. It is an expectation that these students are in attendance until this time.

All the very best to students over the next week as they complete their final exams for the year.

Last Monday, a group of Terrace teaching staff, led by Mr Damien Coman and Ms Ralda Deoki, presented their research findings at The University of Queensland Science of Learning and Research Centre (UQSLRC). This group has spent the year working with UQSLRC researchers to examine the following question - To what extent do students at Terrace engage in effective learning strategies outside the classroom? Are Terrace students engaging with our current study skills program to enhance their study and preparation for assessment outside the classroom? The study team found that the existing study skills program reflects research based best practice. However, a significant finding is an opportunity to embed this practice further to ensure consistent student actions by broadening the integration and use of common language in the classroom. Furthermore, we can facilitate greater communication with parents/caregivers to highlight the Formation based study skills program to improve understandings of the most effective principles and strategies for study. In 2022, the College will reinvigorate the study skills program, both in class and with parents/caregivers. We will also be continuing our partnership with UQSLRC to further examine our practice.

On Monday afternoon, our Year 12 cohort completed their exams. Over 16 days, the Seniors participated in 32 exams. The manner with which the Senior cohort approached their exams has set an academic standard for future Year 12s. Our 2021 Seniors were prepared, focused, and worked hard through to the final seconds of each paper. My congratulations and thanks to all students and the teaching staff who guided preparation, provided support and encouragement and led open classroom sessions through the exam block. As a community, we now wait with anticipation for the release of ATAR and QCE results on 17 December.

For our Years 5-11 students, exam block commences today. Some exam tips from our Seniors:

• Plan what you want to complete every night. Plan specifically rather than generally.
• Keep to the course outline and subject checklists in your study as they are what your exams are based around.
• Try to complete all worksheets and course outlines twice.
• If you are stuck on a problem, move on to something else and come back to it. Don’t spend hours circling around a single problem.

Make sure that when you sit down to study you are being productive. Set yourself a specific amount of work that you want to complete within a time period and make a conscious effort to remain focused and avoid distraction. I always found that finding and completing questions – writing them by hand – was a far more effective method of study than just reading through the material. Completing a response to a question requires you to be focused and engaged; however, it is far too easy to skim over a paragraph whilst thinking about something else. Studying effectively will allow you to work through more material and will give you more time away from studying, which is also important. (Patrick Sharkey, 2017 College Dux)

Best of luck to all students with their final exams for the year.

Build your own Lego robotics, code your own minitendo or become a super Minecraft coder!

Debating

Terrace Debating had a successful year in 2021. Following this success, our congratulations to the following students who have been selected to represent the College as our Senior A team in 2022:

• Jack Barends
• Liam Cleary
• Thomas Musgrave
• Thomas Nunn-Rutledge
• Harry Walsh

Quote of the week

Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones (Keith Richards).

Music Camp 2022

I am excited to announce that Music Camp 2022 will take place on Wednesday 19 – Friday 21 January. Students in Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Waterford String Orchestra, Waterford Strings 2, Terrace Jazz Orchestra and Red Thunder Drumline will be involved with Music Camp 2022. Please mark this in your diaries. Camp information has been sent to all families this week. If you have any queries, please contact music@terrace.qld.edu.au.

Instrumental Music lessons in 2022

Now is the perfect time to complete an Enrolment Form, available on the Terrace App, if your son is considering starting Instrumental or Speech and Drama lessons in 2022. If you have any queries surrounding Instrumental or Speech and Drama lessons, please contact music@terrace.qld.edu.au.

TLG Events in 2022

The TLG will be hosting several large events in 2022. If you are interested in volunteering to be a part of the organising committee for an event in 2022 please email with your expression of interest at TLG@terrace.qld.edu.au

Staff Christmas Lunch Wednesday 1 December

The TLG will host a staff Christmas lunch on Wednesday 1 December. This is an annual event on our calendar where we show our gratitude to the College staff for their hard work and contributions during the year. There are various ways you can Answer the Call, from donating food, money or helping throughout the day. We will be catering for approximately 250 people.

Click here to Answer the Call

TLG Christmas Raffle

Don’t miss out on our special Christmas Raffle this year. There will be ten lucky winners who will walk away with either a case of Moet champagne or a pack of three bottles. Purchase a ticket in the Terrace Sport hamper raffle and you might just win the lot! Go to College Events to buy your tickets. The raffle will be drawn on 22 November.

Coming up

• Thursday 18 November 1.30pm – Valedictory Dinner Setup, Brisbane Convention Centre Plaza Ball Room
• Monday 22 November – TLG and Terrace Sport Christmas Raffles drawn
• Wednesday 1 December 8am – Whole School Staff Lunch, Campbell Centre

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

Dr Justin NASSER - GT 1984

Windsor House Mango Fundraiser

Date: Tuesday 23 November | Collection after 8.00am
Venue: Collect from College main reception
Cost: $35 per tray
RSVP: Orders close Thursday 18 November
For further information, please contact
Mr Anthony Hayward | anthonyhayward@terrace.qld.edu.au

*Please note the collection date has changed to Tuesday 23 November

TLG & Terrace Sport Christmas Raffle

Last chance to get your raffle tickets!

Details: Closes Tuesday 23 November | 6.00pm
Cost: TLG Ticket | $25, Terrace Sport Ticket | $2, 2 TLG & 15 Terrace Sport | $60
Prizes: Full prize list available via below link
For further event information, please contact
TLG Raffle | Hayley McBrien | hmcbr2@eq.edu.au
Terrace Sport Raffle | Cathy Stacey | cathystacey@terrace.qld.edu.au

Reidy Families Farewell to Staff

Details: Sunday 28 November | 2.00pm - 7.00pm
Venue: Bardon Bowls Club
Cost: $25 per family | Includes food platters
Dress Code: Wear your best green (casual) attire!
RSVP: Please RSVP before Friday 26 November via the below link
For further event information, please contact
Diane Ames | amesdm@gmail.com

Terrace Staff Christmas Lunch Donations

Show your appreciation for the efforts of Terrace's many amazing staff by contributing to the annual staff Christmas lunch. This staff lunch is the ultimate thank you for a busy and bountiful year of learning.

Donations of food, cash or time are being gratefully accepted below.

Holiday Clinic #1

Details: 6 - 7 December
Time: Year 7 - 9 2022 | 9.00am - 12.00pm, Years 10 - 12 2022 | 12.30pm - 3.30pm
Venue: Nissan Arena, 590 Mains Rd, Nathan
Cost: $50 (+bf)
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by Friday 4 December
For further event information, please contact
Mr Slater Asnicar | slaterasnicar@terrace.qld.edu.au

Holiday Clinic #2

Details: 17 - 19 January
Time: Year 7 - 9 2022 | 9.00am - 12.00pm, Years 10 - 12 2022 | 12.30pm - 3.30pm
Venue: Nissan Arena, 590 Mains Rd, Nathan
Cost: $65 (+bf)
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by Friday 4 December
For further event information, please contact
Mr Slater Asnicar | slaterasnicar@terrace.qld.edu.au

Holiday Clinic #1

Details: Tuesday 30 November - Wednesday 1 December | 7.00am - 11.45am
Venue: Victoria Park Training Facility | Gilchrist Avenue, Herston
Cost: $70 (+bf)
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 29 November
For further event information, please contact
Mr Blair Copelin | blaircopelin@terrace.qld.edu.au

Batting Clinic #2

Details: Thursday 2 - Friday 3 December | 8.00am - 11.00am
Venue: Victoria Park Training Facility | Gilchrist Avenue, Herston
Cost: $85 (+bf)
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 1 December
For further event information, please contact
Mr Blair Copelin | blaircopelin@terrace.qld.edu.au

Australian Cricket Institute Clinic #3

Details: Monday 6 - Friday 10 December | 8.00am - 12.30pm
Venue: Victoria Park Training Facility | Gilchrist Avenue, Herston
Cost: $300 for the week, single session options also available
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 1 December
For further event information, please contact
Mr Blair Copelin | blaircopelin@terrace.qld.edu.au

Holiday Clinic #4

Details: Monday 13 December - Tuesday 14 December | 7.00am - 11.30am
Venue: Victoria Park Training Facility | Gilchrist Avenue, Herston
Cost: $70 (+bf)
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 10 December
For further event information, please contact
Mr Blair Copelin | blaircopelin@terrace.qld.edu.au

Batting Masterclass Clinic #5

Details: Wednesday 15 December - Thursday 16 December | 8.00am - 11.00am
Venue: Victoria Park Training Facility | Gilchrist Avenue, Herston
Cost: $75 (+bf)
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 5 December
For further event information, please contact
Mr Blair Copelin | blaircopelin@terrace.qld.edu.au

T20 Masterblast Clinic #6

Details: Monday 10 January - Tuesday 11 January | 7.00am - 11.30am
Venue: Victoria Park Training Facility | Gilchrist Avenue, Herston
Cost: $70 (+bf)
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 9 January
For further event information, please contact
Mr Blair Copelin | blaircopelin@terrace.qld.edu.au

Specialist Batting Clinic #7

Details: Thursday 13 January - Friday 14 January | 7.00am - 11.30am
Venue: Victoria Park Training Facility | Gilchrist Avenue, Herston
Cost: $70 (+bf)
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 9 January
For further event information, please contact
Mr Blair Copelin | blaircopelin@terrace.qld.edu.au

2022 Junior Swimming Camp

Details: Friday 21 January | 8.00am - 1.00pm
Venue: St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace | Main College Pool
Year Levels: Years 5, 6 and 7 (Born in 2010)
Cost: Free
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 14 January
For further event information, please contact
Mr Michael Wooldridge | michaelwooldridge@terrace.qld.edu.au

2022 Senior Swimming Camp

Details: Sunday 16 - Tuesday 18 January
Venue: Gold Coast Recreation Centre (Tallebudgera)
Year Levels: Year 8-12, Year 7 (Born 2009)
Cost: $250 | Cost to be added to Term 1 school fees
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by 7 January
For further event information, please contact
Mr Michael Wooldridge | michaelwooldridge@terrace.qld.edu.au

Terrow 200 Club Raffle

Details: Drawn Sunday 13 March 2022 | Tickets strictly limited to 250
Cost: $200 (+bf)
RSVP: Purchases close Saturday 26 February, or until sold out
Prizes: Full prize list available via below link
For further information, please contact
Tim Sheehan | terrow@terrace.qld.edu.au

Want to help out but poor on time?

You can now donate money directly to the Terrace Family's Care and Concern. Cash donations will be used to purchase ingredients to make meals for Terrace families and staff in need.

All donations are appreciated greatly and will support the important work this committee undertakes for our community.

Year 10 Mothers'/Caregivers' Lunch

Details: Sunday 21 November | 12.30pm
Venue: Madame Wu, Eagle Street Pier
Cost: $50pp (+bf) | Includes Banquet Lunch
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by Friday 19 November
For further information or event enquiries, please contact
Jodie Hubbard | jodie.hubbard@me.com

Year 6 End of Year Celebration

Details: Friday 26 November | 12.00 - 3.00pm
Venue: Centenary Pool
Cost: $14 (+bf) | Includes ice block, sausage sizzle
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link by Friday 19 November
For further information or event enquiries, please contact
Loren Lockyer| lorenj@me.com