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Principal’s Message | Dr Michael Carroll

Dear members of the Terrace Family,

Tomorrow, our Year 12 students will commence their mock external exams.  These exams will provide an important insight into the rigours of the external exam process and provide an excellent signpost for the Year 12 students concerning their current progress.  On behalf of all within the Terrace Family, we wish the Year 12 students all the best with these important exams.

The COVID-19 landscape continues to evolve, and the announcements made last Saturday have created further change and potential uncertainty.  Earlier this week, I provided a brief update to all families regarding what these changes mean for us at Terrace.  As per usual, our advice comes from the Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC), who in turn are advised by the Queensland Government.  I have included below an excerpt from the advice I have received from QCEC earlier this week.

…school authorities are advised to continue working to the current COVID Operating Guidelines for Queensland Schools (e.g. the existing guidance for activities such as assemblies etc.), the Queensland Government guidelines for COVID Safe School Events (e.g. the existing guidelines for formals, graduations, etc.) or the COVID Safe Industry Plans that may apply to particular activities or to particular venues (e.g. sport, camps/outdoor recreational facilities, concerts/performances, etc.).  We have been advised there is no current plan to update these guidelines.

Another recent announcement by the Queensland Government concerns the wearing of face masks.  QCEC has provided advice and indicated that staff and students may wear masks; however, it is not compulsory for students or staff to be wearing masks.  The latest advice is below.

…while the Chief Health Officer advises that we currently do not have sustained community transmission of COVID-19 in Queensland, face masks can be a useful measure to help control transmission in crowded places.

…There is no requirement for you to wear a face mask at school or your workplace...

…Students are not required to wear masks while at school.

To date, this advice remains unchanged for Terrace and its activities.  Therefore, normal activities, including assemblies, school gatherings, camps and sport will continue at this stage.  We are continuing to seek advice regarding other school activities such as parent gatherings, orientation evenings, etc.  I will continue to provide any updates as they become available.  In the meantime, please reinforce with your sons the importance of washing their hands, staying away from school if they are unwell or if an immediate family member is awaiting the result of a COVID test.  Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding during these unusual times.  Our priority remains to keep the school experience as normal as possible for all of the students across both academic and co-curricular activities.

The GPS season continues with Basketball, Football, Rugby and Tennis fixtures occurring.  This week at our College Assembly, one of the lesser known but oldest of the GPS sports was presented.  The Gymnastics team were presented in preparation for their championships which will be held on Saturday 5 September.  This will be the final GPS Gymnastics championship to be held and marks the end of over 100 years of GPS Gymnastics.  It is my pleasure to announce the Terrace Gymnastics Captains, and I take this opportunity to wish all gymnasts the very best for the upcoming championships.

  • Captain – Patrick Gleeson
  • Vice Captains – Mike Carr and Sean Coman

Over the weekend, I received the sad news of the passing of Mr Dominic Condon, GT 1994, father of Langdon (Year 6) and Callahan (Year 7).  Dominic also served as President of the Gregory Terrace Old Boys’ Association in 2014.  Please keep the Condon family in your thoughts and prayers.

Please also keep in your thoughts and prayers the Sherman family. Mr Denis Sherman, father of Lucille, Tim GT 1990, Declan GT 1994 and Grandfather of Nicholas Rogers (Year 7), who passed away recently.

Mr John McKinney, grandfather of Andrew, GT 2014, Hugh GT 2016 and Harry Welch Year 10, and long-time supporter of Terrace also passed away recently.  Please keep the McKinney and Welch families in your prayers as well.

Have a great week.

God Bless.


Dr Michael Carroll
College Principal

Deputy Principal | Mr Damien Fall

Our recent work on the College’s next Strategic Plan is a reminder of the importance of honouring the 145 years of history and tradition that make up the Terrace story. In contrast, schools need to be dynamic places that regularly change and respond to the current and emerging educational landscape. Hence, in any school, there is a need to find the balance between the old and the new. If a school is the same today as it was ten years ago, it has not stood still, it has lost ground. Our next Strategic Plan will take us into our 150th year and there is no better time to ensure we are keeping the best of the past while forging ahead in the humble knowledge that we enjoy a wonderful reputation as one of Queensland’s finest Catholic schools. Our challenge is to continue exploring ways to be the best we can be.

The College calendar and certain events have undergone some significant changes this year. Some have been planned, while others have been beyond our control due to the pandemic. As scheduled and in tempo with the new QCE system, Year 12 students commence their mock external exams on Friday, while Year 10 students have been completing exams all week. Sadly, Year 10 students are unable to take part in an Immersion program this year and will instead participate in a modified camp and retreat program. The upcoming orientation evenings will have a different look as student-only events, and we are in the process of planning a new-look Valedictory program that allows us to honour the Seniors while meeting our safety and compliance obligations. In recent months, a concept commonly referred to has been the ability to ‘pivot’, meaning the capacity to quickly and efficiently respond to changing conditions and expectations. I think we can all claim the ability to pivot as a newly-acquired skill for 2020.

Dean of Studies | Mr Mason Hellyer

On Saturday, I stood on the sidelines and watched the 1st XI Football team take on Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie). In the first half, the team arguably controlled the game, creating some good chances. However, the team were down 1-0 at the break after Churchie scored from a corner.

At half time the team regrouped, went back to the basics and were rewarded with the equaliser just after the restart. Churchie then scored again and the season was on the line. Again, the team regrouped, went back to their game plan and trusted each other and their ability. Eventually, the team scored two goals late in the game to secure a 4-2 win and keep the season on track.

For all students, we are currently in the midst of a demanding part of the term – Years 10 and 12 have started exams, Years 5-11 assignments are due, and exams are on the horizon. Students will feel like there is a lack of time or motivation at present. As a result, we need to take a lesson from the 1st XI, 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 their exam timetables – you need to plan backwards from each exam and make sure you spend time preparing 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.
  • Be persistent. Learning is uncomfortable – so persist and continue on. Your hard work now will be rewarded later.

Most importantly, start now. Just like the 1st XI, attend to the basics – have a plan, work consistently, focus on the next task. Then you will experience success.

We especially wish our Year 12 students all the best for their mock external exam block over the next two weeks.

Dean of Students | Mr Damien Cuddihy

As a teacher, but more importantly, as a father of two teenagers, I find developmental literature on children an interesting topic. Every time I read an article, I can always identify ideas that could be reconsidered in my context. It is often things we already know and believe in, but for one reason or another, they have fallen off our parenting radars for a while. Recently, I read an article from The Gottman Institute called 10 Insights of Remarkable Parents from a Family Therapist (found here.) There were two insights that stood out to me.

Firstly, kids will act like kids. ‘Immature behaviour is normal for immature human beings with immature brains.’ The part of the brain responsible for reason, logic, and impulse control is not fully developed until a person reaches their early 20s. As parents, we need to be patient and supportive in order to guide our children when they experience times of struggle. The focus needs to be on the learning opportunities that present as a result of these actions.

The second interesting insight was the concept of ‘setting the overall goal to shape the child’s heart and not just their behaviour’. Central to values that underpin our Pastoral Care program at the College is the need to develop the right relationships within our community that have the values of empathy and compassion at its core.  The College aims to promote these values through a range of programs and activities such as guest speakers, the House system, immersions and retreat programs.

While the Jacarandas haven’t started to bloom yet, it is that time of the term when assignments are being submitted and the focus quickly shifts to exam preparation. The boys need to be effective with their time management over the coming weeks, especially if they are participating in Term 3 co-curricular programs. We wish our Year 10 students well as they commence their modified camp and retreat journeys next week. Finally, many thanks again for your support of the “Arrive, Play, Leave” philosophy with co-curricular events.

Acting Dean of Identity | Mr Terry Thompson

“Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12)

Last Friday I attended the Year 5 retreat at Tennyson. Given the unusual year, I have unfortunately had minimal time with the Year 5 cohort at school, so it was a great pleasure to get to know these young men a bit better outside of the normal school routines.

The focus of the Year 5 retreat was positive relationships – the importance of which has been continuously highlighted throughout the impact and restrictions of COVID-19 this year. Students were broken up into House groups and participated in three rotations that focused on –

  1. Jesus’ relationships with others and what we can learn from His words and actions
  2. Our relationships within our House group; getting to know students in our House
  3. Understanding our relationship with our House Friendship Group

When looking at Jesus’ relationship with others, we examined the scripture passage do to others what you would have them do to you (Matthew 12: 7). We challenged the boys to put into action this beautiful message from Jesus by ensuring that everything we do and say to others would be exactly the way we would want to have it done or said to us. We hope this will support the students to build positive relationships, develop meaningful friendships, and always give and receive respect.  

Lord, Bless us today and in the years ahead.
Inspire us to be positive in our attitude,
faithful in loving and generous in the service of others.
May we learn from the difficulties that we will face,
and grow in understanding and in compassion for others.
Help us to be patient and forgiving in our relationships.
May we live in such a way that the words “thanks” and “sorry”
come readily to us.
Help us to always retain a sense of wonder and awe,
and may we grow into the person You are calling us to be. Amen 

Timor Friendship Round

It was great to see all our First sporting teams share our Timor-Leste story with their Churchie counterparts over the weekend. Congratulations to our Br Dan Courtney Best and Fairest medal recipients – Tama Tuhi (15A Basketball) and Ged Sheehan (15A Rugby) 

Tuesday Morning Mass

A reminder about Tuesday morning Mass at 7.30am in the Chapel of The Holy Family. The following Houses are leading Mass in the coming weeks:

  • Week 8 – Mahoney House
  • Week 9 – Treacy House
  • Week 10 – Reidy House

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

Terrace Library

Director of Culture | Mr Matt Cocking

Chess 

Friday was set to be a hard round against GPS Chess leaders Churchie. All students were against an opposition well above their personal Chess Rating and not surprisingly, our Premier Board, along with many other teams went down in this round.

Congratulations to Matthew Brown (Year 10) who is in his first year in the team and currently has a 100% winning streak.

Halftime entertainment

Terrace again performed very well in the halftime streamed entertainment this weekend with the Pep Band performing Happy. Trawling through the last few years of Rugby streams shows that while many of our association schools have halftime entertainment Terrace is leading the way.  Well done to our musicians and staff.


Support Group meetings

Support Group meetings will be held online if necessary.  Should you wish to contact the Debating Support Group, please email: DSGChair@terrace.qld.edu.au or the Terrace Performing Arts, please email: TPAChair@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 don’t miss anything.   If you have any photographs or video that you would like to share, please tag us. 

TWITTER          @GTCulture

INSTAGRAM      terrace_gtculture

YOUTUBE         Terrace Culture YouTube Channel

Director of Music | Mr Jan Hewerdine

Welcome to Week 7

Our thanks to the Youth Choir, under the direction of Mr Jacob Bradford, for their support on assembly this Tuesday. A further thank you to the Fanfare Trumpet Team who supported the gymnasts.

On Monday, the Year 5 Strings classroom music students came together in College Hall to rehearse and record video footage of their latest piece. They are also working on particular string techniques such as bowing, pizzicato and harmonics as well as D string and A string pitches. Congratulations to the students, Mrs Kelly, Ms Herron and Strings staff.

On Tuesday, the Year 6 Strings classroom music students also came together to record a video in College Hall. The video will be released later in the term. Year 6 String students are working on pitch extension activities and performing in minor keys.

All parents of Years 5 and 6 Music classes are encouraged to look in the OneNote files to supervise student practice. Students should be practising four times per week; with students of this age, parents/caregivers need to assist in setting that practice schedule. Please contact Ms Herron if you need any ideas to regulate student practice. All Years 5 and 6 Music students should be aware that the next performance assessment is in Week 9.

If you wish to be considered for a position in the Terrace Jazz Orchestra 2021 ensemble, you will be required to audition on Wednesday 2 September 2020 in Room 320/1. Please use the link to reserve your audition time and contact Mr Esbensen for audition requirements.

Placement Day

On Friday 4 September we will be holding our Placement Day for all musicians and singers who will be in Years 5 and 7 in 2021. If you are in Year 6 now at Terrace, we do not need to see you. This event provides the Music department with the opportunity to meet and hear our newest members before next year and place them in an appropriate ensemble. This is not an audition, but it is a moment to provide certainty for students and families for next year. 

Music Practice Hall

Held on Mondays from 3.15-5pm. A valuable way to use this resource is to work on the aural component of external exams. For AMEB candidates, the material for this can be found in your son’s OneNote Instrumental lessons, under the ‘Content Library’ tab. We encourage you to support this unique opportunity, where your sons can practice and receive guided supervision with tutors from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and other tertiary institutions.

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

Term 3 Events

  • Wednesday 2 September - TJO Auditions
  • Friday 4 September - Music Placement Day
  • Friday 18 September - AMEB Brass Clinic
  • Monday 21 – Friday 24 September - Choir Camp
  • Friday 25 September - AMEB Speech and Drama Exam
  • Monday 28 September - Rhythm Section Workshop
  • Wednesday 30 September - AMEB Brass Clinic

The Weekly Wrap

Basketball

GPS Basketball fixtures against Anglican Church Grammar School are always a great spectacle, and Saturday’s Round 5 clash against Churchie was true to form, delivering a highly competitive and memorable day of games. Despite only winning seven of the 27 games played between the two schools, this win/loss ratio is pleasing considering the strength, size and reach of the Basketball program at Churchie, along with the concentration of talent in all age groups across their four teams. Wins to the 6A, 7D, 8C, 8B, 8A, 9D and 11A teams were impressive with the 11As extending their undefeated streak to 32 games dating back to 2016. In addition to this the Year 8 age group bounced back from a disappointing Round 5 performance with great team performances in their games.

The feature of the day was the tight nature of all five games played in the Campbell Centre, with a four-point winning margin the biggest of the day. These results point to the steps the performance program in Basketball has taken in recent years, with this group now able to compete at the highest level. A special mention to Mr Luke Gribble and Mr Duncan Corness, GT 1994, and the 10A side who played their best game of the season, and despite a three-point loss on Saturday, exemplified the attitudes and actions of a campion team through their intensity and application.

It was a special weekend for our Open teams with the 4th V recording their first win of the season and the Terrace 5th V upsetting the Terrace 3rd V in an entertaining internal fixture, with a Nic Carroll three pointer on the buzzer delivering the 5ths a one-point victory.

Terrace play Spring Hill rivals Brisbane Grammar School this weekend in a number of fixtures, along with a big day of supplementary games against Nudgee College at our Kedron venue. With only two games left in the season, we ask all players to stay consistent with their efforts at training and in games and finish Season 2020 as strong as it started.

Round 6 results here

Football

Terrace Football headed to ACGS for a very windy Round 6 of GPS Football. The difficult conditions did not dampen our spirit, with fantastic effort and commitment shown by every team across the day. 

History tells us that our program is quite evenly matched  against Churchie, and this year’s fixture was no different – we won 11, lost eight and drew three on Saturday. Our B-D teams all showed the great depth in our program, recording great results and putting in some fantastic performances. While our A teams did not come away with quite the result we had hoped for, we have no doubts that they can bounce back against Brisbane Grammar this weekend at Northgate.

Rugby

Well done to all teams on last Saturday’s round of games against ACGS, NC and BBC. The ACGS fixture is always an opportunity for us to measure how we are tracking as a program this season. Once again it was tough to split the day, with ACGS taking the honours this year.

Overall, Terrace had 11 wins, one draw and 13 losses. Congratulations to the Under 11A, Under 12A, Under 13A, Under 14A and 1st XV on playing well and recording wins.

As we head into the final three weeks of Rugby, we ask that all boys continue to commit to the program and finish the season strongly. We would like to see this demonstrated through good numbers at training and strong performances against BGS, TSS and Downlands. 

Team of the week

The team of the week for Round 6 goes to the Under 16Ds, coached by Henry McKeering and Jack Ruddy. After an 80-0 loss to Nudgee last week, the boys turned things around to beat their BBC opponents 12-10. Well done to Henry, Jack and the boys. 

Rugby results

Weekend results can be found via the link here. This provides access to results from all schools and age groups. Please note that the 1st XV is the only grade that plays for a premiership.

Key dates

Week 7

  • Training as usual for all teams.
  • Saturday 29 August | Round 7 v BGS (HOME)

Week 8

  • Training as usual for all teams.
  • Saturday 5 September | Round 8 v TSS (AWAY)

Week 9

  • Bye Round for most teams (no training)
  • Selected teams will continue training as usual for their Downlands games
  • Saturday 12 September | Round 9 GPS BYE, GT v Downlands (selected teams)

Week 10

  • 1st XV the only team to continue training
  • Friday 18 September | GT 1st XV v IGS 1st XV

Tennis

Our Round 6 results against Anglican Church Grammar School were excellent – we won nine of 14 games played. Churchie were fantastic hosts and we thank them for their hospitality in matches played at their East Brisbane courts. 

A shortage of Saturday courts meant we had some fixtures on Friday afternoon. These fixtures were great fun for all the boys and we were glad to present this opportunity to our Terrace Tennis players for the second time this season. 

The Years 6 and 7 teams played some great tennis and showed strong improvement in their doubles tactics to finish with several robust wins. The Year 6 teams continue to impress across the teams and rankings and took a clean sweep on the day. 

In the 7s, the 7A team displayed great teamwork and encouragement during their doubles to come away with a convincing win. The team mentality is crucial to doubles success but can be difficult to build, so it was encouraging to see such progress.

For Round 7 of the GPS Season, Terrace Tennis will play Brisbane Grammar School in matches from Years 5 to 12. Brisbane Grammar are historically the most successful GPS schools in terms of Premierships and they will be looking to add another title in 2020 as they take on Terrace in a must-win match. This round will provide a great challenge across the year levels and the program looks forward to meeting it head on this Saturday.

Captains’ Corner | College Captain, Sam Dutton

Knowledge, Humility and Wisdom

Represented in the College crest, these values permeate the halls and corridors of Terrace. Every Tuesday, as students gather in the Campbell Centre for assembly, these three defining characteristics of the Terrace Gentleman are showcased on the wall above the stage.

On Tuesday, I delivered an address to the assembled students, exploring these values through stories of boys I have interacted with over my time at the College and stories shared with me that exemplify our College values of knowledge, humility and wisdom.

While sharing the stories, I asked the students to consider which of the values the actions of the boys in the stories represent, to challenge boys to view themselves incorporating these values into their daily lives.

 Each day at Terrace, 1700 stories are created. They are unique, but collectively, each of these individual stories creates the story of Terrace. 

Knowledge, humility and wisdom. For many, they can sometimes sound like abstract, theoretical words that don’t have any relevance to our personal story – but they are not. Each day we all have opportunities to create stories that bring out these values that we must purposefully aim to use each day.

At the end of my address on Tuesday’s assembly, I challenged students to view the values as things that they can incorporate into each of their actions and interactions. And similarly, I challenge the extended Terrace Family to do the same.

Each time you enter the Campbell Centre and see these values displayed on the wall or look at the crest on a boy’s blazer, hat or bag, ask yourself, How have I used the values of Terrace in my story today?

Have a great week!

The Terrace Family

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

Mr Dominic CONDON, GT 1994, father of Langdon (Year 6) and Callahan (Year 7)

Mr John MCKINNEY - Grandfather to Andrew GT 2014, Hugh GT 2016 and Harry Welch (Year 10)

Mr Denis SHERMAN - father of Lucille, Tim GT 1990, Declan GT 1994 and grandfather of Nicholas Rogers (Year 7)

Terrace Performing Arts

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.

Terrace Shop

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.

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

Events

Find all your upcoming Terrace event details here...

Support Red and Black basketball and be in with a shot of winning some incredible prizes! What's not to love?

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. 

Raffle Tickets | Purchase Here

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 

Learn to Row | Year 7 Book Here

Terrace Volleyball invites you and your friends to an  Exclusive Shopping Experience at the ESTEE LAUDER Corporate Store. 
40% off retail including brands such as Estee Lauder, Clinique, M.A.C., & Jo Malone.

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

Estee Lauder Shopping Experience | Book Here

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 Level Parent Social Functions

Details of upcoming year level parent functions are here...

Year 6 End of Year Break Up/Graduation Shorts

Details: Friday 27 November | 12 - 3pm
Venue: Centenary Pool, Gregory Terrace Spring Hill
Cost: Admission - $15 (+bf) | Includes admission, sausage sizzle & cake
Canterbury commemorative shorts - $30 (+bf) | Please view sizing chart linked below
RSVP: Please RSVP via the below link
For further information or enquiries, please contact
Catherine Hennessy | terraceclass2026@gmail.com

Year 6 Break Up | Book HereShorts Sizing Chart | View Here