Dear members of the Terrace Family,

Welcome to all within the Terrace Family for our belated start to Term 2.  I am sure that all parents, staff and students are pleased to be recommencing the regular routines of teaching and learning.

With all students returning this week, we must  all be sensible and employ good hygiene and safety practices at school.  While the Government has indicated that social distancing is not required for students at school, each of us has a responsibility to ensure that common sense social distancing occurs, despite the challenges this presents on our small campus. To this end, there will be no assemblies until further notice, classroom doors will remain open to alleviate large numbers of students gathering in hallways before and between lessons, and each year level will have designated lunch areas, which will spread the students out more at lunch breaks.

From a hygiene perspective, the College will continue to engage in good hygiene practices, including:

• Hand washing stations situated around the school.
• Soap dispensers in all toilets.
• Use of water bottles only – no bubblers.
• All teachers will have hand sanitiser in their classrooms.
• Additional cleaners engaged during the day to clean ‘high touch’ areas.
• All lunch tables disinfected twice per day.
• All classroom desks disinfected daily.

I would ask that parents reinforce good hygiene practices with your sons, particularly the need for regular washing of their hands during the school day.  I also ask that if your son is not well, particularly with coughing/flu like symptoms, you do not send him to school.

In my letter to families earlier this week, I indicated that with all students returning after five weeks of engagement with the online learning, teachers would need to ascertain how students have engaged with that platform and understand what work has been retained.  Many classes will be undertaking some form of diagnostic testing to determine how well the work presented over the last five weeks has been understood.  Initially, teachers will refrain from introducing too much new content until they have ascertained if any existing work should be reinforced.  

While regular classes have resumed, many other aspects of school remain on hold. The GPS sporting program will occur during Term 3, with all Term 2 and Term 3 activities being conducted during Term 3.  The exact details are yet to be finalised.  All GPS schools are currently working through the logistics of what the Term 3 program may look like.  In the meantime, formal training is not permitted. 

There are a number of changes occurring or being proposed for the remainder of this Term and for Term 3. These changes to our regular program have been largely necessary because of the impacts of COVID–19.   I have outlined some of these changes previously, such as extending Term 2 into Week 10, changes to parent/teacher interview timings etc.  Over the next couple of weeks, I will send a communication to families outlining all the proposed changes for the remainder of Term 2 and Term 3.  These changes summarised in a single communication, rather than in a series of letters, will make it easier for parents to understand the overall changes. I intend to send this communication to all families on Monday 8 June.

This week we see Mrs Rhonda Curry leave Terrace after 17 years of dedicated service to the College.  Rhonda has worked tirelessly in the College’s Print Room, ensuring workbooks are delivered on time to students and producing many of the College’s publications.  We wish Rhonda the very best as she moves into retirement.  Thank you, Rhonda and good luck.

It is wonderful to see the students back at school and the noise and vitality of the College alive again.  I remind all parents that if you require assistance regarding this transition back to school, please contact the relevant staff at the College.

I ask the Terrace Family to please keep in your prayers Mr Frank Fero, father of Peter (Year 12) who is very unwell at the moment.

Finally this week, I do ask that all parents/caregivers exercise a high degree of caution and follow the road safety rules when driving around the streets at drop-off or pick-up time.  This will be critical as we all transition back to school.

Have a great week. 
God Bess.

Dr Michael Carroll
College Principal

On Monday this week, Terrace swelled from a student population of around 500, back to its full capacity of 1700 students. Staff, students, and no doubt, parents were all delighted by the full re-opening of the College. This week has been as close to normal as we have seen in quite some time, as we welcomed back the busyness and bustle that is part of every day at Terrace. For all of us, this week has been about re-connecting, checking in, measuring our progress over the past five weeks, and looking to identify and fill any learning gaps.

From a strategic perspective, we are keen to identify our learnings as a school from the online teaching experience. For many teachers, myself included, the coronavirus silver lining has been the speed with which we have been able to grow our skills in delivering a different style of learning. As we now move forward, we want to keep the best of what we have and streamline where possible to value-add to our teaching practice, and to ensure we are well prepared in the (hopefully unlikely) event of future school closures. The starting point will be to survey staff to hear what worked well and, perhaps, not so well. We want to know what the recent months have taught us before we decide how they might inform and improve our future practice.

This week has also seen the College investigating the potential of holding Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews via an online format such as Teams. We are growing in confidence about our capacity to run this style of interview, but we need to be confident that we can offer all parties a worthwhile experience. Given the current social climate, it seems a wise option if we can do so. Once planning is complete, the College will provide families with all the required information about how these meetings will be conducted.

A major project for 2020 will be the development of a new College Strategic Plan. Our current plan expires at the end of this year, and with the return of relative normality to the College, we can shift our focus to this important aspect of planning for the College’s next few years. 

My best wishes to all in the Terrace Family.

It has been great to see all of our students back on site this week. While we are not back to normal, it is certainly our preference to have all students engaged with face to face teaching and learning. The focus for teaching staff this week has been two-fold – to reengage students back into the classroom, and to identify where students are with their learning. Consequently, Week 6 has been a reset to ready students for the teaching, learning and assessment program through to the end of Term 2. 

Term 2 exam timetables have been distributed to students this week. Consequently, students should be updating their term assessment planner to reflect exam dates and importantly, allocating revision and study time. This will ensure that students are fully prepared for each exam and can walk into the exam knowing that they are ready and can then give their response.

During this week, Years 9 and 10 students have received information regarding their Semester 2 Humanities subject choice. In Semester 2, students can choose to study either History or Geography. On Wednesday, students received an email, with instructions on how to make this choice online. The email will be from noreply@selectmysubjects.com.au. Often the email will be found in the junk folder, so please check there if it not readily evident in the student’s inbox. When submitting the form, only one parent email address is required. The subject selection process is open for one week and will close at 3pm on Wednesday 3 June. I request that parents work through the selection process with their sons prior to the deadline. If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact the Studies Office.

Finally, thank you to all parents who have walked with the teaching staff during the GTLearn@Home period. Your support, teaching, cajoling, enforcing, rewarding, and supervising of your son is much appreciated by the Terrace staff. It would not have been an easy task to manage the changes to your home, work and school lives in such a short period. We also look forward to seeing you back on campus soon.

The boys have transitioned back to face to face learning quite well this week. The College will continue to promote daily personal hygiene practices, including using water bottles and washing hands throughout the day. We are continually evaluating the behaviour patterns of the boys and will look to adjust our standard protocols as required in the coming weeks. Further to this, a current focus is introducing the practice of students moving directly into rooms and sitting down prior to the arrival of the teacher. This modification aims to reduce the numbers of students standing in the corridors in certain areas around the school. 

We are currently reviewing Term 3 events including camps, retreats, the Year 12 Formal and the Year 11 Leadership camp. We are hopeful that in the next few weeks the College will be able to provide some clarity for these events once the government provides further information about the easing of restrictions. 

I have spent some time at the bus stops and train station this week and have noticed that there are a few students who do not have go-cards topped up or are out of date. Can I ask that you check with your son that his go-card is active and usable? The standard of winter uniform has been solid throughout the week. A gentle reminder that boys will be issued with short detentions if they fail to obtain a uniform card from their House Dean if an item of the uniform has been left at home. The boys are very aware of this process. It has also been evident that some of our older students enjoyed not having to shave while at home and have returned to school a little out of practice with shaving. Your support on this matter is appreciated. 

Liberating Education

Last week we were called to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si – Pope Francis’ encyclical on the care of all creation.  The Pope has invited the global Church to participate in Laudato Si week as a time for prayer and action for a more just and sustainable world.  Terrace is putting this into practice through our Outdoor Education Centre. During their camp experience, boys pick veggies from the gardens, collect eggs from the chickens and plant new trees to play their part in building a sustainable future. 

This leads me to the touchstone, Liberating Education. Put simply, it enables students to be ‘Free to Be the Best I Can Be’. Edmund Rice Education Australian (2017) defines this touchstone: 

We open hearts and minds, through quality teaching and learning experiences, so that through critical reflection and engagement each person is hope-filled and free to build a better world for all. 

Through the Outdoor Education Centre, students are invited to be part of the solution in building a sustainable future. Various groups of students have dug out the old gardens and planted herbs and vegetables in spaces all through the grounds. There are pockets of garden and native edible plants growing where the boys can watch the plants' progress over time and literally eat the fruits of their hard work. This is where students of every age can make a connection with what is grown in the garden and what reaches the table. It is a very important connection for the boys to make and a step forward in their understanding of the importance of sustainability. Click here to see this process in action at our amazing site at Maroon.

National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week

As we commemorate National Sorry Day (Tuesday 26 May) and National Reconciliation Week (Wednesday 27 May – Wednesday 3 June), we pray for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Australia.  

National Sorry Day is a day when we pause to remember the Stolen Generations of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The 26th of May is an important moment to reflect on the sad and painful history of the Stolen Generations and recognise moments of resilience, healing and the power of saying 'sorry'. Joining people all over Australia on this day, we remember the hurt suffered by our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters and commit ourselves to reconciliation.

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey — the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

The theme for NRW 2020, ‘In This Together’, couldn't be more relevant in this time of global crisis.  It reminds us that whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, the interconnections of our society mean that we are all unavoidably and essentially in this together.

The Catholic Leader

I want to pass on an offer of a free digital subscription to The Catholic Leader newspaper, which has been extended to Terrace students, families and employees.

The Catholic Leader is Australia’s most widely read Catholic newspaper and regularly includes education features, as well as providing a Catholic perspective on important news across South East Queensland.

You can sign up to receive your weekly digital newspaper here.

Thank you to the Catholic Leader for this generous offer. 

Live Jesus in our Hearts…Forever. 

Terrace Chess

This week, Terrace Chess presented trophies to the three highest ranked players in our Terrace run ISO Chess tournament.  The ISO Chess tournament took place over Weeks 2-5 of the College’s period of Online Learning.  The tournament was open to all Terrace students using an app our Chess players regularly use - globally renowned chess site Chesskid.  Students from all year levels took part in the competition. After 20 rounds of close, competitive games Alex Ong (Year 11) was crowned as the overall winner with Max Elliott (Year 5) and Joshua Alfredson (Year 9) finishing second and third respectively.  Well done to these students and to all who took part in the competition. Max is too young to be a member of the Premier Board, but it looks like he will be welcomed when he is of age.

For students wishing to participate in online chess games and tournaments, Gardiner Chess are now hosting weekly online tournaments for the rest of the term via Chesskid. To find out more about this and to sign up for tournaments please visit the link below: Gardiner Chess

GTCouchella@Home

Last Sunday, we featured Henry Dollar, Luke Evans and Liam Keates-Ryley singing Teacher's Petfrom School of Rock, welcoming student back to school. I want to congratulate these students who participated and drew on their vast knowledge as there is no direction or coaching that can occur when filming and recording from isolation.

This Sunday features the Symphonic Wind Ensemble who collaborated with the River City Music Organisation in Louisville, Kentucky on a global scale. Distant Harmonies – A Hymn for a New Day was recorded with 1200 other musicians from across the globe, the final result is outstanding. See you on Facebook or Instagram at 3pm Sunday.

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... 

Entertainment Books

Current memberships will expire on 1 June.

To help gain support we are offering Members the following:

• Bonus $20 or $10 WISH eGift card
• 2 months extra Membership for FREE
• A chance to win 1 of 5 $1000 WISH eGift cards

Hello and welcome to Week 6. We are enjoying having students back for face to face teaching. I would like to say thank you to all our Music families for your support on the home front while we delivered online lessons. The feedback from the tutors has been very positive about the development of our musicians over the last three weeks of online teaching.

Teaching will continue into Week 10 (this was formerly Staff Week) and all ensembles will recommence in Week 7 (starting Monday 1 June). A reminder that attendance to all rehearsals is part of the commitment. For those in premier ensembles, attendance is a key factor in achieving an Honour Pocket. While all performances are cancelled for the foreseeable future, workshops will still go ahead. We will update you soon on dates, times and venues. 

Music Hall will recommence in Week 7. This runs after school 3.15-5pm every Monday in the Music Centre.

Music exams are an important part of many of our musicians’ journey at Terrace. Recently Henry McDonald and his mother, who both learn the oboe, sat an AMEB exam. You can read about their story  here.

Lessons

I would like to provide an update as to what lessons and rehearsals will look like from Week 6. The following deals with sanitation in both the teaching studio and in the ensemble rehearsal space. 
 
Paper towel dispensers are now installed in ensemble areas. Antiseptic wipes are strategically placed in areas where many students play the same instrument (e.g. the piano) and in rehearsal spaces. Additionally, a bottle of hand sanitiser gel has been placed in every teaching/rehearsal space. Along with detailed hygiene protocols for staff to follow, hand gel is to be used by students upon entry and when leaving teaching and rehearsal areas. 

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

Term 2 Workshops 

• Percussion Ensembles 2 and 3 Workshop 
• Terrace Jazz Combo Workshop 
• Terrace Jazz Orchestra Workshop 
• Big Band 3 Workshop 
• Big Band 2 Workshop 
• Red Thunder Drumline Workshop 
• First Percussion Ensemble Workshop 

As we know, a school is truly not a school without its students. Crowded corridors, a yard filled with boys playing handball and congested staircases brought back a sense of normality this week. 

If you peered into the grounds on Monday morning, you would have felt the energy and excitement amongst the black and the red blazers. The smell of cooking sausages and the sound of handballs bouncing on concrete brought back a sense of being at home - a second home, away from home.

Although we may be nearing the halfway mark of the term, for most boys it is as though the term has only just begun. 

Talking to teachers this week, being able to teach with students in the classroom again has been both a relief and a joy. For younger students especially, many have expressed to me their newfound appreciation for the teaching staff and the importance of face to face interaction.

The importance of this interaction is not only reserved to teachers, with boys embracing the opportunity to be face to face with mates again – truly evident on Monday morning. 

Red and black tiles were laid at main entrances to the college, with groups of Seniors welcoming boys back into the school. Tunnels of Senior boys offered fist pumps and cheers to boys laden with textbooks and instruments. The arriving students may have only been walking through onto concrete behind, but it was as if the boys were being prepped to run onto a footy field. The smiles were on full show and it was pleasing to see the joy evident on faces of returning students. 

For the Year 12 cohort, the time away from the classroom has really allowed us to appreciate what little time we have left. The atmosphere that comes from walking through the halls and the warmth of a morning smile will not be lost on us any time soon.

Have a good week and always Be the One to smile!

Casual School Crossing Supervisor Wanted

A position exists for a Casual School Crossing Supervisor at St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace. 

• A School Crossing Supervisor must be able to work in all-weather conditions.
• An hour and 30 mins per day - a maximum of up to five days per fortnight (on a rostered basis).
• Relief opportunities on your rostered days off.
• Pay Rate $30.34 per hour.

Commencement of employment for the successful applicant is dependent on:

• The favourable outcome of a health assessment.
• A Positive Notice Blue Card (you do not need to have a blue card to apply for the position).

If you are interested in this position please contact Kellie O'Brien – Road Safety Officer on 3863 9839 for further information.