Dean of Students | Mr Damien Fall

A great feature of a Terrace education is the partnership that exists between home and school. If we are to raise our young men to be the best they can be, we have the best chance when we do it together. Hence, we invite parents to be part of the Terrace journey and they accept the invitation wholeheartedly. In recent weeks we have conducted Parent Information evenings for all year levels and the attendance at these events has been outstanding. Similarly, we were blessed with the usual fabulous response to our Parent/Tutor evening this week. At Tuesday’s Academic Medal assembly we again had a huge number of guests in attendance to celebrate the achievements of the 325 medal recipients. These three events are just a few examples of the school/home alliance in action and I thank parents for your ongoing commitment to be present for your son’s journey.

Inter-House events are the epitome of what the House system is all about and last Friday’s Swimming Carnival was no exception. I want to pay a particular tribute to our Senior students whose enthusiasm this year has been excellent. Days such as last Friday are a perfect opportunity to walk the walk of leadership and I know that House Deans were delighted with how well so many of our young men stepped up in a spirit of service. The Seniors of 2018 are working hard to leave a positive legacy and we thank them for their ongoing efforts.

With the year’s first four weeks now all but gone, we are coming to the end of what I consider to be the honeymoon period of the year. The early enthusiasm and good intentions can be tested at this time as the weekly grind hits home. One key to remaining focused and motivated is to have good routines in place and to work to a plan. It is important that every student has a weekly plan to ensure he meets all his study and co-curricular expectations, while staying well rested and as stress-free as possible. If there is no plan in place, this weekend would be a good time to develop one. It can be a good parent/son activity to put such a plan together and then monitor its implementation.

A final reminder that next Wednesday 21 February, we will host a Year 8 Father/Son Evening in the Campbell Centre. I have written home to relevant families with details, but feel free to be in contact if you have any questions or concerns. If dads are not available, another significant male mentor is most welcome. I look forward to a memorable evening for our young and not-so-young boys.