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Principal’s Message | Dr Michael Carroll

Dear members of the Terrace Family,

As the magnificent Spring weather is now upon us, it is timely to reflect on what has been an unusual, though busy and successful term.

Tomorrow is a Pupil Free day and also the day when our new Years 5 and 7 students for 2021 visit the College to participate in scholastic testing and music placement.  Tonight, the 2021 Year 7 students will attend an abridged version of the Year 7 Orientation night, with the 2021 Year 5 students attending their Orientation night early next term.  It is always an exciting time for our incoming students as they begin the early stages of their Terrace journey.  The orientation process also presents an important leadership opportunity for our Years 10 and 11 students as they embark on their role as a Buddy.  I look forward to the journey in 2021 with our newest Terracians.

This Saturday sees our gymnasts compete in the 2020 GPS Gymnastics Championships at Brisbane Grammar School.  Our gymnasts have been working hard throughout the year in preparation for this event and on behalf of everyone within the Terrace Family, I wish all gymnasts the very best.  This championship will be a particularly special one, as after over 100 years of competition, it will be the last GPS Gymnastics Championship ever held.  Gymnastics was one of the original GPS sports and Terrace gymnasts have competed with distinction and pride for over a century.  Well done and good luck this Saturday.

This Saturday will also see the final round of GPS sport for Term 3, with fixtures played against The Southport School.  Next weekend, Round 9 is the Terrace 'bye', and as a result of the disrupted season, the 1st XV Rugby team will play their final game against Ipswich Grammar School on Friday 19 September.  I wish to thank all of the staff, parents/caregivers and students involved in the season. The season has been an unusual one characterised by multiple activities, limited spectators and other COVID-19 related variations.  Despite these challenges, Terrace has fielded over 1400 players across the different sports each week and it has been a welcome sight to have Tennyson, the Campbell Centre and Victoria Park filled with red and black jerseys.  Well done to all involved.

As we near the end of Week 8 of Term 3, the exam program takes over.  Exams for Years 5 – 12 are occurring over the coming two weeks and the hard work of Weeks 6, 7 and 8 should now translate to fine tuning preparations for the exam block.  Focused revision, use of the Checklist, adequate sleep and correct equipment are all important aspects of a good exam preparation program.  Over the next two weeks, the co-curricular program winds back so exam preparations can take precedence.  I wish all students the very best with their upcoming exams.

Finally this week, I take the opportunity to wish all the fathers within the Terrace Family a Happy Father’s Day.  Being a father is a significant responsibility, and at times, our fathers operate behind the scenes with little fanfare.  Let us all take time on Sunday to say thank you to our fathers for what they do for us and their families.

God Bless.

Dr Michael Carroll
College Principal

Deputy Principal | Mr Damien Fall

As of Monday this week, our legislated obligations regarding Blue Cards have changed in order to streamline their administration and to provide a greater level of safety for students in our care. Changes to legislation as of 31 August require us to strictly adhere to the ‘no card, no start’ regulation, meaning all paid employees who are not teachers must hold a current, valid blue card before they may start working with children. Previously, it was sufficient to have a Blue Card application submitted and pending approval. While this causes no change for College teaching and non-teaching staff, its greatest impact is with co-curricular coaches who are paid for their services and change with each sporting season. Our database of coaches is somewhere in the vicinity of 500 individuals, all of whom must hold a Blue Card before they can even commence their first training session. The College takes our obligations seriously and has taken strong steps to ensure our paid staff hold a current card that is linked to Terrace as the employer. We can also now access an online portal to help us manage Blue Card records more easily. If you would like to know more about changes to the Blue Card system, information from the Queensland Government can be found here. We are also working on further strengthening our student protection processes around volunteers and contractors.

We often use the term 'Terrace Family', and the connection that goes beyond the school gates is a very real point of difference in our community. With that in mind, I want to wish all the dads in our community a very happy Father’s Day on Sunday. As an organisation that is based around strong relationships, days such as this remind us of the importance of the wonderful people in our lives. Given the current state of the world, this is an appropriate time to reflect and be grateful for the freedoms we currently enjoy in Queensland. Our young men need good role models, both male and female, within and beyond the family. I hope that Sunday provides a nice opportunity for those fortunate enough to have a father to spend some time with him.

Best wishes to all students over the next two weeks as they complete important assessment. In particular, the Seniors are currently using the block of mock exams to simulate the external exams they will complete early next term. They have our thoughts and full support at this important time.

Dean of Studies | Mr Mason Hellyer

This week has seen our senior students commence a major milestone on their academic journey with the start of their mock external exam block. This is an important step of the external exam preparation program that started at the commencement of Year 11. Exam nerves and anxiety are normal.  However, our experience has demonstrated that the best way to mitigate these nerves is to be as prepared as possible. These exams provide important feedback and experience in exam management as students prepare for the actual externals in late October.  We wish the Senior cohort well with the remainder of their exams.

All students have been issued with copies of their exam schedule. Copies can be obtained from Student Services, Moodle, and the College App. These timetables are a necessary part of a strategic revision plan. This week and next week’s challenge is to ensure that our boys exhibit perseverance in their preparation and commitment until the completion of their final exam. Our aim is for each and every student to finish the term knowing that he has given his best, whatever that outcome may be.

Ultimately, the key to good performance is preparation – It is still not too late to be prepared. Therefore, when your son is feeling the pressure of exams here are some hints to share with them:

  • Be prepared. Work backwards from your exam date to plan when you will prepare. Don’t just leave it for the night before.
  • Complete all of the revision sheets.
  • Use subject resources and the subject checklist to go back through the content you have covered.
  • Test yourself:
    • use flashcards
    • do as many practice questions as possible
    • mind dump – close your notes and recall everything you can in your own words
  • Continue to exercise and eat well. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.
  • Have a good sleep the night before, be well rested.
  • Go back over your study notes before the exam. Don’t engage in speculative talk.
  • It is okay to be nervous, in fact its normal. Your mates may not obviously show it, but they are just as nervous as you. Feeling nerves is your body’s way of getting ready.
  • Walk into the exam with confidence – you have done the work, now is the time to show it!

All the best for the next week.

Dean of Students | Mr Damien Cuddihy

Keeping current with the technology our children use can be quite a challenge for many of us in the real world of parenting. This space will continue to evolve in not only its complexity but the impact it has on your son owing to its strong appeal. When we were kids our parents would say 'if you wouldn’t say it to their face then don’t say it' or 'if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all'. It is a challenge to keep these themes current in the contemporary online environment our boys are navigating.

While we can set rules and boundaries, it is imperative that we also keep in charge of technology and not the other way round. An effective proactive measure is to look for any opportunity to create an environment of openness about technology with your children from an early age. In Brett Lee’s book Screen Resolution, he names this as the most important safeguard against online issues. Lee suggests that it is powerful to tell children, ‘If you have a problem on the internet, or even if you make a mistake, I want you to talk to me about it and I promise I will help you solve the problem so you can keep having a good time online.’

The College has engaged the Alannah and Madeline Foundation to deliver a Parenting in the Digital World webinar for parents/caregivers on 17 September at 10am and then repeated at 7pm that evening. The workshop will provide insight into the online worlds of young people, including the latest trends, risks and research with a strong focus on social media. Details on how to sign up for this information session will be advertised next week through the Terrace App.

Finishing Term 3 is generally considered to be one of the more challenging times of any year for staff and students. The disrupted nature of 2020 has contributed to this with schools generally experiencing a subtle spike in student behavioural issues this term. Even if your son generally gets through without any adverse issues at school, it would be timely to take a moment and check in with him. As always, the drive to school or home from training seems to be the time when they are most receptive to this line of questioning. To some degree, they are all in the middle a particularly challenging part of the year and while there is no magic wand, boys do benefit from talking even if it seems to be in a foreign language at times.

Acting Dean of Identity | Mr Terry Thompson

Care of Creation

Over the next three weeks, our Year 10 students begin their camp (Girraween National Park) and Retreat (Tennyson) program. Although quite different from the Immersion experience of previous years, I am positive students will be both challenged and connected meaningfully in these experiences. The theme of the Retreat is Our World – My Crossroad, which focuses on inviting students to intentionally enter the next 'crossroad' in their lives and emerge a better person on the other side.

ERA for Change – 28 Days for Climate Change

Year 11 student, Jake Laherty recently presented on our College assembly the 28 Days for Climate Change campaign. The challenge was promoted by the Edmund Rice Advocacy for Change group. This is a student-led group as part of EREA that focuses on promoting and raising awareness on issues concerning our students and our society.

The Climate Change campaign Jake outlined will run from 17 August– 11 September 2020. Each week has a different theme - water, energy, waste or emissions. Students will have an opportunity to learn about these in their Pastoral Care groups.

Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience … Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home (Pope Francis, Laudato Si).

Recycling @ Terrace

Last week, we introduced 40 recycling bins to the main campus and Waterford Place for recycling bottles, cartons and cans from the canteen. Pope Francis has reiterated the importance of caring for our common home. It is easy to see why with these statistics in Australia -

  • 17 billion bottles and cans used by Australians every year – less than half are recycled.
  • 15 thousand bottles and cans are thrown away every single minute.
  • It takes around 400 years for plastic to break down in water, and even then, it ends up in tiny pieces that are harmful to marine life.

(War on Waste, 2017)

World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Coincidentally, this week (Tuesday) was also the world day of prayer for the care of creation in the Catholic Church:

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Amen 

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 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 

Dean of Waterford | Mr Luke Gribble

The Good Seed Will Grow

The Latin, formare, means to shape or to mould. Formation is the lifelong process that gifts each of our young men with a deeper awareness of themselves and the world around them. The process of formation intentionally creates space for reflection, conversation and growth and is a key pillar of our Catholic Education here at Terrace.

We are very fortunate that Term 3 at Waterford has provided our boys with a great range of formational experiences. Outside the classroom, our co-curricular programs continue to provide our boys with challenges that compel them to respond. While we all like successful outcomes, it is in the moments of disappointment, failure, and discomfort that the boys find the courage and inner strength that ultimately develops resilience.

Our Formation curriculum is designed to complement the diverse range of experiences provided to our boys both inside and outside the classroom. Last Friday, our guests from yLead created an interactive opportunity and invited our boys to open their hearts and minds to the many possibilities of their lives and to find a place where their personal gifts might contribute to the greater good. The presentations and activities centred on deciphering the themes of respect and courage. I was very impressed by the way the boys engaged and worked together in teams to successfully complete several physical and mental challenges. As you can see in the photos below, our boys thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this day.

Throughout 2020 we have continued to look for opportunities to help those around us in need of kindness, help and support. Our recent initiatives include:

  • The Waterford Bake Sale, which has been both an opportunity and a blessing. The opportunity to fundraise over $400 to help those less fortunate through the Edmund Rice Camp program and a blessing as each of us at Waterford enjoy home-baked treats week after week in the process!
  • Daggy Jumper Day was an opportunity to support Brisbane Youth Service who deliver services that promote and protect the safety, interests, wellbeing and rights of children.

Finally, the Year 10 boys are embarking on their Camp-Retreat experience over the next three weeks. Our Outdoor Education and Retreat programs are great contributors to the formation of the Terrace Gentleman, and I do not doubt that this program will complement past experiences at Maroon and Tennyson.

Terrace Library

Director of Culture | Mr Matt Cocking

Terrace Chess

Tonight is the final GPS Chess round for Terrace for this year as next week is our 'bye' round. It would be remiss of us not to mention and commend Yang Zhang.  Yang is not only our 2020 Terrace Chess Captain, he also holds the record of the longest serving member of our Premier Board – five years!  This is a fantastic achievement and we thank Yang for his service to the Terrace Chess program and mentoring our younger players by his example. We look forward to Yang returning next year as a coach to continue mentoring and growing our program.

We wish the nine Terrace Chess students well as they compete in an inter-school competition at Nudgee College today.  

Spring Holiday workshops

As we look forward to the Spring holidays, Music and Musical clinics and workshops will be held.  Please ensure all students are aware of their upcoming commitments to these events.

Staying in touch   

To keep in touch with all things Cultural, we would suggest you download the Terrace App and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to ensure you don’t miss anything.   If you have any photographs or videos that you would to share, please tag us. 

TWITTER           @GTCulture

INSTAGRAM      terrace_gtculture

YOUTUBE          Terrace Culture YouTube Channel

Director of Music | Mr Jan Hewerdine

Welcome to Week 8

This week the Music department held auditions for the Terrace Jazz Orchestra.

If any students are leaving the program, this needs to be notified by parents two weeks prior to the end of term (today Thursday 3 September).

Placement Day 

Tomorrow, 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 the opportunity to meet and hear our newest members before next year and place them in an appropriate ensemble. This is not an audition, it is a moment to provide certainty for students and families for next year. We ask that parents drop students off and not come in. Please ask your sons to contact you for pickup once they are finished.

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

  • 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

Round 7 of GPS Basketball saw the clash of the two Spring Hill rivals, Gregory Terrace and Brisbane Grammar School (BGS). Across 27 fixtures, Terrace were able to win 19 games, to secure a winning day and a 70% winning percentage in a tightly fought round. Terrace had success in the ‘A’ games winning all but two of these fixtures including a convincing 61-point victory for the 1st V. The results were especially positive in the Year 9 and above age groups, winning 13 of 15 games, including clean sweeps in the Year 10 and Year 9 age groups.  This result is testament to the hard work and talent of the older age groups and a great reflection of the depth, development and improvement in the program as the players progress through the year levels.

The games held at Waterford Place on both Friday and Saturday provided a great viewing spectacle with a number of these games being decided in the final play. The 3rd V secured a fighting victory to gain retribution for a Round 1 defeat against BGS in the supplementary draw, while the 10B, 9B and 10C teams all had impressive victories. The game of the weekend goes to the 10Ds who managed to hold on for a one-point win on their home court. The 7Fs also continued their impressive season winning their supplementary fixture while the 9Gs played out a tie in their game against Nudgee.

Round 7 also doubled as the Old Boys Round and the 1st V wore a 1997 replica singlet to honour the year of the first Basketball Premiership at Terrace. It was a great opportunity for the current 1st V players to reflect on their time playing Basketball at Terrace and in a special moment Mr Duncan Corness (GT 1996) was on hand to present the team with their singlets pregame.

With Terrace having the GPS 'bye' in Round 9, Round 8 will bring to a close the 2020 GPS season. We ask players to finish the season strong both at training and on Saturday and to soak in the final game of the season against a strong Southport School program.

Round 7 results here

Football

In the GPS draw this round, we headed to Northgate to face a determined Brisbane Grammar School. Across the day, BGS came out ahead with 13 wins, but the Terrace Football program can be proud of our efforts on Saturday. We saw some outstanding performances from many of our teams, including the 9Cs, who took a 3-2 win to finish their season undefeated, and the 8Bs, who extended their unbeaten streak with a 4-0 victory.

Our older age groups have been outstanding in recent weeks. Injury and sickness have meant boys from Years 10 and 11 are being pulled up to the 1st XI.  The teams those players leave behind have taken it in their stride. The 10As have rarely named the same line up week to week, yet the boys are doing a fantastic job, pushing through with a great attitude and an intrinsic drive for success.

This weekend we will finish our GPS season in style, welcoming The Southport School to Tennyson. This will be the last time many of our Open players will step out on our home grounds in the red and black and we hope to see them finish out their time in the program on a high. 

For our 1st XI, the stakes could not be higher this Saturday as they face off against an unbeaten TSS outfit to decide the winner of this year’s GPS Football premiership. A win for Terrace would secure those honours for the first time in the history of the program. This is sure to be a fantastic match, and while we wish we could have our supporters in the stands, DoubleTake Sports will provide the next-best thing with live streaming and commentary via their Facebook page.

Tennis

It was great to have all our teams on court last Saturday. This round of fixtures is always the highlight of the season, and we saw some high level tennis from both Brisbane Grammar and Terrace. 

BGS proved stiff opposition, and while they took the day comfortably on the score sheet, every match provided much-needed experience and a wealth of learning opportunities that will surely benefit the development of our players. 

Congratulations to the mighty 5As and 6Cs on their Round 7 victories, and to all players who embodied the Terrace Tennis spirit on the courts. 

This weekend is Round 8, our final round of the GPS Tennis season. We will face The Southport School in what is traditionally a very competitive round of fixtures. We ask that you allow appropriate travel time to ensure you arrive at your venue on time. 

It is important to read the draw carefully for your venue this weekend as we have matches at both the TSS Prep and Senior School campuses. We will also have games at three Brisbane venues, including the familiar Yeronga venue for our Year 8 players.

Rugby

Tennyson was at its very best hosting Round 7 of the GPS Rugby competition against BGS. We thank everyone who made the day a success, particularly our Tennyson caretaker Mr Alan Kennedy and his staff for preparing the fields. A special mention also goes to the Rugby Support Group, Terrace Ladies Group and all those members of our Rugby family who generously gave up their time to assist with the BBQ, the canteen and check in. We could not do it without you!

Team of the week

Round 7’s team of the week goes to the 13As, coached by Nathan Munro and Brendan Ward. Their 24-5 win may not have been their best performance this season, but the boys showed real grit against a well drilled BGS team to remain undefeated this season.

As we head into the final competition round, the following teams remain undefeated: 13A, 13C, 12A, 11A and 11B.

Key dates

Week 8

  • Training as usual for Year 5-10, Open teams
  • Year 11 boys will not train on Thursday due to the Year 7 2021 Orientation evening
  • Year 6 boys are required to return to school after Wednesday’s Gerard Butler Touch Football competition and then hop back on the bus to training as usual
  • Saturday 5 September | Round 8 v TSS (AWAY)

Week 9

  • BYE Round, no training for most teams
  • Exceptions – still training: 1st XV, 2nd XV, 14A, 14B, 13A, 13B and 12A
  • Saturday 12 September | Round 9 v Downlands College (HOME)

Week 10

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

 

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.

The Terrace Family

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

Mr Michael John GREEN, GT 1952-55

Terrace Shop

Red blazers for Year 11 2021

As you are aware, current Year 10 students will be required to wear a Senior red blazer from next year.

The cost of a new Senior blazer is $275. If you intend to purchase a new blazer from the Terrace Uniform Shop, we kindly ask that you attend the Shop with your son before Friday 16 October 2020.

Please be aware that in 2021 the Terrace Shop will not have a supply of red blazers in stock. If you are requiring a new blazer for your son, it is very important to order before 16 October.

Blazers will be fitted on your son, allowing appropriate room for growth. As individual orders will be taken for each blazer, we ask a parent or caregiver to approve the purchase. This is best done by attending with your son, or alternatively viewing a photo taken by him wearing the suggested size.

A non-refundable deposit of $175 is required at the time of the blazer order. The remaining $100 balance will be paid on collection of the blazer towards the end of Term 1 2021.

Fittings for red blazers may be attended to at any time during our normal trading hours. However, we have organised the manufacturing representative to join us for fittings between 3.30pm and 4.30pm on Thursday 8 October and Thursday 15 October. For this purpose, we will keep the Terrace Shop open until 4.30pm on these two days.

Second-hand stock is not available at the Terrace Shop. We understand the parent led Facebook page Terrace Buy Sell Giveaway is quite active for second-hand uniform items, including blazers.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Terrace Shop on terraceshop@terrace.qld.edu.au or 3214 5258 if you have any questions.

We look forward to assisting you and your son in store soon.

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., Bobbi Brown, Aveda, Jo Malone and more!
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

To comply with COVID-19 guidelines and to ensure physical distancing can be maintained only 8 people per hour will be permitted to enter the store.

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
A reminder to Year 6 families that orders for 2020 graduation shorts close tomorrow. 

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