Principal's Message Term 3 Week 10 | Dr Michael Carroll
Dear members of the Terrace Family,
Term 3 has now drawn to a close, with students finishing classes today and staff to spend tomorrow finalising marking. Year 12 reports will be available from 9am next Tuesday, while reports for all other year levels will be available at the end of Week 1 in Term 4.
As usual, Term 3 has been a busy one, with many students involved in a wide range of co-curricular activities and significant exam blocks occurring, particularly for our Year 12 students. Of course, there have also been several social events, camps and concerts involving staff, students and parents/caregivers, and I extend my thanks to all involved in these activities during the term.
The holidays should provide a change of pace for staff, parents and students. I know that many families will be travelling during the break, whilst others will simply be enjoying the downtime at home. Whatever you do during the upcoming holidays, I wish you all the best.
Many Year 12 students will return to school during Week 2 of the holidays to engage in our Open Classroom program in preparation for the External Exams, which commence in late October. Throughout the week, there will be staff and guest presenters offering exam practice sessions, subject Masterclasses and targeted presentations around stress and exam management. This week of activities has proven to be a critical part of Terrace’s exam preparation for our Year 12 students and further highlights the strong culture of learning at the College. As well as the large numbers of students on campus during the holidays, many staff and parents/caregivers will also be present to provide guidance, support and, of course, food throughout the week. My thanks in advance to all involved in this year’s Open Classroom program.
Term 4 will commence on Tuesday 3 October, and we can look forward to the traditional eight weeks of whirlwind activity. All students must return for Term 4 ready to start work immediately and re-establish good processes for homework, assignments and revision. There will be several interruptions during this short term, including the Inter-House Track and Field Carnival, the Celebration of Excellence and Year 12 farewell events. Settling back quickly into the school routine will be critical for all students.
Last night, I had the opportunity to listen to a number of the presentations that concluded the Year 9 Immersion Program. I must say that the experiences shared by the students were extraordinary, and I reflected on how fortunate they were to have these opportunities as part of their Waterford journey. My thanks to the many staff who supported the students during their Immersion and to the parents/caregivers who attended the presentations last night. I am confident that you would have been impressed with what you heard and saw.
Following Mr Adam Read’s departure earlier this term, I am pleased to confirm that Mr Neil O’Hare has been appointed to the Dean of Business Operations role, commencing on Tuesday 3 October. I know that you will make Neil feel welcome as he returns to Terrace.
In other staff news, Mrs Louise Smith, Director of Human Resources, has accepted another role within the EREA network and finishes at Terrace at the end of the term. I thank Louise for all she has done at Terrace and wish her the best in her new position. The College has commenced a recruitment process to appoint a new Director of Human Resources.
Finally, this week, I wish all families a safe and restful break, and I look forward to re-connecting during Term 4.
Have a great break.
God Bless.
Dr Michael Carroll
College Principal