Deputy Principal | Mr Damien Fall

I write this article on the Feast of the Annunciation, the date in the Catholic Church’s calendar in which the angel Gabriel visits the virgin Mary to inform her that she is to become the mother of Jesus Christ, the son of God. One can only imagine the shock and possibly dread that Mary felt when she heard this news. Many of us may not make the connection that the date of the Annunciation is exactly nine months before Christmas Day. No doubt, any of Mary’s initial thoughts would have been replaced, in time, by excitement and optimism about the impending arrival of her child. In Australia, this is a time when we are all experiencing a mix of emotions. As we deal with the shock and devastation of the current world crisis, it is important we remember to appreciate all we are fortunate to have, and to look forward with hope and optimism. We hope and pray that there are better times ahead and as a community, that we are stronger and closer as a result of the difficulties we have faced. Our thoughts are very much with those in the Terrace Family who have been negatively impacted and we pray with optimism for better times for these people.

I have written to a number of our families in the past week to inform them that some of our teaching staff have taken the option of working from home and isolating themselves from the human interactions that are inevitable in a busy school. The staff involved are considered, for various reasons, to be in categories at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus and hence the College has been strongly supportive of their decisions to self-isolate. These teachers are all working from home to continue supporting students’ learning. A number of our non-teaching staff have also accepted the opportunity to work from home for a period of time. The College is committed to the care of staff and I have been delighted by the messages of support for our staff sent by many of our families. We will watch the news closely over the next week or so and always respond in a way that keeps the welfare of students and staff as the highest priority. With today's government announcement, next week will see staff focusing their efforts on the preparation of units of work that can be delivered remotely if required during Term 2. Best wishes to all in the Terrace Family.