Dear members of the Terrace Family,

As this is the final Terrace News in what has been a very unusual term, it is appropriate that we all take some time to reflect on the last three months.

It only seems a short time ago that I wrote to parents late in Term 1 indicating that classes and exams were continuing as per usual.  Within a few days, Term 1 had concluded early, some exams were not completed, and the era of online learning was about to begin.

To commence Term 2 with no students, to have teachers and students undertaking their teaching and learning on a computer screen and to oversee the launch of GT@Home was, to say the least, a unique experience.  Over the course of Term 2, our virtual world grew in so many ways.  There were learnings, readjustments and at times, difficulties for all of us.  The return of the Years 11 and 12 students, followed by the return of all students in Week 6, was a welcomed outcome for all.

As Term 2 draws to an end, I again thank the Terrace Family for all that they have done to ensure that these last few months have been successful.  I thank the staff for their efforts in creating an online learning platform and continuing to support student learning under challenging circumstances.  I thank the parents who have supported their sons and the College in so many different ways.  Supporting online learning at home has not been an easy task.  Finally, I thank the students for their perseverance during the term.  No one would have envisaged the enormous impact of COVID-19 at the start of the year.  The students’ ongoing engagement with learning at home, and then re-engagement back at school, has been critical in them coping with what has occurred this term.  Thank you to all, and well done.

Term 2 will conclude for Years 5 to 11 on Wednesday 24 June at 3pm and on Thursday 25 June for Year 12 students.  Semester 1 reports will be online from 9am on Tuesday 30 June with bookings for online Parent/Teacher meetings also going live at this time.

Over the last couple of weeks, Terrace gained some public exposure because of a social media post.  An extensive investigation into the incident was undertaken and revealed that the photo was not a staged attempt to denigrate the George Floyd incident, nor was it a bullying incident.  What the incident did reveal was that we need to continue to strive to action tolerance of all, refrain from the need to be physical in our interactions with each other, ensure that mobile phones are not accessed at school and to better understand the potentially catastrophic impact that social media can have on our lives.  These issues must remain important learnings for all of us in the Terrace Family so that we can continue to respect all within our community.

Finally this week, communications regarding the upcoming holiday clinics and the Term 3 GPS sports program have been provided over the last couple of weeks.  It is wonderful that these activities are occurring and that many students will be engaged in a range of co-curricular activities during Term 3.  I do need to reiterate that the upcoming season will be different in many ways.  Most notably, the limited number of spectators permitted to attend matches, the important social distancing and hygiene requirements that will need to be observed and the absence of normal game day activities, including canteen facilities.  There will be further information provided over the coming weeks regarding training and game day procedures.  I do ask for your support in following safe practices when visiting both Terrace sporting facilities and those of other GPS schools.

I hope that all within the Terrace Family have time to recharge their batteries over the break, and I look forward to reconnecting with you in what is hopefully a more normal Term 3.

God Bless.

Dr Michael Carroll
College Principal

The strategic direction of Terrace is informed by the College’s Strategic Plan document. Our current Strategic Plan is due for renewal at the end of 2020 and we have commenced the process of updating the plan, which is due to be launched early in 2021. Like all good organisations, our daily operations are guided by this plan and assist us with focusing on the big picture while continuing to go about our daily roles. Each year, the College Leadership Team produces its annual action plan, which operationalises the Strategic Plan while ensuring we stay true to our College Mission in our everyday activities. To assist us, the College has engaged Mr Damien Brennan, an education consultant who has assisted numerous Brisbane schools with developing their strategic direction. Various members of the College community will be consulted in the process and we look forward to launching the plan early next year.

The recent run of Terrace babies has continued in the last few days. Mr Anthony Baruksopulo was delighted to welcome his first son, Lennox, on Friday, while Ms Cassie Bampton proudly introduced us to baby Isabella Daisy on Monday. All parents and babies are doing very well, and the Terrace Family passes on our congratulations and very best wishes. Anthony is taking a period of leave and will return to work in the new term, while Cassie will return for Semester 2 next year.

A reminder to our parents and caregivers that current circumstances mean we will run next term’s Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews remotely via Teams. The interviews will be held on the afternoon and evening of 15 and 22 July. For those who are unfamiliar with using Teams, please don’t be concerned. We will be sending home a user guide with reports at the end of the term, and Teams is quite a simple platform to navigate. It can also be very helpful to consult with your tech-savvy sons for IT support. Bookings will be made by the usual method and this will also be outlined when reports are sent. My best wishes to all students over the coming days as they complete their assessment for the semester. 

This week has seen the commencement of exams for Years 5-11 students. This summative assessment is an opportunity to inform students of their subject progress and attainment. For many subjects this is the culmination of formative assessment, checkpoints and drafting that has been ongoing through the term. As Bob Stake, an assessment expert from the University of Illinois explains – 

When the cook tastes the soup, it is formative; when the guest tastes the soup, it is summative. 

Both formative and summative assessment is important. All assessment is an opportunity for both students and teachers to be informed of student progress.

Assessment outcomes are immensely powerful for teachers. Professor John Hattie from Melbourne University posits that a major purpose of assessment should be to provide information to schools and teachers about their impact on student learning. This knowledge then provides the opportunity to further adapt teaching and learning.

At Terrace, following an assessment period, we examine student results and utilise it in a number of ways:

• Identifying students who require further support with literacy or numeracy and implementing an intervention to assist students. For example, the Learning Assistance program (LAP)
• Identifying students who need extension and implementing programs to extend. For example, Math and English Honours program.
• Intervention interviews with students who have demonstrated a major downward trend in their results
• Identification and tracking of cohort strengths and weaknesses in literacy and numeracy, providing class teaching and external program support where needed. 

Consequently, for both students and teachers, this assessment period is an opportunity to inform progress and ascertain attainment. Most importantly, it is not the knowledge gained that is of paramount importance, it is the reinforcement of behaviours that have led to success or conversely, the changing of those that did not enable success, that is the mark of successful assessment.

I wish students all the best for the remainder of their exam block.

We have finally arrived in exam week! The boys are working hard to prepare for these exams, and with the reintroduction of co-curricular training, a great sense of normality is starting to return to Terrace. With the exam block being pushed back a week to provide more face to face teaching, a reminder that the final day of Term 2 for boys in Years 5-10 is Wednesday 24 June and the following day for Year 12 students on Thursday 25 June. 

I wish all students the best at this important time. Year 11 students are reminded that they need to gather in the Campbell Centre with Mr Hellyer prior to their exam commencing. I have spoken with all students about expectations during this time, including the need to meet our usual standards regarding punctuality and personal presentation. I trust that all students are working hard at home to produce their very best in the upcoming assessment period. 

Social Media is an important aspect in the lives of teenagers. Statistics suggest 60% of 10 and 11-year-old children are using at least one social media site, including age-restricted platforms. The general advice for parents/caregivers of students in younger years is to hold off allowing your sons to access social media platforms as long as you can. They are not missing out. When you decide to allow your son to access social media take the time to educate yourself on those platforms as well. Get your son to show you how they work. Once a child migrates into this space, the window tends to close very quickly for parents to have any sense of influence over their children’s use of them.

I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Matthew 25:35)

On Tuesday, Year 11 students wore ‘happy socks’ (colourful socks) to raise awareness and funds for Refugee Week. Students raised $300 for Br Peter Harney’s ‘Welcome to the Stranger Project’ - a group of volunteers working with people seeking asylum in Brisbane.

Year 11 students, Eden Chan and Jake Laherty spoke to the Year 11 cohort about this significant issue. Below is their reflection about Refugee Week and their fundraiser. 

Jake Laherty

There are 26 million refugees in the world right now. That’s 26 million people without homes, without countries, and possibly without family. It can be difficult to appreciate the humane scale of a figure like that in a place like Australia; however, almost a million refugees have been settled here since 1947, with thousands more every year – refugees constitute an indisputably integral part of Australian society. That’s why National Refugee Week was held this week, to celebrate the contribution of refugees that typically go unnoticed. The theme for this year was ‘welcome’, an idea which ties perfectly into one of Terrace’s EREA touchstones: a commitment to building an inclusive community. We felt it was important to integrate the values implicit in that touchstone actively inside the Terrace community, and so we held a ‘happy sock’ fundraiser and a sausage sizzle to raise awareness among the future seniors. The event proved a great opportunity to celebrate a not frequently discussed subject, raise money for donations, and also have some fun.

Eden Chan

Since 1947, Australia has welcomed more than 900 000 refugees, with thousands more arriving every year. Although this number is undoubtedly large, we often gloss over the fundamentally human aspect of our refugees here in Australia. In 2019, I was fortunate enough to volunteer at Milpera State High School – an intensive English language school for young people of refugee and migrant backgrounds. Although Milpera’s students hailed from a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, their love for all things Australia was undeniable. It made me appreciate the profound contribution of refugees here in Australia, and it’s something I’ll never forget. For the first time, I was able to see the human aspect of refugees; these kids were not just numbers or statistics, but rather, hard-working, optimistic people. This year’s National Refugee Week theme of the ‘welcome’ challenges us to consider the hardships and struggles of refugees across the globe. This week, the boys in Year 11 held a ‘happy sock’ fundraiser to raise awareness on this issue; it helped us to recognise the often ignored contributions of refugees in Australian society, and it was a time to reflect on the core values and Touchstones of the Terrace community.

Year 9 students are currently studying a unit on the plight of refugees in Religious Education. A student in Mrs Monica Keating’s class created the following prayer - 

God our protector,
We ask you to protect those who have survived the treacherous journey undertaken by refugees and asylum seekers, to have a better life and allow them to rebuild it in a safe environment.
Help us to understand what they are going through.
May we be more willing to accept refugees and asylum seekers into our community.
Let us be more compassionate and kinder. 
Motivate us to be more involved in charities that help refugees and asylum seekers.
Encourage us to learn about the hardships and suffering that they have endured.
Guide us in our mission to help all feel safe.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Live Jesus in our Hearts…Forever

Terrace Chess

We are very excited to announce that at the end of this term we will be hosting our first Chess Clinic at Terrace.  This clinic is designed for those students who we class as our top players and who attend our 'top team' training on a Monday afternoon in room 5.6.

The aim of the clinic is to prepare our players for the GPS season in Term 3.  The clinic will run on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June for everyone in the top team.  There will also be an additional day for our Premier board players on Monday 29 June.  If you are not sure which session to attend, please email Mr Herne.  Each session will run from 9am-3pm and will be led by our chess coach Hughston Parle. 

We hope each player can attend a full session on their scheduled days.  However, if students have a clash with other commitments, such as the Music Camps or other school sports training camps, they are welcome to attend part days.  Please let Mr Herne know in advance if this is the case.

Students are to bring their own lunch to school and can wear sports uniform to attend the clinic.  The clinic is free to attend.

We look forward to seeing you there!

For students who wish to represent the College in GPS Chess during Term 3, there are some limited spots available.  Please go to the Parent Lounge to sign on.

Support Group meetings

• Terrace Performing Arts – Tuesday 1 September, 5.30pm in the Francis Rush Room, Mt Sion - TPAChair@terrace.qld.edu.au

• Debating Support Group – Tuesday 1 September, 5.30pm in the Mary Rice Room, Mt Sion - DSGChair@terrace.qld.edu.au

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 don’t miss anything.  The Cultural YouTube Channel is also worth a look!

If you have any photographs or video that you would to share, please tag us.

Welcome to Week 9. After a comprehensive interviewing process, we are delighted to announce that we have now appointed two new tutors to the Vocal Department. Mr Jacob Bradford and Miss Irena Lysiuk will commence with a Vocal Workshop in the holidays, in preparation for Term 3. Both Mr Bradford and Miss Lysiuk are industry experienced professional singers and vocal ensemble directors.  Mr Bradford will specifically teach our changed voices, conduct the Terrace Choir, Vocal Ensemble and Chapel Choir at Masses. Miss Lysiuk will specifically teach our unchanged voices, conduct the Terrace Youth Choir and accompany these boys as a section technician in their attendance at Terrace Choir. 

Introducing our new vocal tutors

Mr Jacob Bradford has trained in Contemporary voice at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and studied with Dr Irene Bartlett. He is currently a full time singing and piano teacher. Mr Bradford has performed and assisted in 70 productions and has played roles such as Marius in Les Miserables, Rolf in The Sound of Music and Geppetto in My Son Pinocchio. Mr Bradford has played piano for various companies around Brisbane and notably was the Band and Vocal Director for Jason Robert Brown’s, 13 The Musical.

Miss Irena Lysiuk is a classically trained, versatile singer with over ten years of performance experience. At the age of 23, she has toured nationally and internationally with Brisbane acts Avaberee and Charlie Mayfair. In 2013, she travelled to America to write and record an original album with pop group Avaberee, returning to the States again in 2015 to perform shows in LA and New York City. With a Bachelor of Music in Performance and Pedagogy, majoring in classical voice, Miss Lysiuk has studied with esteemed vocal coach and soprano Associate Professor Margaret Schindler and has performed in numerous Queensland Opera productions and stage performances. Most recently, Miss Lysiuk was a featured cast member of The Isolate Late Show, connecting musicians and audiences throughout the COVID-19 lockdown. 

Ensemble rehearsal 

Having now both heard and conducted our ensembles these last three weeks, I can attest to the fact that participation rates are high. In addition, the level of ensemble performance is most impressive!

Music Hall  

Music Hall is an excellent resource and is being well used by the students.  Running every Monday from 3.15-5pm in the Music Centre. I would commend this unique initiative to you all.

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

Term 2 workshops

• Thursday 25 June | Big Band 3 Workshop - 9.15am-12pm, Treacy Chapel
• Thursday 25 June | Big Band 2 Workshop - 12.15-2.30pm, Music Centre room MU2
• Thursday 25 June | Percussion Ensembles 3 Workshop - 9.15am-12pm, rooms 3.20/3.21
• Thursday 25 June | Percussion Ensembles 2 Workshop - 12.15-2.30pm, rooms 3.20/3.21
• Friday 26 June | Terrace Jazz Orchestra Workshop - 9.30am-12pm, Treacy Chapel
• Friday 26 June | Terrace Jazz Combo Workshop - 12.15-12.45pm, Treacy Chapel
• Thursday 9 July | Red Thunder Drumline Workshop - 9am-3pm, rooms 3.20/3.21
• Friday 10 July | First Percussion Ensemble Workshop - 9am-3pm, rooms 3.20/3.21
• Thursday 9 July/Friday 10 July | Two Day Vocal Camp - 8.30am-2.30pm, rooms 3.20/3.21

Rugby wrap

The 2020 Terrace Rugby program is underway with over 540 players and 30 teams pulling on the red and black butcher stripe jersey. Non-contact training commenced last week for boys aspiring to play A/B rugby with the remainder of the boys joining the program at the mid-year Player Readiness clinic.

The Rugby program is once again committed to offering a safe and well-structured environment with a focus on participation, enjoyment and the opportunity to learn. In doing so the program provides boys, coaches and referees with a strong framework for improvement and abundant opportunity to develop the key elements of rugby. 

Please note the below June – July Holiday information to assist with your planning.

Student availability | family holidays

Student attendance at holiday training is encouraged; however, the program is supportive of families spending time away in the coming weeks. If students are unable to attend any holiday activities please email tyronmandrusiak@terrace.qld.edu.au in advance so it can be noted.

Under 11 Holiday Clinic

• All Under 11 Rugby players are invited to participate in the Under 11 Holiday Clinic on Thursday 25 June.
• Registration is not required as it is an expectation that all boys attend.

Under 12 – Under 15 A/B Holiday Clinics 

• The two A/B preseason clinics are open to all Under 12 to Under 15 boys who aspire to play A/B team rugby. They are designed to prepare players for the upcoming GPS season and will cover all technical, tactical and position-specific elements of the game in sessions with experienced coaches.
• Registration is not required as it is an expectation that all boys attend.
• Boys who attend these clinics are also expected to attend the Player Readiness Program in the following week.

1st XV, 2nd XV and Under 16 A/B Holiday Clinics

• Holiday training information will be sent directly to players.
• No registration required – it is expected that all players will attend.

Whole School Clinics | Player Readiness Program

• These clinics are mandatory for all Terrace Rugby players in preparation for the GPS season. Any players unable to attend must inform Mr Tyron Mandrusiak: TyronMandrusiak@terrace.qld.edu.au beforehand, and will have to complete the program’s content during the first two weeks of Term 3 training before they may participate in GPS games.
• The clinics cover all elements of the Smart Rugby and Confidence in Contact training, which are requirements for Term 3 GPS Rugby. They will be delivered at Tennyson by experienced coaches in preparation for internal trial games on Saturday 18 July.  
• Registration is not required as it is an expectation that all boys will attend.
• The schedule for the three days will run as follows, unless otherwise advised:

• 9am – 12pm | Under 11, Under 12 and Under 14 players
• 1pm – 4pm | Under 13, Under 15, Under 16 and Opens

For several days, I sat asking myself, where will this week’s instalment of Captains’ Corner emanate from, and will I discuss? It wasn’t until English in Period 4 on Monday that it became clear.

I leant over to my fellow Terracian, a great mate of mine and an exemplar of the Terrace Gentleman, Dario Andrijich, and said, nothing more, nothing less – a meaningless saying which has generated a reliable laugh amongst the Seniors these past weeks. I shared my struggle to write this article with him, and jokingly, we concluded that I should include nothing more, nothing less. While laughs were exchanged, I pondered this absurd idea – having little to work with besides it. I sought out Mr Mills, who has been teaching our class in the unfortunate absence of Mrs Lightbody, for his infinite wisdom in the literary genre and current affairs. 

Earlier in the lesson, he had mentioned an episode of a podcast which addressed the current affairs to date, and discussed how society was described in such a way that it resembled George Orwell’s dystopian future in his novel 1984, which we are currently studying in English. I shared my struggle to write this article with Mr Mills, and also that I now intended to incorporate the saying, nothing more, nothing less. Now, I was prepared to be greeted with perplexity, given the absurdity of my ambitions, but to my surprise, Mr Mills ran with it. After our discussion, I knew what I wanted to write in this article.

Although I previously thought that nothing more, nothing less is just a meaningless saying, which as yet hasn't failed to produce a laugh amongst a small group of Terracians in their Senior year, my engagement on Monday in English with Dario and Mr Mills has shed light on how trivial idiosyncratic interactions are not only integral to Terrace life, but the human condition. Without them, our minds would be unable to escape the constant cycle of concern – be it our concern for exams in the Terrace context, or current affairs in a broader sense. 

So, in concluding my third instalment of Captains’ Corner, I will leave you with the saying which I have repeated four times, and now, a fifth: 

Nothing more, nothing less.

Until next time, take care.

We pray for those who are in need in our Community, particularly those who are sick. May they continue to feel your healing hand upon them.

Lina and Stephen DADDOW - GT 1992

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

Mr John CURTIS, GT 1951-59