26 Feb 2015

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Dean of Studies, Mrs Julie Quinn As Week 5 comes to a close, I hope that all our boys are confident that they are striving to do their best. This week is the start of our “accountability” week with assignments starting to be due. As such, it is most important that key dates from assessment calendars are in diaries and time is being invested into planning and drafting for these assignments. With much support offered at Terrace to students, assignment work should be where we maximise our outcomes. One of the key strategies that we have discussed with students is their requirement to log their hours in their diary. I use the analogy of elite sports people who are able to exactly quote their training schedules of the number of kilometres swum or run. They are able to link their outcomes back to their commitment in their programs. It is most important that students are also aware of the time invested in their subjects and the subsequent outcome from these subjects. I also would very much appreciate if parents could continue to sign the diary on a weekly basis. Your support and interest is paramount to the best possible outcomes. Last week our Senior students completed a workshop in the rules and formats of genres for the writing task. These workshops were followed by an actual attempt at a writing task paper. We will receive results from the external markers that will allow us to shape further directions but the focus and commitment of our Seniors in these workshops and practice paper were exemplary. I will continue to track and monitor student usage of laptops with the help of our IT Department. To date, I am pleased that the majority of our boys are using devices for the intended reasons. Our wonderful tradition of academic excellence, exemplified at our recent Medal Assembly, would be at risk if students chose to use their BYOD unwisely. Many great stories are told and enacted at Terrace daily - something that I feel most privileged to be sharing. When speaking with a current Year 12 student about his progress this year compared to last year, he responded very positively indicating that he was investing much more time in his studies and felt that he would produce much stronger outcomes this year. When asked why this was happening he responded by saying that he had shut down his Facebook account, had a study plan, was doing homework and regular revision, was exercising and eating well, was going to bed at a good hour so he could be fresh for school the next day which resulted in his being very focussed in the classroom and hence understanding work much better. My next question was: “How and why did you do this?” His answer: “Over the holidays I reflected on the times when I was intending to commit to something and then didn’t follow through. I don’t want my life habits to follow this pattern so I have committed “. So many of our young men are inspirational. PREPARATION IS VITAL TO SUCCESS IN EVERYTHING A TERRACE GENTLEMAN DOES – INCLUDING QCS. 4
Middle School, Mr Russell Cooper While listening to the Ash Wednesday Liturgy message it occurred to me that parallels can be drawn between that service and the Scholars Assembly, in which OP 1 students were commended on their success. During the Scholars Assembly a week prior, Dean of Studies Mrs Julie Quinn relayed some of the strategies that each boy used in their quest for excellence and it was apparent that sacrifice was a common theme. Sacrificing something for Lent, be it chocolate or time on the PlayStation 4, can in the long run teach us to appreciate those things even more. The same can be said for study. By sacrificing leisure time for revision or study, students can reduce stress and feel well-prepared for a task or exam. Hopefully this will transfer into better grades, and to paraphrase 2104 School Dux, Declan Sela: The hard times are forgotten but the achievement is not. That is not to say that leisure time should be forsaken altogether. Indeed, two of the OP1 graduates, Lachlan Ho and Thomas Mulherin, spoke of the need to intersperse study with relaxation time. Ideally, leisure time should include family time and also what *Hodapp and Hodapp (1991) call incentives. Incentives, need not (and nor should they not) be simply material reward. Encourage your son to break up homework with a run or a swim or even some television time. Remember, that ultimately, by the time your son reaches the Senior phase of his schooling at Terrace, the hope is that he will be a self-guided, intrinsically motivated learner and by then, study and homework are as much a part of his routine as dinner or breakfast. Congratulations to all Middle School Academic medal winners, who no doubt made many sacrifices to achieve such outstanding results last year, it is just the kind of reward of which Declan Sela spoke. A reminder to all students that not only are a number of assignments due in over the next week or two, but a number more will be distributed. Be sure to keep your study planner updated and all the best. *Hodapp, J. B., & Hodapp, A. F. (1991, May). Abc’s of Homework: Tips for Parents: Practical ideas for parents who help with homework. Intervention in School and Clinic, <strong>26</strong>, 282 - 283. Dean of Identity, Mr Peter Finnigan Lent is a season of 40 days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means “spring.” The 40 days represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts to Christianity for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others as a sign of wanting to become a better person and closer to God. This week our students begin their annual Lenten Appeal to support their House Friendship Groups. I have been impressed by the initiatives of our Senior student leaders who are working with their Houses to raise awareness and funds to assist their Friendship Group. From Pope Francis: Jesus assured those burdened by sorrow and crushed by poverty that God has a special place for them in his heart. ... We are called to find Christ in them, to lend our voice to their causes, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them. DID YOU KNOW……According to Amnesty International, 1 in every 115 people on earth are refugees, and a new refugee is created every 21 seconds… Concerning isn’t it! 5
Page 1 and 2: VOL 43 No. 3 | 26 February 2015 ~ G
Page 3: College Dean, Mr Chris Ryan Support
Page 7 and 8: Music, Mr Brad Esbensen This Thursd
Page 9 and 10: TERRACE LADIES GROUP BOOK HERE: htt
Page 11 and 12: The Locker Room begins this week an
Page 14: TERRACE social events • YEAR 11 P

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