The Southport School Band of Brothers Issue 1 by The Southport School

we few,we happy few,

we band of brothers. OF BROTHERS issue 01 : april 2011

William Shakespeare

Editors Tony Watt, Head of Community Relations Karen Martin, Marketing Coordinator

Welcome

‘Band of Brothers’ Committee Alan Parsons, Jeff Symms, Andrew Stark You will by now have noticed that our magazine has experienced something of a makeover, including the new name ‘Band of Brothers’. This name will be very familiar to those who have seen the same phrase emblazoned on the end wall of the TSS Great Hall. Yet, as is so often the way with the familiar, its historical origins and contemporary relevance may be largely unknown. The phrase is taken from Shakespeare’s Henry V. On the eve before the Battle of Agincourt, with victory anything but certain, King Henry rallies his troops and strengthens their resolve with a stirring speech.

Design P’s in a Pod Content Editor Gary Edgar Photography Eric Victor, Karen Martin, Dan Sleeman, Sharon Joss, Adrian Gaglione, Anne Hancock, The Greenup Family

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition: And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.”

Printing Fast Proof Press Editorial queries, feedback and change of address Phone: 07 5531 9839 Email: marketing@tss.qld.edu.au Copyright: All rights reserved. Copyright of articles and photographs of Band of Brothers remain with the individual contributors and may not be reproduced without permission. Other material may be reproduced, but only with the permission of TSS.

Cover photo: First IV Debating Team

Henry V was written around 1599, yet such was the potency of King Henry’s speech, that in 1798 at the Battle of the Nile, Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson referred to the captains under his command as: “Such a gallant set of fellows! Such a band of brothers!” Today that simple phrase “band of brothers” serves to encapsulate the spirit and ethos of TSS that pervades every aspect of the School’s life. Some of the boys say … “Being at TSS is like having lots of brothers”. Band of Brothers is manifest on the sporting field, in the classroom, in the fellowship of Chapel and in the demeanor of TSS students both on campus and in the wider community. Yet it is not a philosophy confined to one’s days at TSS. Ask any TSS Old Boy and he can relate how the precepts that underpin “band of brothers” have continued to serve him well in the onward journey of his life. Many Rugby and Swimming teams recently have re-popularised the phrase as representing the spirit they are building within the group. My hope is that in bringing the phrase to new and more public prominence as the name for our revitalised magazine, it will provide an ongoing reminder to one and 3 all of what TSS stands for and foster a greater sense of inclusiveness within our “band of brothers”.

this issue

TSS paving the way

we few, we happy few, we band of brothers.

07 12

One might expect that considering geography, the journey from Castro’s Cuba to the hallowed halls of Harvard would be a direct line travelled as part of a typical story of fleeing a repressive regime, but the journey of Alexander James Uruchurtu has not been so straight forward.

A revolution on the Preparatory campus Months of planning and construction (and six months of good usage) lay behind the day Senator Mark Furness presided over a revolution on The Preparatory campus when he officially opened the new Resource Centre incorporating the T. R. Wood library at the same time as the new TECHSPACE, science and technology classroom was commissioned.

It takes a swag of “A”s to make the “D” list

Old Boys Recent events indicate the Old Southportonians’ Association is alive and well. Functions both locally and abroad indicate the spirit of “band of brothers” travels further than the School gates.

Out of Havana and into Harvard the long way round

To score a place on the prestigious Dean’s List is something that has been the aim of countless TSS students for well over a decade, without them necessarily comprehending the full background story of its origins and evolution to become a honoured part of TSS tradition.

32 Marshmallows and the pleasures of delayed gratification

Culture shocks – the journey from the inkwell to the iPad

50 Maths champ turns ambassador in the fight against poverty At the tender age of 14 TSS’s Kaya Genc has been named Queensland’s Maths Day Ambassador after consistently blitzing the maths world and dazzling his peers with a speed and skill that has allowed him to claim the title of World Maths Day Champion in 2009 and 2010. World Maths Day caters to a range of mathematical abilities in what is the biggest and most prestigious of international online maths competitions.

During my talk today we are going to conduct a little experiment. School Captain Oscar Milroy will be our subject. I’m going to place a delicious marshmallow in front of Oscar with these instructions ... “You can eat it now Oscar, or if you can wait until I finish my talk, I will give you two marshmallows.” (HEADMASTER PLACES A MARSHMALLOW ON PLATE IN FRONT OF OSCAR) I can see that Oscar can smell the marshmallow and he is starting to show an interest in it.

One family, four generations – and counting? In a high-tech, high-speed modern world where change seems to move at a bewildering pace, “tradition” is seen in some quarters as a relic with little value and relevance. Perhaps one of the greatest repositories of tradition can be found in rural families, where generation follows generation in maintaining certain well-established values and practices as the solid underpinning of their daily endeavours.

Scot Gannon School Counsellor

paving the way

One of many sayings from the vast store of Oriental wisdom states: “There are many paths to the top of the mountain.” If in our Western context the “mountain” can be regarded as symbolic of career success, then it becomes obvious that our 2010 graduate students are very much aware that there are many individual paths by which to ascend to that lofty peak. The choices of career pathways by the graduates reveal an impressive mix that is as diverse as the backgrounds and TSS history of the students themselves, some of whom had been at TSS from as early as Reception to others who had started at the end of Year 7. Yet a common thread can be found in their high achievement and the value they each attribute to their TSS education and its role in paving the way for their chosen path up the mountain. Max Lau’s score within the top band of the OP1 group earned him a Vice-Chancellor Scholarship to the University of Queensland (UQ) where he is pursuing his desire to practise medicine abroad by undertaking a Bachelor of Science with entry into the Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery. Max comments: “I appreciated the cultural and service aspects of this school. I feel these elements have given me a wonderful base for my ambition to practise medicine.” Chris Withers is studying for a Bachelor of Economics / Bachelor of Law and is keeping his future options open as he holds

US citizenship and plans to head there eventually to seek out future opportunities. Chris says: “TSS embodies the mentality that you get out what you put in. It taught me if opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” Kaisei Iwano’s interest in corporate law and banking now finds him at the Australian National University (ANU) undertaking his Bachelor of Economics / Bachelor of Law. Commenting on his TSS experience Kaisei remarks: “TSS has given me solid foundations. It’s the type of people here, they’re open-minded. I owe a lot to this place.” Ory Walker looks to the skies for his future career with an interest in aviation that focuses on specialising in aeronautical engineering. A Dean’s Scholarship has him studying Engineering at QUT. “Year 12 was special,” says Ory. “I would strongly suggest to current and future boys not to wait until Year 12 to participate fully in TSS life. I had great teachers across the board.”

Graduate destinations Lexie Peel has taken another step towards fulfilling a childhood ambition to work in Oncology by gaining a full scholarship to New York University. Lexie will based in Abu Dhabi, but will travel abroad to study semesters in Paris and New York. Lexie sums up TSS with: “I really valued the Maths department and in particular the university-accelerated program where I was able to undertake first-year university mathematics in Year 12. This has given me enormous benefits before I start uni.” Akihiro Ogi is engaged in study for a Bachelor of Science as a prelude to entry into Medicine / Surgery where he’ll then consider his options for specialisation. Akihiro says: “There is a really great sense of camaraderie. I got to know everyone in my grade. I love the traditions of the School, but also the modern outlook that it has.” Louis Fredheim has a Chemical Engineering major in mind as he studies his Bachelor of Engineering / Bachelor of

Commerce. As much as he looks forward to living on-campus at QUT he looks back on his TSS days, speculating that the value of that experience is yet to fully unfold. “I enjoyed the TSS journey immensely. I have a feeling I won’t fully appreciate many aspects of the School until I move into the next chapter of my life.” So each boy has discovered in his own way the worth of TSS in his onward journey, no matter what direction it takes. The extraordinary quality of an academic program that has produced 12 OP 1s from the ranks of the 2010 graduates has paved the way for the boys to enter some of the most prestigious tertiary institutions here and abroad. The other qualities imbued by TSS are perhaps more subtle and individually perceived, but they are no less profound. To return to the analogy of the pathways up the mountain, the TSS experience is akin to a backpack of values, ethics and attitudes that will sustain each and every boy on his ascent to the pinnacle of success, whatever his vocation.

From left: Louis Fredheim, Kaisei Iwano, Lexie Peel, Chris Withers, Ory Walker, Max Lau, Akihiro Ogi.

Preferred Areas of Study Area of Study

Acceptances

Agriculture, Environment

Architecture & Building

Creative Arts

Engineering

Health Sciences

Information Technology

Management and Commerce

Natural and Physical Sciences

Society and Culture (Law, Psychology)

Boys from the bush thrive and grow at TSS

Swimming travelling in the fast lane For families in the bush, the tyranny of distance has always driven the need to turn to boarding Director of Boarding as the only practical solution to secure a good education for their boys. Boarding of course brings additional challenges to the boys, who must not only cope with new surroundings and regimes very different from their homes, but with the separation from family. TSS is acutely aware of the effects of these factors on their ‘boys from the bush’ and spares no effort to ensure they enjoy a secure, supportive environment, with a result that the boys not only adapt, but positively thrive and grow as the experiences of the following two students demonstrate. 17-year-old Thomas Underwood of Thorold House spent five years at TSS and graduated with an OP 5. Over the next 12 months he will reside at King’s College, University of Queensland to study Bachelor of Engineering/Commerce with the intention of completing his studies, majoring in civil engineering, and in due course moving on to work in the business sector.

Peter Bromley

Thomas says: “TSS has helped me along the way to realise my strengths and consider the possible pathways to follow. The school has been very successful in providing a balance of life, and for me this made it easier to keep striving for more in my studies. Boarding at TSS has been a good experience; I feel it has prepared me for the next stage better than if I was living at home. It also has provided me with tolerance.” Another TSS ‘boy from the bush’ is Johnathon Brisk, a first-year undergraduate student also attending University of Queensland and living on campus at King’s College. Johnathon comments: “For most of my life I lived on a small property just outside of Katherine in the Northern Territory where my parents operate a helicopter business. I went to school there until Year 8 when it was decided to send me to The Southport School for Year 9. I boarded in McKinley House for four years where I gained lifelong friendships and an indescribable brotherhood like nothing I had ever seen before. From the hated early morning Cross Country trainings to the very last House Supper, my time spent in McKinley was something I am so grateful for today. TSS provided incredible academic, sporting and cultural aspects far beyond what existed in the small country town I had lived in for so long. TSS created a world of endless opportunity for me.”

Howzat for a great 2010/2011 season?

TSS Swimming has gone from strength to strength rapidly over the past 12 months. Membership numbers currently are just short of doubling in a year, with both pools buzzing every morning and night. The club has powered on with some outstanding performances including finishing 5th at the Queensland State Championships (our highest position ever) and 1st at the Gold Coast Swimming Championships. To give us the best opportunity to maintain winning momentum we are taking the largest team ever to the Australian Age Nationals in April. School swimming has also surged ahead in a big way. The GPS team finished 3rd for the second year running, but more importantly closed the gap on Nudgee from 107 points in 2010 to 63 points in 2011. The CIC team also had a superb season, winning the Green Division and promoting themselves into the top division for next season. The CIC win included individual age group wins in the under 10s, 11s and 13s. Two-time Olympic coach and the TSS Swimming High Performance Coach Chris Nesbit has been the latest addition to the TSS staff, and we now have expertise in every area of a swimmer’s pathway from learn-to-swim to Olympic ambitions. Solid foundations have been laid and now we will continue to grow and develop and keep moving forward on our mission to build a new generation of TSS Swimming.

TSS Cricket in 2011 is a hub for cricket participation and player development on the Gold Coast. There is a strong focus on encouraging fun participation in the sport with your school ‘mates’ and the support to be the best cricketer you can be. This year saw 120 boys at “In2Cricket” & nine teams in Prep and 15 teams in Senior at a much higher winning success rate across all grades. TSS has supported more representative players (particularly at State and National Level) and enjoyed a close partnership with Queensland and Gold Coast Cricket. What a season … Great participation and success! The First XI and development training squads were set up in August 2010 with a host of boys playing club cricket and selected to play at higher levels. Subtle changes to training methods were implemented, from traditional net sessions to specialist skills coaching, game scenario training and many trial games. The TSS First XI competed in the State Knockout Competition, again winning the State Cup back-to-back in 2010. After Christmas the 2011 GPS Cricket season was very successful, giving players opportunities while vying for victory as a focus. All ‘A’ Teams were competitive with each team vying for top of the table finishes in the last round. The Year 10As had an outstanding season being undefeated and the First XI again won the GPS Premiership, going back-to-back in 2010 & 2011. It was 28 years before TSS had won the “Earle Williams Trophy” so the success of the TSS First XI in winning back-to-back State Cups with 160 schools competing and the GPS Premiership speaks volumes of the talent and dedication of the boys who have contributed. If you like your cricket … TSS is the school to be at!

Liam du Feu – Director of Swimming

Steven Baker – Director of Cricket

Out of Havana and into Harvard Greg Wain Headmaster and John Lane

One might expect that considering geography, the journey from Castro’s Cuba to the hallowed halls of Harvard University would be a direct line travelled as part of a typical story of fleeing a repressive regime, but the journey of Alexander James Uruchurtu has not been so straight forward. Alex’s family began its exodus in the usual fashion landing in the USA where Alex was born in Palm Springs. He attended Paloma Elementary School in San Marcos, California, distinguishing himself with a place in the school’s “Gifted and Talented” academic program and an enthusiastic appearance on the sports field, taking up gridiron football, All-Star baseball and basketball. Despite this apparently settled new life, the chance to move to Australia and for Alex to attend The Southport School presented itself, and sensing the significance of this opportunity, the family packed their bags once again and crossed the ocean. Alex joined the Band of Brothers at TSS in Year 5 to encounter the diverse pleasures of music and the arts, the camaraderie of Rugby and the arcane mysteries of Cricket. Within three years of arriving under the Clock Tower Alex had played First Team Rugby and Cricket, been awarded the prestigious Prep Golden Horn, gained the Dean’s List and secured a Senior School Academic Scholarship. Not one to rest on his laurels, by the time the five-year mark had been reached Alex had run up an impressive record: included in the Dean’s List every semester bar one, Dux Proxime Accessit twice, House Captain, Foundation Prefect, Lance Corporal Cadet and Trinity College of London Musician. In the sporting arena he played in the GPS Premiership-winning Basketball First V, stroked the GPS First VIII Rowing Crew, played Second XV Rugby, competed in the State Junior Surf Life Saving Titles and saw his name engraved on the School Sports Honour Board. Alex earnt a place to study Engineering at The University of Queensland, but the lure of a “gap year” position in the UK at Shiplake College, just a short scull away from the famous Royal Henley Regatta course, proved irresistible. At Shiplake Alex lent a helping hand to other students as they wrestled with the challenges of Maths, Physics, Spanish, Music, Rugby and Rowing. Somewhere he found the energy to pitch in on such diverse tasks as gardening, cleaning and chaperoning and during the holidays still managed to sling on the backpack and visit 16 European countries. As the first Northern Hemisphere semester unfolded, the desire to study at an “Ivy League” university in the US took hold, so packing his jacket and chinos Alex headed off to do the rounds of Princeton, Yale, Cornell, Columbia, Harvard and MIT. The outcome of this tour was a determination to settle for nothing less than the best in the shape of Harvard. Four months later, with encouragement and support from his mother, TSS, and Harvard’s Freshman Rowing Coach, Alex lodged his application. What followed was a full battery of essays, paperwork, US exams at the American School in London and interviews with alumni in Berkley Square. On 18 November 2010, Alex’s single-minded determination was rewarded with the magic phone call confirming he would be offered a full scholarship to Harvard commencing in 2011. It had truly been Havana to Harvard the long way round, but the journey has been the making of the man, and on the way, his time at TSS and the spirit it fostered has played no small part in Alex’s odyssey. It is interesting to note that Harvard were not only interested in academics. Alex was OP 2, not an OP 1 student, but the School was asked more about his leadership, extracurricular contributions and character. It was pleasing to be able to tell Harvard that TSS uses Alex’s photo to exemplify key aspects of a student leader – determination, persistence, humility, confidence and character. 12 Harvard were obviously impressed!

the long way round

Iain Smith Director of Rowing

More than boats come out of the Boatshed when help is needed It’s fair to say that the TSS Boatshed breeds a certain type of spirit that emphasises camaraderie, teamwork, dedication and sheer focused effort, but that spirit isn’t confined to just the Boatshed. When the chips are down for someone that spirit flows out to whoever or wherever it’s needed, and three recent situations serve to neatly demonstrate this “Spirit of the Boatshed” in action. IN THE WAKE OF THE FLOODS The January floods did not discriminate when it came to claiming victims and one of these was the mother of Rob Holle, a rower in the 1980 First Eight. The home of Mrs Holle (Senior) in the Brisbane riverside suburb of Fig Tree Pocket had sustained considerable damage and help was badly needed. John Milroy and Steve Gray were already on the job when the connection via the Old Boys’ network was activated. On Sunday 18 January our team of 37 boys from the Boatshed stepped into a scene of nightmarish dimensions that defied words and would leave a vivid impression indelibly etched into everyone’s memory. The team was dispersed among four different houses in the street, and despite having completed the Ergo trial just that morning, the boys worked tirelessly for five hours through the afternoon. In one house 12 boys set to work with a will and within three hours all Gyprock, doors, door frames, batts and ceiling had been removed and the house water-blasted clean. The owner could not find the words to describe the intense dedication of the crew to the task at hand. In another house where Geoff King and I had stepped in to assist with water-blasting duties we were surprised to find ourselves

working alongside none other than former Australian Cricket Captain Allan Border. It turned out the house belonged to Allan’s brother and he was there to lend a hand. AB commented that he was very impressed that our TSS boys had come along to help their community in their hour of need. But if that owner mentioned earlier could not find adequate words, at day’s end the weary band of Boatshed boys found words themselves as they came to grips with their experience. “If I had never seen it with my own eyes I would never have believed it.” “It was a great feeling helping others who really needed it.” “This seemed to bring us all a bit closer together.”

ROWING FOR A CAUSE Jamieson Raby, a 17-year-old TSS rower, was not one to sit idly by when he heard that family friend 13-year-old Bree Mitchell had been diagnosed with leukaemia at the start of the Christmas holidays and was undergoing treatment at Royal Brisbane Children’s Hospital. As a way to raise funds for Bree’s treatment and create awareness of the disease, he decided to forgo holidays, launch “K’s for a Kure” and inspire contributions by rowing a single 15

Learning to lead from the word go

Jeff Symms Head of The Preparatory School

scull for 300+ kilometres over 24 days. This would amount to an average of 1500 strokes and two and a half hours on the water every day, rain, hail or shine. Week one was ticked off with relative ease despite the 4am starts, but the second week brought horrendous weather conditions and each hard-fought day brought Jamieson up three kilometres short of the needed average. The leeway to make up in week three was piling up and he would get to the end of that third week in a state of exhaustion. Halfway through the fourth week he was still 50 kilometres short of the 300 mark and this was pushing him towards a mammoth final effort. Saturday dawned for the last punishing leg that would take him on an obstacle-littered journey from Burleigh Waters to Southport, not only straining at the oars, but having to lift the scull over weirs and dodge training kayakers. On the three-hour return grind back to TSS and with lactic acid attacking his legs, Jamieson pushed on to be greeted at Budds Beach by a quad crewed by the Open boys waiting to escort him. A second quad joined in for the last 500 metres to the TSS Boatshed where a cheering crowd had packed the banks to salute his remarkable achievement and unwavering commitment.

Jamieson’s comment on this was at once humble and yet embodied the Spirit of the Boatshed. “I hope that what I have done has helped even just the slightest in raising awareness and I urge everyone to challenge themselves and try to make a difference.”

MAKING ROOM IN THE BOATSHED FOR CHURCHIE AND BBC The floods naturally wrought havoc for rowers from Churchie and BBC, with the dangerous conditions and debris making the Brisbane River a no-go zone for training. In a typical gesture of brotherhood TSS rowing stepped forward and opened the Boatshed facilities to both schools. The Nerang River was unaffected by the deluge and its consequences as its catchment is different from that of the Brisbane River, so no runaway pontoons, floating restaurants and rapidly drifting boats meant that the gallant oarsmen of Churchie and BBC could get on with training without missing a beat. It all adds up to the simple fact that the world view of TSS rowers, especially when help is needed, extends way beyond the back of the oarsman immediately in front. 16

As part of the comprehensive and holistic approach to learning at The Preparatory School, TSS believes that there’s no better time for the boys to begin examining leadership, its demands and rewards, than from the very first day. School life provides many opportunities for young people to develop leadership and representation skills, including as leaders in school governance. Student leaders have the potential to influence the school environment and the behaviour of their fellow students by becoming advocates for positive change in the school community. In fact, students report that when they actively participate in school life, and their ideas and opinions are listened to and valued, they feel respected and encouraged. The Prep Year program has a very strong social focus and it is here that the seed of leadership though service is sown. The boys take on class responsibilities that provide them with a chance to demonstrate their growing maturity and skills within the context of strong support for the development of co-operative skills. As the boys then move through The Preparatory School, these opportunities become more formalised and increase in scope, until by Year 7 the boys can nominate and seek election as House Captains, Sport Captains and Music Captains. Service through participation in Round Square and other such student committee groups are also valuable opportunities. Most importantly, it is the development of specific leadership skills that the overarching leadership program aims to develop. At TSS Prep we believe that all students have the potential to develop leadership skills. Students should be encouraged to apply leadership skills to initiatives that strengthen the school community and the communities in which they live. We firmly believe that leadership programs can build students’ confidence through the reaffirmation that their opinions and views are valued. The confident young men of the Prep School are living models of how applying the principles 17 of leadership to everyday life reaps rewards.

Taking the lead on leadership Daniel Brown Director of Leadership and Thorold Housemaster

The Senior School at TSS already offers many “hands on” leadership opportunities for students from Years 8-12 through the five realms of school life academic, pastoral, extracurricular, spiritual and community. These experiences allow students to learn more about themselves in a range of situations, but through various structures and programs they also learn about various skills and attributes that are attuned to successful leadership of one’s self and, of course, others. In the coming months and years, The Southport School will endeavour to refine and enhance these structures and adopt a more formal approach to creating a spiralling program that will allow each student to explore and expand his own leadership talents. As TSS develops its student leadership programs the result will provide graduating students with not only the required academic skill set, but also the emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills to lead themselves and others as they enter their next phase of life. Such a program will create a significant point of difference among other schools on the Gold Coast, but more importantly, far further afield. As the new Director of Leadership, I have been tasked with the strategic development of these leadership programs at the School. In addition, the opening of the new Leadership Centre later in the year will provide us with the appropriate dedicated physical space in which to conduct our activities. The central aim of “learning to lead” at TSS will be a three-phase program that includes: 1. Primary (with upper primary as a focus). This phase will offer the basics about what it means to lead, be a leader (in basic group situations) and building to some leadership positions through the House system and Extracurricular Program. 2. Middle Secondary (Years 7-9). The transition of Year 7 to the Senior campus in 2013 is prompting the development of a program what will allow students to learn more about themselves and their potential (leadership of self and emotional intelligence) from Years 7-9. The Year 7 boys will be engaged in a specially designed personal development program with the assistance of Year 11 mentors during Pastoral Care classes. In addition a practical three-term adventure training course will be developed, again with the guidance and assistance of Year 11 boys and staff. In Year 8, boys will continue a personal development program during Pastoral Care time that spirals from their Year 7 experience and led by Year 12 mentors. Practically, students will be engaged in the Tri-Service Cadet Program, either through Army, Navy or Air Force. Students will continue this program into Year 9 and during this year students will commence looking at the principles of leading others through service learning and community service via the House system. In Term Four of Year 9, students will be encouraged to continue with the Cadet program through the Promotions Course (Junior Non-Commissioned Officer) to become a Corporal (Section Commander as a Year 10 student). 3. Senior Secondary (Years 10-12). In Year 10, students have the opportunity to study the semester Leadership academic course run by Mr Tony Knox and will also learn about more in-depth principles of leadership in the personal development program, culminating with their application to be Year 7 Mentor, as a Year 11 student or in Cadets as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (SNCO). In Year 11 students again have the opportunity to apply for leadership opportunities in the various realms of the School in their senior year. During Year 12 students will attend a range of seminars and also participate in numerous practical activities aimed at linking their leadership from their school experiences to the wider community and their life experience beyond the confines of TSS. The next few years will be very exciting ones as TSS takes “Learning to Lead” to the next level.

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Archives

It takes a well-travelled Father to point the way In welcoming Father Jonathan Whereat to TSS in January, we realised that we were gaining a new Chaplain whose spiritual journey has been as impressive as the kilometres he’s ticked off in Head of Libraries his travels around Queensland. As a consequence of this he brings with him a wealth of spiritual, community and educational experience. Throughout 1988, Father Jonathan spent his time in Mundubbera and Eidsvold, and as Priest-in-Charge he worked with and supported many country folk whether in their times of need or celebration. His affable manner and approachable personality made him a popular member of this country community and this continued when he moved his family to the Sunshine Coast and became the Noosa Parish Rector in 1991. During his time in Noosa, Father Jonathan developed his interest and expertise in education, and in 1997 he joined the staff at the Matthew Flinders Anglican College as the School Chaplain and teacher of Religious Education. Father Jonathan had soon made quite a name for himself and in 2002 he was invited by The Bishop of the Northern Territory to join the staff at the highly respected Kormilda College in

Andrew Stark

Darwin, as the College’s Anglican Chaplain and Head of Religion and Values Education. After nearly four very successful years in the ‘Top End’ Father Jonathan travelled south to begin the Anglican Parish of the Atherton Tableland. Next the opportunity to live on the Gold Coast and be a vital part of the TSS campus proved irresistible and the Whereat Family was once again on the move. During his many journeys and teaching experiences, Father Jonathan developed very clear and positive philosophies regarding education – boys’ education in particular. The foundation of his educational philosophy centres on guiding and enabling all boys to become mature, responsible men. To help achieve this, Father Jonathan sets out three core elements that point the way: Destiny, Mastery and Code. Destiny encourages boys to have a clear sense of direction in their lives. With this, boys need to develop goals, a sense of purpose and have a vision of themselves in the future. To be successful in this element, boys need to know how to construct successful life strategies. Mastery encourages boys to take command of all things ‘masculine’. This promotes the ideals of self-discipline, particularly when dealing with their bodies, minds and machines. Finally, Code is essential so that all young men establish a clear set of beliefs that promote the positive values and virtues, allowing boys to navigate successfully the ethical and moral issues with 20 which they will be confronted throughout their lives.

01. Second Crew 1938 02. The First Prefects at Southport High School 1908. N.R. Dowling, C.W. Francis, H. Pain 03. 1911 The old jetty in the water behind new jetty with pontoon

04. 1911 McKinley House Cricket 05. 1921 Dixons School Chapel. Chapel of St Albans opened 13-11-1921 06. 1911 Cadets in training on oval. Note new boat shed in 1910

Mark Wyer Deputy Head of the Preparatory School – Pastoral Care

‘Kite flying’ connects The Preparatory School community Rowing in unison A significant era dawned at Prep when from February 1 to 3, 2011 ‘Edukite’ – The Preparatory School’s e-learning portal – was launched. Parents who were invited to the unveiling of this next generation communication tool were amazed to see how much information they now had at their fingertips about their son’s learning and the wider Prep School’s news and events. Every boy in every class can now access online information regarding his class timetable, all class notices, sporting fixtures and excursion information, and most importantly, view all of his assigned homework and other tasks. Mr J Harris, CEO of Edukite, states: “I’ve been looking at the TSS ‘kites’ – it is just incredible what the teachers of the school have achieved in such a short space of time, and how many viewings the kites are getting each week. Congratulations on the establishment of the fastest-growing Edukite community yet!” The success of Edukite lies in the simplicity of the user interface, with no more than three mouse clicks required to access any information stored on each boy’s ‘kite’. Feedback from Prep families has been overwhelmingly positive of which the following from Kylie Humprey is just one typical example. “I just thought that I would drop you a quick note to congratulate you and your staff for the smooth introduction of Edukite – what a fantastic communication platform!! Working within the IT industry I can definitely appreciate that this has not been a small task and in the infant stages you generally hear about all the problems and very rarely hear about the success stories!! Just like to let you know that I am loving it! The endless dedication from yourself and your staff never ceases to amaze me.” Head of The Preparatory School, Mr Jeff Symms, reports that he has been amazed at the quick take-up rate of parents as they use this new service to stay in touch with their son’s life at school, and with further developments and enhancements still to come, it is easy to see that being connected at TSS Prep has a whole new dimension.

Sailing starts off on the right tack

TSS Rowing has one of the largest school programs in Australia with some 180 boys taking part. This gives us a tremendously strong talent base upon which to draw when it comes to producing winning crews, a fact clearly demonstrated by our win ratio for the season of around 30% of all races contested. Among our victories this season TSS came a close 3rd place in the Old Boys Cup for overall points at the Head of the River Regatta, where our crews won five races out of a possible 12 points races in a most successful day for the school. Unfortunately our First Eight could only manage a 5th place in the feature race, and though that left one and all with more than a little disappointment, there’s always next season. Our Year 10 group also has been strong this season and we look forward to next year when they step up to row in the Eights. The newly renovated TSS River Centre was the venue for this year’s terrific Rowing Camp for all year groups. The combination of the refurbished River Centre, the best training water in the GPS and the training convenience of second-to-none proximity to the school has made our base the envy of all other schools. Many thanks to all our boys, their parents and of course the wonderful Coaching team for another great year of Rowing at TSS.

Thirty-four boys and four staff arrived at the River Centre for the first training session of the year which consisted of instruction in safety procedures, laying out the plan for first term and organising groups into levels comprising a racing group and an introductory group split into advanced and novice. Seven Pacers and 10 Picos took to the water for the first racing and capitalised on a good breeze to enjoy a very good opening session. Ongoing training by all groups in all conditions from calm to gale force has produced marked improvement among the boys, with a number of the racing boat crews showing good skills and technique. Numbers have jumped up dramatically as the term progressed and we’ve had as many as 64 boys on the water, including 28 Prep boys. In order to cater for the large number of sailors we have had to add another training day to the TSSSC schedule. It’s been a good start to the year, so well done all sailors on the improvement in skills and teamwork. A vote of thanks is also due to the Friends of Sailing for their hard back-up work afloat and ashore. We can always do with more willing hands, so any parents wishing to help with Saturday lunches/ safety boat crewing (power boat licence required) will be warmly welcomed aboard.

Iain Smith – Director of Rowing

Ian Sturtevant – Director of Sailing

A revolution on the Preparatory campus

Months of planning and construction (and six months of good usage) lay behind the day Senator Mark Furness Head of The presided over a revolution Preparatory School on The Preparatory campus when he officially opened the new Resource Centre, incorporating the T. R. Wood library at the same time as the new TECHSPACE, science and technology classroom was commissioned. Both facilities have been embraced enthusiastically by the teachers and students and put to good use since completion last August. The Resource Centre with its specialist teaching areas including Media Room and Seminar spaces has become a real ‘hub for learning’, with busy boys researching, reading, discussing, planning, photographing, editing, creating and presenting in each of the six learning areas. The focus is on teaching the boys the six steps of the Information Process and the skilful questioning that leads to Inquiry

Jeff Symms

Learning. Not only does the program attempt to teach the boys a body of content knowledge, but also and more importantly, teaches them how to identify the information they require and provide them with the skills to locate, analyse and interpret this information. Boys are encouraged to borrow from a great range of recent releases and old favourites at their weekly borrowing session. Reading, board games and writing/drawing are popular lunchtime activities. The revolution will continue as Reader’s Challenge (Years 1 – 7) and Readers Cup (Years 6 and 7) are about to get under way. Lunchtimes are a hive of activity. Commenting on the new facility, Mrs Deb Schinckel, Prep’s Teacher-Librarian, says: “The Resource Centre is providing opportunities for the boys to participate in a wide variety of activities in a cool, comfortable, modern environment with access to many printed and electronic resources.” The Preparatory School’s new Resource Centre is symbolic of a positive learning revolution that represents an educational quantum leap from the facilities and techniques that most of the boys’ parents experienced during their own school days.

Exploring the TSS libraries experience While The Southport School Senior and Preparatory campuses may well be divided by Ferry Road, TSS Libraries Head of Libraries are working at bringing the resource centres of both campuses closer, thus providing a true P to 12 and beyond experience for students or the TSS community. The value of establishing a clear and progressive literacy and literary continuum is vital for all boys’ educational development, and the Harley Stumm Senior Library and recently opened Trevor R Wood Prep Library are developing programs to help boost the literacy skills and literary appreciation of every TSS boy. In Prep, all boys are introduced to the concepts related to Information Literacy. This type of literacy involves people developing and maintaining sufficient skills to locate and evaluate information to which they have access. Very often, this term is used in a library and academic context as, for many students, library resources and services (which include ICT) are a major provider of information for

Andrew Stark

assessments and general knowledge. For the boys in the Prep School, this includes them developing the skills to: construct bibliographies; understand the role of referencing the material they have found; and use the internet safely and as a relevant, searching tool. While this form of literacy may well focus on the upper levels of the Prep School, even the boys in Prep Year classes are introduced to research and inquiry skills via visits to the library. In addition, when teachers of all year levels require the expertise of library staff, they are invited to book their classes into the Prep Library for sessions relating to all aspects of Information Literacy. Throughout 2011, a program for all Year 7 boys has been set up where these boys will attend classes once a week on the Senior School campus. Very pleasingly, the Senior Library will feature quite considerably in this program. Initially, the boys are ‘introduced’ to the various aspects of the Senior Library, then participate in a series of workshops over several weeks that focus on developing information literacy skills and literary appreciation. Boys are directed to explore a variety of on-line resources (many of which boys in higher grades will also access) and consider strategies to assist with their comprehension of digital information. Encouraging boys to read has always been a concern for many teachers (and parents), and to assist in this area of the boys’ 25

“Providing a ‘wealth of information’ is one thing, but knowing how valuable that information can be is something entirely different.”

Banding together to help clean up in Theodore When the Dawson River broke its banks during the recent floods, Theodore was right in the firing line. So towards the end of Army Cadet the holiday period, The Southport Coordinator School received a request from Mrs Libby Homer (a past parent of the School) for some assistance to help the hard-pressed community of Theodore clean up. School staff promptly answered the call and put together an all-volunteer team of three staff including myself, Mr Kevin Herweynen and Deputy Headmaster Mr Alan Parsons, along with 14 boys from the Army Cadet Unit. With all thoughts of languid holidays at the beach abandoned, the team travelled the 720kms to Theodore on Australia Day and set up camp in the local park. For the next two days the boys, divided into three sections each led by a senior cadet, worked tirelessly in assisting residents with the clean-up. We were fortunate to be

Conan Bland

literacy development, there is a highly structured, and very successful, reading program throughout both campuses. The Prep School holds a Reading Challenge for boys from Years 1 to 7. This ‘Challenge’ is conducted over three months and boys are required to read and respond to up to 10 books. There is also a Reading Program included in the Year 7 Senior School Program and this program continues from Year 8 to 10. This approach to reading has reinvigorated the literary interest and involvement of many boys at TSS and borrowing rates at both campuses have soared as a result. Throughout any given week, many boys in Years 11 and 12 will also avail themselves of the ICT resources found in the library.

Regularly, senior classes are booked into the library spaces to complete assessment preparation and research tasks and library staff are always on hand to assist when needed. Challenging boys to achieve their maximum potential is the essence of boys’ education and the best starting point is in the school library. It is here where we strive to make the learning experience for all TSS boys a challenging, thought-provoking but enjoyable educational encounter. Among TSS Libraries’ aims is to enable all boys to build on their past knowledge and be prepared to confront the educational challenges of their future.

able to work with several TSS families in Theodore, including the Holmes and Brownlie families (Ayden, Damon and Ryan are all McKinley House Old Boys), to welcome the boys into the Theodore community. The unreserved hospitality of the community was a humbling experience and its resilience in the face of calamity was inspirational. Projects taken up by the boys included cleaning of houses both inside and out, filling shipping containers with donated goods for distribution, cleaning down the Anglican and Lutheran churches, shifting equipment at the Theodore State School (Theodore’s TSS) and generally helping local residents with jobs around their homes. Despite the heat and the workload the boys soldiered on from 6:30am through to 4:00pm each day, always with a smile on their faces and that unquenchable TSS spirit to the fore. Every one of them can feel a sense of personal satisfaction that they have done their part by banding together with the people of Theodore to overcome the ravages of a rampaging Dawson and in the process added a certain shine to the reputation of TSS. 27

It takes a swag of “A”s to make the “D” list

Year 11 2010 Back Row: Douglas Brown, Hossain Farhan, Brodan Tanner,Thomas Wilson Second Row: Kin Wah (Camus) Ho, Henry Johns, Dean Kenny, Joshua Matulin, Campbell Kennett,Thomas Snow, Xinchao (Troy) Rong Front Row: Greg Wain (Headmaster) Alfred Li, Daniel Henalla, Christopher Rutherford, Alexander MacInnes, Edwin Walker, Ayrton Sheehan, Rhys Davies, Leo (Chun-Yin) Lau, Ryan Christopher, Jo Inglis (Head of Learning and Teaching)

To score a place on the prestigious Dean’s List is something that has been the aim of countless TSS students Head of Learning and for well over a decade without Teaching them necessarily comprehending the full background story of its origins and evolution to become a honoured part of TSS tradition. The Dean’s List was introduced in 1996 by the Dean of Studies at the time, Mr Brian Hallewell. Mr Hallewell came to TSS from the Queensland Education Department where he had held a number of senior positions including Head of Department, Headmaster and Inspector of Queensland Schools. TSS staff and boys will remember Mr Hallewell as an imposing gentleman with a wealth of experience, wisdom and a guardian of high academic and professional standards. As Dean of Studies at TSS, Mr Hallewell sought to find a way to recognise boys who were achieving at the highest level across their entire academic program, as until that time, only the top achiever in each subject area was awarded with subject prizes at the annual Speech Day. In his 1996 Speech Day address, The Headmaster at the time, Dr Bruce Cook, said, “The Introduction of The Dean’s List and its associated Honour Board in the foyer of the Dixon Building has proven to be great incentive to the academic pursuits of our boys. On almost every day you can find one of the many aspirants gazing at the growing list of names on the Dean’s List Board”. The Dean’s List Honour Board resides in the foyer of the Dixon Building and it displays the names of the boys who currently

Jo Inglis

Year 10 2010 Back Row: Daniel Murray, Ashley Knopp, Riki Beazley, Raymond Au Second Row: Alexander Arena, Jack Martin, Matthew McMahon, Benjamin Sartor, James O’Brien, Ryan Simpson Third Row: Jackson Wichlinski, James Lacy, Brenton Poynting, Reece Harms, Kristian Buckland, Harrison Evans, Alexander Flatley,Thaddeus McFarlane Front Row: Greg Wain (Headmaster) R J Silk, Harrison Cush, Curtis McLeod, Bede Thompson, Jordan Gregory, Cato Perrin, Elliott Flowers, Jo Inglis (Head of Learning and Teaching)

Year 9 2010 Back Row: Edward Gibson, Rowan Hickson, Jock Campbell,William Flowers Second Row: Johnathan Chan, Po-Shen (Johnson) Chen,William Robinson, Alexander King, Michiatsu Masuda Front Row: Greg Wain (Headmaster) Oscar Presto, Craig van der Hoven, John-Ryan Davis, Jake Upfield, Mitchell Woods, Samuel Rasmussen, Lachlan Cross, Jo Inglis (Head of Learning and Teaching)

hold a place on the Dean’s List. Mr Hallewell’s vision to create a prize that could be achieved by any number of boys that met the standard means that The Dean’s List does indeed act as an incentive for boys to strive towards, in as many subjects as possible. The Southportonian records for posterity the names of those on that first Dean’s List of 1996 and reveals that aspiring TSS students today can look to joining a distinguished “Band of Brothers”. Inaugural Dean’s List members include: • Commonwealth Games swimmer Leigh McBean, • Biddle House brothers James and Cameron McLaren who are both now practising Medicine, • Olympic Triathlete Courtney Atkinson, • Australian Surf Lifesaver and two times World Ironman Champion Shannon Eckstein, • London-based internationally acclaimed and recorded classical pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout • Olympic yachtsman and 2010 Sailing 470 World Cup winner Mat Belcher. Throughout its 16-year history, the standards for achieving a position on the Dean’s List have remained quite consistent. The only notable change of late has been the recognition of boys who are undertaking University subjects while in Year 12. For these boys, a High Distinction or a Grade Point of 7 (the highest) is recognised as an A for Dean’s List calculations. In order to hold a place on the Dean’s List, boys in Year 8 must achieve seven As, boys in Year 9, six As, boys in Year 10, five As and in Years 11&12, four As. Also, boys must achieve a C or better in all other subjects. Many boys aspire to hold a place on the Dean’s List; it is a motivating force among boys in all year levels at The 29 Southport School.

Kathryn Barry Deputy Head of The Preparatory School – Curriculum

TSS Prep scores high in NAPLAN The 2010 NAPLAN (National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy) testing program was a challenge that The Preparatory School met with consummate ease, earning the distinction of being named as one of Queensland’s Highest Performing Schools. NAPLAN is designed to examine each student’s understanding and knowledge against the described ‘Bands of Learning’ and is conducted over three days. For our youngest boys, those in Year 3, the formal testing protocols required can be a bit daunting, but they handled the situation with aplomb. Academic success was, however, across the board, with the boys in Years 3, 5 and 7 responding brilliantly. In each strand tested, TSS Prep recorded scores: • Better than State and national averages. • With stronger averages than the State and national averages for girls. • Which compared most favourably in most areas based on percentages of students in top bands and lower bands.

For example, the average percentage of Year 3 boys who achieved scores in the top two Bands of Learning for their age and across the five areas tested was 50.6%. The Queensland State average was 31.9%. At the other end of the scale, the percentage of Year 3 boys who achieved in the lower two Bands of Learning for their age and across the five areas tested was 4.22% compared to the Queensland average of 20.06%. The NAPLAN data is just one set of scores that teachers use to assess each boy as he navigates his way through the School’s curriculum, but it is pleasing to know that through a combination of quality teaching and talented hard-working boys, the student body of TSS have shown themselves to be up with the best. 31

OSA Careers and Mentors Network

Old Boys

The OSA is encouraging Old Boys to become mentors for our current students, Old Boy Craig Hobart, Tyndall Investments Managing Director, is kicking off the new scheme later on in the year with a scheduled talk to the current Business students.

Old rowers reunite over cocktails Kris Hailey OSA Coordinator

Coming up next

The Annual Rowing Reunion on Saturday 5 March at the newly renovated River Centre was staged as a tribute to the late J C, King with all proceeds going towards the J C King Memorial Rowing Fund. There was a different flavor to this year’s event, which took the form of an informal cocktail party that allowed many Old Boys to be free to speak to the current open rowers, provide some sage advice and share their experiences. Old Boys, partners, current open rowers, parents and coaches attended, along with OSA President Paul Wood and Headmaster Greg Wain. Among the Old Boy crews at the soiree, the 1961 crew had the honour of presenting the zoot suits to the Open First VIII rowers and wish them luck for the Head of River (held on 12 March). Brian McCullough, who was a member of the First VIII for an amazing four years (’59, ’60, ’61 & ’62), was the nominated speaker from the 1961 crew, which was represented on the night by Brian McCullough (Del ’57-’62), Jim Neill-Ballantine(Del ’58-’62), Bob Hancock (Tho ’58-’61), Grahame Greenup (Del ’55-’61), Murray Johnson (Del ’58-’61) and Peter Lohse (Mck ’59-’62)M. Committee organisers Bruce Wright (Rad ’76-’85) and Ross Norman (Del ’85-’89), John Hillier (Atk ’78-’87) and Geoff King (Del ’71-’80) were the prime movers behind the successful event with over 100 guests undeterred by the wind and rain! Old Boy Ian Browne (Del ’82-’83) staged an historical DVD show that included a tribute DVD of the late Jeremy King, himself a rower of a winning crew in 1953 and a long-time supporter, coach and mentor to many TSS students over his lifetime. It was great to see Jeremy’s wife Lois King there along with her son Geoff and two grandsons, Jeremy and James (current TSS students and rowers). As always the Annual Reunion proved popular and it is confidently expected that it will continue to be well supported by our many Old Boy rowers to revive the memories, mingle, share and inspire the present generations of oarsmen. 32

The OSA has had a busy start to the year organising several branch gatherings and functions, with the next quarter promising to live up to its reputation for always being a whirl of activity. Besides the various functions throughout Australia and overseas, there is the Reunion weekend of events held at the School on the last Rugby/Football home game of the season. If you want more information on any and all OSA events you’ll find it on the Old Boys’ community website. Booking forms for the reunion weekend are available from the OSA Office 07 5531 9803, or on line www.tss.qld.edu.au

Get out your diary and make a note of the line-up of events for the next quarter of 2011. 07 May 10 Apr – South Australian Branch Function

07 May– Adelaide Branch Function 13 May – Perth Branch Function 02 Jul – London Branch gathering at Henley Royal Regatta 28 Jul – Generations Dinner

29 Jul – Older Old Boys Assembly 29 Jul – Young Old Boy Gathering 30 Jul – BBQ 10 Year Reunion Lunch for 2001, 1991, 1981, 1971 year groups 30 Jul – Official Reunion Dinner 31 Jul – Family Chapel Service

Craig Hobart - THO ’80-’85 The School’s Head of Business, Mark Herriman, has confirmed Craig will speak with the current Business students about his role and how he got to where he is today. When we approached Craig to speak with the boys, Craig said: “I’d be delighted to speak at a school function. If only I knew then what I know now, maybe, just maybe, we could inspire a future leader.”

Michael Gatenby – ATK ’83-’91 OSA Career and Mentors Network is beginning to take off with an offer by Michael Gatenby from McLaughlins Solicitors offering Work Experience Placement and /or a School Based traineeship to current TSS Students. He has also offered to represent his industry at a TSS/OSA Careers night.

Lt Thomas Usher – RAD ’01-’06 Career advice is very much sought after by boys and parents, particularly in Years 11 and 12. Thomas Usher, a Lieutenant in the Army in Townsville, has offered to assist current students and Old Boys who feel they may wish to pursue a career in the Australian Defence Force. Anyone who wishes to speak to Thomas about his experience in the Defence Force, please contact the OSA Office for more information. 33

Old Boys The youthful rush to be labelled “old” You might think that the last thing a fresh young TSS graduate would want to be labelled is “old”, but Young Old Boys are proving to be keen ‘Old Southportonians’ even after only just graduating in 2010. Dominic Buckland (Kai 98-2010) is a recent member of the OSA Council, elected as the Young Old Boys Representative, taking over from Brodie Cunningham (Tho 2002-07) who has taken up the position of Hon. Assistant Secretary. The OSA Council are extremely pleased to have these two Young Old Boys holding positions in the Council and certainly encourage more (Old Boys) to be involved. Dominic is studying a dual degree of Bachelor of Journalism and Bachelor of Business at University of Queensland and has chosen the prestigious King’s College to be his home away from home. The number of TSS Old Boys at King’s College is remarkable, and while many of them are studying various degrees at UQ, some also study at QUT. They form a close knit and enthusiastic group that aims to give back to King’s College through sport and cultural activities as much as the College gives to them, and by all accounts are thoroughly enjoying their life at King’s College. Dominic comments: “Evidently, college life has proven to be a unique experience for all. Following through from habits learnt at TSS we have all become involved in every way possible, including the famed Intercollegiate Competition, immersed ourselves in cultural, sporting and social activities. The Kings emblem – the Wyvern – acts much like the navy, white, maroon of Southport, the symbol of an unwritten code of conduct and pride for one another.

“TSS has made it easy to assimilate into the social scene at College. We have formed new friendships with a diverse range of people from all walks of life and from all over the globe. Occasional trips back to the Gold Coast have helped us keep in touch with the School and all of our mates back home. “Despite this secondary to tertiary transition, it’s still clear that Old Boys are very much a strong part of TSS. Throughout the year we will endeavour to be a presence both socially when we face our great GPS rivals on Old Boys weekend, and with regular social functions designed to get all of the boys together and keep the flame alive. “On behalf of the Young Old Boys I salute the current senior group leading the School and encourage them to continue upholding the values and traditions of The Southport School, moulding lifelong friendships all the while. Let the navy, white, maroon leave an imprint on your lives by immersing yourself in all that is TSS.” “Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat” Not surprisingly these outstanding young men were part of the cohort that produced the best OP results in the history of TSS and we look forward to following their various pathways on their incredible journey through university life. We encourage all Old Boys to log on to the OSA online community website at www.tssoldboys.com.au to keep in touch with all that is happening within the Old Boy Community.

Old Boys gather in ‘the land of the unexpected’ TSS Old Boys can be found all over the world and more than a few in our near northern neighbour Papua New Guinea, affectionately known in some quarters as “The Land of the Unexpected”. Ela Beach is one of Port Moresby’s more scenic suburbs, popular with nationals and expats alike and the Ela Beachside Brasserie became a logical place to hold a function on Friday 18 March for Old Boys based in Papua New Guinea. Education abroad is a well-supported concept in PNG and TSS representatives Deputy Headmaster Alan Parsons and Head of Community Relations Tony Watt were invited along to the gathering to chat to the Old Boys about potential enrolments for the School. OSA Branch President Clayton Burgess is to be congratulated on coordinating this gathering, which was well34 received by the PNG community.

Engineering a link from our place to ‘My Place’ For a couple of TSS students to end up involved in a vital aspect of the production of the ABC’s Logie-winning Australian Deputy Headmaster TV drama My Place seems more like a dream than reality. But thanks to TSS’s Composer in Residence, Paul Jarman, that’s exactly what is happening. As a session musician for My Place Paul has worked closely with the composer, Roger Mason, on series one in 2010 and on numerous Australian films and documentaries over the past 10 years. Roger, former member of the Australian pop group ‘The Models’, is a highly recognised, award-winning film and TV composer. In 2011 ABC will be airing series two and the music production has now begun with two of our students slated to play a part. As Paul has relocated from Sydney to the Gold Coast for his role at TSS, it is impossible for him to be in the Sydney studios to record each week. Fortunately, Head of Music Rob Cooke has previously set up a mini recording studio with the students at TSS

Alan Parsons

and two boys, Benjamin Provest and Scot Rose, are both keen to learn more about music engineering, editing and production. Paul suggested that Roger email the music sound files and scores directly to him and the boys can record him here at school. Once the performance cues are correct, they edit the tracks and the files are sent back to Roger. He then mixes the finished solos into his final score for the series. It means (quite literally) engineering a link between ‘our place’ and My Place. This presents a rare learning curve for Benjamin and Scot, as each week they contribute directly to a current, critically acclaimed production that they and their peers will be able to watch on TV. My Place is based on the award-winning book of the same name by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins and is presented with an online resource for teachers and students to connect them to the Australian stories presented each week. As a bonus, the boys get to see – first hand – their Composer in Residence engaged in the creative process as it relates to his work for the small screen. It’s a ‘win/win’ situation too, as Roger Mason is delighted that Paul’s solos can still feature on the show and that two TSS boys can have ‘real life’ work experience. 35

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Marshmallows and the pleasures of delayed gratification The Headmaster’s address at the Annual Scholars’ Assembly focused the attention of the audience when he came armed with a few marshmallows. Here’s how it all went. During my talk today we are going to conduct a little experiment. School Captain Oscar Millroy will be our Headmaster subject. I’m going to place a delicious marshmallow in front of Oscar with these instructions ... “You can eat it now, Oscar, or if you can wait until I finish my talk, I will give you two marshmallows.” (Headmaster places a marshmallow on plate in front of Oscar) I can see that Oscar can smell the marshmallow and he is starting to show an interest in it. I was talking to Ms Inglis yesterday about today’s Scholars’ Assembly and she reminded me about a conversation we’d had during the Year 12 Core Skills Test last September. Ms Inglis had a large box of chocolate Freddo Frogs. On the last day of the Core Skills Test, in the afternoon, she placed a Freddo Frog on the desk of every boy. She could see many boys reaching for the frog, so she announced that it would be better in terms of their ability to finish the Test right to the end if they delayed eating the chocolate frog until the second hour. Knowing some of the boys in the group, I would have predicted about a half would have absolutely no chance of resisting the lure of the chocolate in the afternoon of the second day of tests. But no! The Class of 2010 were made of strong stuff. Every boy took Ms Inglis’ advice and delayed gratification; delayed their reward. Now all this was fascinating to me because it reminded me of a classic psychology experiment conducted in 1972 – the Stanford University Marshmallow Study – which we are re-enacting today with Oscar.

Greg Wain

Is Oscar made of strong stuff? How is he going with his selfcontrol and self-discipline? We must keep an eye on Oscar during this experiment. Because we are supportive and encouraging of all team members here at Team TSS, and because we want Oscar to be the best he can be, I want these boys in the front to keep an eye on Oscar. All of Year 7 here in front – if you see Oscar reaching for the marshmallow, then yell out “No Oscar” and we’ll all say together ... “think of your future” ... that is one of the ways you can train yourself in self-discipline, think of your goals in your exams or sport or music or life, visualise the goal, and use that to stop you getting distracted from study or practice ....are you boys in front looking out for Oscar? His goal is to get two marshmallows. Today we live in a culture where many people want instant success – wealth, a beautiful body, a job at the top... This “I want it now” mentality is called “instant gratification” and is the number one reason many people fail because they do not do enough preparation and practice. People who reject the values of instant gratification and develop the skill of self-discipline are the people who succeed. These are people who are able to set goals and harness their motivational strength to see a task or project through to successful fruition – day by day, week by week, month by month, and, if necessary, year by year. We heard a great example of that last week from School ViceCaptain Tim Wilson on how he has developed his self-discipline in gymnastics. Such people know that any worthwhile achievement takes time and sustained effort. They are willing to pay the price. (At this point a huge ruckus breaks out among the Year 7s and other boys. distracted from his goal, Oscar was reaching for the marshmallow. The assembly yelled out – “No Oscar, think of your future.”) (Order prevails as the crisis passes)

The good news is that self-discipline is a skill that can be learnt. Now, what about the Stanford University Marshmallow Experiment? Psychology researcher Walter Mischel demonstrated how important self-discipline is to lifelong success. Back in 1972 he offered hungry 4-year-olds a marshmallow (we are experimenting with a 16-year-old, but he is a hungry rower). The experimenter told the 4-year-olds that if they could refrain from eating the marshmallow and wait for the experimenter to return after running an errand, they could have two marshmallows. Those who could wait the 15 minutes for the experimenter to return would be demonstrating the self-discipline to delay gratification and control impulse. About one-third of the children grabbed the single marshmallow right away while some waited a little longer, but still ate it. About one-third were able to wait the 15 minutes for the researcher to return. (Young Oscar is up to about six minutes! But keep an eye on him.) When tracked later in high school, Mischel found that, when it was time to study for a test or exam, the children who ate the marshmallow quickly tended to get distracted into doing activities that brought instant gratification; just like TV and Facebook

distract some of you. Years later, when Mischel followed up the Marshmallow kids after the children graduated from high school he found the differences between the two groups were dramatic. The ones with the self-discipline to resist were more positive, self-motivating, persistent in the face of difficulties, and able to delay gratification in pursuit of their goals. They had the habits of successful people, which resulted in more successful marriages, higher incomes, greater career satisfaction, better health, and more fulfilling lives than most of the population – and higher university entrance test scores (our OPs). Mischel’s conclusion was that the crucial skill was the “strategic allocation of attention”. In adults this skill is often referred to as metacognition, or thinking about your thinking. It allows people to outsmart their own shortcomings. You remember from two assemblies ago I told you about the boy who lives near me and bangs away on a cricket ball hanging from a string, practising for hours, to train his brain to be an expert batsman, he was our model of persistence at that assembly. I don’t know what the hot TV shows are for 16-year-old boys, but let’s assume its Hannah Montana. Imagine when our aspiring cricketer’s father yells out ... “Hannah Montana’s on TV, come and watch it with me” our persistent young man with high self-discipline thinks of Hannah Montana and misses the ball and turns to go in and watch TV ... but wait... No! ... he uses metacognition, an understanding of how he thinks, to boost his will power ... he thinks of the TV and Hannah Montana and he knows that represents instant gratification, but what is the sacrifice he would make? He then visualises his goal... walking out onto the Gabba in an Ashes series with 50,000 fans cheering him on! ... back to his study, his practice... he focuses on his goal and forgets about Hannah Montana. According to Mischel, this view of will power also helps explain why the marshmallow task is such a powerfully predictive test. “If you can deal with instant emotions, then you can study for exams instead of watching television,” Mischel says. “And you can save more money for retirement, or you can prepare for that promotion. It’s not just about marshmallows.”... (The headmaster turns to Oscar and sees the Year 7s ready to pounce if he weakens.) “It’s not just about the marshmallow, Oscar, this is about who you can become!” “Once you realise that will power is just a matter of learning how to control your attention and thoughts, you can really begin to increase your willpower. The real challenge is turning those tricks into habits, and that requires years of diligent practice,” says Mischel. As adolescents, you have a brain wired to think in the here and now, that is why some of you make silly mistakes because you don’t naturally think about consequences, but you can actually train it to be an adult brain by having an ‘orientation to the future’ ... as Tim Wilson said last week ... “form a goal and work steadily towards it”. Visualise the goal and that will help you from getting distracted. Well! Let’s congratulate our young subject on his self-discipline, well done, Oscar! The marshmallow is untouched. (Headmaster walks over to give Oscar his second marshmallow as the boys congratulate Oscar on his self-discilpline and superior metacognition)

communicate TRINITY COLLEGE LONDON AWARDS TSS SPEECH & DRAMA STUDENTS The TSS Speech and Drama Department offers students a fantastic opportunity to develop their communication and acting skills and thereby increase their self-confidence. TSS tutoring works to a syllabus created by Trinity College London that conducts examinations in Communication Skills, Acting and Speech and Drama in over 53 countries. The qualifications of students who pass these annual examinations by the governing body are recognised worldwide. In addition, Trinity College bestows prestigious awards upon those students who have excelled in their results, and this year two TSS students joined this distinguished group after having gained the highest mark in Queensland for their respective examinations. London-based John Gardyne, the Chief Examiner for Trinity College, presented the coveted awards at a spectacular event held in the Grand Ballroom of Chifley in Lennons Hotel Brisbane. Before a large and appreciative audience, Tristan Furney received his Top of the State Award for Grade 7 Acting as well as the Silver Medal Award for the District (top mark Grades 5 to 8). Douglas Brown was awarded for the top mark for his Professional Certificate in Communication skills. The event also gave due recognition to Diploma students and TSS was wellrepresented in this category with 2010 Year 12 students Max Lau and Michael Schachtel being acknowledged for achieving their Associate Diplomas in Public Speaking and Speech and Drama with Distinction. Lorna Warburton – Senior Speach Tutor

reason TSS robotics rule in singapore The 2011 Robotics in Education ‘Robotfest’ Conference in Singapore was a major two-day event with over 150 delegates from Singapore, China, Japan, America and Australia gathering to hear and discuss the latest developments in what is a dynamic and fascinating field. I was invited by LEGO Education Asia and the Singapore Science Centre to deliver the Keynote Presentation at the Conference, which was staged at the Singapore Science Centre on day one and Rulang Primary School on day two. LEGO Education products are used in Singapore schools, but are not fully integrated into the curriculum, so my Keynote Presentation focused on “Integrating LEGO Technology into the curriculum and how to embed thinking skills – Parallel thinking and de Bono’s Hats”. To complement this I held a half-day workshop on the new LEGO Wedo Robotics kits. Over 20 teachers participated and the feedback was very gratifying with such comments as: ‘very inspiring workshop’, ‘I didn’t realise Robotics was so easy’ and ‘my students are going to love it’. The success of both the Keynote Presentation and the workshop at this important conference has undeniably served to further lift the profile and credibility of TSS in the international educational robotics sphere.

DEBATING – A GREAT START TO 2011 The 2011 GPS Debating season has started well, with a solid body of students participating in Years 9 to 12, and an encouraging sized group in Year 8. Again this year, we have enlisted the expertise of TSS Staff and Old Boys to work with our students (one coach per team) to aim towards securing our contests against other top academic schools in the GPS competition. As many would know, Debating is a competition that can often be won or lost on the smallest things, and it has been the task of our debaters to ensure that they continue to strengthen their skills, work as a team, and deliver planned arguments to their opposition. This term, four debates have been contested, with TSS having hosted three. We have had a strong presence in all debates, in particular in the Years 11 and 12 competitions, with over half of the scheduled debates won by TSS teams. The Junior Debaters have also worked solidly, with our Years 9 and 10 teams continuing to develop very well and uphold their historically high win ratios, and our Year 8 teams continuing on the journey of learning the skills required in this activity. My appreciation goes to the Parent Support Group and all Debating Parents for their contributions to our home debates, as well as our Debating Coaches who spend a great deal of time preparing our young men for every debate. I wish to also thank Mr Andrew Berryman and Mrs Carolyn Nelson for assisting me this term on competition evenings. After a great start by our TSS Debaters I look forward to a strong second and final term to round out the 2011 41 Debating season.

Mark Lockett – LEGO Technology and Robotics Coordinator

Mark Herriman – Master in Charge of Debating

create

Fr Jonathan Whereat Chaplain

Of Hobbits, the Chapel and our purpose in life

The eternal question of “our purpose in life” has exercised the minds of humankind ever since we became thinking beings. From the average person-in-the-street, to great philosophers and pious religious thinkers, each and every one has sought to unravel the answer, and despite the marvels of modern technology and communications and an unparalleled access to information, we continue to ponder and look for an understanding of this most profound mystery. Perhaps there can be no definitive, all-encompassing answer, for it is something we must each find within ourselves, and though that may be a very personal odyssey, we are neither alone nor unaided in our quest. There are signs to guide us and places of refuge along the way. This became the core of my message to the students (and to myself) in the course of Term One. In the first few weeks I set out to highlight the essential role of Chapel and the purpose in going there. As a physical structure, The Chapel is that place of quiet refuge of which I spoke. But it is more than bricks and mortar. It is where the presence of God, the entire energy of centuries of Christian belief and values and the spiritual traditions of generations of TSS students is focused, and in this space one may be at peace and for a time be removed from the hustle and bustle of the material world. Here, one may find the freedom to reflect upon one’s life, to develop one’s levels of self-awareness and one’s place within the web of life and to come gently to the realisation that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. As we moved towards the season of Lent and to prepare ourselves for the significant waypoints of Good Friday and ANZAC Day, I have called upon a contemporary inspirational source that is familiar to most students (if not through the book then through the recent film trilogy) and quite possibly a number of their families. “The Lord of the Rings” is a grand, classic tale penned by J.R.R. Tolkien between 1936 and 1949, a period which of course embraced the dark days of World War II. Tolkien wrote emphatically of his distaste for allegory and stated that he had no intention of conveying an inner meaning or message, and yet he conceded that “applicability” of the story to the thought and experience of readers was acceptable. In this context, there is much in “The Lord of the Rings” that is “applicable” to our spiritual, ethical and moral growth. The story is set in the land of Middle Earth and frames a classic struggle between the forces of good and evil. A mighty ring of absolute power has fallen by various circumstances into the possession of Frodo Baggins, one of a race of diminutive, peace-loving folk known as Hobbits. The “One Ring to Rule Them All” is, however, eagerly sought by the Dark Lord Sauron whose power will then be complete and give him utter dominion over all the peoples of Middle Earth. A powerful alliance is formed by Men, Elves, Dwarves and Wizards to oppose Sauron, but this alone will not be sufficient to prevail if the Ring falls into his hands. It must be destroyed by casting it into the fires of Mt. Doom, which lies at the heart of Sauron’s kingdom. This perilous undertaking falls to Frodo, thus the greatest quest and the fate of many rests upon one who is in fact the humblest among the mighty.

What follows is a story of duty, sacrifice, temptation, corruption, high ideals, nobility of spirit and ultimate triumph in the face of impossible odds. Each character plays their part in portraying a characteristic of the human condition, whether for good or evil. There is the unshakeable commitment to duty of Frodo and the unswerving loyalty of his companion Sam Gamgee. In the bond of friendship forged between the elf Legolas and the dwarf Gimli we learn how long-held differences may be dissolved. In the character and transformation of the wizard Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White we witness the triumph of the spirit over death. And in the twisted, sub-human figure of Smeagol (who had once held the Ring and lusts for it obsessively) is revealed the corrupting effect of greed, possessiveness and unrestrained power. These messages and many more are contained in a work of fiction, yet their truths are universal and real, their underlying values undeniable and (as their author would say) “applicable” to us all in the unpredictable journey of our lives. In the words of Frodo the Hobbit:

“Still round the corner there may wait A new road or a secret gate: And though I oft have passed them by, A day will come at last when I Shall take the hidden paths that run West of the Moon, East of the Sun”

Steven Baker Director of Cricket

A great weekend devoted to wielding the willow The annual bye round of the GPS Cricket season set the scene for the ever-popular TSS Festival of Cricket, which delivered a huge weekend devoted to wielding the willow in masterful style. The Festival always promises a jam-packed program of cricket action matched only by a marvellous sense of camaraderie and outright fun for everyone on and off the field. This year was no exception and in fact proved to be bigger than ever. The atmsophere of fun and friendly competition that was to be the signature of the weekend was kicked off with the traditional tussle between the TSS Old Boys and the 2011 TSS First XI. The Old Boys went confidently in to bat, but tight bowling by TSS claimed early wickets and it was only some solid batting to follow that put them back in tentative contention. After lunch the Old Boys exacted their revenge by quickly dismissing both First XI openers to put the TSS boys in trouble after just 10 overs. The express fast bowling of Michael Granger and Adam McKenzie dismissed both openers to have the First XI Boys in trouble at 2/15. With the “Bill King Trophy” hanging in the balance the boys rallied to finally wrestle back the upper hand and take the honours. The festival continued on with some great games, including the Super 8s Carnival that brings the TSS Cricket family together, including Father & Sons, Coaches, Prep School, Old Boys and TSS supporters who play in a very social yet action-packed atmosphere. Sunday saw the reunion of our 2010 TSS Old Boys side co-ordinated and led by captain Max Christensen vs a TSS Years 10 to 12 Invitation side who battled on the Boatshed Oval. In a hotly contested match the Old Boys managed to emerge with a narrow victory. Finally the old and the new combined in a team ‘Tokio’ at the end of what was an excellent game and in what might be considered symbolic of the spirit of the Festival of Cricket and a thoroughly memorable weekend.

Top performances put tss cricketers in the spotlight

While all TSS cricketers acquit themselves with honour on the field (and off), as in all sports certain players display a degree of talent and skill that naturally shines forth in performances that put them in the spotlight. Four such players to have well and truly made their mark are Nick Stevens, Sam Hain, Billy Stanlake and Sam Rasmussen, whose individual stints at the crease have not only put some extra gloss on the TSS Cricket reputation, but put the boys in line for even greater achievements. Nick Stevens, current First Captain (together with Old Boy Cameron Brimblecombe, First Captain 2006-2008), played a vital role as part of the victory of Queensland Academy of Sport QLD Second XI against NSW to bring home the coveted Gregory Cup. Playing in the same team but against Western Australia, Nick took his place at the crease at a point where the score was a fragile 4/76 only to reverse the fortunes with a splendid knock of 122no. In this same match Cameron played a decisive role with a haul of four wickets. Nick has managed never-been-done-before status having represented Queensland under 17, Queensland under 19, Australian under 17 and now QAS as a 16-year-old. If this isn’t impressive enough he attained a place in the Australian under 19 squad to play the West Indies in Dubai in April. In the Gregory Cup match, his determined batting against an impressive NSW bowling attack added a vital 25 runs in a 59-run

stand that set QAS on target to win and has put him in contention for a Queensland Bulls selection. In this last respect, Nick and Cameron (Club mates with the Gold Coast Dolphins in the Brisbane A Grade Competition) are looking to follow in the footsteps of TSS Old Boy Michael Neser who represented the Queensland Bulls this year. Also to achieve Queensland under 17 selection were TSS teammates Billy Stanlake and Sam Hain. Both had an excellent National Carnival with Billy Stanlake named along with Nick in the honorary Australian under 17 team. It is to be noted that Sam Hain has yet another year at Queensland under 17 level, with the possibility of following in Billy and Nick’s path. Sam Hain’s season culminated in the remarkable feat of being named “Queensland Junior Cricketer of the Year” from Queensland Cricket. In cricketing circles, this is a major achievement and a just reward for topping the 2011 GPS batting averages as well as scoring the most runs in the First XI competition. Not to be outshone, Sam Rasmussen successfully represented South Coast at the Queensland 14 Years Schoolboys Trials held at Northgate in December 2010. Stepping up to bat at 3 Sam put up a great showing in the tournament to earn himself selection as Captain of Queensland under 15 Schoolboys, recently competing in at the National under 15 Tournament. 45

Making musical magic First concert of the year showcases talent

Music is a magical gift that we need to nourish and cultivate, so to spend three days with 52 boys making music, developing friendships, leadership, teamwork and challenging boys to achieve personal music goals, as well as having fun, is both exhausting and exhilarating. The Annual Prep Music Camp was held at Alexandra Headland Conference Centre from 14 – 17 March 2011. The youngest boys were from Year 2 and these boys were cared for by Prep Music Master our wonderful Year 7 musicians who ensured that the boys always felt secure and had a great time. We were proud to see the leadership that our older boys showed here. The Year 7 Band, Cremona Strings and Camerata Singers worked hard to learn new repertoire, improve their performance standards and be ready to perform a concert after three days of learning. With 10 rehearsals and more tutorials musicians are able to achieve in a few days what would normally be achieved over a whole term. Not

Trisha Matthias

only does confidence improve but repertoire is learnt and developed, enabling us to be ready to perform for our tour and community activities later in the year. It is intensely satisfying to see the sense of achievement the boys feel. They know what they sounded like when the camp started and when they perform at the final concert they can see the evidence of just how far they’ve come in a short time. Camp also allows us recreation time, including the annual bowling evening, a games challenge that is all about teamwork, early morning runs and swimming. Boys develop leadership, team spirit and a sense of healthy competition. The staff loved the opportunity to go on camp with our boys and see the enormous benefits for them that emerge from this activity. The boys can be justifiably proud of their achievements and the musical magic they have made on a journey that still continues with so much yet to explore and discover. It will be a fabulous ride and we can count ourselves lucky to be on it. 46

TSS has an extensive music program that incorporates many fine ensembles with most on stage at our first Showcase Concert of the year on 7 March to turn in a showcase of sparkling performances despite having had only four or five weeks of preparation. Director of Music A very respectable audience complemented by the boys of Melbourne House was treated to an eclectic mix of music from the various ensembles, amongwhich was the new ‘World Music Group’ headed by our Composer in Residence Mr Paul Jarman. This group performed a traditional Iranian folk song and then launched into some free-wheeling improvisation built around the tune to vividly conjure up the impression of being part of a Middle Eastern festival. The wondrous thing about TSS music concerts is that apart from a fine standard of musical presentation they generate an infectious sense of fun and connection with the audience and this was certainly evident on this occasion. The boys aren’t about to rest on their laurels though and spend too much time basking in the warm glow of audience applause. With their eyes firmly fixed on the next concert on Thursday 26 May they are busily preparing and rehearsing new material for another exciting program.

Rob Cooke

Richard Jones

Culture shocks – the journey from the inkwell to the iPad

e-Learning Coordinator

I still remember my school days as a post-war baby boomer, learning to use a pen with a nib (ballpoints were strictly banned of course), doing long division with log tables, rote learning countries, capitals, dates in history and so on. One day we were all marched into a special room to watch a lesson brought to us by the new miracle of television. I wonder what my teachers would make of the classrooms of today. Students collaborating in sometimes lively groups; using graphics calculators; using the CIA Factbook on their mobile devices; choosing and using software to collate, analyse, synthesise and present their findings. Some things do not change of course, basic ability in literacy and numeracy skills are still needed, but often communication using multimedia and numerical concepts using spreadsheets supplement these skills today. The abilities that are needed in business and school today have been collectively termed 21st century skills, but what does this actually mean? In his book, The Global Achievement Gap, Tony Wagner has identified: • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving • Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence • Agility and Adaptability • Initiative and Entrepreneurialism • Effective Oral and Written Communication • Accessing and Analysing Information • Curiosity and Imagination

Some of these activities might have been frowned upon (or even punished) in my school days! The other main thrust of what we might loosely describe as educational reform involves making moves towards personalised learning where this is achievable within the current framework (fixed, mandated examinations and so on). Our Learning@TSS systems have been designed with this in mind. These are enabling technologies, since teachers and students can both contribute in this space. Our platform for learning now includes three components as shown. Clearly, these new ideas and new systems involve the staff of the school, the administrators, technical staff and the teachers. Despite what some politicians may think (or believe or wish) schools will need trained teachers for the foreseeable future, as learning is and always has been a social activity. Every teacher at TSS has spent considerable time and effort in training sessions and in preparing resources for these new systems. Much of this training has been done in school time, but many teachers have dedicated additional time of their own to making these systems effective as a learning platform. This change that is occurring in many different walks of life is a cultural shift in society, maybe even a revolution, and we know that change is difficult and challenging, but we also believe at TSS that this is a challenge that must be faced if we are to best serve the needs of our boys. For the future the emphasis is coming in two main areas: mobile devices and social networking. A previous article outlined the benefits of and need for social networking.

Social networking Don’t think Facebook, Twitter and idle time, think: • Developing literacy and communication skills • Collaboration and group work • Learning about self-presentation • Learning about e-safety and copyright issues • Producing public showcases for work, events or organisations However, students will also learn how to behave on social networks and this can be transferred into their use for leisure. We are considering the introduction of a Twitter-like service confined to our own TSS community. This and similar initiatives will require students to think carefully and be mindful of what they post online, but this has become a very important aspect of modern life. Make an irresponsible post at school and detention or system bans may result; do the same at college or work and a whole host of problems, including even legal action, may well follow.

Mobile learning To investigate further the possibilities of mobile devices we have expanded our successful iPad trial to all of Year 12. As reported in the previous review our trial showed that these devices bring a great deal to the classroom and elsewhere on campus, for example: • Good for note-taking in class • Easy access to the internet, which in turn gives: ~ Easy access to the LMS for learning resources ~ Research on the internet ~ Convenient access to email • Easy access to textbooks, worksheets and notes in .pdf form • Easy to carry compared to laptop • Can set up homework reminders • An alternative when school fixed computers are all in use • Helpful subject-based apps that encourage “breadth” of learning • Portable with long battery life and instant on • Boy-friendly, eg kinaesthetic and engaging • Encourages collaborative learning styles • Not multitasking (ease of control) The teachers and students will continue to learn together and make sure that these are put to good use in the classroom. We don’t wish to give the impression that basic skills, such as handwriting, will be lost in all of this. Online learning, mobile devices and social networking are very much technologies to be used where they work and discarded where they don’t bring a clearly identified advantage to the classroom. At TSS, while we keep an eye on what is happening and likely to happen with learning and teaching in the future, we also carefully evaluate the suitability of each new technology to your son’s education. We are very happy for you to give us feedback as we introduce new ideas. Please call or email me if you would like to talk further about technology and education.

One family, four generations – and counting?

01 1. Four generations: Rick (on horse), George (seated), Grahame (on ground) with Seb on lap, David,Toby and Sam Greenup 2002 2. George and grandson Peter Greenup at Generations Dinner late 1980’s 3. Toby, Seb and Sam at Rosevale Sale 2009 4. Three generations: David,Toby, Sam & Grahame Greenup at 2010 Delpratt House Suppers

In a high-tech, high-speed modern world where change seems to move at a bewildering pace, “tradition” is seen in some Head of Community quarters as a relic with little value Relations and relevance. Perhaps one of the greatest repositories of tradition can be found in rural families, where generation follows generation in maintaining certain well-established values and practices as the solid underpinning of their daily endeavours. In such families, change is embraced, but critically so and never at the expense of traditions that have stood the test of time. The old adage of “if it’s not broke don’t fix it” has special currency here. The Greenup Family is a staunch upholder of tradition when it comes to education and consequently four generations have now walked the cloisters of TSS.

Tony Watt

The late George Greenup established the TSS tradition as a student from 1929-1932 and clearly the values with which he was imbued made sufficient impression for him to summon up patriarchal authority when it came to his own offspring. In George’s mind it seems there was no question or debate that his son Grahame would go to TSS. Grahame comments: “It wasn’t a matter of choice, but just a given that I would follow in my father’s footsteps and attend TSS and that I would board in Delpratt House. There was no pressure or particular expectations placed on me in relation to what my father had achieved, but I think it was just understood that TSS would naturally bring out my best.” On the subject of change Grahame recalls his school days and measures them against what he sees today at TSS. “I was there from 1955 to 1961 and it was of course very different to now. Back in the late ’50s there were only about 12 day boys at the school and even the physical nature of the Nerang River was different. Directly across from where the Boatshed is today was McIntosh Island 50 with a farm on it and the boys would sometimes swim across

the river to visit. What we did on slates the kids now do on computers and that’s a huge change and I would have to say that these technological advances mean there is a broader amount of knowledge available to students today. It’s hard to measure exactly the importance of my TSS education to my adult life except to say that it was important and that the lifelong friendships that I made there are irreplaceable.” Grahame’s son David was the next generation to cement the Greenup tradition of TSS and boarding in Delpratt House. “I went to TSS from 1982 to 1986 and I remember that there were around 90 boys in Delpratt, which meant it was a bit of a squeeze, but in a way it was good because we had to mix with everyone in the dorm and it became one of my most cherished memories of my time at TSS. The other thing was that being a boarder and away from your parents you gained a new respect for what they had done for you and learnt not to take them for granted.” Like his father before him David has seen the quantum changes in the scope and depth of the learning opportunities and the facilities available to present-day students. “There is certainly a wider range of options now compared to 25 years ago. There is the ability within the curriculum to develop boys with a wide range of abilities and future aspirations. There is a world of information available and the current generations can benefit from this if it is used wisely. Classrooms, sporting and boarding facilities are first class and continue to be upgraded, and here TSS has the edge over many other schools because they are all within the area of the grounds. As a boarding parent it is very reassuring that your boy has all this at his fingertips. The current philosophies of the School regarding boys and learning are very interesting and make a lot of sense. Many boys at the School display a sense of responsibility and maturity beyond their years due to the roles they are encouraged to take on. ‘Growing’ the person is more important than just school grades alone and TSS does a good job of this.” Although evolutionary change is inevitable it is the enduring traditions of TSS and the loyalty of long-serving staff that have provided the thread of continuity and stability for ensuing generations of the family. David says: “I remember the old Boatshed on the river oval and seeing my father’s and grandfather’s name painted on its rafter along with plenty of others. Many teachers are present at the school from one generation to the next so there is a real connection for the new boy starting school. For example Mr Bruce Maughan had started teaching at TSS when my father was at school and was my Housemaster in Delpratt. Mrs Brown, who was Delpratt House matron when I started school, was there when my father finished, and Mrs Loffel, who was the Matron when my son Sam started, was there when I finished. You can’t help but feel a sense of ‘home’ when you walk through the door 20 or more 51 years later and see the same faces.”

10 13

05. Toby Greenup in the yards at Rosevale 06. Family Toby, Seb, Sam, David and Sonya Greenup 20095. David, Rick, Grahame & Peter Greenup on Rick’s wedding day at TSS Chapel, 1995 07. David, Rick, Grahame & Peter Greenup on Rick’s wedding day at TSS Chapel, 1995 08. Grahame Greenup in his school days with his sister Jenny who attended St Hilda’s 09. Toby, Seb and Sam Greenup lead the way at their Auntie Sally’s funeral, Rev. Bruce Maughan conducted the service 2010

10. Sam, David, Seb, Sonya, Peggy,Toby and Grahame Greenup in front of their Santa Gertrudis bulls 2007 11. Mustering in holidays 2011 12. Sam at Beef Week 2006 13. Three generations Sonya,Toby, David, Seb, Sam, Peggy and Grahame Greenup at the unveiling of the refurbished Delpratt in 2010

Generation four of the Greenup family at TSS was ushered in by David’s sons Sam in 2008 and Toby in 2010. Once again there was no debating the matter of education and TSS and the venerable Delpratt House. Sam comments on the feelings so common among many boarding boys: “I didn’t really have any say, but I’m glad I didn’t because I didn’t really want to leave home, but coming to boarding school is the best thing I have done. My greatest achievement at TSS is following in my dad, granddad and great-grandfather’s footsteps and carrying on the history of my family at the School.” Sam’s brother Toby echoes the sentiments of his sibling in the matter of family tradition and continuity: “It was much easier being fourth generation because some of the teachers taught my dad and uncles so it felt like home.” But when the reminisces are done and the changes noted and all the tangible aspects of a TSS education are totted up as validation for maintaining a family tradition, one intangible quality emerges generation after generation, and it is left to the most recent members of the Greenup clan to enunciate it and its value. When asked what is

so special about TSS, Toby answers: “It would have to be the school spirit.” Sam adds: “The school spirit is the biggest thing. The last school I was at didn’t have what TSS has.” So how does this bode for future generations of the Greenup family and many other families like them who have consistently and unquestioningly seen fit to entrust TSS with the education of their boys? David sums it up with simple eloquence: “Our expectations have been met. The School has moved with the times but the traditional values remain.” If Sam and Toby (and Seb in a couple of years) see it with the same clarity as their father, grandfather and great-grandfather, then in all likelihood TSS has not seen the last of the Greenups on campus.

House Spirit

A workout for the taste buds at the Old Gym Café

Building activity set to raise the roof

Ross Cardiff Business Manager / CFO

Anyone passing by the construction site of the new Academic and Leadership Centre will quickly grasp from the volume of activity and sawdust that the building work is going full steam ahead. At the time of writing, the first stage of the Academic and Leadership Centre at the Senior School is approaching the 50% stage of construction, and with the top floor in place the roofing structure will soon follow and could well be raised by the time you’re reading this. This is what you can expect to find on a ground floor up tour through the building when it’s in full operation. The Ground Floor – Three Art Classrooms with dedicated Computer Laboratory for Art, storage area for the St Albans Collection and student works, a large covered outdoor classroom that will be utilised for the special needs of sculpture, pottery and pursuits, which require space and the ability to clean afterwards, and finally, one general classroom. The Middle Floor – Five classrooms dedicated to English and Leadership. Three of the classrooms are able to be opened up to one large area to fit combined classes and includes a stage area for presentation. A dedicated Leadership office is also on this floor along with two Seminar Rooms for small group work. The main passageway goes through this floor and includes display cases where the artwork of the boys can be showcased. The Top Floor – the Year 7 Transition Centre comprising five classrooms and a central staff area. This floor is scheduled to welcome the Year 7s in 2013 and will be used as classrooms in 2012. The floor is designed to be very open with liberal use of glass and a central breakout space. Lockers will be available for the Year 7s and these rooms will be their primary location.

Pending approval by the School Council, the second stage of the Academic and Leadership Centre will involve the demolition of the Shiel Building and in its place the construction of a new building that will centralise much of the staffing at the school while providing dedicated teaching spaces for Robotics and Drama along with general classroom space. When the saws and hammers eventually fall silent and the last of the “tradies” depart, the completed Academic and Leadership Centre will provide an outstanding facility that will add further to the scope and quality of the TSS education experience.

The scene for much stretching of the hamstrings has given way to reaching for the ham and salad panini with the spectacular transformation of the Old Gym into the Old Gym Café. The repository of bench presses and barbells has been replaced by a modern cafe with a refectory-style seating area for 180 stylish diners where the boys and staff alike will be able to choose from a varied menu of delicious hot and cold foods equal to any high street café. The work has been undertaken over the summer break and Term One of this year to meet a projected start-up date of the beginning of Term Two. Alliance Catering will run the Café to a high professional standard and for those boys who choose to bring their own, there will be self-catering options such as microwaves, sandwich toasters and Zip water heaters. Apart from the serious pleasures of eating, the building is designed to be multifunctional with full audiovisual facilities to allow a number of uses from classes to movie nights for the Boarders, while the rear of the building and storage areas underneath provide a permanent location for the School’s cadets. The building positively enhances the immediate precinct and its central location makes it very convenient for both Day and Boarder boys to grab a bite to eat, catch a class or movie and even “present arms” as the need arises. Ross Cardiff 57

Building for the real world starts with LEGO

Nearly everyone knows the LEGO brick. It spans differences in age, gender, culture, and levels of skill-making it ideal LEGO Technology for including all students in and Robotics the learning process. Teaching Coordinator with LEGO allows students to build personal attributes for the future through: promoting creative thinking, improving communication skills and strengthening the ability to acquire understanding. TSS has developed a World Class ‘Prep Year to Year 10’ LEGO Technology and Robotics Program that uses the LEGO Education framework to create specific year-level programs based around a Technology and Engineering theme. The Prep Year program develops fine motor skills with the Duplo Tech Machines kits and creative ‘free build’ tasks and is taught by the Class Teacher. In Year 1 a specialist LEGO Technology Teacher utilises the LEGO Duplo Structure kits to have students build and investigate simple building and balancing theories. In Year 2 boys develop their understanding of Mechanisms and Machines by investigating gears, pulleys, levers and wheels using the LEGO Mini Machines kits. Year 3 uses the LEGO Wedo kits designed for younger children to provide hands-on learning experiences for building and programming smaller robotic models and to engage creative thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. The Year 4 Program aims to develop an understanding of Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy with students using Energy

Mark Lockett

Meters to collect data from various ‘Green Energy’ models. Year 5 students examine Advanced Machine principles and complete their Prep School Mechanisms training with such topics as: ‘Torque Vs Speed’, ‘The advantages of using pulleys to lift objects’ and ‘Designing Fairground Rides’. For Year 6, students employ the ‘Scratch’ programming software integrated with the LEGO Wedo kits to create Computer Animations with Robotic Sensor triggers for use in Multi-Media presentations. The Year 7 boys continue their Robotic training in the Senior School Robotic Laboratory, to learn intermediate programming techniques using the LEGO RXC Robotic System. Year 8 students have a 13-week rotation of Robotic Engineering and use the Advanced LEGO NXT Robotics sets to build and program robots to compete in class challenges. Year 9 students can elect to take Robotic Engineering as a one-year specialist course that continues Robotic training using the LEGO NXT robots and NXT-G programming language. The Year 10 Robotics and Information Processing Technology course expands programming skill by using the text-based language of ‘Robot C’ (derived from the C++ industry standard programming language) to adapt the LEGO NXT robots and demonstrate the Robotic Engineering progression from School to University to Industry. TSS has a Young Engineers’ Society for students from Year 3 onwards, which meets weekly after school. It aims to develop student skills, to deliver hands-on experience with programming, sensors, motors and intelligent units and to provide experience of real life situation challenges that engage in hands-on STEM education. The Society has also been hugely successful in various local, State and international competitions. 58

Maths champ turns ambassador in the fight against poverty Karen Martin Marketing Coordinator

At the tender age of 14 TSS’s Kaya Genc has been named Queensland’s Maths Day Ambassador after consistently blitzing the maths world and dazzling his peers with a speed and skill that has allowed him to claim the title of World Maths Day Champion in 2009 and 2010. World Maths Day caters to a range of mathematical abilities in what is the biggest and most prestigious of international online maths competitions. This year the competition joined forces with UNICEF to raise funds for combating poverty in Mozambique and Vietnam via education programs in these developing countries. The partnership between schools and the charity is both relevant and highly symbolic, highlighting education as the essential key to creating opportunity and eliminating poverty. As reigning world champion Kaya played a leading role in the competition, which saw students pledge over $70,000 in funds to be divided equally between UNICEF and their school. Kaya commented: “I was proud to represent TSS in the competition and raise funds for both the school and UNICEF because education gets you places in the future… without education we’d all be unintelligent and we wouldn’t have as much knowledge as we do now… to be Word Maths Day Ambassador has been amazing and a privilege and made the investment of four years’ hard work worthwhile.” 59

A legendary way to start the year Thank you to everyone who attended the first Foundation Business Breakfast at Palazzo Versace with – The QANTAS Legends. As always the room was filled with our extended business family Foundation Coordinator and our ever supportive sponsors. This was an event not to be missed by any sporting enthusiast and, in particular, racing industry fans. David Fordham, our Master of Ceremonies, was his usual witty self when interviewing the guest panel of Larry Olsen, Damian Oliver and Malcolm Johnston, who amused us no end with their humorous tales. Legends wandering the room included Wally Lewis, Dawn Fraser, Mal Meninga, Malcolm

Gerry Northausen

Blight, John Brass, Natalie Cook, Greg Cornelsen, Shannon Eckstein, Chris Handy, Ian Healy, Dick Johnson, John Kosmina, Max Krilich, Tom Lawton, Rod McCall, Trevor Hendy, George Peponis, Ken Rosewall, Mark Taylor, James Tomkins and Craig Moore, who happily signed autographs and had photos taken with the members of the audience and in particular, the St Hilda’s girls and our School Captain, Oscar Millroy. There were 24 Legends in total and the morning was a huge success for the Foundation Scholarship and Bursary programs. I look forward to seeing you at our next breakfast – details of which will be released soon. If you would like to be added to our database please do not hesitate to contact me on 5531 9841, email gerry.northausen@tss.qld.edu.au or Jodie Jackman on 0411 789 555, email jjackman@bigpond.net.au.

Greg Cornelson, Bob Gordon and Iain Smith Patsy Blight, Malcolm Blight and Mark Taylor 09. Griffith University staff with Mark Taylor 10. Trevor Hendy, Jo Hendy, Shannon Eckstein and James Tompkins 11. Malcolm Johnston, Jodie Jackman and Gail Johnston

QANTAS Legends St Hilda’s students with Trever Hendy 03. Paul Melville, Steve Bear and John Phillips Turner 04. Tom Lawton and Matthew Gartrell 05. Craig Treasure and Mark Lacy 06. Gerald O’Connell, Alan Gran and Chris (Buddha) Handy

George Peopnis, Ashley Buck and Jackie Clark Di West, Ken Rosewall and Nicole West 14. Chris Gehoff, Ian Otto and Matthew Shoobridge 15. Micael Wilson, Len Howard and Tracey Woodbry

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01. 1921 St Albans Memorial Chapel 02. Prefects 1918. Nolan, Shannon, Marks, Massy, Mundell 03. 1911 Cadet Corps

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Founded in 1901, TSS is an Anglican Day and Boarding School for Boys from Prep Year to Year 12, with boarding available from Year 5 Winchester St Southport Queensland Australia 4215 Telephone: +617 5531 9911 Facsimile: +617 5531 9977 Email: reception@tss.qld.edu.au Visit: www.tss.qld.edu.au The Corporation of the Synod of the Diocese of Brisbane trading as The Southport School CRICOS Provider No. 00523F