The Southport School Band of Brothers Issue 10 by The Southport School

we few,we happy few,

we bandof brothers. OF BROTHER S ISSUE 10 : December 2014

William Shakespeare

Editors Tony Watt, Head of Community Relations / McKinley Housemaster Karen Martin, Marketing Coordinator Design Pâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Pod Creative Agency Content Editor Gary Edgar Photography Mark Burgin, Karen Martin, Adrian Gaglione, Dan Sleeman, Andrew Stalling

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. 2

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In this issue

Grubby Hands, Green Nails and a Trip to NASA

All Will be Revealed When Parents Enter Through This Portal

Ex-Cadet Officer Aims to Fly High

Building TSS to a Masterly Plan

Year 3 student Alexander Hill has always been a young man full of ideas, but a recent one has netted him a national award from Origin Energy for invention and innovation that landed him a trip to NASA.

A new Parent Portal will provide parents with quick and easy access to School information and existing web-based resources via an intuitive and easy-to-use interface.

When Ryan Melville received an Australian Defence Force Academy Education Award back in 2011, the then Senior Under Officer of the TSS Army Cadet Unit must have felt his dreams of being a pilot in the RAAF had just gotten a boost.

One of the questions in the recent parents’ survey concerned the School’s Building and Facilities Master Plan, from which it became apparent that many parents did not fully understand what this was, so just to clear things up here’s what is and what it’s designed to achieve.

A Shot in the Arm Boosts TSS Track & Field

Parent’s Survey 2014

Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow

Track and Field at TSS is a sport that has a long and proud history that stretches back to 1918 when the first GPS Championships were held and TSS were crowned victors.

During this year TSS commissioned a professional education research company to conduct an independent ‘satisfaction and performance’ survey of the School from our current parents.

Big Bang, a Snail’s Conscience and a Golden Opportunity Our Gifted & Talented Students and those from Robina State High School were presented with a golden opportunity when TSS hosted a two-day conference.

As with most popular sayings, there is some truth in the adage ‘Great leaders are born, not made’. To some extent, the capacity of great leadership is innate.

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

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Big Bang Theory Matched

by Expansion at TSS... Well maybe not quite, but, as evidenced by the stories herein, the expansion this year of neuron links in the brains of our boys is equally amazing! And even the number of boys is expanding!

or the second year in a row we have the largest enrolment in the history of the School, although unlike the expanding universe, we have put an optimum size limit on our growth (read on to find out why). By complete coincidence, ‘ the big bang theory’ is mentioned in three articles in this bumper edition of Band of Brothers, hence my banging on about it. Indeed, ‘science’ as a theme explodes on to the pages quite a lot in this edition. We have stories on a Year 3 boy who won a trip to NASA headquarters in the United States in an Australian-wide invention competition, boys creating prototypes of a surf-lifesaving robot to patrol Gold Coast beaches, a story of a 2011 Old Boy completing his Bachelor of Science and about to launch off in an Air Force Super Hornet, Prep Art students mastering ‘synthetic polymer pigments’ (they sound like tiny, sinister animals in a Harry Potter movie, but they’re not), an mobile device iPad program in Prep boosting science and maths understanding, a budding theoretical physics student who has won a place at the Australian Science Olympiad summer school in Canberra, and FREE scientifically validated psychological insights into what makes your boy tick. But wait, there’s also plenty of non-science stories, including topics such as ‘poethics’ (I hadn’t heard of it either before reading the article), growing the entrepreneurial enterprise mindsets of our Business

students, a call for assistance for the next stages in our Building Master Plan, a story of a boy from a town where the biggest monument is of the Slim Dusty character, the Cunnamulla Fella, who this year visited one of the biggest monuments in the world, the Taj Mahal in India, an article on our chess team’s campaign all the way to the State finals, news of an international conference at TSS with Germaine Greer as the keynote speaker, and, just to remind you we teachers are nearly as good as your boys, a story on John Wallace and Lisa Miller reaching the finals in the Queensland College of Teachers annual Awards. Our wholistic TSS School was in a hot, dense state, then in February 306 days ago, expansion started. Wait... Maths, Science, History, unravelling the 2014 TSS Mysteries, it all starts with this Band of Brothers. (I think it is time for a holiday.) Thank you all for another bumper year at TSS. Merry Christmas.

Greg Wain Headmaster

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Jeff Symms Head of Preparatory School

ear 3 student Alexander Hill has always been a young man full of ideas, but a recent one has netted him a national award from Origin Energy for invention and innovation that landed him a trip to NASA. Origin Energy have been conducting the ‘Little, Big Ideas’ competition to encourage students’ creativity and problemsolving capabilities and to foster the spirit of invention that exists in the minds of so many students in Years 3-8. The competition provides a platform for students to continue Australia’s rich tradition of innovation, which has seen solar hot water, the black box flight recorder, the fridge and the bionic ear, among others, invented and developed on these shores. Alexander’s big idea stemmed, as so many do, from his own experience of a daily frustration. As he put it in his submission brief: “Every day my parents tell me to wash my hands when I get home from school, before dinner and after I am outside playing. I asked them why and they told me that it stops me and other people around me from getting sick. But if I do it and other people don’t, then am I really achieving anything? “This got me to thinking! What if I could invent a nail polish that starts off clear and then turned a yucky green colour when someone’s hands get too many germs on it. It would tell that person and everybody around that they have not washed their hands recently and we could get sick from the germs.” From this simple question Alexander went on to develop his idea into an invention entitled ‘Nail those Nasties’, a way for teachers, parents and healthcare workers to easily identify when their hands were dirty.

Left: Alexander Hill along with the other winners of the 'Little,Big Ideas' Competition

The standard of competition was very high, with ideas ranging from water recycling for windscreen-wiper washing, an educational ‘lock’ that locks up computers from being used to play games until a set number of educational activities have been completed, to the creation of ‘Tech Free Tuesdays’. The finalists from across the county demonstrated an outstanding level of inventiveness. Upon the conclusion of the presentations, Alexander was delighted to be announced as the National Winner for students in Years 3 and 4. The rewards for such innovative thinking? Alexander and his dad, David, will be flown to the USA for a once in a lifetime innovation adventure, visiting NASA Kennedy Space Centre, Epcot Theme Park at Disney World and Ripley’s Believe it or Not and $2500 in spending money! In addition, Alexander has won a $4000 energy grant for the School and funding for his class teacher, Mr Brett Massey, to attend an education conference in an area of his interest. Alexander and his Little, Big Idea generated a great deal of interest in the wider community, and during his visit to Sydney he was interviewed on Sunrise where he got to explain his thinking to the very impressed on-air team. Subsequent to his win, he has been interviewed by the Courier Mail, Gold Coast Bulletin and has been featured in an episode of the Channel 10 children’s program Totally Wild. Perhaps even more exciting for this young inventor was the invitation to visit the Lumineye Nail Polish Factory (one of only two manufacturers in Australia) to see how nail polish was made and have a one-on-one with the ‘Cosmetic Chemist’ to explore his idea. Who knows – is this how Alexander makes his first million? With an enquiring mind and the determination to bring his abstract thinking into reality Alexander has provided an example to us all.

After researching and working his idea up into a viable presentation, Alexander submitted his thinking to the selection panel and was thrilled to be named as a National Finalist, which meant he would fly to Sydney for the national day of judging, which would be held at the Powerhouse Museum. B a n d

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BEACH PATROL

ROBOT SCORES TSS TRIO A MAYORAL AWARD

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The robot has on-board lifesaving medical equipment for all emergencies. The two-way communication system allows the Robot Operator to speak to those in danger or advise the general public on potential medical hazards.

rom June to September, three students from the Year 9 Robotics Class worked tirelessly to prepare and compete in the Gold Coast Mayor's Telstra Technology Award Scheme.

Left: The Beach Patrol Robot has equipment for medical emergencies

In addition to developing the concept, the teams attended four Mentor Sessions at Bond University. The Mentoring Session topics included: Entrepreneurship: Turning an idea into a business; Question, play, think and solve: the relationship of design and thinking to solution This Award scheme is about inventing the next big technological idea finding; Visualisation and interactive prototyping: concepts around – it could be a new app, new concepts in social media, gaming technology developing interactive virtual and physical prototypes showcasing cutting or robotics. It could be a smarter phone, watch or digital camera. It could edge technologies; Ebusiness: component-based development with the even be a revolutionary new idea for transport, health or recreation. The Wordpress Framework. possibilities are endless. On 15 September at Bond University, the 12 teams came together to Jess Rutherford, Kobi Rutherford and Andrew Geraghty had a present their concepts in a five-minute ‘Pitch’ to the Evaluation Judging concept to design and build a Beach Patrol Robot. Their idea came Panel. Jess, Kobi and Andrew’s ‘pitch’ and question and answer session from the research that 65 people drowned at Australian beaches between was well received by the Panel. After scores were tallied, the final results July 2012 and July 2013. Many of these deaths happened at unpatrolled were: First Place was Southport State High School with The Alsavla beaches. The Beach Patrol Robots would patrol the Gold Coast beaches, Hexaphone; Second Place was Merrimac State High School with The 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The robot can spot unsafe ocean House of Tomorrow and Third Place, The Southport School with Beach conditions and warn the public. The robot has on-board lifesaving Patrol Robot. medical equipment for all emergencies. The two-way communication system allows the robot operator to speak to those in danger or advise the Jess, Kobi and Andrew would like to thank Ms Jo Inglis, Dean of general public on potential medical hazards. Teaching and Learning, and Mr Ben Hirst, Head of Design Technology, for their support on the Presentation night. In late June, the team submitted their proposal to the Evaluation Judging Panel. The Judging Panel selected their idea, along with 11 other school entries, to go into Phase 2 of the Award scheme. During Phase Mark Lockett 2, the 12 teams have five weeks to develop their original concept into a Head of Lego Robotics working prototype and produce a two-minute marketing video.

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ROUND SQUARE GOES

BOLLYWOOD Story by

Paula Henry

Round Square Coordinator

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It was with some trepidation I set off for a two-week tour of India with five students; not due to any preconceived ideas, but because I had never been there before, and India was simply an “unknown”. From the moment we landed in Delhi, it became clear that India was a land of striking contrasts, and, as our ‘in-house expert on India’, Mr Stephen Eardley, informed us, “an engagement of every single one of your senses”. Our pre-conference tour, Essence of India, was led by The Doon School in Dehradun. It was an exciting and nonstop week where we engaged in an unbelievable range of experiences: from hikes to hill stations, overnight train trips, yoga sessions, prayer ceremonies by the Ganges, through to visits to more iconic destinations such as the Taj Mahal and Red Fort. Following the pre-conference tour, we were met by Mr Parsons for the 2014 Round Square International Conference at the Sanskaar Valley School in Bhopal. The theme of this year’s conference was: We may not have it all together, but together we have it all. The Sanskaar Valley School echoed this theme in every activity and presentation. They were gracious hosts whose conference activities epitomised all that is Round Square: Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership and Service. The personal impressions from the boys speak eloquently.

“Throughout my two-week experience in India, I couldn’t help but be amazed by the energy and vibrancy of their culture. Our hosts, the Sanskaar Valley School, put on a range of Indian dance and theatre performances during the conference, which came in addition to holy ceremonies on the Ganges River and visits to historical sites, including the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. The guest speakers were very well chosen; each, in their own unique way, opened my eyes to issues that weren’t necessarily ‘world news’, yet needed just as much attention. While I was there, I met young, likeminded students from countries all over the world and spent days sharing information about our cultures and exchanging new ideas. The memories and friendships that I created over the course of the trip will stay with me for a long time, and I encourage any boys who are thinking about getting involved in Round Square to do so.” Charlie Martin, Year 12, Maughan

“My experience on the conference will be something I will never forget. From day one, there was never a day where there wasn't something to see and do. Whether it be touring around the city of Delhi, or experiencing a Hindu festival at the holiest river in India, there was never a dull moment. This conference taught me that regardless of what walk of life you come from, that if you have the right character you can come together with people you never thought you would be able to. Something that I will treasure from this experience was being able to learn from a diverse range of cultures and people, allowing me to forge unique bonds and gain a perspective that I never thought existed.” Caleb Pels, Year 12, Atkinson

The travelling party of Caleb Pels, Charlie Martin, Hugo Mayson, Jabreeni Fogarty and Angus Murray were outstanding ambassadors for their School and country. Their unbridled enthusiasm for every aspect of this tour and conference added to the overall experience.

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ALL WILL BE REVEALED WHEN PARENTS ENTER THROUGH THIS PORTAL

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Richard Humphreys IT Manager

ore communication needed’ was flagged as the biggest concern during recent surveys, with parents citing the struggle to readily find information about certain events such as sporting games and training, academic information evenings and subject selection information sessions to name a few.

Expanding further on this theme, parents spoke of the difficulties of trying to navigate the TSS public website to access its many existing web-based services and of the existing parent portal, which required a unique ID and a complicated password policy that most parents found hard to remember. In response to these issues, a new Parent Portal will provide parents with quick and easy access to School information and existing web-based resources via an intuitive and easy-to-use interface. Log-in information will be generated automatically and parents’ personal email addresses will be their usernames for the new Portal, which will also offer a simple way to reset the password by running through a process that emails a new password straight to their personal email address. The practical result of this new Portal design is that parents will have a ’one-stop shop’ to access all School resources. A single click will get them into exciting web services without needing to remember multiple log-ins or having to log-on multiple times. It also provides parents with a simple, intuitive process to access information about the School and their children, without them ever leaving the Portal area. To get an understanding of how the new Parent Portal works, let’s take a guided walk through the basics.

THE DASHBOARD When parents first log-on to the new Portal they're presented with The Dashboard, which features a number of columns. Its first column includes latest posts from the School’s sports Facebook page and Twitter feed.

THE MOODLE BUTTON

PARENT RESOURCES

The second column of the Dashboard includes Term dates for the current year and the consecutive year’s details, followed by the today’s notices, which are automatically extracted from the School’s core database.

Clicking the Moodle button will log parents into the Senior School’s learning management system, providing them access to courses in which their children are enrolled.

Clicking the Parent Resources button will take parents to another landing page that provides them with hyperlinks to other online resources, both internal and external to TSS. Also included on the Parent Resources landing page is access to School policies, documents and parent-associated forms

PARENT LOUNGE

EDUKITE

SCHOOL NOTICES

Clicking the Parent Lounge button will log parents into the TSS website’s parent access portal to the School's main database. This allows parents to pay school fees, pay for school tours, access academic information and more.

Clicking the Edukite button will take parents into the Preparatory School learning management systems. This system is designed specifically for Prep parents and displays notices from their child’s teacher, as well as notices from the executive team from the Preparatory School.

Clicking the School Notices button will open a landing page which – as the name suggests – provides parents with a list of notices from TSS, such as a notice to alert parents to a change of event.

The third column lists the parents’ children who attend the School. The child’s school photo is included, which affords the parents the option to click and find out more about their child. Below the children’s resources links is the School’s primary Facebook feed showing latest posts for the School.

The button provides automatic log-in without parents needing to remember the unique log-in I.D. or complicated password.

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FEES

WEEKLY SPORT/TEAM

TOURS

Clicking the Fees button will open the landing page, which will present parents with information about fee payments, including links to payment portals, as well as any policy information they may require.

Clicking the Weekly Sport/Team button will open a landing page offering information about the upcoming sporting events and the relevant team lists.

Clicking the Tours button will link parents to the tours section of the existing Parent Lounge system.

BOARDING

SIGN OUT

Clicking Boarding will open a landing page offering parents information about the boarding community, enquiry forms, and boarder leave approval and management system.

Clicking the Sign Out button will log parents out of the Parent Portal system.

In conclusion, The Southport School’s new Parent Portal is the vital key to improving communication between parents and the School on a personal and dayto-day basis…

The TSS Parent Portal has been designed to maximise efficiency and convenience for the user throughout the entire process, as the technology employed automatically discovers the parent’s children and all their details from the TSS primary database. So when a parent first logs into the Portal, they’re presented with information that’s for their child only; making the experience more personal and allowing them to process tasks easily and efficiently without having to search for or request information, as the information is already there. To further simplify Portal use, all buttons have been created in a commonly used form that all users – regardless of the device they’re using – will recognise as familiar. The icons associated with each button make clear the button’s purpose. For example, the weekly sporting team lists button employs an icon of a football. It was also a primary consideration that for the Portal to be fully effective it must be easy to learn and to remember how it works. To achieve this, the system design means that all external content that is loaded via another system is still kept inside the Parent Portal. This allows parents to easily remember how to access other parts of the system by always making key navigation available throughout the Portal experience. In conclusion, The Southport School’s new Parent Portal is the vital key to improving communication between parents and the School on a personal and day-to-day basis, ensuring that when it comes to your boy’s education we’re all reading from the same page.

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igital technologies are increasingly transforming the way we work, live, learn and play, offering new opportunities, better tailoring of educational choices, and unprecedented access to services and resources. Social media, online games, multimedia, cloud computing, interoperable systems and mobile learning have become a pervasive and necessary part of everyday life. The Horizon Report 2013 K-12 Edition identified mobile devices and apps as the two emerging technologies that would enter into the mainstream for schools. Mobile devices such as the iPad and apps can be used in educational settings as an annotation tool; to enable creation and composition; facilitate social networking; and provide rich tools to capture and edit video, audio and images. So why the iPad? Of all tablet devices, the iPad is the current market leader. It has a responsive Multi-Touch screen and a large, high-resolution, LED-backlit IPS display. The iPad is compact, lightweight and portable. It is simple for early childhood students to use as it has an instant-on and no log-in is required. It is a unique learning tool for supporting teaching and learning. Whether it’s connecting with new people via social media or discovering local resources recommended by an app, mobile devices provide people with constant opportunities to act upon their curiosities and expand their knowledge.

The portability, flexibility and natural intuitive interfaces make iPads ideal devices for students to develop their 21st century skills, such as creativity, innovation, communication and collaboration. Teachers can facilitate a change in student workflow through the multi-media capabilities of iPads; this can include the design of digital eBooks and iMovies. And, through the Apple App Store, teachers and students have access to over 500,000 apps of which 20,000 are designed specifically for educational purposes. These applications are only available on an iPad device, thus making it a unique classroom tool to enhance existing classroom practices. The value of iPads in the classroom has been demonstrated in research studies such as the following. • A year-long pilot program initiated by publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in California; students' math scores jumped 20 per cent compared with classrooms that used traditional paper texts. • A research study, conducted in Auburn, Maine, showed that Kindergarten students using iPads scored much higher on literacy tests than students that didn’t use the device. • In 2010, Project RED conducted the first large-scale national study to identify and prioritise the factors that make some U.S. K12 technology implementations perform dramatically better than others.

Project Red found… • With iPads, as with any mobile device’s implementation, comes a lot of changes in the way teachers teach. Today’s students are ready for the shift. This generation has grown up around technology and is immediately drawn to it. • A teaching model incorporating iPads is more engaging, interactive, mobile, personalised, effective and fun! The old student/teacher roles are out. With iPads, teachers can be more like coaches that guide and inspire learning and creativity rather than just lecturers. How often will the iPad be used in the classroom? The iPad is a companion device and is not intended to replace a laptop or desktop computer. Its advantage is its mobility and ease of use. Staff will plan across their teaching and learning programs how the device can complement existing teaching practices in new and innovative ways. It will not be used all day, every day, but in scheduled, planned sessions to assist with the achievement of identified knowledge and skills. The iPad device will be used as an additional resource in the classroom to assist and drive student learning. It does not replace textbooks, pencils, writing, exercise books or the teacher, but instead will be used as a tool to redefine classroom tasks. Kathryn Barry Deputy Head of Preparatory Curriculum

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OUTDOO R EDUCATION IS LOOKING OUTWARD BOUND

SS has reviewed of the Outdoor Education Program over the past two years, initiated by an external review conducted by Associate Professor Peter Martin from the University of Ballarat. Professor Martin’s report generated a number of recommendations that have been adopted over a period of time. As a result of the review and our changed programs, from 2015 the School will be working with Outward Bound to develop and provide Outdoor Education camps to continue to engage and challenge boys. TSS Old Boy Ben Farinazzo (’90 Thorold House) is CEO of Outward Bound Australia, whose Mission Statement is “To provide challenging experiences that help people to discover, develop and achieve their potential”. Ben is thrilled to be working with his Alma Mater TSS, with which he credits critical aspects of his development as a young man to CEO of the Australian Centre of Outward Bound International. TSS Outdoor Education programs begin in Years 4, 5 and 6, with class camps at various venues wherein boys explore programs in selfawareness, cooperation and teamwork, while developing knowledge and skills in Outdoor Education. In the Senior School, Year 7 boys attend Outdoor Education class camps at Stradbroke Island, as well as engaging in experiential learning opportunities both on and off campus with curriculum foci in Literacy, Numeracy, Humanities and Science. Further, we are blending outdoor experiences with the curriculum in the Years 7-9 Program; for example, the Stradbroke Island ‘Maths Camp’ in Year 8 and Geography Gold Coast field trips.

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As a result of an invigorated Cadet Program, aspects of Outdoor Education are now embedded in the Annual Cadet Camps for all Years 8 and 9 students together with Years 10 to 12 students in positions of leadership in Army, Navy and Air Force Cadets. In 2015, Year 10 students will continue to engage with Outdoor Education on the Year 10 Leadership Camp, with TSS staff working closely with Outward Bound to develop an extended expedition over 10 days towards the end of Term 4. Students across Years 7 to 12 continue to undertake to complete the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, which includes engaging in the existing TSS Outdoor Education and Cadet Programs as well as self-planned expeditions. “I regard it as the foremost task of education to insure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self-denial, and above all, compassion” (Outward Bound Founder Kurt Hahn, upon whose principles Round Square are based: Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership and Service).

Jo Inglis Head of Learning and Teaching

Above: TSS will continue to engage boys with their Outdorr Education Program

hat grade 6 boy wouldn’t wish to undertake an Art project involving a skateboard deck, New York-inspired graphic designs, and a few dozen cans of spray paint? Our Year 6 boys did just that in Term 4 for the second year running, as part of a unit on urban graphic design and graffiti Art. Initial classroom discussions revolve around the difference between graffiti as a legal, legitimate art form of graphic design, and graffiti as vandalism. Distinctions are made between the socially responsible world of paid Art commissions involving public art in an urban context, and the non-sanctioned forms of spray tagging at train stations and the like. Next comes the starting point for the design, which involves learning basic lettering skills whereby boys write their name or signature or tag in a graphic font style of their choosing. Using personalised motifs and symbols relevant to their life and interests, the boys incorporate images of guitars, boats, sports, tropical islands and favourite pets. We even have had a maths guru use an image of his beloved π r ² .

A range of international designs are shown to influence and inspire the boys, via YouTube, videos and contemporary art books. Images are drawn from graffiti, surfing and skateboard culture. These subcultures are all informed by youth culture. Preliminary drawings are then worked up into bold and vibrant designs using such techniques as 3D modelling using shadows, perspective drawing, warping text, outlining, and manipulation of letters into graffiti fonts. Colour selections are driven by the boys’ knowledge of colour theory and complementary schemes. Each time a particular colour is used, the next one must be opposite on the colour wheel to create a clashing and jarring impact. The boys take enormous pride in the mastering of synthetic polymer pigments, paint pens and spray paints. The results are dynamic works that are showcased on Assembly… and finally end up on bedroom walls.

Kerrie Anderson Preparatory Art Teacher B a n d

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TSS Basketball Gets a Bounce From Strong Performances in 2014

Smart Moves Bring Results Across the Board “Chess is in its essence a game, in its form an art, and in its execution a science.” – Baron Tassilo von Heydebrand und der Lasa

The introduction of Years 5-7 into GPS Sport this year meant TSS presented a real show of strength and talent, with 22 teams out on the floor to do battle for the honour of the School. The 2014 season got under way at the end of July, with the first encounter being a home game against BBC, in which some of our young Years 5, 6 and 7 teams got an immediate taste of victory. The next three rounds against Gregory Terrace, Ipswich Grammar and Nudgee College showed the true grit of our basketballers, as they fought valiantly to win more games than they lost. This was highlighted by strong wins in the Years 8 and 9 teams, together with our Open Seconds and Thirds scoring well. After a very tough mid-season round against Churchie in all year groups, we went on to finish the season strongly against B.S.H.S, Toowoomba Grammar and Brisbane Grammar, with good wins across all Year groups, especially our Open Firsts and Seconds. During the year, the selections for Queensland singled out Isaiah Richardson for the National Under 16 Championships in Geelong and Sasha Lomakin for the U19 Schools National Championships in Townsville. Our most successful team for the season was our Open Seconds, led by captain Arnold Chi and well supported by Philip Barbera, Jesse Martin and the team. Also rating a mention for a great season was our Open Thirds. The Open First Team had a slow start to the season, but to its credit they hung in through the hard yards and came home strongly with three wins in a row to finish fifth in GPS competition. Awards Night was staged in the Annand Theatre to mark the end of the season. MVP for the Open First team was Sasha Lomakin. Coach’s Award went to Isaiah Richardson and Best Clubman Award was picked up by Arnold Chi. Thanks go to Basketball Manager Daniel Trollope, our Friends of Basketball support group and to the many people who assisted our program in various ways to make this a great year. Finally, to all our Year 12 boys graduating this year, well done and good luck.

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As one of the most imposing chess figures of modern chess who ranked with the best players of his era, Baron Tassilo would perhaps have appreciated the real sense of excitement that attended the 2014 GPS chess year. This year the competition expanded to include Years 5, 6 and 7, making it a Years 5 to 12 competition to which the younger boys certainly brought a lot of enthusiasm while being very successful overall. Our Premier Team this year comprised Ryan Shim on Board 1, Anthony Furney (Chess Captain for 2014) on Board 2, Jesse Martin (Chess Vice-Captain) on Board 3 and Robert McCullough on Board 4. The Team was able to win through the Regional High Schools Team Competition to qualify for the State finals. This was a really pleasing achievement in a very strong chess region. Ishvar Nedunchezhian, Tyler Norvock and Komei Jo were at times called on to fill in with the Premier Team in the GPS and regional competitions. The boys placed eighth this year, but the prospects for a bigger and better showing in 2015 look promising. Ryan and Robert are staying on and a number of very able players in the School will compete for places in the Premier Team. As usual, TSS performed well in the Senior Team (Years 11 and 12), the Junior Team (Years 8, 9 and 10) and the Open teams. We were able to field teams down to Open F, meaning 36 boys representing TSS in chess on the night, and this demonstrates the great depth of chess players in the School. The best result came from the Open Fs who won their division. Other results were: Seniors – 8th, Juniors – 4th, Open As – 5th, Open Bs – 4th, Open Cs – 3rd, Open Ds – 2nd and Open Es – 2nd. So it’s well done to all teams for a year of effort, commitment and smart moves that brought TSS Chess commendable results across the board.

Function and Form Produces Great Net Results for TSS Tennis 2014 has been a year that has featured some significant changes for TSS Tennis. First there was the transition and subsequent consolidation of Years 5-7 into the GPS fixture competition, joining Years 8-12. This went off smoothly with the Prep players benefiting and gaining valuable insight and experience for their future development. Over 30 Years 5 and 6 players trained diligently on Friday afternoons, which produced notable improvements in all players. Added to this, the pre-season training camps, GP training times and sign-on procedures were all refined or reformatted to provide the optimal functioning of the GPS Tennis season.

The Year 10 teams recorded strong wins against Churchie and Brisbane State High by the As, while the B&C teams won five of their eight GPS matches. Playing against tournament-experienced opponents, our Year 11 teams found it tough going, but never giving less than their best, they recorded wins against Brisbane State High and Gregory Terrace. All teams finished the season with pride and fond memories of their time representing TSS, so adding it all up, the net result has been that of a great season. Congratulations must go to all players across all age groups for their enthusiasm, commitment, sportsmanship and sheer effort during the GPS Tennis season.

Throughout the season our Year 8 teams had many notable games and recorded wins against Gregory Terrace, Ipswich Grammar, Nudgee College and Brisbane State High. The Year 9s also played well, and proved their power on the courts by defeating Ipswich Grammar School and Nudgee College. B a n d

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2014 Writes a Dramatic Chapter in the Rich History of TSS Rugby No time was lost in kicking off what would be a great 2014 for TSS Rugby. Even with the dramatic redevelopment of the ‘traditional main ovals’ TSS had extensive pre-season action. This began with the official opening of the new ovals and hosting of the QRU State Championships at TSS. In the first of what will hopefully be a long-lasting partnership, the QRU and TSS combined to stage an amazing event over the Term Two holidays. The pre-season also included travel by a number of age groups to a variety of destinations. For the first time in many years the First XV toured NZ. This tour included staying at Hamilton Boys High and Kings College, Auckland. The 16A squad toured the Sunshine Coast and played Sunshine Coast Grammar First XV. The 15A squad toured Northern NSW at the beginning of the holidays and enjoyed a tough game against a local representative team. The TSS Rugby Camp this year was again held in the concluding stages of Term Two, and involved more than 270 TSS students. The boys received expert-level coaching and played a number of trials against Nudgee College, Toowoomba Grammar and Brisbane Boys College under great conditions at the TSS Prep Ovals. 16

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TSS was again rewarded for strong performances with a high number of students and coaches in various representative teams. 2014 also saw the introduction of the ARU Junior Gold Cup for U15s and U17s, hosted once more by TSS, with both teams fielding very strong contingents of TSS boys. Adrian Blundell and Spencer Attoe along with Joel Grech coached the U15 Team. Remwell Melia and Spencer Attoe – GPS 3 Coach, Peter Bromley – GPS Selector and Mike Wallace as Australian Schoolboys Assistant Coach. This included a tour of NZ where they narrowly lost the highly anticipated Test Match. Notable in representative teams were: Australian Schoolboys Joey Fittock Queensland PJ Van den Berg, Freddy Dorrough, Josh Taylor GPS Calum Ball The Open Division was, as usual, an area of strength for TSS, and for the first time in many years TSS successfully fielded a Sixth XV. Overall the Opens won over 80% of their matches, with the highlight definitely

being the ‘clean sweeps’ on the Village Green for all Opens Teams against BBC, GT and TGS. A truly remarkable performance. After an extremely exciting start to the season with two big-margin wins at the ‘Shark Tank’, a narrow loss to NC and another loss to Churchie, the First XV still had a highly successful season, finishing third overall. Well done to the Open Coaches; Mike Wallace, Ray Thomas, Graham Herlihy, Col Webb, James Thorpe, John Potter, Johnny Karatasios, Col Hawtin, Greg Norman, Dean Maxton, Bruce Wright and Tony Watt. Thanks also to Mr Ian Browne for his contribution as Open Age Group Coordinator and Sports Manager here at TSS. The 16s continued to develop as an age group. The 16As had a very successful year winning all but for one heartbreaking loss vs TGS, which will remain as the game that ‘could have been’. Despite this the 16As finished on top of the table. The 16Bs really knew how to make games exciting, and played a free-flowing style of Rugby. After an unfortunate slow start to the season, the 16Cs also played a compelling brand of Rugby, which resulted in them winning the final two fixtures. The 16Ds trained hard all season and a great victory over TGS to finish off the year.

Thanks to coaches Peter Bromley, Grant Anderson, Ben Cramp, John O’Connor, Anthony Vassiliades, Callum Sutherland, Alan Parsons, Max Christensen, Jake Lyon and John Wallace for once again doing such a terrific job with this age group. The 15As hit the season in great form and really surprised their opponents with improved skill and determination. The wins against BBC and Churchie were highlights for this team. 15Bs worked equally hard. Unfortunately, they had a slow start, but came back to finish with three consecutive wins. The 15Cs and 15Ds had a very enjoyable season with many wins to the Cs, particularly at the back end of the season. Spencer Attoe and Remwell Melia coached the U15 South Coast Regional representative team. Eight TSS boys were selected to compete at the State Championships in Cairns in the South Coast U15 Team. These were: Egan Siggs, Jed Eglington, Jack Butler, Ted Stuart, Noah Lolesio, Thomas van der Schyff, Max Dowd and Jedd Percival. Well done to the coaches: Spencer Attoe, Leigh Holtsbaum, Karel Boss, Sam Cox, Dean Galpin, Richard Mutton, Aaron Moore, Charlie Hitchcock and Luke Gray, and Carolyn Nelson for her involvement as age group coordinator. Even with a limited pre-season the 14s age group hit the ground running and the As and Bs recorded fantastic wins in Round 1 v BBC. Both teams continued to improve and also recorded wins in their final two games v TGS and BGS. Again the C and D teams had an enjoyable year of Rugby and the Cs really finished the season in style with an exciting win over BGS. Thanks go to the coaches: Bryan Hain, Andrew Hawkins, Rory Hain, RJ Silk, Chris George, Sam Lobascher, Lachlan Naughton, Thomas Thackray and Marcus Ward, and Mitchell Buckley for his continued involvement with TSS Rugby as coordinator for this important age group.

The 13s age group, traditionally the smallest at TSS, struggled to field the four teams for the entire season. The 13As and 13Bs trained as one squad for the season and this competition through the week had positive effects on Saturdays. After a difficult start the 13As had one of – if not the most – successful years in recent memory, winning an incredible five games straight. What made these wins even more exciting is that the opposition was normally in the lead at half-time. The 13Bs and Cs continued to improve throughout the season and along with other victories also enjoyed a dominant display against BBC to start the season.

against IGS, TGS and BGS. The 11Bs started the season well, winning their first match against BBC in a polished performance, while the 11Cs improved each week and had a taste of their first Rugby Sevens’ experience with an exciting internal match on the Boatshed oval.

Thanks are due to the coaches: Remy Melia, Richard Dobrenov, Bruce McFarlane, Lindsay Close, Fergus Trevethan, Mike Chapman and Joel Brown, and Ms Jo Inglis in her role of coordinator, for providing this group of boys with such a positive first experience of TSS Rugby.

TSS Rugby was host to many international teams in the build-up to the Gold Coast International 7s. TSS provided the venue for the Queensland 7s State Championships, in which TSS teams scored impressively in the Opens (2nd), 15s(State 7s Champs!) and 13s (2nd). These were fantastic opportunities for students and staff to be immersed in the world of professional Rugby.

The Under 12 age group had their first experience of GPS Rugby and finished with positive results in both the Under 12A and Under 12B teams. The 12As finished the season with five, wins including big victories over BBC, GT, Nudgee and Churchie. The 12Bs also had a successful year winning four of their matches, including dominant wins against GT and TGS. Caid Jenkins was selected in the South Coast Under 12 Regional representative team that finished second at the State Championships. A combined U12/U13 team represented TSS at The Armidale School Rugby Tournament and went on to win the final in the top division. Thank you to the coaches, Ian and Richard Browne, Jason Bear and Jaym Hepple, for their involvement in the program. The Under 11 age group also experienced their first season of GPS rugby and improved their skills and performances as the season progressed. Large participant numbers saw three teams with reserves represent TSS in this age group. The 11As finished with strong wins

A vote of thanks to Mark Hoppe, Tim Gall, Joel Menzies, Alex Vella, Ryan Menzies and Jock Campbell for coaching these teams this season. Also deserving of recognition and appreciation is the expertise of the TSS Grounds Staff and Sports Manager Ian Browne.

All of this has only been possible with the amazing amount of assistance that has been provided from the TSS Rugby community. Special thanks to Mr Greg Wain, School Council and Bryan Hain for their continued support of TSS Rugby. Siobhan Maguire and Ian Browne for their endless administration and management support. Remwell Melia and his team for assisting with game-day organisation. The Grounds and Maintenance Staff for ensuring our boys train and play on state-of-theart facilities. The Medical Staff; TSS Sister, Matt Brown, Kate Waring, Dr Buckley, Dr Yelland and Mr Stephen Eardley for ensuring all boys were cared for and expertly treated. Adrian Gaglione for his professional photos each week. Last but definitely not least, The Rugby Supporters Group and all parents who assisted in the canteen and post-match bar every Saturday. Congratulations to all graduating Rugby players. We wish you the best in your future endeavours on and off the Rugby field.

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On the Subject of Awards

Our Teachers Deliver a Class Act

ctober 31 is World Teachers’ Day and each year the Minister for Education presents the Queensland College of Teachers Awards at Parliament House Brisbane to outstanding teachers across Queensland. For the past four years, TSS teachers have consistently delivered a class act in being shortlisted as finalists in these prestigious awards, as the roster of TSS Excellence in Teaching Awardees shows here. 2011 Finalist in the Dr Alan Druery OAM Excellence in Teaching Award Mr Mark Herriman 2012 Finalist in the Dr Alan Druery OAM Excellence in Teaching Award Mr Mark Lockett 2013 Finalist in the Dr Alan Druery OAM Excellence in Teaching Award Mr Craig Humbley Finalist in the Dr John Dwyer Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award – Mrs Angela Foulds-Cook

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Finalist in the Professor Betty Watts Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching – Mrs Elizabeth Venz 2014 This year has proven no exception in upholding what is becoming something of a TSS tradition, as our teachers again achieved distinction and added to the lustre of the School's reputation for the quality of its education and exceptional teachers. Mr John Wallace emerged as a finalist in the Professor Betty Watts Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching, and Head of Languages Mrs Lisa Miller went to the head of the class as the winner of the Dr Alan Druery OAM Award for Excellence In Teaching. Congratulations are due to our winning teachers of course, but in doing so it’s fair to say that we regard all our TSS teachers as winners. We acknowledge that their dedication and commitment not only makes them a class act when it comes to excellence awards, but ensures that our boys gain the best possible education they can.

Jo Inglis Head of Learning and Teaching

Above: The Winners of the Qld College of Teachers Awards

Outstanding Naplan Scores Show Prep

‘Value Adds’ For Teaching Excellence Jeff Symms Head of Preparatory School

he annual NAPLAN (National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy test) is considered by some schools to be an unwelcome interruption to the regular teaching and learning program, and given the pre-eminence that some in the community place on the results it can cause some stress on both students and teachers. At TSS Prep though, the NAPLAN assessments are seen as an opportunity to review the success of our teaching programs with respect to the national curriculum outcomes, and to gather data on student development and improvement across time. One of the most significant features of the annual assessment program is the data provided to schools on their capacity to ‘value add’. This measures how much a school has assisted students to improve over time – so a good student becomes an excellent one and a student experiencing some delays in their learning moves through into the average (or beyond) bands of achievement. This data is very important to schools as it is one of the few measures available to them to determine the effectiveness of their teaching practices and intervention strategies.

the percentage of our students scoring in the top band has doubled in many areas tested. These results are a terrific endorsement of the quality of the teaching that is occurring in our Preparatory School classrooms. In the recent Parent Survey, parents at TSS Prep elected the ‘Quality of Teaching’ as the most important reason for choosing to send their son to the school. The 2015 NAPLAN results certainly provide strong confirmation to parents that the quality they seek is a feature of our school.

In 2015, TSS Preparatory School recorded excellent value-add scores. In a number of areas, notably numeracy and spelling, our value-add scores were the highest, or among the highest, on the Gold Coast, and the numbers of students who achieved results in the highest bands of achievement was very high. In fact, over the past five years, B a n d

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The combination of military training, education and skills he will gain from this experience will prepare him to face any challenge and perform on the world stage as a leader in the Australian Defence Force. Kris Hailey Executive Officer of the OSA

hen Ryan Melville received an Australian Defence Force Academy Education Award back in 2011, the then Senior Under Officer of the TSS Army Cadet Unit must have felt his dreams of being a pilot in the RAAF had just gotten a boost. As a young boy standing on a Gold Coast beach one day, Ryan had thrilled to the thunderous roar of an F111 as it hurtled overhead and he knew with certainty the direction his life would take. Back then though the how, when and where of it was unknown. His ADFA award would prove to be a huge step in that direction. ADFA is a unique partnership between the ADF and the University of New South Wales (UNSW), providing training for the future leaders of the Navy, Army and Air Force and also bestowing a world-class education. Officer Cadets and Midshipmen are instilled with the Academy’s guiding values of Courage, Respect, Integrity, Service and Professionalism – values that resonate with the TSS ethos in every respect.

Left and above right: Ryan Melville continues to excel at the RAAF

As a result, Ryan is currently training at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), where he is studying a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Aviation and Operations Research. The combination of military training, education and skills he will gain from this experience will prepare him to face any challenge and perform on the world stage as a leader in the Australian Defence Force. Ryan comments: “The reason that I wanted to join the Air Force – specifically ADFA – is because it offered me the best avenue to become a pilot. Compared to other universities, ADFA offers a lot of unique opportunities. At civilian universities you go to get an education and a job later on, but ADFA develops you into the best person you can be. Coming here was a great way to get involved with the military and everything about it. I’m itching to get out and fly jets one day and would love to fly the Super Hornet, because as a multi-role strike fighter, you find every mission is different and you really have to push yourself. I want to be at the forefront and tip of the spear when it comes to the Air Force.”

When Ryan initially won his award he had joined an elite group. The awards are granted only to the top 100 ADF applicants, and of these a mere eight pilot applicants receive the award, so in being selected as one of those eight Ryan had already distinguished himself. But he was still a long way from a cockpit. A six-stage selection process would follow, becoming progressively more exacting, with the final two stages being the toughest. Applicants were culled along the way. until at the end of this rigorous process Ryan Melville was one of only two candidates to be recommended for a position in the RAAF fast-jet stream.

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B U I L D IN G T SS

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SUBJECT TO CLIENT APPROVA NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION

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It’s actually the School’s Building and Facilities Master Plan, which lays out the School’s building projects to be undertaken over the next decade. TSS’s Building and Facilities Master Plan is a living document, however, it goes through a major review every 6-7 years. The previous review was undertaken during Headmaster Wain’s first few years and this involved the Leadership Centre projects of the Bennett and Sheil buildings at the Senior School. At Prep it included the Pearson building, Rogers classroom block and the new Library. Many smaller projects also occurred during this time, including the refurbishment of the Boatshed, Old Gym Café, Grandstand on the Village Green and Boarding House refurbishments. So by the end of 2013 the majority of the previous Building and Facilities Master Plan projects had been completed and the School Council, Headmaster and Staff of the School started a process of a major review of the Plan. This has now been completed and both the Senior and Preparatory Campus Building and Facilities Master Plans are shown in this article and incorporate the following key points: 22

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PREP CAMPUS

date:

9/11/10

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TRE & URE THEA NEW LECT MENT OF SENIOR REFURBISH LIBRARY location: ER STREET, WINCHEST T. SOUTHPOR ARCHITECTSQLD 4215 project:

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02 ELEVATIONS

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SENIOR CAMPUS

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• Lecture Theatre and Library Refurbishment

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• Day House rebuild NE

• Annand Theatre / Music Extension TU

• Boatshed Carpark and Roadway

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• Staff Accommodation In addition to these larger projects, the School undertakes a continual process of refurbishments to Academic, Boarding and Sporting facilities. So in a nutshell, this is what TSS’s Building and Facilities Master Plan is all about... a blueprint for anticipating the ever-changing needs and priorities of the School’s infrastructure and meeting them through masterly planning and timely execution.

PERIODIC STORAGE

WALKWAY TO DAY HOUSES

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WINCHESTER STREET, SOUTHPORT. QLD 4215

17 SHORT STREET, P.O. BOX 930 SOUTHPORT, QUEENSLAND, 4215 AUSTRALIA. www.burlingbrown.com drawing title:

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THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL

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A MODEST HERO Wows the Foundation Breakfast Crowd Story by

Gerry Northausen Executive Officer of the Foundation

VC recipient Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith with his military medals

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… At this time Ben seized the advantage and, with a total disregard for his own safety, he stormed the enemy position and silenced the machinegun. His act of valour enabled his patrol to break into the enemy position and RobertsSmith again took the initiative and continued to assault enemy positions in depth.

he TSS Foundation August Business Breakfast at the Sheraton Mirage, Main Beach scored something of a coup when Victoria Cross recipient Corporal Ben RobertsSmith held a crowd of 570 spellbound as he recounted the battlefield engagement that earnt him this most significant military award. Ever the modest hero, Ben delivered a riveting 45-minute account of why and how he made a frontal assault on a Taliban machinegun post, during an attack in 2010 in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. On June 11, 2010 a troop of the Special Operations Task Group conducted a helicopter assault into the Kandahar Province in order to capture or kill a senior Taliban commander. The troop was engaged by machine-gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire from multiple, dominating positions. Two soldiers were wounded and the troop was pinned down by fire from three machineguns in an elevated position to the south of the village. Under the cover of close air support, Roberts-Smith and his patrol manoeuvred to within 70 metres of the enemy position in order to neutralise the enemy machinegun positions and regain the initiative. The patrol members fought towards the enemy position to a range of 40 metres when the weight of fire prevented them moving forward. At this point Roberts-Smith saw an opportunity to exploit some cover provided by a small structure. As he approached this structure he saw an enemy soldier in the throes of engaging his patrol. As Ben recounted this story he said, “At this point I discharged my weapon at point-blank range, resulting in the death of the insurgent”. With his patrol still pinned down by three enemy machinegun positions, Ben made the decision to expose his own position to draw fire away from his patrol. His actions enabled his Patrol Commander to throw a grenade and silence one of the machineguns. At this time Ben seized the advantage and, with a total disregard for his own safety, he stormed the enemy position and silenced the machinegun. His act of valour enabled his patrol to break into the enemy position and RobertsSmith again took the initiative and continued to assault enemy positions in depth. His acts of total selflessness and disregard for his own life enabled his troop to clear the village of Tizak of Taliban, subsequently

causing the remainder of the Taliban in the Shah Wali Kot District to retreat from the area. Corporal Roberts-Smith told how his wife back home was seven months pregnant with twin baby girls after seven years of IVF. He also told of how he had known the men in the valley with him for years. They and their wives had socialised at each other’s houses and, even though his wife was pregnant, he knew he could not justify going home and facing their families if he hadn’t tried to do something to get them out. A truly remarkable and spell-binding account from a true war hero generated these typical audience responses below. Following a standing ovation, Ben was more than happy to meet and greet members of the audience for the next hour and the TSS cadet students in attendance were thrilled to have their photo taken with the great man.

“Ben Roberts-Smith… Best speaker ever. Outstanding, 10 out of 10. Standing ovation.”

“Just wanted to let you know that the Ben Roberts-Smith breakfast was terrific. If he speaks again I would buy another table to hear exactly the same presentation.”

“Thoroughly enjoyed Ben’s presentation and was exhausted living the moment with him as he recounted his stories. Such an inspirational speaker.”

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At the completion of the competition, students put together a trade display to pitch their business ideas and test out their marketing plan.

Australian Business Week

Inspires an ‘Enterprise Mindset’ Story by

Mark Herriman Dean of Curriculum Innovation

he nationally recognised Australian Business Week program is designed to foster independent and cooperative learning skills among students, and inspire them to develop a ‘enterprise mindset’ prior to entering the workforce or proceeding to further study. It exposes participants to the process of developing problem-solving skills, while enhancing cooperation and mastering effective time management. The ABW program also provides students with the opportunity to interact with business members of the community, as well as those from our own school community. Held annually, the 2014 ABW marked the program’s ninth year at TSS, and over the three days our Year 11 students learnt the skills of effective planning, working with others, expressing ideas and solving problems. The boys formed small companies that planned and sold sportinggoods products, and in doing so they were required to elect company positions of responsibility, including a CEO, CFO, Marketing Manager and Operations Manager. From this point, they moved to

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developing a marketing strategy, constructing an operations plan, managing their finances and taking part in an online manufacturing simulation. At the completion of the competition, students put together a trade display to pitch their business ideas and test out their marketing plan. As it seeks to equip students with real business skills, an important element of the program is to have the boys work with business mentors from the community. Over the duration of the program, the TSS boys were supported by a team of mentors from the Gold Coast business and financial services industry, who were on hand to help steer the teams through the many challenges that come with starting a new business. Participation in the annual ABW gives boys a unique opportunity to experience real world business situations and extend their problem-solving and leadership skills, and as such ‘value-adds’ to their TSS educational experience.

Seniors Get a Foot in the Door

to Griffith Business The program also provides the chance to get a foot in the door to study for a Bachelor of Business degree, and this year 13 of our Seniors have successfully seized the opportunity.

he Griffith Business program runs in conjunction with the TSS Business and Enterprise department, to give aspiring students an insight into the study programs offered by Griffith Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Business Faculty. The program also provides the chance to get a foot in the door to study for a Bachelor of Business degree, and this year 13 of our Seniors have successfully seized the opportunity.

This earnt them a direct offer of early entry into a Bachelor of Business degree at Griffith University in 2015. While all 13 Seniors acquitted themselves well and did TSS proud, one of their number, Blake Sinclair, achieved outstanding results across the three days and was offered the added incentive of a $2500 scholarship to attend Griffith next year.

The boys spent three days working with lecturers from Griffith University studying a range of relevant subjects, including tourism, event management, marketing and commerce, while participating in lectures and tutorials on the Gold Coast campus in order to develop their understanding of life as a Griffith University student.

If the boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; enthusiasm and commitment carries through into their university studies, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entirely possible that in due course TSS will be able to proudly list 13 new future business leaders among its Old Boys.

Keen to make the most of the experience, the boys quickly adapted to the university student lifestyle, completed the course and passed their final assessment.

Brad Carter Head of Business and Enterprise

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A SH O T IN T H E ARM BOOSTS TS S TRACK & F IE LD

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rack and Field at TSS is a sport that has a long and proud history that stretches back to 1918 when the first GPS Championships were held and TSS were crowned victors. In total TSS has won five GPS Premierships and placed in the top three on 15 occasions.

In 2014, there has been a renewed attempt to improve the performances of the TSS Athletics teams at both the Prep and Senior schools. This has led to the Junior team achieving 4th place at the Inaugural GPS Junior Track and Field Championships, while the Senior Team (Years 8-12) competed at the 97th annual GPS Championships to finish 8th place overall. It is definitely a program on the improve, amassing 77 points more than 2013 to a total of 267.5 points – a dramatic change for the better The key to improving Track and Field at TSS and thereby rekindling the School’s reputation in this sport comes down to focusing on three key areas. First, a high-quality training program is required and therefore the best Athletics coaches on the Gold Coast have been sourced to mentor our young men. These include former Olympians Glynis Nunn-Cearns (1984 Olympic Gold medallist – heptathlon) and Mike Hazel (1996 and 2000 Olympian 4x400m), former Australian representative Jackson Elliot (distance running) and Sonia Weatherley (Javelin), as well as Level 4 coaches Brett Green (Throws) and Les Gearey (Multi-event). These coaches are ably supported by some excellent staff at both the Prep and Senior Schools. Second, there is a large focus on helping each athlete reach their potential through setting effective goals. Finally, we have been working hard to establish a team atmosphere in which TSS athletes really encourage each other in their training groups and age groups. It is through these key areas that we will see an ongoing big improvement in the performances of each TSS athlete, and ultimately the TSS team at the GPS Championships.

Andrew Stalling Director of Track and Field

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TR I BA LISM , M OR A L VA LUE S & HABIT S OF H EART HEADMASTER’S SPEECH DAY ADDRESS 2014

istinguished guests, members of the School Council, parents, staff, and boys of The Southport School – it is my great pleasure to address you this Speech Day, the final academic day of the 114th year of The Southport School.

DEMOCRACY AT TSS There are two main themes in my talk today: moral reasoning and evolutionary psychology. I actually started off some months ago thinking about democracy as a Speech Day theme and that led to an interest in moral reasoning. Both topics are clearly linked to our Learning to Lead programs, as they have to do with an understanding of self and an understanding of others; knowing how to make decisions that are sound and just; and helping our boys to become better leaders, better community members and better global citizens. Democracy at TSS is about the power of the students. It is about valuing the voice of the students; and ensuring their overall views are heard, and that those views contribute to our decision-making. At TSS the students have the major say in the leadership positions of School Captain, Vice-Captain, Head Day Boy Prefect, Head Boarder Prefect, the Foundation Prefects, House Captains, Foundation Wardens and also the elected members of the Year Group Leadership Teams. The five Year Group Leadership Teams meet with me and other Executive staff regularly and are consulted on significant school 30

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decisions. In the past two years the Year Group Leadership Teams have debated and decided in favour of random drug testing; rewritten the diligence rubrics for the boys’ diligence grades on their reports; and been key players in designing and approving the Primus Octoginta list – the public listing of the top 80 academic students in each Year Group, in groups of 10 in alphabetical order. Further, our Ideal Teacher model for teacher improvement, which is also a performance pay model to recognise and reward outstanding teaching, is primarily driven by the boys through student quantitative surveys and focus groups of students who meet with me to qualitatively explore positive aspects and any areas for improvement. The teachers genuinely appreciate the detailed feedback, and it places the boys in a very powerful position. Basically they are setting the teachers’ above-award pay, and that does not happen in most schools. The boys are also consulted by me when staff apply for positions such as Housemaster, Deans and Head of Department. So at TSS the boys are effectively ‘major players’ in the running of the school. It is a big responsibility and one the boys take very seriously and carefully. For any democracy to work well there must be highlevel moral and rational thinking by those involved. Late last year, Harvard University philosopher Joshua Greene wrote a book called Moral Tribes, which explores how humans engage in moral reasoning.

MORAL TRIBES BY JOSHUA GREENE At base, humans are driven by a survival instinct, so we can often be self-interested and a little selfish, but our highly successful evolutionary adaptation, along with the other primates, was to work together in groups to survive. So morality, doing the right thing by each other, evolved to enable cooperation between members of our group. In his book, Green explains what he is discovering about how our brain works when we are making decisions of a moral nature, and then how we might encourage in people moral reasoning that helps solve emerging global problems like climate change, feeding the world’s population and solving long-standing conflicts like the Middle East; a few challenges there for our boys and their generation!

DUAL MORAL-THINKING PROCESSES Greene uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRIs) to detect changes in blood flow in various areas of the brain that light up as people think through moral dilemmas that he puts to them. Greene’s research has discovered two distinct systems of moral reasoning. One is a ‘fast’ automatic, intuitive process (more an emotional ‘gut reaction’ using in part the amygdala, the emotion centre of the brain, and the ventromedial pre-frontal cortex), and the second system is a ‘slow’, controlled, more rational cognitive process

involving greater reasoning time and self-control, which uses part of the dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex.

TRIBALISM Greene writes about other aspects of our moral reasoning that have been influenced by evolution. These are covered under the headings ‘tribalism’ and ‘cognitive biases’. We have evolved from a hunter-gatherer tribal past and that stage of our existence has greatly influenced many aspects of our brain and our behaviour.

‘US’ VERSUS ‘THEM’ Moral thinking evolved to enable cooperation within a group. Humans and other primates who formed a group had more chance of survival on the African savannah. We have adapted for cooperation with some people, people like us, in our group, but we struggle to cooperate with people in other groups, people who are different. We (‘us’) are actually hardwired to compete against those other groups, ‘them’.

WE ARE A SOCIAL SPECIES Actually we don’t need to go back 14 billion years, just back 250,000 years ago when out of the ecological niche of the African savannah that suited the first twolegged primates, or apes, our species of primate, Homo Sapien, emerged as clan-dwelling hunter-gatherers with very enlarged social brains, with a large neo-cortex that had adapted to facilitate complex group living. We were socially smarter than all the other species. The optimal size of the group of Homo Sapiens on the African savannah was about 150; big enough for protection and labour specialisation for gathering resources, but not too big that it became uncoordinated and could not support itself. Primates with a smaller neo-cortex lived in smaller groups. For the size of our Homo Sapien neo-cortex, 150 is the cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships, where each member can comprehend the group and know where they fit within the group.

EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY This hard wiring from our clan and tribe-dwelling past is the area of Evolutionary Psychology. I put down Joshua Greene’s book for a while and re-read a book I’d read eight years ago on Evolutionary Psychology called Managing the Human Animal, by London School of Economics professor Nigel Nicholson.

FLIGHT CENTRE AND EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY There are a number of business people who have picked up on Evolutionary Psychology. I talked about Evolutionary Psychology with Graham Turner three years ago at a TSS Foundation Business Breakfast. Graham is CEO of Flight Centre and one of the highest-rated CEOs in Australia. He turned a small business with two people and one second-hand double-decker bus into Top Deck Travel, and then turned that into Flight Centre, which now has 13,000 employees. Graham used the principles of Evolutionary Psychology to restructure Flight Centre, a move he sees as instrumental to the success of the company. Flight Centre use a family, village, tribe structure based on lots of competition and prizes, a bit like our House set-up at TSS. When we spoke I was telling him that, when asked by the School Council some years ago about the optimum size of the School, I used Evolutionary Psychology principles to advise Year Group sizes of around 150. I’ll explain why shortly. So, what is this Evolutionary Psychology about? How far back do we need to go? … Well… “Our whole universe was in a hot-dense state, then nearly 14 billion years ago expansion started. Wait... Math, science, history, unravelling the mysteries, That all started with the big bang!” … sorry, I couldn’t resist!

Moral thinking evolved to enable cooperation within a group. Humans and other primates who formed a group had more chance of survival on the African savannah.

The number 150 is relevant for us today. Our brain hasn’t grown since then, and about 150 is still our cognitive limit to knowing something about each person and how they relate to other people in the group. It is basically the largest group of which a human being can feel a part. If you are just putting names to faces the number is much larger, probably around 2000. 150 comes up regularly in human history, including 150 as the estimated size of Neolithic farming villages 10,000 years ago, 150 as the most effective basic unit or company size of professional armies in Roman times, and in modern times, the average village size in the Domesday Book, the ‘Great Survey’ of England and Wales in the year 1086 was, again, 150. So we lived in these semi-nomadic clans of around 150 from 250,000 years ago up to 10,000 years ago when we transitioned to agriculture in fixed settlements. This 240,000-year period, the longest age by far in our existence, is this period that shaped our brain.

THE OPTIMUM SIZE OF TSS – A KEY TO OUR VALUE PROPOSITION Some years ago I moved from teaching at a school where student Year Group sizes were about 150 to a school where the Year Groups were 240. It was clear to me then, not yet having read about Evolutionary Psychology, that there was a completely different dynamic between the boys in the 150 group and the boys in the 240 group. 240 just felt too big. At 150 the boys all knew each other and knew something about each person, and at 240 they did not know each other, even after three years together. So it was encouraging to come to TSS in 2004 and find the Year Groups at around 150. From experience, and now having researched Evolutionary Psychology, I’m sure that is a key reason for our enhanced sense of community and spirit at TSS, an important part of our ‘value proposition’ for parents and boys. Hence my advice to the School Council that we resist the economies of scale argument and not grow bigger as a school in a way that compromises the magic number of 150. Once a group grows much larger than 150, its members begin to lose their sense of connection.

NICHOLSON’S CONCLUSIONS ABOUT HUMANS Nicholson’s overall conclusion in his book on Evolutionary Psychology is basically that humans do things in groups and organisations to try and recreate the communities of our hunter-gatherer past, because that is what feels best for us, as it matches our hardwired brain capabilities and tendencies. These hardwired tendencies include gathering in groups to do activities that matter or interest us, where we can cooperate, share, trade contributions, obtain recognition and be valued. We like hierarchical relationships, divided responsibilities, communal areas for interaction, display, ritual and competitive tournaments, and we look for leaders. We were designed for ‘within group’ cooperation and ‘between group’ competition. And, our genes do not allow us to be content with what we have; they push us in search of resources and improvement; we are very status conscious, and we love to compete – especially males.

TRIBALISM AT TSS Given our boys have innate tribal tendencies, let’s look at tribalism at TSS. Our boys’ brains were designed for within group cooperation and between group competition, and we play unashamedly on that at TSS. House tribe against the other House tribes in a competition that runs for the whole year; the boys love it! Our Housemasters, young primates that they are, also get excited about this tribal interaction. Then we have the Year Group tribe, and then the ‘Team TSS’ tribe competing against other schools, not to mention the hardwired tribalism on display at State of Origin time. Actually, educationally, the House system in the Senior School is all about a group of adults getting to continued over next page... B a n d

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know, and providing pastoral care and strong moral guidance to, a group of boys aged 12 to 18. If you asked the boys to volunteer for that experience…“who’s up for some pastoral care and moral guidance from a few random adults?”, well, there would be a lot less enthusiasm! But if you say to boys…“When you join TSS you will be placed with a special group of boys. This is now your group. Your House. Your House competes against other Houses for prizes and status, you get to ‘display’ the colours of your House when you compete, and there is a hierarchy of leadership positions in your House. You even have a House territory.” Now that gets boys interested. On one of our trips out West this year I met a five-year-old boy with a brother in Delpratt and I was talking with a group of people and I mentioned Thorold House, and this five-year-old who had never even been to TSS looked straight up at me with a stern look on his face and said … “We don’t like that Thorold House!”. That’s tribalism. Now, tribalism taken too far has problems and can be very unhelpful, but to reject tribalism is totally unrealistic. Aspects of our tribal tendencies can be used to build a sense of belonging, House spirit, School spirit and community. Here are a couple of examples of ‘good tribalism’.

GOOD TRIBALISM – ACADEMICS AND BONDING Researcher Meredith O’Connor from Melbourne University recently looked at the role of school bonding in preparing students for the early adulthood years of 18 to 25, when young people have greater freedom, but less support, and are more reliant on their own resources. This can be often be a period of instability, disruption and can be overwhelming. O’Connor looked at what factors in adolescence predicted healthy development in early adulthood. She looked at more than 20 factors, including gender, socio-economic status, academic performance, extraversion and family circumstances. O’Connor found that the most significant predictor of wellbeing, including mental health and resilience, in post-school early adulthood was ‘school bonding’. School bonding is how students feel about their school, the sense of connection, relationships with teachers, and sense of belonging and pride. It is widely accepted, even by people from other schools, that TSS rates extremely highly in terms of school bonding. O’Connor found that the key aspects of school bonding were relationships with teachers, student involvement in school activities, an emphasis on community building and involving students in decisions.

GOOD TRIBALISM – BOYS’ SCHOOLS HAVE AN ACADEMIC EDGE Here is a second example of the advantages of a school building a culture of positive tribalism and bonding. The International Boys’ Schools Coalition, of which we are a member, recently commissioned 32

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an independent study by the New Zealand Council of Educational Research to compare, at Year 12 level, the academic performance of boys who attend boys’ schools, to boys who attend co-ed schools. They found a big difference, with boys in boys’ schools significantly out performing academically the boys in co-ed schools. They recalculated the figures controlling for socio-economic status, and found that even for the medium and lowest socio-economic status boys, in boys’ schools versus co-ed schools, that the academic achievement difference was sustained. This is proving what those of us in boys’ schools have known anecdotally, but have until now not had the research to support, that boys are advantaged academically by being in a boys only school. Now it needs to be a very good school, not simply a boys only school. You need to get all the aspects of the school working well to maximise the boys’ only advantage. The researchers looked at the top academic performing boys’ schools at all levels of socio-economic

School bonding is how students feel about their school, the sense of connection, relationships with teachers, and sense of belonging and pride.

status to find what they were doing that advantaged the boys academically. Not surprisingly to me the strategies that made a difference to academic performance were mostly around engagement in sport and activities, tribalism and the sense of belonging it encourages, including an emphasis in Year 7 on identifying with the School and its values (like our Year 7 Transition Program); offering a range of sport, service and cocurricular activities where boys relate as ‘brothers’ and experience the need for effort before achievement; getting to know and trust teachers in non-classroom settings; leadership roles for boys; threading core school values through the week at Chapels, House meetings and assemblies; and high-quality teaching by reflective practitioners who stay up to date with best practice. Some of our competitors on the Coast actually try to use our extensive sport and extracurricular program against us, telling prospective parents it will distract their boy from studying. Far from it, school sport and extracurricular activities will actually improve a boy’s academic performance.

HUMANS ARE BIASED IN THEIR THINKING What are some of the other aspects of our brain and behaviour that we have inherited from our huntergatherer tribal past? We are hardwired to make snap judgements based upon emotion. Like the fast moral reasoning system described above, life in the wilds of the African savannah required quick reaction to survive. Instant fight or flight worked when being attacked by a wild animal, not stop, think and discuss. Quick-reaction thinking is still needed on the football field, but not now in most aspects of life. When we feel our emotions rise in the 21st century, allowing time for them to dissipate, and for our slow, rational thinking processes to kick in is almost always a good thing. From our time as less sophisticated primates, we are hardwired to create opportunities for display and competitive contest. We strongly desire to manage social impressions, and our drive to ‘display’ our attractiveness comes from our primate mate-finding behaviours. We used to ‘display’ ourselves by competitiveness, chest beating and loud noises, but this is now superseded by our displays of hairdos, fashionable clothing, jewellery, cars, houses, and I was thinking, possibly tattoos fall into this ‘display’ behaviour category. Gossip and mind-reading were key survival skills. They still are. We share information to gain social information, affirm alliances and friendships and signal inclusion. We are born to gossip, men as much as women, men just call it ‘networking’ so it sounds more important! We also have hardwired biases. Our thinking is not always balanced and rational. In our clan-dwelling days, confidence was rewarded. It still is. To be an effective social performer we need to be confident, so most of the time most of us think we are right. This is called ‘confirmation bias’. We dwell on the facts that support our case rather than the facts that refute it. We are naturally good bargainers with ready access to facts that support our worthiness and less-ready access to facts that don’t; and we are hardwired to believe in our entitlement.

MORAL VALUES DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRIBES – GLOBAL PROBLEMS To make things more complex, different tribes (different nations) have different views on how societies should be organised, and different values and moral commitments to different religious beliefs. So there are plenty of barriers to cooperation between nations. Yet the pressure for global scale, inter-tribal cooperation is mounting due to global warming and environmental degradation, over a billion people living in poverty, and ongoing violent conflicts. So, with all these biased-thinking tendencies, a moral reasoning system that did not evolve to produce cooperation with groups and nations different to us, and brain hardwiring to identify and favour our own tribe and nation, what are we to do?

METACOGNITION AS A SOLUTION Greene’s first solution is to become more self-aware, especially of our tribal tendencies and biased thinking. Greene calls this a global ‘meta-morality’ solution, raising awareness of our metacognition ability, our ability to think about our own thinking (metacognition is one of the Habits of Mind of successful people that we teach the boys), so teaching and encouraging people to understand their own thinking, their biases and irrational tribalism. Greene also encourages us to reason morally using the slow but rational and logical unemotional part of the brain, rather than our fast, reactive, emotional thinking processes. For example, metacognitively, you can often feel your emotions rise in an argument. When this happens you know you are using your amygdala (emotion centre) and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, that is, the fast moral thinking systems, so find ways of engaging the other, slower, rational moral thinking system. Maybe take ‘time out’, go for a short walk, 10 deep breaths, start writing the other person’s point of view on a piece of paper, or whatever works for you.

METACOGNITION TO SOLVE BULLYING ISSUES At TSS we use this metacognitive approach with our ‘no blame’ initial approach to bullying. One reason bullying takes place is that evolutionary hardwiring that causes us to take pride in our group and devalue members of other groups. This helps us feel good about ourselves and our status. Hence almost naturally, unfortunately, we get name calling, payouts or hurtful comments directed from one group to another group or an individual perceived to be somehow different. The ‘no blame’ approach we use at TSS basically involves an adult exploring biases and incorrect tribal thinking by encouraging metacognition and helping the perpetrator see things from the victim’s point of view to boost empathy. This is done in a non-threatening, non-punitive manner, because any threat of punishment sets up unhelpful loss-aversion thinking and defensiveness that thwarts clear thinking.

UTILITARIANISM AND IMPARTIALITY Greene also advocates for the philosophy of ‘utilitarianism’ where all actions and moral decisions are measured and guided by the sum of their effects on overall wellbeing for all people. Utilitarianism is ‘impartial’, everyone’s wellbeing counts the same, which is the Christian Golden Rule…“treat your neighbour as you would like to be treated”. Greene says this does not mean that everyone gets to be equally happy, but it does mean than no-one’s wellbeing or happiness is inherently more valuable than anyone else’s. John Stuart Mills and Jeremy Bentham were

founders of the philosophy of utilitarianism and used this principle in the early 1800s to oppose slavery and advocate for women’s rights, including education for women, free speech and environmental protection. Greene sees overall ‘wellbeing’ as the common currency of human values, cutting across national lines, that can inform the impartial and rational decisions that he proposes to solve our global issues.

JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT THIS 2000 YEARS AGO – THE GOOD SAMARITAN Now it occurred to me that 2000 years ago, the greatest expert in moral reasoning was trying to teach people the same lessons Joshua Greene is advocating today. Jesus was fighting our natural tribal thinking and trying to encourage empathy with his Parable of the Good Samaritan. We read in Luke that when Jesus was teaching, a lawyer in the crowd asked Jesus … “I know the religious law says I am to treat my neighbour as I would want to be treated, but who is my neighbour?” In answering the question, Jesus told of the man on the road from Jericho, beaten up, robbed and left on the side of a road. Two people in his tribe, who should have helped, passed by, but then a man from the much hated and despised Samaritan tribe stopped and went out of his way to show compassion and help the man in need. Jesus then asked the lawyer … “Which of the three was a neighbour?” Here Jesus was encouraging metacognition; challenging the lawyer to examine his own thinking. The lawyer had wanted to know how far his obligation to help others extended, and Jesus made it clear there were no limits – our obligation is to the whole of humanity. Certainly the Good Samaritan did not ask the injured man’s nationality or religious beliefs.

JUDGE YE NOT Earlier in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says… “Judge not, and you will not be judged… Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” Here Jesus is teaching us to be aware of our biases towards favouring ourselves and our tribe. We are not more deserving than other people. He is encouraging metacognition; before we judge others as less than perfect, we should think about our own imperfections, and that may lead to a little more understanding and compassion towards others.

Our Positive Psychology programs are also working towards the types of solutions Joshua Greene is advocating. I love the quote of a Year 8 boy when interviewed about what the Positive Psychology program in his English class did for him … “I understand myself better and I understand others in the class better.” This is on a small scale now, but as boys leave TSS and take this profound knowledge and understanding with them, they can lead change in the organisations and communities in which they become involved. So while our tribal tendencies can be used at TSS to build a sense of belonging, House spirit and community spirit, our boys metacognitively understand that during the House competition we behave tribally, but we don’t take it too far. They know the boys in the other Houses are really just like us. And we can actually cooperate with them to compete against the other tribes, like Churchie, but even then, the Churchie guys are really just like us too. So if we keep building that sort of thinking among the boys we start to break down some of those unhelpful biases and tribal tendencies. We have Indigenous boys here now breaking down such barriers, and Chinese and Muslim boys, and when we get to know them we think… “Really, they are just like us”. Hence we can help our boys make the cognitive leap that all other people are just like us… “I’m special, but other people see themselves as special too, so I am not especially special, there is nothing that makes my interests more important than the interests of others”… this gets to ‘empathy’, the ability to feel what others are feeling. My hope and prayer is that our boys will take this global, untribal, unbiased attitude and understanding of others with them as they leave us, to work towards solving our global problems and creating a more cooperative and peaceful existence for all.

Thank You Thank you all for your support of The Southport School during the past year, the 114th year of this great School. I wish you all a happy, peaceful and holy Christmas.

TSS HABITS OF HEART At TSS the Chapel is the spiritual heart of the School. It is there that we work with boys who, like all of us, are naturally a little self-centric. We try to de-centre their thinking to encourage them to think about others. To further encourage ethical and moral thinking, Chaplain Father Jonathan is coordinating the development of our Habits of Heart to promote ethical and moral thinking and complement the Habits of Mind. These Habits of Heart include service to others, respect, reconciliation, compassion and justice. B a n d

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At these festivals, the boys of TSS work alongside boys and girls from schools all over the Gold Coast, Logan City and Southern Brisbane in a wide-ranging program of workshops…

GATEways Partners with Prep to Foster Gifted and Talented Parents are advised to keep an eye on the GATEways website www.gateways.edu.au for news regarding upcoming programs and events.

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or four years now TSS Preparatory School has teamed up with GATEways – a nationally recognised provider of Gifted and Talented Workshops – to provide outstanding opportunities for boys to engage in stimulating educational experiences alongside like-minded students across an amazing range of topics and interests. In 2014 the School has hosted Eureka Days, which focus on those students with advanced capabilities in Mathematics, Science and History. On these days the boys have the opportunity to explore in depth topics and questions that challenge and extend their thinking, while being guided through the process by nationally recognised experts in the specific field. With topics including The Secrets of Science, You can count on Maths, History Matters and What Nonsense, the boys have found the Eureka Days to be hugely enjoyable as well as educational. Each year the School hosts a special ‘Festival of Workshops’ during one of the school vacation periods. At these festivals, the boys of TSS work alongside boys and girls from schools all over the Gold Coast, Logan City and Southern Brisbane in a wide-ranging program of workshops. They can attend for one day or two and select a program that best caters for their own interests and areas of expertise. Over 300 children attend each festival and the quality is evidenced by the number of repeat visits each year from children who have attended before. The GATEways program is an important strand of how we cater for those boys who have been identified as Gifted and Talented and it complements the in-class and withdrawal program. Being selected by GATEways to be their one and only Gold Coast partner school is a real vote of confidence in our program and has proven to be a very successful relationship.

Jasna Poeszus Gifted and Talented - Preparatory Campus

PR EP TO URS SYD NE Y FOR A TASTE OF SPORT AN D CULTURE

“They were terrific ambassadors for the school and I’m very proud of them for the way in which they enhanced the reputation of TSS and laid the foundations for many more successful tours.”

he aim of Prep’s 2014 Sports Tour to Sydney was primarily to give boys the opportunity of playing matches across a range of sports, against schools that aren’t normally their regular competitors. But there was a bonus. The touring experience also created an environment in which they could develop independence and confidence through spending time away from home, travelling with mates and billeting with Sydney families.

This year the boys played Rugby, Football and Basketball against teams from Cranbrook School, The Scots College and Knox Grammar and were billeted by families from Scots for the duration of their stay. Visiting each school was a real pleasure and the hospitality of the school communities was hugely appreciated. Despite often fielding a young and inexperienced team against a more established and well-drilled opposition that had played many games, our boys managed to keep in touch throughout and displayed a lot of courage and sportsmanship in the true TSS tradition.

Away from the sports-fields, the tour had been designed to allow the boys time-out for sightseeing around Sydney, to bond as teammates and to forge new friendships with their billet families. In summing up, what impressed the touring TSS staff was the boys’ conduct throughout. From the very first morning on the flight to Sydney, all who encountered the boys commented on just how well-mannered and cooperative they were. They were terrific ambassadors for the school and I’m very proud of them for the way in which they enhanced the reputation of TSS and laid the foundations for many more successful tours. Bring on New Zealand 2015!

Alex Kelley Preparatory Sportsmaster

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Dynamic Librarians

Gather To Embrace New Landscapes

Andrew Stark Head of Libraries and Information Services

he inaugural International Library Symposium held at The Southport School during the September school vacation brought together close to 100 delegates from around Australia and the Asia-Pacific region to hear and learn from a series of keynote addresses from internationally renowned and respected presenters.

Graham Legerton and Chad Brown revealed the processes involved when creating and designing the perfect learning space; international TL Katie Day highlighted the diversity of life through Asian literary examples; psychologist Paul Martin helped us develop strategies to cope with change in the workplace; and journalists Trent Dalton and Matthew Condon provided remarkable insight into some of Queensland’s darkest political days.

For many of us, the library profession is, by its very nature, one of the most dynamic elements of modern society, and this dynamism was reflected in the Symposium program. Libraries constantly evolve by creating, absorbing and developing systems through which humans communicate and by which society establishes its cultural and educational parameters. In recent years there has been a clear paradigm shift in library accountabilities and expectations and this has generated the creation of a new library landscape … and thus the theme – Embracing New Landscapes.

Not to be outdone, ‘Terrific Tuesday’ was a professionally and personally rewarding experience as presenters highlighted further the ever-changing role libraries and librarians play in the educational landscape. The morning opened with SLAQ President Shirley Birrell exploring some of the challenges currently facing SLAQ members, and reminded everyone present of the valuable contribution TLs make in schools and how libraries and librarians help shape the intellectual, cultural and social landscape of communities.

A very warm ‘Welcome to Country’ by Ms Linda Biumaiwai officially launched the Symposium and things got down to business with the line-up on ‘Marvellous Monday’ encapsulating what the modern library and learning space involves. Author Isobelle Carmody shared her journey on developing a love of literature; library academic Dr Barbara Combes explored the realms of communication, connectivity and the changing nature of information; architects and design specialists

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Shirley was followed by international author, academic and social commentator Professor Germaine Greer. In her book Daddy We Hardly Knew You Greer reveals that “the Public Library of Victoria was (her) Valhalla”. Furthermore, she writes: “I used to take a turn or two around the perimeter (of the reading room) and my heart skipped with suppressed excitement. … I would quickly get a book … edge my behind on to a slippery chair, and take notes the way I saw others doing. So the habit of a lifetime was formed. More of my waking life has been spent in libraries, with a pen in my hand, than anywhere else.” With this in mind, it was most appropriate that Professor Greer should join us at the inaugural International Library Symposium.

Greer’s presentation, Country into Landscape: ways of seeing in today’s Australia, explored a variety of Australian art examples and ultimately argued that it is no longer sensible to treat Aboriginal and nonAboriginal art as being culturally distinct from each other. This was a thoughtful, carefully researched topic that was delivered with exceptional aplomb. For many in the audience, it was the first time they had heard Professor Greer speak publicly and no-one was disappointed. Also included in the Tuesday program line-up was author and editor of Australian Book Review Peter Rose, who explored how literary magazines – such as ABR – fit into the new literary landscape. Brain Specialist Angela Foulds-Cook guided delegates through the intricate nature of the human brain and how to make our brains ready for reading. Emerging media specialist Professor Jeff Brand showed us how to ‘gamify’ the Australian Curriculum, and brilliant author Dr Gary Crew argued that we need to provide the dead with voices so their stories are not lost and we can understand more clearly the nuances of our own culture and history. The final event was the Symposium Dinner held in The Southport School Dining Hall and featured Mark Tedeschi AM QC. Mr Tedeschi has been the Senior Crown Prosecutor for New South Wales since 1997, and while he has published works in many legal journals, his first true crime book, Eugenia, was published in 2012. This is the true story of Harry Crawford, who in 1920 was arrested and charged with the murder of his first wife. What made the case more intriguing was that Harry Crawford was not, in fact, Harry Crawford, but Eugenia Falleni, a woman who had lived as a man for 22 years. A remarkable story indeed.

Several social functions were also organised in addition to the Symposium Dinner. A lively Welcome Reception was held at TSS on the Sunday evening, a specially commissioned art exhibition entitled Embracing New Landscapes was held at the Anthea Polson Art Gallery, Mariner’s Cove, Gold Coast, and to ensure delegates realised that there is more to the Gold Coast than sand, sun and surf – a Gold Coast Heritage Tour was arranged as a post-Symposium activity to showcase some of the region’s wonderful history.

Above: Angela FouldsCook, Prof Germaine Greer and Mark Tedeschi AM QC were among the guest speakers at the event

Sincere thanks go to the many supporters and sponsors of this inaugural event. To SLAQ for their very generous support, and in particular to Shirley Birrell and Angie Farmer for their assistance and encouragement. Special mention and thanks must also go to previous SLAQ President Toni Leigh with whom initial ILS discussions were held in 2013. Toni was very happy to support this project and was very encouraging. Thank you also to the Trade Exhibitors: Gale Cengage Learning, Accessit Software, Wheelers Books, The One Umbrella, RAECO and Network Educational. This was a very exciting event and we are hoping to hold the International Library Symposium biennially.

Presenters’ notes are available on the ILS website at www.thesuthportschool/ils

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Understanding the Simple Virtues of Philanthropy

nderstanding Philanthropy in totality and communicating to our community how each and every one of us benefits from our generous contributors is probably one of the most significant challenges faced by all of us at TSS. Certainly from a strategic viewpoint, it is very clear that a school such as TSS needs a vibrant and effective philanthropic culture that can take us well beyond just a ‘fundraising’ mentality. Since my appointment a few months ago, gathering information and honing in on what the TSS community sees and feels about philanthropy has been more than interesting. So while it is a much used and multi-interpreted word, developing and instilling a ‘culture’ probably best describes what needs to be to targeted within our community – put simply, we do philanthropy, but don’t know philanthropy. The boys, families and staff at TSS are involved and operate a range of outstanding initiatives to support individuals in need as well-designated charities and organisations both locally and internationally. This significant investment in time and organisation generates up to an estimated $250,000 per annum of financial assistance, and double that value through in-kind support to the wider community. For those involved it’s an amazing effort and one that all involved should be very proud of. But it hasn’t been acknowledged or celebrated as philanthropy. So we need to evolve current thinking and instil the development, education, acknowledgement and fundamental belief that becomes our philanthropic culture. Very few in our community are aware that the current TSS families are the beneficiaries of significant philanthropy that has been provided by generations before.

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When we think of the School, the vast majority of us picture the Clock Tower building. This iconic building was built in stages and based on the philanthropic efforts of families, friends and Old Boys involved in the TSS community during the 1920s. In fact, one interesting story is based around the clock and chimes that sit proudly as the centrepiece of our magnificent Clock Tower building. A father of three boys attending the School at that time purchased the clock, donated it to the school and had it shipped from England. Our spiritual centrepiece, St Alban’s Chapel, the place all boys, staff, families, Old Boys and our wider community congregate to worship, celebrate and mourn, was also built through the philanthropic generosity of our School’s community. A majority of the buildings and facilities we take for granted have been built over time, at least in part, through the support of donations. These include the Centenary Centre, each of the Boarding Houses (Thorold, McKinley, Delpratt and Biddle), the River Centre, Bennett Building and many more. We view the swimming pool as a magnificent facility, but few probably know that it is named after Gloria Frail who was a tireless worker at our School and whose philanthropic endeavours over many years brought this project to fruition.

As a member of our community past, present or future, there should be a moment that you reflect upon the reason that ultimately justifies why you became a member of this special community that is TSS. What does it stand for that generates the passion? For most it would be the principles that TSS uphold and the ideals established and set so many years ago by the Founder, Rev. Horace Henry Dixon. However, we all need to remember the generosity of those who have come before us and now have that resonate with us and our beliefs. Past Students, Staff, Parents and Friends of TSS have had moments where the choice to become involved in the fabric of what is TSS has been justified without measure. In that choosing to become immersed in our incredible School and take advantage of all that it offers, there needs to be an acceptance of the responsibility that sits with us all. This is to ensure – like those before us have – that we express our philanthropic attitudes through the support of campaigns, major gifts and bequests to provide a legacy. That legacy will enable TSS to continue with its ‘holistic approach’ of educating young men who will become contributors to our community for many more generations to come, just like our Founder intended.

Where to from here then? Philanthropy is the big picture. It cannot and should not be viewed as a general item on our grocery list, a normal day-to-day expense, incorporated in our educational fees, paying bills, going on holidays or anything else – it’s an investment in the principle we believe and support so strongly.

For further information please contact: Bruce Wright Director of Philanthropy Bruce.Wright@tss.qld.edu.au 07 5531 9891 0414 597 673

Professor John Williamson prepared a presentation on Anaesthetics, which has been made available to the boys, and Commander Brad Mackay prepared a video on the Defence Force. The value of days like this is that the speakers give the boys a genuine insight into their career paths and some

Learning, or Kris Hailey from the OSA. Following on from the presentation by Old Boys to the Year 11 class, the OSA in association with the School organised a careers evening for the Years 10, 11 and 12 boys and parents.

OLD BOY S

Dr Drew Moffrey (Wal 95) MBBS, FRANZGOC

Dr Leighton Cochran (WAL 75) M.ASCE RPEQ

Nathan Quartermaine (McK 99) Architect – Burling Brown

James & Phil Coulson Graphic Designer – Csquared Design

Scott Nind (Tur 83)

David Hayes (Wal 89)

Dr Lochlin Brown (Atk 96) B Sc, MBBS, FRACS

Derek Cronin (Kai 88) Law – Cronin Litigation

Scott M Andrews (Wal 94-98) B.IT (Bond)

Matt Brown Physio – PhysioFit

Mentoring Makes a Mighty Difference THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW

he OSA/Parent Mentor Network Program works with the School to assist our students by bringing them together with caring individuals who offer much needed guidance, support and encouragement within the framework of a trusting relationship. The Network was launched in 2011 by Malcolm Broomhead, a TSS past student who is one of Australia’s most prominent business achievers within a global context. At that launch, in a theatre packed with students, teachers and Old Boys, Malcolm delivered the formula for how to achieve career and personal success postgraduation, and from there the Network has taken off.

Physiotherapist, Graphic Designers and Stockbroker. All are Old Boys or members from our community and all are keen to assist by offering their knowledge and advice to the current TSS Students and Young Old Boys. Our mentors are there to encourage the development of our students. In their talks, they expose them to the real expectations of particular industries by providing an overview of various careers paths. This, in turn, introduces them to new ideas that they may have not considered previously.

As has often been the case, the mentors have varied pathways to get to where they are today and it is always interesting to hear their real-life journeys. In a way too, Since the program was formed, over 100 mentors these stories are comforting as they reinforce for the boys that have committed to this program, and many have already they are not meant to know exactly where they are to go and assisted current students and young Old Boys by offering what career they will end up in as soon as they leave school. advice and guidance on various career paths, by being In order to have a successful mentoring program the facilitator of introductions and organising both work we need to help foster a culture where the sharing of experience and job placements. experiences, wisdom and networks, knowledge and knowThis year alone, we have had a variety of mentors how is the ‘norm’. Becoming a mentor is a great way to present to the boys in both workshop and seminar-style keep in touch with your TSS community while having an sessions. The mentor talent pool is vast and impressive. impact on the next generation. As a mentor, you will be Those who have come to talk to the students have career able to engage in discussions about your line of work and paths that include: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Gynaecologist also use the opportunity to assess your own strengths and and Obstetrician, Wind Engineer, Surveyor/Town career development. Planner, Accountant, Lawyers (Criminal and Litigation), We encourage all Old Boys and TSS Parents to share Architect, Software Engineer, Apprentice Trainer,

their experiences and insights with younger Old Boys who are about to embark on professional careers and with current students who are currently choosing their subjects for their preferred career path. All information is confidential and will not be shared without your permission. When you are contacted (via a private email request), you are encouraged to negotiate your own arrangements with your mentee. Mentees – If you are looking for a mentor, you can use the search to find the particular industry you are involved in. Thank you for supporting the OSA/Parent Mentor Network Program. This program will succeed and grow if those who can contribute to it choose to help and provide feedback. For more information, contact Kris Hailey in the OSA Office. Tel: 07 5531 9803, or Mike Halpin, TSS Vocational Education & Training/Careers Coordinator. Tel: 5531 9848 To register to go www.tss.qld.edu.au -

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uring this year TSS commissioned a professional education research company to conduct an independent ‘satisfaction and performance’ survey of the School from our current parents. It was both comprehensive and exhaustive, ranging across some 300 areas of the School. From quality of teaching and academic achievement, through sports and creative areas to values and traditions, no aspect escaped critical examination. Parents were asked to rank areas in order of importance and then rate their level of satisfaction in each case. The scores for parent satisfaction were impressive, with the survey company stating “these results are astounding … remarkable”. In ranking the top 10 areas of importance, ‘Quality of Teaching’ emerged in number one place, through such aspects as ‘Values’, ‘Academic Standards’ and ‘Tradition’, to the ‘Extracurricular Program’ in 10th slot. Within this span, satisfaction levels in relation to expectations rated as high as 99%, and in only one instance rated below the 90s to record an 89% level of satisfaction. Headmaster Greg Wain commented: “We are extremely happy with the results of the survey. Seeing hard evidence that we are meeting and exceeding parent expectations and delivering on our promise is just as important as the fact that we also gained insights into aspects of the TSS program where we can improve and refine the quality of our work.”

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Quality of Teaching Values of the School Student Welfare (Pastoral Care) Balanced Education Facilities and Resources Reputation in the Community Academic Standards Headmaster’s Leadership Traditions Extra-Curricular Activities Sports Programs Value of Money

Areas for Review and Improvement Master Plan - 45% of respondents are not aware of the Master Plan. (NB: The ‘master plan’ is actually a ‘building and facilities master plan, and as a result of the comments from this survey the Building and Facilities Master Plan is outlined in this magazine.) Communication about son’s progress - 34% of respondents would like more, and more timely, communication home about their son’s progress. OP results - 22% of respondents would like to see an improvement in OP results. Most respondents are satisfied that their son is achieving his best possible result, and almost all respondents are happy with the postschool tertiary studies outcome for their son.

PARENT SATISFACTION LEVEL

Boarding food quality and quantity - 30% of respondents are not happy with aspects of boarder’s meals. Prep School Library - 29% of respondents have concerns about the opening hours and other issues. Homework - 27% of respondents would like more information about their Prep son’s homework in order to better assist. Homework – 15% of respondents would like less homework set in Years 3 to 7, and 9% would like more homework set.

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L O O K I N G AT T H E B O O K S F O R

Story by

Ross Cardiff CFO, Business Manager

he Southport School is a not-for-profit entity owned by the Corporation of the Synod of the Diocese of Brisbane, with all income being reinvested in the School, either for operational purposes or for capital projects. TSS had a strong 2013 in many areas and this included our financial performance. The business operations of the School amounted to $37.5 million in 2013 and our staff numbers, not including casuals, were 209, and within the context of the Gold Coast this defines us as a large business. Our student numbers for 2013 tallied 1480, including the new Preschool boys, while our boarding students numbered around 280. This set of numbers lifts TSS to the status of one of the largest boarding schools in Australia.

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The breakdown of total 2013 income of $37.5m. included the following categories: Commercial Income $1.94m

Other Income $800k

Capital Grants $243k

INCOME

Government Grants $9.7m

$37.5m

Tuition and Boarding Fees $24.9m

Expenditure for the year was $35.58m and the main categories were:

Interest and Depreciation $3.44m

Commercial Activities $1.73m Teaching Expenses $1.83m

Admin Expenses $3.95m

EXPENDITURE

$35.58m

Maintenance Expenses $1.78m

Salaries $24.9m

Boarding $1.5m

This left an operating surplus of approx. $1.9 million, which was spent on the capital projects and loan repayments. After the large building program from 2009 through until the end of 2012, The Southport School had a smaller capital works program for 2013. Much planning was also undertaken for the 2014 projects, namely the Biddle House refurbishment, rebuild of the Senior Ovals and the commencement of the Cribb Building extension. The commencement of 2013 brought focus on the Preschool Project, which involved the re-tasking of the Pearson Building, the delivery on site of the Rogers

Cottages and refurbishment of Cribb classrooms. This allowed for the Preschool to commence on day one of the year. Overall capital spending for the year was $1.8 million, and in addition to the Preschool Project, included some finishing touches to the Sheil Building, Information Technology upgrades with the BYOD program and various maintenance projects across both campuses. Our thanks go to our hard-working parents for their continued support and contribution to the School.

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THE

BIG BANG , A SNAIL'S CONSCIENCE

AND A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

Story by

Angela Foulds-Cook Associate Dean of Learning and Teaching, Head of Gifted Education

ur Gifted and Talented Students and those from Robina State High School were presented with a golden opportunity when TSS hosted a two-day conference featuring the esteemed Julie Arliss as conference speaker. Ms Arliss is a Principal Examiner in Cambridge who also lectures at King’s College, works in close association with Oxford and Exeter universities and is the joint author of The Thinker’s Guide to Evil. On day one, the Years 7-9 students eagerly listened to university-styled lectures on diverse topics such as; ‘Does a snail have a conscience?’ and ‘The science of nanotechnology’ and worked on a community of enquiry session. This eventually led to a friendly competition in which teams collaborated to generate a range of critical responses. The students were provided with an excerpt from Herodotus of Halicarnassus (ca. 430 BC) where “… Darius summons those Indians who are called Callatiae, of what would be the best way to treat the body of a close relative” along with a list of possible ways to treat your father’s dead body. The idea of this critical and creative

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thinking exercise was to challenge the students’ thoughts on the influence of cultural customs and moral rules on their thinking and to consider whether the majority rules. The following day, the Years 10-12 Senior TSS and RSH G&T students were challenged to think about chaos and the origins of the universe. Ms Arliss explained that while the Big Bang theory is still the most popular, a discussion on competing theories challenged the notion that if “… if the universe, and with it space and time, came into existence at the singularity with matter exploding outward with tremendous force and speed to eventually form stars, galaxies and planets, then what explanation can be given for the singularity?” The next session focused on the philosophical difficulties of achieving justice and the rationale behind punishment, including the premise of deterrence and retribution. The senior students were confronted with that infamous Oxbridge student entry interview question “Do you believe that statues can move and how do you justify such a belief?". Examples to illustrate how a candidate

might answer were drawn from popular culture and ranged from Dr Who’s Weeping Angels to the Pieta by Michelangelo . The day ended with a debate based around whether or not to employ the precautionary principle when deciding on the introduction of nuclear power. The conference was a runaway success, with the students engaging both critically and creatively with the material. Importantly, it provided a golden opportunity for gifted students at TSS to interact with other like-minded individuals and to explore material and presentation delivery similar to that experienced by students attending university.

“And so some day the mighty ramparts of the mighty universe, ringed round with hostile force, will yield and face decay and come crumbling to ruin.”

servants would cook, clean and baby-sit, while cities would thrive in giant weather-controlled incubators whose spacious roofs would serve as airstrips.

Ancient philosopher and poet Lucretius, as quoted in Paul Davies in the novel The Last Three Minutes.

Some of this has come to fruition, but much of this has not yet come about. Some of this may never come to fruition at all.

Davies is one of many scientists who has become interested in philosphical and religious aspects of the future: the Star Wars series also delves into issues relating to philosophy, religion and science. Interestingly Davies, although a firm believer in the Big Bang theory, is also a committed Christian. One does not have to be right and the other wrong! Davies states: “With the Big Bang theory well established in both the popular and scientific mind, more and more thought is being given to the future of the universe. We have a good idea how the universe began, but how will it end? What can we say about its ultimate fate? Will the universe finish with a bang or a whimper – indeed will it ever end at all? And what of us? Can humanity or our descendants, be they robotic or flesh and blood, survive for all eternity?” Human beings throughout the generations have been fascinated by the future. What does the future hold? Will the human race survive? Will we evolve into unrecognisable forms? Will our earthly existence end and be replaced by life on other planets and in other galaxies? Will intergalactic wars be the norm? Will our imperialism transcend into space? Has this, in fact, already begun? Will the future be one of doom or one of opportunity? Despite our interest in the future we have arguably not been so successful in predicting it. In the early 20th century, forecasts for the 1990s and early 2000s included an aircraft in every garage (or on every rooftop), widespread use of atomic power, including reactor-powered cars. High-speed motorways with guide tracks would end congestion and make highway travel accident free. At home, lovable mechanical

Perhaps our capacity to cope with change and to channel it positively is more important than being able to predict what lies ahead. So many future predictions evoke pessimism, conflict and concern. So many are weary of our perceived inability to cope with the inevitable complexities that lie ahead. Perhaps we would be well-served to hone in on perspectives of those who predict a vital and interesting future. Alvin Toffler in The Third Wave – “The world has not swerved into lunacy, and in fact, beneath the clatter and jungle of seemingly senseless events there lies a startling and potentially hopeful pattern.” Ford, in Gleick. Chaos. Making a New Science – “Dynamics freed at last from the shackles of order and predictability … systems liberated to randomly explore their very dynamical possibility … exciting variety, richness of choice, wonderful opportunity.” In an educational context the past few years have seen profond change, with widespread use of computer technology and its place within the core of our curriculum an obvious example. This will propel into the future at unprecedented speeds. Sure this poses problems, and causes some anxiety, but what wonderful opportunities abound as well. So what has changed; what are the challenges and opportunities that 2015 and beyond provide? Life is no doubt more complex, things are changing at an unprecedented rate. Unemployment is high; economic challenges are substantial, the war on terror abounds. The term the global village has almost become passe. 2015 and beyond will bring many problems, but more importantly, the years will bring opportunities.

Atkinsonian valedictorians can expect the possibility of a number of career shifts in their lives. Most will need to acquire post-school qualifications of some description. They can expect to live in a workforce that is everchanging, complex and diverse. Their experience in Atkinson and TSS will have prepared them well. The School today has a much wider international representation. Community living demands tolerance and respect. The complexity and diversity that comprise TSS is both its strength and its challenge. Creating unity out of this diversity is what we have achieved in Atkinson House and at TSS. To achieve this one needs positive and helpful role models and the boys in Atkinson House have no shortage of that. To an outstanding team of academic tutors – Warick Tweedie; Steve Baker; Ben Hirst; Ross Wilson and Shane Primrose – thank you for your superb contributions. Moreover, I am very proud of the atmosphere and spirit that has been prevalent in the House again this year. We remain for the most part consistently true to our motto – make me your brother. Boys across and within year levels support and encourage one another to do as well as possible in all domains. To the Year 12s – the House has grown and matured under your guidance. I believe that you have achieved most of your objectives and look forward to you finishing strongly in the final Term. Together we have led the House effectively in 2014. To Matt, Matt, Dane, Caleb, Daniel, Sasha and the entire Year 12 group, thank you for your great contribution to Atkinson and the School. Persist positively through the final weeks and I wish you every success in the future. As you focus on the complex but exciting future that awaits, I hope that you might take time to reflect on your life in Atkinson, and may you draw on your experiences here to ensure success. I hope your futures are ones filled with exciting variety, richness of choice and wonderful opportunity. May the force be with you. Virgoe Buckland Atkinson Housemaster B a n d

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YEAR 11

Retreats for a Little Yoga and a lot of Wellbeing Mark Herriman Dean of Curriculum Innovation

SS maintains a strong focus on student wellbeing, with the objective of enhancing student connection with the School and members of the student body, as well as increasing knowledge and skills for the boys to draw upon in challenges they may face. As the School continues to implement the principles of Positive Psychology for our staff and students, initiatives such as Wellbeing Retreats provide an opportunity for our boys to develop leadership of self. During IDEALS Week, our Year 11 students participated in one such Wellbeing Retreat held on the TSS campus. The one-day retreat began with a healthy breakfast of fruits, cereals and yoghurts, followed by experiential learning activities based on getting to know one another, learning skills to manage stress and anxiety, and mindfulness based upon the awareness of thoughts and feelings. These small group sessions, facilitated by Keneti Galo from 2Exhale, were designed to empower our young men to become the best possible version of themselves. As our boys participated in a variety of activities, they were able to make meaning from their individual experiences, then engage in a groupreflection process to discuss new ideas about their health and wellbeing, and listen to those of others. So as to further support the focus on mind and body, the Retreat concluded with a yoga session run by trained yoga practitioner Nicole Blundell. Nicole delivered an hour-long session designed to equip our boys with a set of skills to draw upon during times of mental and physical stress. Given the active involvement of the boys, and their levels of satisfaction with the experience, the Retreat will be a permanent wellbeing fixture in the TSS calendar.

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The work schedule is intense and covers the equivalent of first-year university studies in Physics. It's a great head start to further studies and careers in this important field.

McKinley Boy Hits Olympian Heights in Science A

mong the many National Academic exams in which our young scholars regularly participate and excel, the Annual Australian Science Olympiad papers stand out as one of the most prestigious. In these written exams, Years 10 and 11 students are invited to extend themselves beyond the confines of the classroom and really challenge themselves, their content knowledge, critical-thinking ability and problem-solving skills. During Term Two, a number of our Year 11 science students competed in these exams, ranging across the disciplines of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, with all students sitting the exams receiving a certificate indicating their performance. The Science Faculty is, however, particularly delighted with the performance of McKinley boy Yinuo Han. In addition to receiving a High Distinction, Yinuo achieved a result that places him in the top 24 Australian students. This exceptional result has resulted in an invitation to attend the Australian Olympiad Summer School in Canberra. Held during the January school holidays, the Australian Science Olympiad Summer School is a great opportunity for Yinuo to work with

other students who are passionate about science. The work schedule is intense and covers the equivalent of first-year university studies in Physics. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great head start to further studies and careers in this important field. At the completion of the Summer School, the highest-achieving students and those who perform well in final selection exams earn a spot on the Australian Science Olympiads team. This team then goes to compete at the UNESCO-sanctioned International Science Olympiads â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Olympic Games for science students. This is competition at the highest level and draws top-performing secondary students from around the world to compete in practical and theory exams. Mumbai will host the event in 2015. We congratulate Yinuo on his outstanding achievements to date and wish him all the best in his pursuits and discoveries in the discipline of Science.

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR

INDIGENOUS BOYS THROUGH TSS – YALARI PARTNERHIP

Story by

Alan Parsons Deputy Headmaster

Currently at TSS we have a significant number of boys enrolled as boarders through our Indigenous Education programs. These boys travel to TSS from as far north as the Torres Strait, as far south as Hobart and as far west as Alice Springs. Nine of the boys are supported through scholarships offered by the Yalari organisation, an organisation founded by Waverley Stanley, a proud Indigenous Australian and Toowoomba Grammar Old Boy. Marshalling support from 34 partnership schools and numerous corporate sponsors, Yalari now has close to 200 young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from remote regional and rural communities attending some of Australia’s best independent boarding schools. Each year, the organisation hosts a fundraising dinner, the highlight of which is an oration from a current Yalari student talking about their journey and experiences along the way. This year, at the Annual Brisbane Dinner, a young TSS Yalari Scholar, Jabreeni Fogarty, was selected for this honour, to represent his fellow Yalari scholars and deliver the oration, which follows. 48

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My name is Jabreeni Fogarty, I’m 16 years old, and I am in Year 11 at The Southport School on the Gold Coast. The Southport School, colloquially known as TSS, is in my opinion the best boarding school in Australia. I’ll tell you why I think that’s the case a little later… When I’m not at boarding school I live in Woorabinda, a small town in Central Queensland with a population of approximately 970. I live with my sister and her family. I’d like to start my speech by telling you a little bit about my childhood. Before I moved to Woorabinda in 2012, I lived in Cunnamulla for about six years. Cunnamulla is situated in South West Queensland and this is where I completed my primary school education. I attended Sacred Heart Parish School and in my final year I was elected as school captain. I’m not really sure why my peers voted me in, perhaps it was my character, or perhaps they were scared of NOT voting me in. Whatever it was, I was glad they did vote me in because it moved me out of my comfort zone as a shy kid and gave me the confidence to develop as a leader and to speak up when I needed to.

In the middle of 2010, my final year at Sacred Heart, my folks thought about what I should do for my high school education. Not wanting to send me to the local high school they did a little research and came across Yalari.

my mates who were going through the same thing. Two of my best mates are here tonight. Jordan Swan and Buddy Stanley, thanks for all the good times and for all your support.

When they suggested the idea of boarding school to me, I didn’t really know what it was. Little by little I started to understand what it might mean, and why they wanted to send me.

I’ve had heaps of good times while boarding at TSS. There have been a lot. To name a few: I reached the 15A’s rugby team last year and this year I was school Table Tennis champion and represented TSS at a Gold Coast tournament.

The main reason they considered boarding school and making an application to Yalari was because of the quality of education. You see, being from a small town and an even smaller Indigenous population meant that they didn’t have the access to such opportunities.

Last year, the School’s Deans’ list was in my sigth. All I needed was As in five subjects. I got As in Legal Studies, Ancient History, Maths and Physical Education… I was so disappointed in achieving a B+ in my easiest subject – Life and Faith. So close and yet so far. That hasn’t slowed me down though; I’m still trying my hardest.

The Yalari application was long, but the drive from Cunnamulla to Toowoomba for the interview was even longer… eight hours and I was sweating it. It all began at a McDonald’s restaurant. I met with Waverly Stanley, the founding director of Yalari, and his wife, Llew. I’ve been told by reliable sources that recent student interviews at Maccas have included food, but there was no such offer at my interview. We met in the playground area. It was daunting, nerve-racking and exciting all at the same time. For me, I was so excited thinking about the prospect of an education such as the one on offer at TSS. I didn’t really know what it would be like at boarding school, but I was keen to find out. Even at that young age I knew I wanted to do well with my education. Needless to say, I was successful in the interview and was soon off to TSS for an interview and tour. I can attribute my success, at least in part, to the skills I gained as school captain of Cunnamulla Primary School. My first experience at TSS was eye-opening to say the least. The Deputy Headmaster, Alan Parsons, interviewed me in his office. He asked about my home community, my schooling and my thoughts on TSS. He showed me a video of the TSS Drumline and I thought it was so awesome. We then went on a tour of the school and I saw playing fields like I’d never seen at home – so green! And the Clock Tower building was so flash; I instantly knew that I wanted to come to this school. With the Yalari and TSS interviews being a success it was time to venture out of the nest, head first into a busy, bustling commotion of new places, people and possibilities. I went to a Yalari Orientation camp at St Hilda’s and a week later I had my first week of boarding and school at TSS. Year 8 was like an introduction, a massive learning curve. It was fun and the year flew by so fast. Year 9 was much harder. In fact, it was my hardest year. It’s the year where you are beginning to feel really comfortable with your surroundings, you have made some really good mates and you’re starting to understand the routines of boarding life. Nevertheless, after each holiday I just wanted to be back at home with family. If I have to consider what helped during those times I’d have to say a lot of things. Music helped. Sport and co-curricular activities helped. Staying focused on my schoolwork helped.

I’m not 100% clear on my aspirations for beyond Year 12. However, I have in mind studying law at university, mostly because it’s my favourite subject. Whatever I decide, I want to make sure I make good use of the education I have received at TSS and through Yalari.

of sightseeing among other activities. This experience will add to the amazing range of opportunities that I’ve had so far on my journey at TSS and with Yalari. As I contemplate my journey thus far, and reflect that my last year at TSS is almost upon me, I can only think about all the good times I have had. I have a million stories to laugh upon, a band of brothers to call my own, and an education unrivalled in Australia. Oh yes, back to that. The Southport School is the best boarding school in Australia because it has teachers like Mr Parsons and Mr Connors – both who are here tonight. It also has great facilities, co-curricular activities and has a great sense of belonging. Throughout my time at TSS I have particularly cherished my position as a boarder because I have created a really great bond with my boarding comrades, and with the boarding community being so supportive it feels like family. TSS is like my second home. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity, truly an opportunity of a lifetime. A speech wouldn’t be complete without a few shout-outs.

“I know that it is because of your belief in Yalari – that it truly works, that it provides Indigenous children from regional, rural and remote communities the opportunity to change generations through education at some of Australia’s leading boarding schools...” I also want to continue to increase my leadership skills. In January this year I returned to the Yalari Orientation Camp as a junior leader. Looking at all the younger students made me feel like my own journey has gone so fast. I know Yalari scholars from my own year group really well from the annual Yalari camps, but it was great getting to know the younger students as well. It is also great knowing that I’m putting back into Yalari. Another highlight for me was participating in the Yalari Cherbourg Walk in 2013. This walk, which commemorates the walk Waverley’s ancestors made in 1904 from Woodford to Cherbourg, was an amazing experience. It was yet another opportunity to catch up with other Yalari students, who are like a second family to me.

In just a few short days, before the end of the Term One, will be heading on my first overseas trip. As a little boy growing up in Cunnamulla this is something I could never have dreamt of. On Saturday 20th September I will be travelling with delegates from TSS to India to attend an International Round Square Conference. I had a lot of support from boarding staff and Yalari We will be visiting an orphanage, working on a support staff. But the best help came from just being around construction project at an adopted village, and doing a bit

First, I would like to thank Yalari for this amazing opportunity. In particular I would like to thank my Student Support Officers for their support and encouragement towards my academia and co-curricular activities. I would like to thank the volunteer tutors for helping me understand my work better. Thank you Waverley and Llew for interviewing me at Maccas that sunny day more than four years ago, and taking the chance on a small, shy boy from Cunnamulla. Thank you to all my fellow Yalari scholars for being real and never faking it throughout the time I’ve known you all. I would like to thank my sister for believing in me and taking the opportunity to apply for Yalari. I am getting an education that would never have been possible back at home. I would like to thank the boarding and academic staff at TSS for all your support and encouragement over the years. I am looking forward to the next year and a bit at TSS before my graduation. I plan to use every opportunity I have to the fullest. And last, I would like to thank all of you here tonight. I know that it is because of your belief in Yalari – that it truly works, that it provides Indigenous children from regional, rural and remote communities the opportunity to change generations through education at some of Australia’s leading boarding schools, including, of course, TSS – the best boarding school in Australia. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Good evening.

Jabreeni demonstrates the motivation to seize the opportunity presented him and as such he stands as an inspiration to fellow Indigenous youth and for the importance and value of the ongoing partnership between Yalari and TSS.

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Poethics Explained in all its

Unbegreiflichkeit Un|be|greif|lich|keit

ype the word ‘Poethics’ into any device and your auto spell correct will loudly proclaim, with a red underline, that it does not exist. As the exact combination of letters ‘Poethics’ is not recognised as a word in the English language. It’s very lack of formal acknowledgement may also loudly explain its lack in reality. Go looking for that long ‘u’ word up there in the caption and you’re not likely to have any success there either, but don’t despair, it simply means ‘ungraspability’. To unravel all this and make it ‘graspable’, we should turn to two renowned authors who have written books on poethical behaviour – Richard H. Weisberg and Joan Retallack. Weisberg is a professor of constitutional law at Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York and is a leading scholar on law and literature. His book of particular interest here deals with poethics in the study of law. In Poethics and Other Strategies of Law and Literature, Weisberg states that, “Poethics, in its attention to legal communication and to the plight of those who are ‘other’, seeks to revitalise the ethical component of the law”.

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Poethics is not yet in the dictionary as a formal part of our language, however, we see it every day. The person with an open mind who understands there are many types of ‘normal’, the boy who comes to you at the end of class and thanks you for what you taught him today.

Susan Presto Senior English Teacher

Retallack is an American poet, critic, biographer and professor of humanities at Bard College, a private liberal arts college also in New York. Her relevant book addresses poethics in the study of writing. She suggests in The Poethical Wager that your “poethical work begins when you no longer wish to shape materials (words, visual elements, sounds) into legitimate progeny of your own poetics...”. Although both authors come from different fields of study, their focus remains firmly on the reflection of literature on a culture’s ethics. While it appears that Retallack’s whole point is that no clear definition of ‘poethics’ is the point, Weisberg states his purpose very clearly. This is where the concept of ‘poethics’ crosses over into education for both teachers and students. Weisberg writes that reading literature assists in teaching lawyers to think more ethically about the individuals they come across in the courts, bringing dimensionality to an individual’s perspective on humanity. “Literature provides unique insight into the underpinnings of law and that stories and poems stand as sources of law, richer and certainly more accessible than those in legal philosophy that have dominated jurisprudence for many years...” Taken collectively Weisberg believes literature such as Albert Camus, Shakespeare, Kafka and Balzac teaches his law students at least four basic elements of law otherwise ignored, unstressed or misperceived in traditional approaches. 1. How a lawyer communicates 2. How a lawyer treats people 3. How a lawyer reasons 4. How a lawyer feels He goes on to explain that reading literature is specifically about understanding the humans that pass through the courts of law: the unbegrefiflichkeit (ungraspability) of how each individual has ended up in court, the sequence of events that lead to each court case, can be better understood. Optimistically, this can be translated to a judge and jury in the best interests of humanity receiving more just justice... or in the classroom and the wider community, more empathetic human beings.

Weisberg uses many examples of classic literature to illustrate his point that “all too often the advocacy of mainstream values seems to carry with it the destruction of exogenous, nonconformist values”. In a discussion on the law’s treatment of the outsider, he explains this ‘complex reality’ by using the examples of the lawyers who were unable to save their innocent clients in To Kill a Mockingbird and The Brothers Karamazov. There are also the lessons to be learnt from such cases as The Merchant of Venice, and Portia’s use of “the complex reality of the crime and the prejudices of the jury or judge”. Although no-one wants to see Shylock get his pound of flesh, the ‘complex reality’ of it all is the anti-Semite culture of Venice at the time, as well as the negative attitude towards the profession of usurer. Add to this the fact that Portia would not even have had the opportunity to use this anti-Semitic feeling to save her husband’s best friend if anyone had known she was actually a woman. For Weisberg, this is reason enough for the justification of literature’s inclusion in the study of law, because stories such as these cause lawyers to reach conclusions regarding human understanding. With a broader view of education, inclusion of literature such as this can help us all to behave more poethically and to consider complex realities outside of our own personal experience; that injustice occurs, everyone is different, human nature has not really changed. We can’t live our children’s lives for them. We can’t protect them from the life lessons they have to experience. If reading classic literature will give them a broader experience and understanding of the complex realities of life without having to physically go through the experiences themselves, then it seems remiss not to. Poethics is not yet in the dictionary as a formal part of our language, however, we see it every day. The person with an open mind who understands there are many types of ‘normal’, the boy who comes to you at the end of class and thanks you for what you taught him today. Poethics does already exist all around us, the dictionary is in denial.

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WHEN A RAM IS A SHEEP BUT NOT A LOST SHEEP

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Left: The statue of the Lost Sheep has stood in the TSS grounds since 1990

arlier in the year in his absence Father Jonathan asked me to lead the weekly Chapel Services. I had for a while been nagging him for an opportunity as I wanted to present a talk on Fear and how to overcome it. The main message was that we all fear making mistakes, whether it be in front of our mates, in front of an audience, in the classroom or on the sporting field. The reality is, nobody really remembers our mistakes anyway. I used a few examples of mistakes around the school, but the one that seemed to get the most attention is the lost sheep. The plaque on the statue reads:

The Lost Sheep Matthew 18 Verses 10-14 presented by the St. Alban’s Art Festival Committee May 15th 1990. Kath and Len Shillam Sculptors.

A little bit about the sculptors – Leonard Shillam was a founding member of both the Queensland Society of Sculptors and the Queensland Wildlife Artists Society. Kathleen Shillam received her Member of the Order of Australia award in the the Australia Day Honors in 1986 for services to sculpture and education, and awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in the arts at the University of Queensland in 2000. Some of the artists among us may recognise their pelicans that live in the fountain outside the Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane. Kath and Len have since passed and clarification of their interpretation is nearly impossible, but it seems that their Lost Sheep is actually the Ram in the Thickets story from Genesis 22 13: “And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”

The Lost Sheep story has a close link to TSS as the boys wear the good shepherd on the crest of their shirt on nearly every school day. They also pass symbolically through the Arch of the Good Shepherd on their first day of school on the Senior Campus and walk back through the arch on the day of their final senior school assembly. The Parable of the Lost Sheep comes from Luke 15 and (Matthew 18 versus 10 10 –14 as mentioned on the plaque) reads:

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them”.

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent. Ironically the statue sits just outside the Chapel as a reminder every day to staff and students at the school that it is more important to save one lost sheep than it is to keep 99 others in the pack. Whether it was a mistake by Len and Kath to build a statue of a ram instead of a lost sheep I can’t be sure, but one thing we can be sure of is that it is an amazing piece of artwork that has become a real feature of our great school. In the words of Father Jonathan, “We never stop learning from our mistakes”.

Andrew Hawkins Dean of Students Years 10-12 - Biddle Boarding Housemaster

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Mark Wyer Deputy Head of Preparatory Pastoral Care

s with most popular sayings, there is some truth in the adage ‘Great leaders are born, not made’. To some extent, the capacity of great leadership is innate. However, learning how to be a more effective leader is within the grasp of every one of our boys – whether are a member of the senior year level cohort, have a formal leadership position within their House, or a leadership position in one of our many co-curricular activities. The boys at TSS Preparatory have vast and varied opportunities to become leaders within the Prep School, and we ensure that each of our boys are ready to assume such positions. The House system at the Preparatory School provides an excellent vehicle for boys to prepare for their roles of leadership within the School. The Housemasters develop opportunities for boys to hone their leadership skills through active involvement in assemblies, chapels, school carnivals and community service activities that raise valuable funds for worthwhile charities. It is through these experiences that boys start to learn and develop their skills of responsibility, teamwork, communication, confidence and commitment. Boys of all ages can be regularly seen participating in these events throughout the year, further highlighting the opportunity for all boys to be leaders, not just a select few. Developing and fostering leadership skills is an important aspect in their preparation for taking on formal leadership positions. Year 5s now undertake a formal day of activities, for which we bring in a specialist to start to refine and hone the boys’ skills for their final year at Prep. In this session, the boys begin to realise that leadership is more than just wearing a badge; it is way of conducting themselves both at school and also out in the community when representing TSS. The Year 5s learn about the different types of leadership and the many different characteristics of great leaders and that all in Year 6 will become leaders of the Prep School. Added to this is participation in a series of hands-on activities, role plays and games to demonstrate the qualities and traits that are needed in these formal positions.

Those who apply for any leadership position within the Prep School undergo a rigorous process to ensure that the right person is chosen for the respective position. This process requires nomination of a candidate to the appropriate staff member, preparation and performance of speeches, involvement in a voting process, attendance at an interview, and finally, engagement in a discussion among staff about the suitability for each of the candidates. Once successful candidates have been invited to take up a leadership position they sign an individual leadership contract for the Term of their role, are formally presented to the student body during assembly presentations and are recognised by their peers as a leader within the Prep School. Boys in formal leadership positions undertake further upskilling through their involvement in the annual National Young Leaders Day. They attend an annual conference in Brisbane to inspire and help further develop their leadership potential. When in Year 6, they will have another follow-up session with leadership specialists to consolidate their skills and prepare them for their leadership journey in their final year at the Prep School. Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better. At the Preparatory School we ensure that each of our boys has the opportunity to become a better leader, but also to become a better person. This confers great benefits while they’re at TSS, but will have ongoing benefits for them after they leave the four walls of TSS.

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We congratulate and farewell our graduating class of 2014

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Founded in 1901, TSS is an Anglican Day and Boarding School for boys from Preschool to Year 12, with boarding available from Year 7 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