The Southport School Band of Brothers Issue 11 by The Southport School

we few,we happy few,

we bandof brothers. OF BROTHER S ISSUE 11 : July 2015

William Shakespeare

Editors Tony Watt, Head of Community Relations / McKinley Housemaster Karen Martin, Marketing Coordinator Design P’s in a Pod Creative Agency Content Editor Gary Edgar Photography Eric Victor, Karen Martin, Adrian Gaglione, Dan Sleeman

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.

Child Sexual Abuse and Royal Commission into Institutional Responses. The Royal Commission encourages people who have experienced sexual abuse as a child in an institution or witnessed child sexual abuse in an institution to provide details and information to the Royal Commission by: Telephoning 1800 099 340 Emailing registerinterest@childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au Writing to GPO Box 5283, Sydney NSW 2001. If you need more information, including about support services, visit the Royal Commission’s website at www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au Our Archbishop of the Diocese of Brisbane, The Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall, welcomed the decision by the Government and said that the Royal Commission offered an historic opportunity to protect Australian children. Reporting child sexual abuse and seeking help Child abuse is a crime. If you have been a victim of abuse, or are currently concerned about a child being abused, you can report your concerns to the local police, or to the Headmaster (for TSS related incidents), or the Anglican Diocese Director of Professional Standards who is responsible for responding to any complaints of abuse within schools, parishes and agencies of the Diocese. Director of Professional Standards – St Martin’s House, 373 Ann Street, Brisbane 4000 GPO Box 421, Brisbane 4001 Ph: 07 3835 2266 Fax: 07 3831 9873 Email: dops@anglicanbrisbane.org.au

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In this issue

life’s o

fascin

ima

after

Be fascinated by what he’ll discover here. Imagine w

To discuss your son’s options call 5531 9911 or visit www.TheSou

Cultivating Positivity for Enhanced Wellbeing

Academically Speaking, the Numbers from 2014 Really Add Up

It Takes More than the Same Old, Same Old

You could be forgiven for thinking Broadenand-Build was a gym program introduced by our First XV Rugby coach! It is, in fact, a theory at the heart of Positive Psychology and, as such, a significant element of The Southport School’s Wellbeing Program.

When the numbers relating to academic performance were tallied up for last year, it became abundantly clear that the Class of 2014 had performed most admirably...

What Does #FTC Stand For?

Butteries, Bullocky’s Joy and Boundless Dedication Lays a Great Foundation

When Duty Calls, a Band of Brothers Answers

Recently a couple of our English students – Beau Foort and Tae Hee Min – were asked the meaning of “#FTC” as it appears as a tag on social media and photo captions.

While TSS proudly and justifiably lays claim to being a school at the leading edge of boys’ education, it nevertheless looks with equal pride upon its traditions and history as providing the fundamental ethics, principles and spirit that has guided it on its century-long journey.

TSS is justifiably proud of its longstanding connection with country families, however, we’re acutely aware of the fact that we are also a day school that draws its student population from the local catchment.

At The Southport School, the significance of ANZAC Day strikes an especially deep emotional chord in its community of students, teachers, parents and Old Boys, for the School’s history and ethos is inextricably linked with the ideals of duty and service.

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

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Your Path…

The Greatest Frontier A new way of communicating why we do what we do at TSS

hen I talk to boys at the Senior School Orientation Day about our motto, May he who merits it bear the Palm, I stress that just turning up wearing the uniform does not merit the Palm of Victory, you have to make it happen, put in the effort, try new things, take yourself out of your comfort zone and be a contributing member of the team. You merit the Palm of Victory by getting involved in the life of the School, helping others and developing character through stepping up to the challenges provided at TSS. That is what earns the Palm of Victory. In order to better communicate the essence of the evolving culture of TSS, and why we do what we do, the School has been actively engaged with a creative consultant who concluded that our DNA contains certain “archetypes” namely The Creator and The Caregiver and The Explorer. These organisational and personal “archetypes”, were first alluded to by early psychologist Carl Jung, whose related work led to the development of the Myers-Briggs personality types that we use to help Years 10 to 12 boys understand their learning styles and personalities, and to better understand other people.

The greatest motivator to me has always been to create an engaging and supportive environment within which each boy can develop to be the best he can be in every respect. In pursuit of this, we have been Carers, but also Creators and Explorers, building on the already unique strengths of TSS with programs like Myers-Briggs, Positive Psychology, THRASS phonetics program, Multiple Intelligences, the teacher development work of Marzano, and even the random drug-testing program. Each boy’s adventure is individualistic, boundless and with infinite possibilities. Your path has never been taken before, and your adventure will never be had again by any other person. It is up to you to set out on your path. TSS will provide a “backpack” of skills, habits, dispositions and abilities to help the boys become young men ready for the greatest adventure – life. Your Path, boys … the Greatest Frontier. Greg Wain Headmaster

The Creator is about the imagination and creativity of our people and the innovative programs we have adapted and enhanced to help realise our Vision. The Caregiver is about encouraging, supporting and caring for others in the community. The Explorer is about the boys exploring their strengths and passions while being challenged by programs designed to test them in a scaffolded and supportive way.

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C U LT I VAT I N G P O S I T I V I T Y for EN H A NCED W ELLBEI NG Story by Robert Ritchie â&#x20AC;&#x201C; School Wellbeing Team

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The intent of these programs is to provide TSS Community members with evidence-based tools to actively enhance their personal health and happiness...

ou could be forgiven for thinking Broadenand-Build was a gym program introduced by our First XV Rugby coach! It is, in fact, a theory at the heart of Positive Psychology and, as such, a significant element of The Southport School’s Wellbeing Program. Wellbeing has always been a focus of the School’s pastoral care and leadership programs, but over the past two years, extensive consultation with a wide range of staff across both campuses has led to the design and implementation of a Wellbeing Strategy for the whole TSS Community, including students, staff and parents. At the end of 2014, five staff were appointed as School Wellbeing Leaders – two from the Preparatory School, two from the Senior School and one from the Corporate personnel. A unique aspect of The Southport School’s Wellbeing Strategy is the development of a Schoolbased Certificate in Positive Psychology, earnt by attendance at, and active participation in, a series of one-hour seminars delivered to all staff over two years. A similar series of lectures for parents is planned for the near future. The intent of these programs is to provide TSS community members with evidencebased tools to actively enhance their personal health and happiness, enrich their relationships and build their resilience. Positive Psychology aims to understand the factors that lead to optimal human functioning. Unlike traditional psychology, which focuses on mental illness and fixing people’s problems, Positive Psychology seeks positive interventions to help people who are OK to thrive. Martin Seligman from the University of Pennsylvania, in his 2011 seminal book, Flourish, proposed that flourishing was a function of five Elements of Wellbeing, promoted at TSS by the acronym REMAP – R being for Relationships, E for Engagement, M for Meaning, A for Accomplishment and P for Positivity. The article you are reading examines the P element in detail. Leading research into positivity is Barbara Fredrickson, Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her 2009 book, Positivity, Fredrickson explains her Broaden-and-Build Theory. Her research shows that positive feelings are more than fleeting feel-good moments. Rather, they have long-term consequences for us because it is in these moments of positivity that our hearts and minds

are opened to try new things, think more creatively, hear new ideas and meet new people. Positive emotions broaden our awareness, and the resulting openness to new experiences builds our social and personal resources. Thus, the brief moments of positivity provide the building blocks for our learning and relationships. From an evolutionary perspective, positive emotions assist the survival of humans, not immediately in the same way as anger and fear do by preparing us for fight or flight, but through strengthening connections with other humans.

these feelings are transformed in the context of a safe, close relationship. (In her 2013 book, Love 2.0, Fredrickson offers a radical perspective on intimate relationships by defining love as micro-moments of connection. In so doing, she points the way to how we can increase our experience of love by consciously cultivating positive emotions.)

The Benefits of Positivity Positivity is associated with increased longevity.

Positive Emotions Fredrickson (2009) identifies 10 positive emotions that have been the subject of research by psychologists. She notes that the circumstances that lead individuals to experience each differ from person to person, so that the journey to flourishing is a unique one, requiring selfstudy. When we tune into our own emotions, moments of positivity add up to change the very course of our lives. Positivity may be experienced as: Joy – the light, bright feeling that makes us smile, glow and be playful. It is evidenced by the Duchenne smile involving the muscles around the mouth and eyes. Gratitude – the sense of appreciation that opens our heart and makes us want to give back. Serenity – the feeling that things are just right that beckons us to savour this moment, and commit to having this experience more often in our life. Interest – the feeling of fascination and attention that urges us to explore and learn. Hope – the feeling that, although circumstances are uncertain or even desperate at present, possibilities exist for things to change. Pride – when tempered with appropriate humility, pride is the deep sense of satisfaction we feel in the wake of socially valued achievement. Amusement – the desire to laugh and share our joviality with others when something surprising happens. Inspiration – the uplifting feeling in response to witnessing exceptional human behaviour. Awe – the humbling feeling of being transfixed and overwhelmed in the presence of greatness. Love – the recurrent surges of positivity we feel in response to any of the other positive emotions, when

Research evidence suggests that people who feel good are likely to live longer. Most famous is the “nun study” by psychologists from the University of Kentucky (Danner, Snowden, & Friesen, 2001). These researchers analysed essays written by a group of young Catholic nuns in the 1930s describing their childhoods and the influences that led them to want to join the convent. Coding these writings for instances of happiness, interest, love and hope as part of a wider study on ageing and Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers were amazed to find that the nuns who expressed the most positive emotions lived for up to 10 years longer than those nuns who expressed the least.

Positivity broadens our thinking Many studies have shown that positive emotions enable us to see the “big picture” more clearly, and be more flexible, integrative and open-minded in our thinking. Options and opportunities appear greater when we feel good, and creative solutions to complex problems are more likely to be found. In one study, for example, Alice Isen and her colleagues of Cornell University examined how doctors made medical diagnoses by having them think aloud while they solved the case of a patient with liver disease. They found that those doctors to whom they presented a small bag of chocolates performed better clinical reasoning by integrating case information more effectively and resisting jumping to early conclusions (Isen, Rosenzweig & Young, 1991).

Positivity builds resilience Positivity has emerged in the research literature as a key factor in people’s ability to bounce back from life’s inevitable hardships and crises. In early 2001, Fredrickson interviewed over 100 college students in

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a study of resilience and optimism. By coincidence, in September that year, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre provided an opportunity to revisit these students. While almost all expressed feelings of anger, fear and sadness, and 70% were depressed, those who were originally identified as resilient and optimistic were found to be only half as likely to be depressed and expressed a lot of positive emotion as well. In particular, they expressed gratitude for the goodness in people they had experienced since. They were inspired and awed by the groundswell of unity and compassion in their own community and internationally. Their positivity buffered them against depression, broadened their thinking so they were able to find something good to take out of the bad, and cultivated optimism for the future (Fredrickson, 2009, pp. 100-103).

a large extent, we construct our own reality. As the poet John Milton observed, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven”. We have the power to choose to see the positive, and Fredrickson is a strong advocate of the importance of turning positivity on in ourselves more often. The more often that people in an organisation choose to resist finding fault in the actions or intentions of others, and the more people seek to share positive emotion, the more an organisation can flourish. For a school, that means incredibly beneficial outcomes such as better teaching, better learning, better teamwork, better decision-making, better health and lower absenteeism.

Positive emotions undo negative emotions

In all things balance is essential, and in any discussion of positivity, it is important to acknowledge there is certainly a time and place for negative emotions. Positive psychologists such as the United Kingdom’s Ilona Boniwell, who founded the European Network of Positive Psychology, are quick to assert the importance of focusing on the whole person, and admit that dividing emotions into two categories – negative or positive – is an experimental convenience and not a human reality. Indeed, Boniwell (2012, p. 14) argues it is the context of an emotion that determines whether or not it is a positive or negative experience. For example, amusement is positive, but not at the expense of another person; love is positive, but not if it is unrequited; pride is positive when teamed with humility, but negative if overplayed; gratitude is positive, but not if it is motivated by fear and obligation; and inspiration is positive, but not if it breeds envy and resentment.

Numerous experiments have shown that inducing positive emotion can undo the lingering physiological effects caused by negative emotions such as anger and fear. In one such experiment, Barbara Fredrickson and Robert Levenson (1998) measured the pulse and blood pressure of participants in a relaxed state, then induced anxiety by telling participants they had one minute to prepare a speech to be videotaped and judged by their peers. Their heightened pulse and blood pressure were measured and participants were randomly assigned to view one of four films, eliciting either amusement, contentment, no emotion or sadness. When the time was measured from the start of the movie to the time of recovery to the baseline measure, the quickest recovery times were consistently by those participants experiencing positive emotions. The participants watching the sad movie were slowest to recover.

Positive emotions can transform organisations Positive affect and broadened thinking have been found to mutually enhance each other, so that experiencing one produces the other, which in turn encourages more of the first. Thus, individuals, according to Fredrickson and Joiner (2002), are lifted on an upward spiral of continued growth and thriving. Similarly, Fredrickson (2003) argues that positive emotions have the power to transform communities. For example, research shows that people who experience positive emotions are more helpful of others (Isen, 1987). Importantly, this helpfulness not only springs from positivity, but produces positivity. Helpers might feel pride; people who receive help might feel grateful; and witnesses might feel inspired. For each person, this event holds the potential to produce further helpful behaviours, fostering, according to Fredricksons (2003, p. 335), ‘a more cohesive, moral and harmonious’ organisation. However, positivity is fragile. Fredrickson (2009, p. 49) makes the crucial point that whether or not we experience positivity in any moment depends on how we think. Positive emotions – like all feelings – arise out of how we interpret events as they unfold. To

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Negativity can be good too

Furthermore, there is a recognition of the important role of so-called negative emotions in human growth. Wisdom, care and empathy are often gained from suffering and loss; and the trauma of a personal crisis can be the trigger for a fundamental shift in personality for the better (Boniwell, 2012, p. 14). Defensive pessimism has also been found to be a positive tool for some people who use low expectations as a defence mechanism to manage their anxiety (Boniwell, 2012, p. 23). An important contributor to the debate about the growing demand for optimistic thinking is Barbara Ehrenreich, whose 2010 book, Smile or Die, exposes the harm that she experienced when personally confronted with the challenge of breast cancer. In the face of trauma, she found all the pink paraphernalia overwhelming and the proud cancer-defying slogans offensive; and she struggled especially with the strong social expectation that she exude optimism and not expose other patients to “toxic negativity”. Clearly, at times, humans need to feel and express anger, grief, sadness and despair as part of a normal cycle of healing, and sensitivity to the needs of others must extend beyond just the call to be positive.

Strategies to Increase Positivity The distinguishing feature of research by applied psychologists identifying with the field of Positive Psychology is that the aim of their research is to develop positive interventions to help people thrive. A review of the literature reveals some well-proven and easy-to-implement strategies, which are also finding their way into the classrooms, staffrooms and Houses of The Southport School.

Count your blessings Fredrickson (2009) encourages us to recast aspects of our daily life that we may now take for granted as gifts to be cherished. These range from the mundane such as the train one might take on the daily commute, to kindnesses expressed towards us in our relationships. Seligman (2011) promotes the Three Good Things exercise, which asks us to set aside 10 minutes a night for the next week to write down three things that went well that day, and to reflect on why these things went well. Timing is an important element of this exercise – it works best if done for a full week, or once a week for six weeks. Then give it a rest for a while so it doesn’t become a chore. Enhanced wellbeing is experienced most by those who continue occasionally to count their blessings. Boniwell (2012, p. 132) goes so far as to label this strategy “probably the most powerful of all positive psychology techniques”.

Perform random acts of kindness Seligman (2011, p. 20) states that “we scientists have found that doing a kindness produces the single most reliable momentary increase in wellbeing of any exercise we have tested”. Doing something unexpected and good for another person, selflessly and at some cost to ourselves, not only makes the recipient feel better, but also makes us, as the giver, happier. London-based academics Ruth MacConville and Tina Rae (2012, p. 39) explain that when we commit acts of kindness, we see ourselves as selfless and compassionate. This identity boosts our self-esteem and promotes our sense of confidence and usefulness. Our kindness adds meaning to our life, and highlights our strengths of resourcefulness and creativity that we applied in choosing the gift. For maximum effect, Sonja Lyubomirsky (2008), Professor of Psychology at the University of California, suggests we perform several random acts of kindness in the one day, then give it a rest for a few days, and vary our acts so they remain fresh and creative the following week. To deepen our sense of value, meaning and self-worth, she recommends doing some kind deeds about which we tell no-one and expect nothing in return. Such kindnesses have a ripple effect, as receivers find they are motivated to be kind to others themselves (MacConville & Rae, 2012, p. 40).

The take-away message here is that to cultivate positivity you need to choose strategies that ’fit’ your personality, while recognising that best results might be achieved by stretching yourself a little outside your comfort zone.

Savour life’s joys

Invest time and energy in family and friends

Savouring means deliberately noticing and appreciating positive sensations and experiences in one’s life. According to Fred Bryant and Joseph Veroff (2007), savouring might be experienced in any of four ways: basking (in praise or congratulations); marvelling (getting lost in the wonder of the moment); luxuriating (indulging in a pleasant sensation); or thanksgiving (expressing gratitude).

Positivity is generally a shared activity. We laugh and play together; we celebrate achievements together. Simply, as Seligman (2011, p. 20) states, “Other people are the best antidote to the downs of life and the single most reliable up”.

Savouring can increase wellbeing through simple activities such as eating more slowly and really tasting the food, or literally taking time to smell the roses or the coffee. Boniwell (2012) recommends positive reminiscence (for example, by recalling happy events while flicking through a photo album with a friend) as another worthwhile technique to enhance positivity.

Exercise While it is evident that exercise has significant physiological benefits for the participant, including the reduction of anxiety, improved muscle strength and reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, Lyubomirsky (2008) claims that exercise is also the most reliable activity to boost one’s happiness. Not exercising has been likened to taking depressants. This claim comes from a famous study by Babyak et al (2000, cited in Boniwell, 2012, p. 138) in which three groups of depressed patients were given different interventions. One group was administered antidepressants; another undertook aerobic exercise; and the third was prescribed a combination of exercise and medication. All patients improved within four months, but after six months, several had relapsed into depression. Interestingly, 38% of those in the first group on antidepressants relapsed, and 31% of those in group three relapsed. In contrast, only 9% of those in group two – the exercise-only group – became depressed again. Exercise, then, appears to be a buffer against depression.

Gable et al (2004) concluded that what distinguishes good relationships from poor ones is not how partners react to problems, but how they respond to good news in each other’s lives. To strengthen our relationships, Gable and her colleagues suggest we practise active-constructive responding. This means being fully attentive, listening carefully, asking probing questions and being enthusiastic and interested in the other person’s statements. This responding contrasts sharply to ignoring, dismissing, minimising or criticising, which undermines the other person’s successes. Sharing positive emotions by active-constructive responding builds closer and more trusting relationships.

Express gratitude In her 2008 book The How of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky contends that the regular expression of gratitude is a significant contributor to personal wellbeing. One simple strategy is to think of someone you feel grateful to and write them a Gratitude Letter. Send it, email it, or arrange to meet and read it to them. Personally, for my wedding anniversary, I put myself out there and wrote my wife a list of things I appreciated about her, beginning each line with the words, “I thank you for…”. I was surprised at how good that made me feel, and she also experienced a lot of “warm fuzzies” as I slowly read my letter to her, allowing her time to savour each point.

the house, placed them all in a makeshift light-box (a suitcase with a white sheet) and photographed the collection. It was a surprisingly heart-warming experience, even though I did it fairly quickly despite Fredrickson’s plea to savour this task over a week. The take-away message here is that to cultivate positivity you need to choose strategies that “fit” your personality, while recognising that best results might be achieved by stretching yourself a little outside your comfort zone.

Conclusion In conclusion, this article has identified the 10 positive emotions as described by Fredrickson (2009), and provided examples of the research behind the claimed benefits of positivity. As well, it has distilled from the research literature six evidence-based strategies that can be readily applied to enhance positivity. It is clear that the field of Positive Psychology offers a number of useful concepts and a common language for teachers, parents and students, as well as powerful insights into classroom practices that underpin productive teacher-student relations and optimal student learning. For the whole TSS community, Positive Psychology points the way to strengthen the upward spiral of wellbeing essential to effectively support continuous school improvement.

On the strength of the success of this strategy, I stretched further to engage in a strategy recommended by Fredrickson that, at first glance, I resisted. In an exercise she calls Hunt and Gather, Fredrickson (2009, pp. 214-215) encourages us to pull together mementos corresponding to one of the 10 positive emotions, and keep them in a small scrapbook, curio box or digital portfolio for occasional revisiting. I chose Gratitude and gathered photos, objects and cards from around

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Flourishing in the Well-Tended

Garden of Wellbeing

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Feeling stressed

Managing stress: Boys are able to access tools to help cope with exam stress thanks to the School Wellbeing Program.

Mark Herriman Dean of Curriculum Innovation

leading into exams?

Access the Stress Management Tool

or the healthy development of young people it is imperative that they are continually encouraged to strive to do their best. At TSS, we create an environment for our boys to “flourish” – or reach optimal human functioning – in four areas – goodness (to improve levels of happiness and contentment), generativity (to engage with experiences that make life better for future generations), growth (to promote awareness and use of one’s personal and social assets) and most importantly, resilience (to develop tools to survive and grow after experiences of hardship).

Our Preparatory students learn from the internationally recognised program BOUNCEBACK, aimed to assist students in developing life skills and resiliency. This program is delivered to students via weekly Chapel services and addresses from the Head of Prep at Assemblies, then reinforced by classroom teachers trained to use a wide range of learning resources available as part of the program. The program provides students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of themselves and others by learning about topics such as empathy, courage, hope, compassion and resilience.

As members of the TSS Community our boys are continually challenged “to do their best” through access to a wide range of academic, cultural and sporting opportunities, while being nurtured through our pastoral structure for academic and personal guidance. It is access to such opportunities that provide our boys with the knowledge and skills to develop an understanding of self and others, to culminate in a life of meaning and purpose.

On our Senior campus our students attend Wellbeing Assemblies that are facilitated by trained teaching staff. Delivered in year levels, this curriculum is aligned to the developmental stages of teenagers, focused on topics such as developing a sense of belonging, knowing one’s self and others (with links to the School’s focus on Myers-Briggs profiling), to managing stress, developing mental toughness and maintaining motivation. Similar to our Prep campus, these Assemblies are attended by our teaching staff, who reinforce these key theories through mentor period activities designed for students to individually engage with the curriculum.

From previous articles, readers would be aware of the latest research in the area of wellbeing and human strengths, known as Positive Psychology. This scientific research has informed the School’s focus on providing our students with access to personal developmental opportunities to work towards improved wellbeing. One key method to further promote the personal development of our boys has been through the School’s offering of a Wellbeing Curriculum for students from Preschool to Year 12. Each year our students engage with this developmental curriculum, where they have access to the current research into the area of Positive Psychology to teach them the theories and science that underpins human happiness and life satisfaction.

As with all curriculum offerings at TSS, our parent body is encouraged to familiarise themselves with the components of our Wellbeing Curriculum. We look forward to continuing to provide insight into this important curriculum to further enhance this offering for our boys.

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Jo Inglis Head of Learning and Teaching

hen the numbers relating to academic performance were tallied up for last year, it became abundantly clear that the Class of 2014 had performed most admirably, further underscoring the reputation of TSS for this aspect of its educational program. Looking over the data the following statistics stand out. Seven students achieved an OP1, placing these students in the top 1% of Year 12 students across Queensland with the best-ever performance evidenced by OP1-5 (30%), OP1-10 (68%) and OP1-15 (95%). Added to this, the Class of 2014 produced the highest-ever number of boys who achieved A Grades in the Queensland Core Skills Test. TSS Dux Charlie Martin, in applying to UNSW, was informed he had achieved the highest possible Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 99.95 when calculated by the University Admissions Centre for NSW and the ACT. 75,000 students sat the HSC in NSW and just 47 students received an ATAR of 99.95 … plus Charlie Martin of The Southport School … so Charlie scored in the top 0.06% of HSC students in NSW. As a result, Charlie was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship to Law/Economics at UNSW.

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of 2014’s graduates gained entry to their first or second preference of Tertiary course and institution,

Ishvar Nedunchezhian and Hamish Mulcahy were awarded Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority Distinguished Academic Achiever Awards for demonstrating exceptionally high achievement across a diverse range on learning options. QCAA CEO Mr Chris Ryder noted TSS was the only Queensland school with two Distinguished Academic Achiever Awardees. A number of students were awarded lucrative scholarships to the University of Queensland (UQ), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Griffith University (GU), University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Bond University. Their

with gaining entry to their first preference.

studies encompass a range of courses that include Medicine, Veterinary Science, Law and Commerce. Another two students obtained Scholarships to the two leading Hotel Management courses at the International College of Hotel Management in Adelaide and the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. 87% of 2014’s graduates gained entry to their first or second preference of Tertiary course and institution, with 68% gaining entry to their first preference. Displaying the “global reach” of TSS's academic repute, students received and have taken up offers at New York University, West Virginia University,

Melbourne University (eight students), University of Sydney (five students), Australian National University (two students), Monash University (two students). Certainly the young men themselves have achieved these results through academic focus, commitment and a mindset of constant improvement, and can justifiably be proud, however, it must also be said that the TSS Faculty, Curriculum and Programs are integral to these results. Congratulations to the Class of 2014, and all who supported them in achieving their goals.

TSS Whizz-Kid Now Lines Up for the International Physics Olympiad McKinley House science whizz-kid Yinuo Han had already achieved Physics distinction when he was invited to attend the Australian Science Olympiad Summer School in Canberra during the January 2015 school holidays. His performance there impressed sufficiently for him to be selected to join the Australian representative team to compete at the Asian Physics Olympiad earlier this year. The team as a whole placed more highly than in previous years, in what was reported to have been the most difficult Asian Olympiad to date, and Yinuo himself was awarded an honourable mention for his combined laboratory and test results. This signified that he had finished in the top 50%, and as a consequence Yunio is now set to pack his bags once again and this time head to Mumbai in July as part of the five-member Australian National Team to compete in the International Physics Olympiad. At this event, students will be required to sit one five-hour exam, consisting of three problems and one five-hour laboratory test. The cumulative results will be the basis for medals and awards of achievement. TSS can be proud that, once again, no matter the field of endeavour, we can produce world-class talent.

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2015 Season shows we were Born to Row The 2015 TSS rowing season will be etched in our records as successful for two reasons – our crews’ results were impressive and the school’s rowing pathway is now clearly signposted. Highlights included our performances at both the Junior Head of the River and the Annual GPS Head of the River Championships. In the GPS Regatta TSS secured a clear second place in the Old Boys Cup (overall points score with 12 designated crews Years 10-12) and third in the O’Connor Cup (First VIII Race). While results are important, just as vital are the lessons learnt and the legacy that we contribute towards after the last boat leaves the water for the season. With the School developing its course and position on sport on a range of levels, continuity of direction and adapting to change is a natural evolution, especially for a sport that relies extensively if not totally on “best for the team”. In covering the highlights, it was certainly a pleasure to see the excitement and enthusiasm of over 200 boys becoming part of a 108-year history of the TSS Rowing Club. For the Years 8 and 9 rowers, one of the best acquisitions in some time has been the Learn to Row Sculls that have provided a more relaxed and rewarding environment for the boys to learn. Having such a successful introduction to rowing for the Year 8 group has provided a platform for the challenges ahead, as we move into more competitive racing in Year 9. The season culminating in the Junior Head of the River showed the development of depth within one of the more competitive GPS age groups. While not all schools actively drive the Years 7-8 program, the evidence of coordinated development programs throughout the year at a number of schools showed a new generation and expectation of commitment and investment in time and resources schools need to consider.

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All the GPS crews showed a great deal of resolve and tenacity at the Head of the River, and to have five out of the six VIIIs achieving a podium finish, including three wins (Year 11 Second & Third and Open 2nd VIIIs), was outstanding. The Year 10 Quads also showed great commitment alongside very fast crews, including Nudgee and Churchie. Congratulations to all the boys and their Coaches in all year levels, for their dedication and determination to achieve so much in a stronger and more intense competitive program. Thanks again to the Rowing Support Group (RSG) for offering assistance in key areas of the program, and the wonderful, selfless volunteers who offered their time throughout the season around the Shed, Camps and Regattas. Also special thanks to the many supportive parents and families who with simple acts of kindness and words of encouragement had the most significant effect on everyone trying that much harder for the boys and the School. Finally, this season also offered insight into a key legacy that all sports like to promote in offering a development pathway. Now a successful structure – from rowing beginner to an elite performer – is well and truly in place. From the Learn to Row and Coxswain Identification & Development Program, through to celebrating Cormac Kennedy-Leverett becoming the Australian Schoolboys Singles Champion at the National Titles held the week after the Head of the River, and most recently having followed and seen George Lethbridge gain selection in the Under 21 Australian

To view the action from the GPS Head of River 2015, simply scan the code with your smartphone.

All Hands on Deck Approach Takes TSS Sailing to a New Level In the past two to three years, Sailing at TSS has gone from strength to strength with the development of a strong base across the Junior and Senior sailing groups under former Director of Sailing and Old Boy Brady Lowe. Now, with the appointment of Grant Wharington as the new Director of Sailing, TSS Sailing is set to strengthen further. Grant has come to TSS with a strong sailing pedigree. He’s competed in 26 Rolex Sydney to Hobart races (including a line honours in 2003), skippered the yacht Brunel in the 2005 Volvo Round the World Ocean Race, and also holds several offshore race records, including Sydney to Gold Coast, Sydney to Mooloolaba and Sydney to Mackay races. So TSS Sailing is in very good hands with Grant’s extensive professional experience, coaching style and technical knowledge. He has actively engaged in mentoring our sailors in leadership, teamwork, communication and developing a greater respect for a program that supports the development of so many different skill requirements – attributes necessary not only in the School’s Fleet Racing Program, but also in life. During the 2014/2015 Christmas break the School purchased four near-new Pacers and a new RIB support boat. This has taken the racing fleet to 11 boats, enabling almost double the number of boys to become involved in fleet racing in preparation for the GPS Regatta at the end of term. The new RIB has been a fantastic addition to the fleet and was named in honour of a great TSS Old Boy and Olympian, Mat Belcher. These changes, coupled with a smart new on-water uniform for all our competing sailors and sun-smart sailing wear for our junior sailors, has further invigorated the TSS Sailing program and seen a strong parent supporter base emerge. In Term One, the senior racing team was training twice a week at school, and with the support of the parent supporters also raced on Sundays, again entering the inter-school Pacer Series at RQYS as part of their GPS preparation. By 29 March a strong team had emerged and the Firsts were selected. James Woodhouse as Sailing

Captain with crew Max Quan, George Morton as Racing Captain with crew Tom Ross and Tom Wright with crew Charlie Fisher (the first all-Year 8 team to make the First team) and Oscar Weatherseed as first reserve. The Seconds team was equally as strong with Oscar Weatherseed and Pat Anning, Tom Cunich (a Junior Olympic Sailor) with crew Oscar Butler and Charlie Piacun (a Year 7 student) with crew Xavier Doerr selected on strong results throughout the Pacer Series. The GPS Regatta presented perfect sailing weather with a 10-14-knot breeze at times and light seas. With 30 boats on the start line and strong competition anticipated from BGS and BBC, the pressure was on TSS to put the hours of onwater training into practice. Outstanding performances and results from the entire team meant TSS carried the day. The Firsts responded strongly, with TSS taking out the GPS title, James and Max taking fifth overall and George and Tom in third overall. Tom and Charlie took first overall, along with the Pacer Series title, and fastest individual crew across the Series. The Seconds team was not to be outdone on results and also won their division, with Tom Cunich and Oscar Butler placing fourthth overall, Oscar and Pat taking seventh place and Charlie and Xavier picking up a 14th placing. With the program losing only James Woodhouse and Tom Ross as Year 12s this year, the team all currently spread between Years 7 and 11 and an “all hands on deck” approach that involves everyone from sailors and coaches to parent supporters, the future and continuing development of the TSS Sailing Program is looking strong and very bright.

To view the action from the GPS Sailing 2015, simply scan the code with your smartphone.

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It’s No Contest as TSS Cricket Dominates the Season It’s no exaggeration to describe the TSS Cricket season as unprecedented, as they proved themselves master with bat and ball to dominate across all grades. In the Second XI, 11As, 10As. 9As, 8As and 7As the teams just kept coming up with the wins. TSS remained undefeated in the GPS Cricket Competition while also taking the victory in the T20 Competition. With a loss of just one match, the team finished as the undisputed points leader. Just to put the icing on the cake, the TSS First XI defeated Toowoomba Grammar School to claim their second straight Great Public Schools Association of Queensland premiership. Inspired by Captain Calum Taylor’s five wickets and Sol Budinger’s half century, TSS fought down to the wire and the third-last ball, which Zac Meron hit to the boundary for a match-winning four. All in all a glorious season for TSS Cricket.

There’s Gold (Silver and Bronze) in Them Thar Pools The 2014/15 swimming season at TSS has been an absolute corker! The Aquatic Program has gone from strength to strength every year since 2010, but the jump forwards this season has been our biggest improvement to date. The GPS Championship was the first major high of the season, with TSS winning the premiership by a record-breaking margin of 41 points. On top of this the 5-7 years competition finished in second place, just four points behind the winners. Last year the 5-7s placed second by over 100 points! TSS Aquatics success has also been outstanding. David Morgan is the School’s first-ever Australian Swimming Dolphin (that trains permanently at TSS) after he qualified for this year’s World Swimming Championships in Russia in August. David claimed a silver and a bronze medal at this year’s Australian Swimming Championships (which was also acted as the World Championship trials). Emma Robinson has also made the World Championship team for New Zealand, winning silver in the 400 and 800 metre freestyle events. TSS boys Dom Richardson and Grayson Bell have qualified for the Junior World Championships in Singapore, as well as TSS Old Boy Josh Parrish and current TSS High Performance Coach Chris Nesbit.

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TSS Aquatic won the gold medal table to the first time ever at this year’s Australian National Age Championships. Included in the results was our first-ever Australian Age Group National Record in the 4x200m boys freestyle relay, with the team made up by TSS boys past and present – Jake Kersten, Dom Richardson, Max Statham and Josh Parrish. To complete the haul of medal glory, TSS Aquatic also retained the Queensland State Championship trophy after winning the competition for the first time ever in 2013. As if the sheer performance of our swimmers wasn’t enough to get the message across, during the World Championship Trials the TSS logo was displayed a total of 50 times in eight days of televised coverage on HD One, with the new TSS hoodies and swimming caps proving to be stand-out items. After all this, it’s fair to say that TSS Swimming is most definitely on the map.

To view the action from the GPS Swimming 2015, simply scan the code with your smartphone.

Football Football at TSS continued to rise in popularity in 2015, where 520 students signed up to play in the GPS program. This was also the case at the other GPS schools, as over 1000 more students signed up and made it the biggest-ever GPS participation sport. At TSS we are fortunate enough to have fantastic sporting facilities that allowed us to play nine games at the same time: Years 5 and 6 on the Prep School campus, and Years 7-12 on the Senior School campus, with all pitches in immaculate condition. This really created a football carnival atmosphere whenever we played at home, which is something I as a new Director have never seen before, even in the English Premier League! The First XI were reigning champions going into this year’s competition, and knew it was going to be a tough act to follow as several of that squad left TSS in 2014. With boys from Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 in this year’s Open team, it proved a very difficult task to mould these students into a cohesive and consistent group as performances varied. The highlight was most definitely a convincing away win at Nudgee College, with a standout performance from our captain – Brisbane Roar and Australia U20 player Jordon Lampard, followed closely by a cliff-hanging final game at home to Toowoomba Grammar School. Toowoomba needed to win to guarantee the GPS crown and led 1-0 early on. TSS fought back to lead 2-1 going into the final stages only for Toowoomba to rally and score two late goals, the winner with 25 seconds remaining to confirm their status as GPS champions in 2015. For TSS First XI this was very much a year of transition and the younger students will have gained some valued experience from this year’s competition, and we thank all the Year 12s for their contributions to TSS football over the past five years.

In terms of the rest of the school, progress has been made at every level, in every age group. Some of these boys have not played the game before, and now have an idea of how to function in a football team. Others like the Year 10A team had a reputation for being an underachieving team, and under the guidance of Sean Lane became the achievers with a record of five wins, two draws and one defeat. Team of the year went to the Year 9A team as they won the GPS completion for their age group, a fantastic achievement for all students involved and head coach Mirko Runje. The team with the most potential at the school is probably the Year 5 team. Having witnessed some of their performances this year, not only did they compete with all their rivals and run the winners close in the GPS competition, but they show a tremendous ability to take on information from their coaches and a willingness to learn. This is vital in any team that wishes to progress. There is still lots of room for improvement at all age groups and work will be done behind the scenes in the off season to help us in this area. In conclusion, it was the biggest GPS football season in history. It is now time to work hard before next season’s competition, to make sure it is TSS that are making history in 2016.

Joe Dolan – Director of Football

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Teaching isn’t Rocket Science

...it’s even harder Story by

Jeff Symms

Head of the Preparatory School

n 2013, Fuller, now a teacher through the Teach for America program, wrote about how much more difficult teaching was compared to his previous job as an aerospace engineer for NASA. At NASA Fuller worked in a team trying to re-engineer, with modern technology, spacecraft structures that were designed in the ’60s. This was not easy. He had to integrate the efforts of several different groups that often didn’t talk to each other or even get along very well while meeting strict deadlines and budget constraints. Although incredibly challenging it was also rewarding. Over the course of the years Fuller received awards and exceptional performance reviews, gaining the respect of his colleagues, some of whom had been in the business longer than he had been alive. And then came teaching and Fuller couldn’t believe the difficulties and challenges he faced. As an aerospace engineer he solved engineering problems with his brain. As an engineer his day would have involved sending emails to colleagues about a potential design solution while “taking the time to think, research, and reflect for hours, days or even weeks before deciding how to solve them”. As a teacher he learnt that he had to use his entire being – everything he had. As a teacher he had to “prioritise the problems of getting the distracted students refocused and stabilising the cross-classroom conflict before it escalates into a shouting match or worse, all the while making sure the learning of the other 25 students in the room doesn’t come to a complete halt”. He discovered that he not only had more than one problem to solve at any given moment in the day, but that he had to address those problems in a consistent, respectful way that best served the needs of the students.

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To solve engineering problems, you use your brain. Solving classroom problems uses your whole being. – Ryan Fuller (Aerospace Engineer for NASA 2007-2011, now a Senior School Maths Teacher)

What Fuller was describing was the difference between Art and Science. In teaching you need both. “Effort and courage are not enough without purpose and direction” – John. F. Kennedy We live in exciting times. Educational research from around the world is refining and redefining the science dimension of teaching in its examination of what tends to work best in the classroom. It includes a comprehensive knowledge of pedagogy and curriculum, including their historical foundations and research on the frontiers of the discipline. This field of research is just getting started, but the results so far are helping to point us in the direction of knowing and understanding what makes a highly effective teacher. The art of teaching, on the other hand, is more elusive. It is about getting your arms around something as dynamic as a classroom full of young students. They bring a constantly changing set of challenges from their lives at home into the classroom, and teachers have to understand them as individuals, earn their respect and establish basic discipline – all while engaging them in academic subject matter. Teachers have to spur their students’ curiosity for months at a time so that they build a base of knowledge brick by brick, over time. That’s an art. Teachers flex and flow based on the kids in the classroom and the mood on each particular day, but at the end of the week they know the class has to master certain material. In February 2013 Melinda Gates (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) published an article titled ‘Reclaiming the “Art and Science” of Teaching’. Why? Because the Gates Foundation is committed to improving the quality of teaching in the United States, and like many, including the staff at TSS, recognises that to raise teaching standards involves not only knowing what to teach and how to teach (the science), but also knowing when to use specific classroom instructional strategies and with whom (the art). Gone are the days when all students do the same activity at the same time, well, for the most part, anyway. School is changing; classrooms are more diverse, and as more inclusive educators we are much more attuned to both students’ academic and emotional needs. We understand that you may be very clever academically but if you are unable to communicate your knowledge effectively you won’t be able to impart that knowledge on to others. On the other hand, you may be an excellent orator, or people-person, or a person who is able to gain and maintain the attention of your audience (your class, your parent body, your peers), but, you also need to have a knowledge of

the subject matter, learning theories and teaching strategies, as well as an understanding of the needs of your own students, to be able to create an effective learning environment. At the TSS Preparatory School we have started the journey to “reclaim” the Art and Science through the work of Dr Robert Marzano. His framework for effective instruction in the Art and Science presents a model for ensuring quality teaching that balances the necessity of research-based data with the equally vital need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual students. He articulates his framework, “The Art and Science of Teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Teaching Instruction”, in the form of 10 questions that represent a logical planning sequence for successful instructional design. For classroom lessons to be truly effective, educators must examine every component of the teaching process with equal resolve to result in improved student achievement. Throughout the school year, our Preparatory School teachers participate in staff development of the many components that make up the art and science of teaching. They stay back late on Thursday afternoons and have devoted the Student Free Days to this important learning. While instructional time is important for students, staff development is critical for teachers. Intentional, focused opportunities to learn about best practice, otherwise known as evidence-based effective instructional strategies, results in a bigger bang for the buck in the classroom. Reviewing student data to determine which concepts have been mastered and which ones need more work helps to maximise instructional time. Learning about accommodations for students on the autism spectrum or who have ADHD helps individualise instruction. We know that to be an effective teacher it is important that our teachers not only stay abreast of the latest research and findings in the field of education, but that they also practise continually the art of applying this information, assessing what works and refining their approach in order to create an effective learning environment. The Art and Science of Teaching is designed to help teachers examine and develop their knowledge and skills, so they can achieve the best outcome in terms of teaching practice and student achievement.

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Kathryn Barry Deputy Head of Prep – Curriculum

e all know that to master anything in life we need to practise. Indeed the old saying “practice makes perfect” resonates strongly with those who are known as “experts” or “masters” of their chosen sport, passion or profession. Sports and business biographies are full of people who became stars not because of God-given talent, but because of excellent practice. Sportsmen such as Muhammad Ali, Donald Bradman, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Pele, Rafael Nadal, Fernando Alonso, Cristiano Ronaldo knew that the only way to get to the top of their sport, to be the best they could be, was to practise. Practise was the basis of the developing and flourishing of the skills of many famous artists, including Picasso, da Vinci, van Gogh, Dali, Monet, Warhol, Michelangelo and musicians such as Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms as well as modern-day “stars”.

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In fact, if you look at the top performers in almost any arena you will see that hard work and dedication helped them to rise to the top much more often than the “naturalists”. So, in the knowledge that practise is important, at TSS Prep we have built-in ‘practice’ as an everyday occurrence in developing the reading skills of our boys, using books from the BookWeb and the Oxford Reading Tree Series. A fully differentiated, individualised reading program encourages them to read books of their own choice daily and to participate in the Head of Prep’s Reading Challenge (HPRC) for Terms Two and Three. By this means we are providing our boys with the opportunities to practise, or as Steve Jobs once said, “Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse”. In our Prep Reading Program, teachers employ the Gradual Release of Responsibility to teach, develop and improve the reading skills of our boys.

What do Webs, Trees, Silence and Challengers have in Common? (at Prep the answer is... reading) Throughout the week our teachers model/demonstrate the skills and processes that the boys need to learn. They provide opportunities for them to try their hand at the new skills and processes in a collaborative forum, sharing their thoughts and ideas with the teacher and their peers. As well, the teachers offer the chance for the boys to have a go with their support. However, it is at the end of this teaching and learning process that the greatest improvement occurs, when the boys get to apply the skills and processes they have learnt during Literacy time and/or daily reading time. As well as daily practice, we engage the boys’ competitive spirit in activities such as the Head of Prep’s Reading Challenge. Here, in order to extend and challenge their reading skills beyond what they thought was possible, they are encouraged to read and/or have their parents read to them books that they have not yet discovered or enjoyed. Reading, just like anything in life, requires practice. Practice in reading aloud so that the boys become fluent and expressive. Practice in reflecting and retelling the stories they have read and/or listened to. Practice in answering questions – not just literal ones – but those that make them infer and think about what they have read.

At Prep we are passionate that our boys become good readers. Through reading you expose yourself to new things, new information, new ways to solve a problem and new ways to achieve. Through reading you begin to understand the world more. Through reading you begin to have a greater understanding on a topic that interests you, and through reading you create a structured path towards a better understanding and better actions to take in the future. Reading increases the understanding of the rules of life, in order for you to better adapt and integrate into society. It helps you to prepare for action e.g. how to cook a meal, how to play chess, which place is nice for the holiday family trip, and how to build or put something together. Through reading you gain experience from other people, you learn how to communicate, and through reading you are exposed to a world of imagination, showing you nothing is impossible. The bottom line is simple, top performers practise excellence. They practise it on their way to the top, and once they get to there, it is how they stay on top. Webs, trees, silence and challenges are helping our boys achieve excellence.

Good readers are able to do more than just “decode” words. Good readers… 1

Make connections with what they are reading and their prior knowledge.

Ask good questions about what they are reading.

Use both images provided by the text and mental images generated by the reader to support their understanding of what they are reading.

Make inferences based on the information they are reading.

Are able to determine the importance of various information within the text they are reading.

Can synthesise and summarise the information they are reading.

Are able to monitor their own understanding of what they are reading.

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Story by

Tony Watt & Karen Martin Head of Community Relations & Marketing Coordinator

SS is justifiably proud of its longstanding connection with country families, however, we’re acutely aware of the fact that we are also a day school that draws its student population from the local catchment. With this thought uppermost in mind, we understand the vital importance of engaging with the locals, whether they represent families of boys currently at TSS or those who are potential future students. The TSS Marketing Committee recently took a critical look at how we and other schools were communicating with the Gold Coast community, and in doing so uncovered some interesting points. The first point may seem somewhat obvious, but it can easily be overlooked. The simple fact is that unless they have a direct connection with the School – most commonly because their son or sons are students here – then people in the broader population are somewhat uninformed about TSS. This is despite the fact it is a Gold Coast institution with a national if not international reputation for excellence in educating boys. The second point was the revelation that for the most part, schools tend to advertise/market themselves in a generic, formulaic manner that does little to distinguish one above the other. The “selling” points amount to the predictable and the visual content likewise, to the extent that it seems only the school logo is different.

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life’s one

When it comes down to the message, it seems very much a question of “same old, same old”.

fascinating

discovery

So the question to ourselves was “In looking at the messages, how do parents discern one from the other, and what can we do to ensure that our message communicates an essential difference?”

afteranother

The first lesson of any advertising/ marketing communication piece is that you must rise above the “competing static”, and to do that you need to look and sound different from the rest. You must catch the attention of your audience before anything else, then having done so you have to engage them with a proposition that’s relevant to them and appears as offering something qualitatively superior to the competition.

imagine

The “why” that fires a person’s decision to be motivated enough to want to “buy” or at least take a closer look is something else. Facts and figures are one thing and play a part to some degree at some point; however, Befascinated fascinated by by what what he’ll he’ll discover. what he’d at find? TSS. Be discover Imagine here. Imagine whatfind he’ll in most instances, the driving force is emotive, and it then becomes Sinek is a trained ethnographer, author, speaker and adjunct Call us on 07 5531 9911 or visit www.TheSouthportSchool.com To to discuss your son’smember optionsofcall 5531 9911 or visit a case of winkling out what particular emotions relate what moves Rand Corporation, onewww.TheSouthportSchool.com of the world’s most highly your audience and how to employ them in your message. regarded think tanks. The essence of his key proposition of “Start with Why” teaches leaders and organisations how to inspire people In formulating a campaign to connect with the larger, underby understanding the purpose, cause or belief that makes a person do informed segment of Gold Coast City, the committee initially turned what they do. This provided us with a solid plank in our strategy. its attention to the thought-provoking theories of Simon Sinek.

Next, the committee looked at what is termed “brand archetypes”. In marketing this is regarded as a genre that you assign to your brand, based upon symbolism. The idea being that you use the brand archetype to anchor your brand against something iconic – something already imbedded within the consciousness/subconsciousness of humanity. In this way you achieve “top of mind”, with your brand becoming easier to identify and accept.

life’s one fascinating

imagine discovery

afteranother

These “archetypes” have been identified by researches in this field and fall into a number of categories, the “Creator” being the one being most applicable and appropriate to TSS. Creator Archetypes are not afraid of new ideas. they enjoy words and expressions that are symbolic and full of meaning. Creators have a look that’s original, artistic or interpretive.

Armed with these tools the TSS Marketing Committee commissioned a series of press advertisements that meet the necessary criteria, that look and Be fascinated by what he’ll discover here. Imagine what he’ll find? sound different from the run-of-the-mill Above: new your marketing school advertising and that emotively and literally convey the heart of the TSS message. They’re To The discuss son’s options call 5531 9911 or visit www.TheSouthportSchool.com campaign advertisements designed to connect to and engage with our locals on a meaningful and relevant level, and we have begun to roll out across believe they’ll do just that. various media Take a look and you’ll see what we mean.

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JUST WHAT DOES

#FTC STAND FOR? 20

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We as a school have a duty, and it is an honor to give our greatest efforts and to shine a light for those who will follow us.

For the Crest.

Left: The Crest embodies the tradition, culture and pride that are the foundations of the ideals of TSS.

Every member of Team TSS is faced with adversity throughout the year at some point, but they overcome these ordeals ’For the Crest’, further reinforcing the significance of the impact the school has on its members.

“The Southport School brings together hundreds of boys from across Queensland and beyond, from a score of different backgrounds and ethnicities. Yet when we put on the red, white and blue we become brothers.

Our School’s academic attitude for the Crest is also remarkable. Students at TSS endeavor to accomplish the School’s goal with their own academic levels. One boy’s OP or rank score is his merit to bear, but he bears it for his brothers and with his brothers. One boy’s achievement is every boy’s achievement.

ecently a couple of our English students – Beau Foort and Tae Hee Min – were asked the meaning of “#FTC” as it appears as a tag on social media and photo captions. They came up with an explanation that is both clear and inspiring. So here it is.

One motto has emerged from among us and that captures this spirit of brotherhood and what it means to be a TSS boy. For the Crest. Then what is the meaning of ‘Living for the Crest’? It has gained a range of meanings, but is best captured by Edwin Markham when he stated: ‘The Crest and crowning of all good, Life’s final star, is brotherhood.’ Whether you are striving to be your best at work or study, or deep in a hostile combat zone, you are embodying a quality highly prized to us. Quite simply, you are serving a cause greater than yourself. You are fighting for the CREST. At TSS, boys face many challenging obstacles every day that they must conquer. Nine out of 10 boys will act upon their decisions thinking about what the Crest means to them. Our Crest is OUR school, OUR legacy and OUR brothers, past, current and future.

Similarly, when one boy strikes an obstacle, his brothers are beside him as he tackles it. We few, We happy few is one of the School precepts. Students at TSS are taught to be a Band of Brothers. We live together, are happy together, sometimes suffer together, but the Crest connects and unites us. This is the Crest that has established the pride and tradition of the School. The Crest connects us with our past as a symbol of history. In our daily strive to be better, we fight for those brothers who laid the foundations on which we stand and those who, in war, gave the greatest sacrifice. We as a school have a duty, and it is an honor to give our greatest efforts and to shine a light for those who will follow us. For the Crest.” Beau Foort and Tae Hee Min – Year 11 Students

The Crest embodies the tradition, culture and pride that are the foundations of the ideals of TSS. Students at TSS are passionate about upholding the reputation of the School. Sporting teams at TSS enthusiastically compete for the Crest week in and week out. Working on our House Drama productions brings us together to remind us the value of our Crest. We cheer our sporting teams and we compete for those who cheer us.

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Everyone Has a Story to Tell in

ADEL AIDE Story by Julie Watts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Round Square Coordinator, TSS Prep

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ome people think I am nuts spending holidays away on Round Square Conferences, looking after 150 or more students after a busy term, but the fantastic thing is, you get to see parts of Australia and neighbouring countries that you have never seen before, and I have never yet left a conference without feeling that my life has been enriched in some way. Prior to the conference we visited Kangaroo Island with several other Round Square Schools and spent two days exploring the sights and attractions that were on offer. The only thing I knew about Kangaroo Island before visiting it was that it featured on a Connoisseur Ice-cream wrapper. What a stunning place! Honey is a key feature of the island, and we spent some time with a very passionate beekeeper who took us through the process of extracting the famous honey. We also visited a very old farm that produces eucalyptus oil, a koala sanctuary, sea-lion colony and bird-rehabilitation centre, where an Old Boy from The Armidale School led a fascinating talk and show on predatory birds. The most incredible thing about the island is the stunning coastline. It is the kind of place you could imagine running away to for six months, living in a house on a cliff overlooking spectacular ocean and writing a book, in almost complete isolation. The coastline has everything; beautiful beaches, with calm, crystal-clear water, rugged cliff faces with pounding waves, shark-infested channels and strange volcanic rocks. It is definitely a place worth a visit. From Kangaroo Island we travelled to Westminister School, in Adelaide, the hosts of this year’s Young Round Square Conference, (12-14yrs). The theme was “Tell Us Your Story”, and focused

on the fact that everyone has a story to tell if we just take the time to listen. The conference opened with an address from Maurie Japarta Ryan, founder of Australia’s First Nations Political Party and grandson of Aboriginal activist Vincent Lingiari, who led the strikes at Wave Hill Station that led to the writing of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, which gave freehold title of Native land to Indigenous Australian people. Mr Ryan’s message was clear: Education is everything. Education brings the power to change the things you don’t like. Another incredibly inspiring speaker was His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le, the Governor of South Australia. His Excellency told his story of escaping, with his girlfriend, from Vietnam, after the North Vietnamese conquered Saigon. They journeyed on a small fishing boat made for eight people, but crammed with over 50. They had no idea where they were going, or even which direction to travel in, until an 18-year-old Le remembered a map he had been taught in Geography and suggested the skipper sail towards the setting sun, in the hope they would reach Malaysia or Thailand. Weeks later, without food or water, they reached Singapore, but were turned away. The journey ended in Malaysia, in bamboo huts with thousands of other refugees, little water and food, and a great deal of death and disease. Le risked his life to take another sea journey, and many weeks and stories later he arrived in Australia, on the shores of the Northern Territory, where the refugees were treated with compassion and decency and welcomed into their new home. Many, many people died on both Le’s journeys and he is forever grateful that he survived and was accepted by Australia. It was

a tense moment when one of the teachers asked him about his opinion of the current treatment of refugees. He refused to answer, but said no-one has any idea of how desperate these people are until you walk in their shoes. His talk was very moving and highlighted how lucky we are in Australia and how we have to be very careful not to take our freedom and safety for granted; treasure it and protect it, but keep our eyes, ears and hearts open to the plight of others. During the conference we travelled on the old Cockle Steam Train to Victor Harbour, where we spent the day exploring the historic town and Granite Island. The boys were also involved in a range of activities that encouraged them to tell their story. All Round Square conferences aim to develop all, or some, of the IDEALS of Round Square (Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership and Service.) Conferences always take us outside our comfort zone, forcing us to share our space with people we don’t know. Strangers quickly become friends and long-term connections are often made. Conferences never fail to make me reflect on the motto of Round Square: There is more in you than you think. Too true, and thank you to the families of Max Cossill, Tom Wright, Kye Kanemura and Noah Purza-Page for giving these boys this fantastic opportunity.

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Prep Drives, Kicks, Rides and Tackles its way to Sporting Glory Prep is nothing if not keen when it comes to the sporting arena and the latest round of achievements by the boys in “getting the gold” stretches across a trio of disciplines – Golf, Taekwondo and Eventing – and serves as inspiration for every Prep student, whatever his chosen sport, to get out there and give it his all.

Getting in the Swing It’s no Easy Ride to produces a Golf Classic Win Win in Sydney Prep School Golf Captain James Goffman (Year 6) is certainly driving, pitching and putting his way to success on the golf course. James won the Pacific Junior Classic on April 16 with the best Gross Score. His current handicap is 15 and he is working hard to lower it. James’ result at the recent tournament has seen him invited by the Junior Golf Foundation of Queensland to attend the 2015 Greg Norman Junior Masters at Under 13 level. TSS Director of Golf Grant Garrison has been impressed with James’ application to his sport. “At an early age, James has demonstrated a total commitment to becoming the best golfer he can be, so he practises and plays every chance he gets, along with getting lessons. His love for playing the game really shows through and he’s become a fan of the game, following his favourite professional players. “James hopes to one day fulfil his dreams of gaining a golf scholarship and playing for an American university, and as his coach, I would say he has a real shot due to his commitment and work ethic. “James personifies all the character traits the game of golf is known for... he is well mannered and behaved and demonstrates good etiquette on and off the course.”

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Year 5 student Corey Hawkins has had a very busy and successful riding season. He travelled to the Sydney Royal Show where he was first in his Novice (rider without a State Royal title) Boy Rider 6 years and under 12. He then placed second in his Open Boy Rider 9 years and under 12. Corey then competed for Champion and Reserve Champion Boy Rider along with the other placegetters. He was awarded the Reserve Champion (runner-up) Junior Boy Rider of Sydney Royal Show. This has been his largest win to date and is a huge accomplishment. Receiving this award now qualifies him again for the Gallery Equine Grand National Championships in 2016. Well done to Corey on his outstanding results.

Fighting Spirit, Technical Prowess and Sportsmanship adds up to a National Martial Arts Title At the tender age of just six years, Heanen Smith of Class 1C won the National Championships of the International Taekwondo Federation held in Brisbane at the end of March. Heanen has been practising martial arts since he was three years old, training first with the Matt Fiddes Academy in London, then after his move to Australia with the Baekjul Blackbelt Academy in Southport. He trains twice a week, but leading up to the competition Heanen trained four times a week. The tenets of Taekwondo are courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. These tenets teach psychological self-defence, but are coupled with the art of controlled kicking and punching. In his competition Heanen had to display his technical back-kicks, high-flying kicks and roundhouse kicks and tactical punches while retaining the “non-contact” element necessary for his age group. Heanen battled through his sparring rounds, winning each round with a vote by all four judges. The final was to prove more difficult, as he was penalised for two fouls early on in the battle. However, Heanen made a fantastic comeback, showing great motivation, skill and focus. His technical prowess, speed, agility and flexibility shone through, and he won a good fight with a vote of three to one from the judges who, at the end of the competition, congratulated Heanen on his technique and sportsmanship.

Taking the Knocks, but we’re still Rugby Winners The final three days of the Easter break saw a team of Years 6/7 Rugby players travel to Armidale, NSW for the annual battle for The Armidale School (TAS) Rugby Cup, marking the 10 year that TSS has attended this tournament. The 42 Queensland and NSW teams that attended were made up of district, school and club sides, which were broken up into three divisions. TSS has a proud history at the tournament with a very strong side taking out the ’A’ division title in 2014. With only one player having played in the TAS Carnival in 2014, living up to such expectations was always going to be hard, nevertheless, this year we again nominated in the A division. On the Saturday we played against every other Division 1 side. We were soundly beaten by two bigger and better drilled teams in Scots Prep 1st XV (NSW) and district team Gordon Highlanders (NSW). The other two games were very close. We went down narrowly to Sunshine Coast Grammar 12 – 5, a game in which we showed massive improvement in commitment to the tackle and breakdown. In the last match of the day we lost 19 – 5 to Ambrose Treacy College in a game we dominated territorially, but unfortunately let in three 90m tries in the space of 10 minutes. The boys went to bed battered and bruised on the Saturday night and were brought out of their deep sleep by a 3am fire alarm. Despite the challenges of the previous 24 hours, the team responded with real character in the Sunday morning finals, with a match against the winning second division side, Waverley Blue (NSW). We prevailed to win 5 – 0 and it could well have been more as we crossed the try line three times, only to be held up. The win finally saw the TSS war cry ring out at The Armidale School in 2015! Over the weekend the team took the hard knocks, but responded wonderfully to the challenges and each boy displayed real character under pressure. This attitude and willingness to learn was a real positive and stands the boys in good stead for the Term Three GPS season. A big thank you is due to the large contingent of parents that travelled to Armidale to support their sons. Well done also to Mr Hoppe, Mr Robertson and Year 7 teacher Mr Close for guiding these young men through the weekend.

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The Recipe to Inspire Creativity & Critical Thinking in “Gen-Z”? Just add Blended Learning

hen a boy graduates from TSS he may just as likely embark on a career on a property as in any one of Australia’s most prestigious universities. In preparation for this, a TSS education in the 21st century is about facilitating creativity, adaptability and innovation. It involves classrooms that promote critical and lateral thinking, problem-solving and a “learner-centred” voice. These changes in teaching and learning are vital, because not only do they mirror society’s evolving needs, they also meet new expectations delivered by brains that are becoming “hard-wired” and re-patterned to think and operate in a tech-savvy, fast-paced world. Nurturing these skills includes encouraging web-based research and information fluency, but it is equally important to understand that boys learn through “doing” and that there is a sense of satisfaction in making and creating objects in the physical world. We know that not all learning has to occur in front of a screen. In the 21st century, classrooms have become flexible and dynamic spaces in which personalisation of learning and teaching supports diverse student learning styles. Learning in TSS English classrooms can take the form of outdoor creative writing tasks, graffiti word walls, a selection of intriguing props to stimulate context and mood; and storyboards to cater to the development of visual cognitive patterning. Yet we are also to the forefront on the technological side of blended learning, with such initiatives as the Collaborative Writing Program. The program involves

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utilising platforms such as Mahara, Moodle and/or Google Shared Drive, which allow the boys to share the “process” of writing in class or from home. Thus, rather than students writing in isolation, they are encouraged to participate in a social environment that positively motivates them to develop the craft of writing through connecting and collaborating. Boys learn actively from watching each other’s ideas develop. Talking about and clarifying the thought process behind any activity – what we call the metacognition – is a fundamental part of developing critical thinking. In reading each other’s writing online, boys begin to critically evaluate the sentence structures of their peers. This prompts them to revisit their own work, looking for improvement in structural variety or vocabulary extension. They offer feedback down electronic margins and in return request feedback from their peers. Dialogue develops around the process of writing. During class time, teachers model best practice in how to deliver positive feedback and highlight the importance of building empathy, trust and teamwork. This style of learning is both empowering and fun. Our classrooms are busy and productive places where not all seating is traditionally arranged, nor is time spent sitting still for the whole 50-minute period. Kinaesthetic activities that include opportunities for the students to role play or move into smaller groupings to engage with learning are integral to the concept of learning.

As a result of a combination of learning styles activities – face-to-face as well as online interactions – the Year 9 Accelerated English class and the English honours students recently contributed creatively to the Innovations Cabinet. They collected a selection of props and made secret letter dossiers to highlight the role of espionage during World War I. The honours work displayed a creative flair with unique narratives developed within each of their projects. As students learn to collaborate effectively on and offline, they begin to take ownership of the learning and their learning spaces. This is important because by the very nature of 21st century education – an era with unlimited access to content material, creative tools and viral distribution markets – we need to facilitate learning spaces within which students can demonstrate decision-making and leadership. We need to offer experiences in which the students “drive” their own learning. There needs to be opportunities for self-paced learning as well as a culture that builds community. The future for today’s students is one that is connected to their abilities to realise and leverage their identity within both a digital and real world. The future of our youth lies in a mindset that understands processes, the ability to adapt to change, collaborate and develop as lifelong learners. With this in mind, our constant aim with our blended learning approach is to continue to capitalise on the resources in “the cloud” and face-to-face that inspire the creativity and critical thinking of our future – that of Gen Z. Jill Margerison & Scott McDonald

A TRIP ACROSS THE NARROW SEA E

xchange students add an extra dimension to the TSS community, opening a window to the world through which we can glimpse the richness of their cultures, and at the same time recognise and embrace the common humanity that binds us as family. Of course the “exchange experience” works both ways and here, Tanmay Nautiyal, an exchange student from India, talks about his experience at TSS. “It is not every day that you get a chance to see one of your favourite movie characters come to life. And when you do expect them to come to life, you don’t really expect him to end up as your friend. As a junior in my own school back in India, I would always wait for the Autumn term because it was around that time that the seniors would return from their exchanges with their bag full of stories of how ’crazy’ and ’awesome’ their exchange had been. Finally now that I am in their position, I realise how accurate they had been in describing their experiences. My first reaction on setting foot on this campus was more bizarre than I care to admit. “No walls! Like none at all? What if some stranger kidnaps someone from the campus?” I had asked and everyone laughed, thinking I was joking. As a student from the crowded streets of India, the lack of walls around the campus

had left me more intrigued than it should have. Yet, it has been four weeks since, and now when I look back I realise how silly I must have sounded. As I did not have an exchange partner, I was actually slightly nervous about my exchange. I didn’t know what to expect and yet within no time I started feeling like I had always been a part of this Community. The TSS Community is more active and lively than words can express. In fact, if one had to describe the Community, ’lively’ sounds more like an understatement. There are so many opportunities on this campus that one truly gets a chance to explore himself and his surroundings. Within a day of my arrival I had plunged into an array of activities ranging from football to chess to art to whatnot! One thing I realised is how addictive the culture at TSS really is. Time passes by like a breeze here, and as Morgan Freeman said in The Shawshank Redemption, “These walls around us are funny. You first hate them. Then, you get used to them. Enough time passes, you start depending on them”. TSS may not have walls of mortar and brick, but then, it doesn’t really need them. It has its own culture that acts like its walls. It is this culture that makes it so difficult to leave this place and it is this culture that protects each member of this Band of Brothers.

From the ANZAC Day celebrations to the Cross Country runs to the House Drama productions (where I realised that the person on stage delivering a perfect performance of Forrest Gump was one of my classmates), to the trips to the beaches, my visit to TSS has been more than just exciting. Be it the Monday night chapel singing or the Wednesday evening BBQs, Thursday assemblies or Saturday games, I realise I will miss this all when I go back home. Every day had something new in store for me and yet, having such great friends around myself, I knew one thing for sure, I will make it through, and it is these friends that I will miss the most. In our classes or skateboarding lessons or the weekend OTR Trips, these people made everything worth looking forward to. Like all great things, I know this experience too will come to an end. Yet, what I have learnt in my short stay here is simply that one shouldn’t be sad that it is over, instead, he should be happy that it happened." Tanmay Nautiyal – Exchange Student, India

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To view more of the House Drama performances, simply scan the code with your smartphone.

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BEIJING Reveals its Forbidden Mysteries, Heavenly Treasures and Great Pleasures

hina is a place of great mystery with a different culture and history that takes you somewhere you have never been before. Beijing is an amazing place with lots to see, including its remarkable Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and street markets. It’s a very cultural place where we learnt lots and gained knowledge of the local Chinese people, but it is also very different to any other city, with the traffic always chaotic and subways that you can access anywhere and at any time. My Beijing highlights were visiting the Great Wall and daily travelling through the city. There are no words to describe how mesmerising The Great Wall is with its endless views as it stretches out over thousands of kilometres. Being able to travel by the local transport each day gives you opportunities to learn new words and sentences and makes you feel like a local. Everyone really enjoyed Beijing and especially the Silk Markets, where we had the fun of bargaining furiously over everything with every shop owner. Travelling around China was great, because it meant we built our language skills through talking to random Chinese people, and it also gave us the practical experience of catching the subways and buses and even riding in a Chinese taxi. Beijing cannot be described any other way, but simply as China’s best city along with Shanghai. By Kaimana Barry – Year 10 Student

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The Warriors of Xian Capture the Imagination The China trip gave me the experience of a lifetime when I was able to visit many beautiful worldrenowned sites. In Xian, as an independent group we improved our knowledge of China, its people and culture in practical ways such as simply walking around the city and catching the subway. But the most memorable event was a visit to the site of the Terracotta Warriors. It was an amazing experience to see the soldiers in intricate formation along with the beautiful horses, all lined up in the pits. Xian was definitely one of the highlights of my trip and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to go to and explore China thanks to the work of the TSS staff and the School. James Rotheram – Year 10 Student

Happy to be “Shanghai-Ed” in China The trip to China was amazing – from seeing the famous Terracotta Warriors, to rising to towering great heights when we went 100 floors up in the “Bottle Opener” in Shanghai, to walking up the Great Wall to see sights that would take your breath away. Our final stop was Shanghai. After spending more than 10 hours on a hard sleeper train, we came off light-headed with some feeling ill, so promptly took a taxi to our hotel – the Ramada Peace Hotel. That same night we all walked down to The Bund, to be dazzled by the spectacular lights of the buildings and the very first high-rise in Shanghai – the Park Hotel. The next day we spent an hour exploring the Shanghai Museum, home to a 5000-year-old jade figure, then moved on to Shanghai’s World Financial Centre, only to find out that it was closed on Mondays. That night we went down to a suburban area filled with little restaurants where we could choose which to go to as groups, with my group choosing to go with the Chinese Language Assistant, Mr Pi, to a restaurant called “Hot Pot”. Next day everyone headed out to walk to the Yu Gardens, and finding a basketball court our way, stopped to play for a bit. The Yu Gardens were a real delight, seeing little Chinese tea houses, oversized goldfish and

taking photos with the local girls. Following Yu Gardens we strolled through the last part of “Old Shanghai” with its traditional houses that some people still live in. On our last two days we had free time during which we rode to the top of the “Bottle Opener”, currently China’s tallest skyscraper that reaches a towering 100 floors. Before going up we were treated to a slideshow explaining the history of the building, followed by a viewing of a small-scale model of the whole of Shanghai, showing how the city lights up at night and comes alive during the day. We reached the 100th floor in under a minute and the view, taking in the high-rises to the lowlying country, was amazing. On our final day we got to spend the rest of our money at the four-acre Silk Markets, which is located under the Science and Technology Centre. Even the final stage of our trip was exciting as we travelled to Pudong Airport aboard the Maglev speed Train, which travels at a speed of 301 mph. All in all, Shanghai was my favourite part of China and I loved every minute of it. Patrick Murtagh – Year 10 Student

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Learning to Lead

A LESSON FROM THE BIBLE T

owards the time of his crucifixion, Jesus overheard the disciples arguing (as boys do) about who was the greatest amongst them. Seeing a teaching moment, Jesus called them over and said …

“You know that the ones who are considered the leaders by the Gentiles show off their authority over them, and their high-ranking officials order the little people around like tyrants. But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. And whoever wants to be first among you will be the servant of all.” (Mark 10:42-44) The last two sentences of that Bible passage are read at Assembly each time we commission new Prefects. Earlier this year the School Captain read this passage at the Prefect Induction Service in the Chapel and I then attempted to explain what it means in the TSS context for all our aspiring leaders. The message is about service, humility and servant leadership. It is a message to all our boys as leaders and young men building good character. The concept of servant leadership begins by being a servant first, serving something bigger than yourself, looking out for other people, and looking after other people. Servant leaders focus on the wellbeing of the group; the class, the team, the music ensemble, the dorm, or the House. Jesus is the perfect example of servant leadership. Jesus humbled himself and became a servant of all.

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The American leadership philosopher John Maxwell has written … “The key to becoming an effective leader is not to focus on making other people follow, but on making yourself the kind of person they want to follow.” Maxwell then gives seven pieces of advice on how to develop into the kind of person others want to follow.

humility. I’d like to see you have your short celebration then turn your attention outwards to other people. Congratulate the other competitors near you, honour their efforts and achievements, then make a clapping gesture to our crowd who supported and encouraged you to that great performance.

“Let go of your ego” is his first piece of advice. Rather than “ego” I use the language “don’t get too full of yourself” … “don’t think and behave like you are a rock star” … “learn to be humble” … “if you are focusing on your trendy haircut and how cool you are, you are not focusing on the job at hand, and you are not focusing on other people in the team”.

Also, being humble does not mean being quiet and subdued. Jesus certainly was not quiet and subdued. Humility is about showing courage and strength, but in the service of others, not to serve yourself. Living in a community in a Christian manner requires strength and courage. You sometimes need to use your strength and courage to stand up for what is right.

“Humility” comes from the Latin word humilitas, meaning “grounded” or “from the earth”. Humility is about showing respect to others, valuing others, and not thinking that you are better than other people. A humble person doesn’t let success or his position in life go to his head.

In his book The Right to Lead: A Study in Character & Courage, John Maxwell, after advising to let go of your ego, then writes that great leaders develop six other characteristics:

The opposite of humility is pride, vanity, superiority, arrogance, disdain, conceit, pomposity, snobbishness and being full of yourself. Clearly it is not good to be thought of along any of those lines! Humble people think about, and help, their team, their group, their class and their family. Because they are thinking about other people, humble people are aware that their behaviour affects others, so they tend not to do things that hurt the team, the group, the School or their family. Now, just to clarify, humility is not about hiding your talents. We certainly want you to have a sense of achievement, and if you have put in a lot of effort on something and achieved a great exam result, or won the race, or “nailed” a performance, then it is fine to have a bit of an internal celebration, a bit of a “YES!” and an air punch, pat yourself on the back for the effort you put in, have a family celebration, let your friends congratulate you. You want to remember that great feeling so you can visualise what you did, and be able to do it again, and that memory sustains you through the next training session or study period, or when you don’t go so well. All that is fine and, by my definition, does not mean you lack humility. But, let’s take swimming as an example. If you win the race and have your deserved short celebration and air punch, and enjoy the applause of our crowd, that’s fine, but then go on to perch yourself up on the lane rope, above everybody else, and give the “number one sign”, and then point to yourself in a “how good am I way”, and then implore the crowd to keep cheering for you … well that is not

• Learn to be a good follower first. (He says that is the first thing US Army officers learn at West Point.) • Build positive relationships with a wide range of people. (So if you are a House leader, it means getting to know and valuing everybody in the House.) • Give your all to what you do. (People like passionate and hard-working leaders.) • Develop self-discipline. (We often have some lively and easily excitable boys in leadership positions and they need to develop the self-discipline to set a good example, and be sensible and responsible when needed.) • Value-add to the group. (Look after others and help them reach their potential.) Finally, Maxwell writes… “give your power away”. (Share your power and let others get involved. You don’t need to make all the decisions.) In acts like washing the feet of his disciples, Jesus was symbolising humility and service. People who look for ways to help others, who are not “full of themselves” and who are friendly to all people and seek to understand others are likely to be seen by others as someone they would like to be with and follow. Best wishes Greg Wain, Headmaster

You’ll See It When You Believe It

ot too long ago it would be generally considered that only religious people had beliefs. Today there is some recognition that we should believe. Believe “what” is not always specified. We know that if you don’t believe in yourself you won’t win. I would suggest that every person has a set of beliefs and that we are continually making decisions based on those beliefs in all manner of human engagements. We have social, political and spiritual beliefs and we are constantly forming and reforming our beliefs based on a range of life experiences. It was this idea that I was opening up with my Year 9 Life and Faith class last term and again as we started Term 2. Our beliefs are part of a package that I suggest is made up of 10 different elements. It forms our perspective on life, our worldview. The more aware of these 10 elements we are, the more we will be conscious of how we respond to issues and circumstances. The 10 elements that make up my worldview are; what I know, my attitude, my experiences, my aspirations or expectations, my cultural training, my feelings, my beliefs and my values are all combined with my personal preferences. This mix of elements

is very dynamic and can change from day to day. Each of these elements informs and overlaps with the others, and while we like to consider ourselves as rational, our responses may not be primarily logical or rational. We can see these elements being expressed whenever we hear politicians speak, we can see them in any debate on controversial topics, and we hear them whenever we argue with other family members. They are behind the claims of ISIS, and of Israel in its issues with the Palestinians, or the Russians and the Ukrainians. They are demonstrated in topics of drug smugglers and the death penalty. Clearly we all have beliefs and we express them in every social context we find ourselves in. So what are your guiding beliefs? What worldview do you express? What elements predominate in determining your perspective? Believe! Identify what it is that you believe, for the saying is true: “If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything!” Fr Jonathan Whereat, Chaplain

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PARENTS GO BACK TO SCHOOL FOR STUDY SKILLS

INSIGHTS 34

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Many commented that gaining a better understanding of the academic process was very helpful for them to appreciate some of the expectations being placed on their sons.

Andrew Stark Head of Libraries and Information Services

or over 120 TSS Senior School parents it was almost a case of “going back to school” when a highly motivated and enthusiastic group signed up to attend the four-week Study Skills Orientation Program for Parents and Boys. Now in its fourth year, the Study Skills Program has brought together hundreds of parents wanting to gain a valuable insight into the academic demands facing their sons. More importantly, these parents are learning a variety of important strategies to support and encourage the study habits of their sons when at home. Over four consecutive Monday evenings in both Terms One and Two, parents were invited to join Senior Library and teaching staff in a series of workshops that focused on explaining how boys learn important elements of the curriculum, how to make good use of resources, and how to encourage and establish positive study habits. Essentially, while the sessions were designed to help parents provide academic support for their sons at home, parents were provided with a variety of strategies to assist them to help their children deal with the stresses and pressures that school life can present. The four main workshop areas included some of the most important aspects of educational psychology and practice. Topics included: understanding how boys’ brains work; how to write an effective essay; encouraging boys to read; making the most of the Internet; and how to develop effective timemanagement skills.

For many parents, this was the first time in many years they had returned to the classroom – and on the whole they enjoyed the experience. Many commented that gaining a better understanding of the academic process was very helpful for them to appreciate some of the expectations being placed on their sons. Similarly, many parents valued being shown a series of tried and tested strategies to employ when maintaining an academic focus at home gets a little tricky. Of course, not every parent was able to participate in this program (particularly boarder parents) so we have published all presentations, notes and handouts on the Senior Library webpage under the link Library Events. Now every member of the TSS Community has access to some important and easily understood information relating to encouraging a positive study experience. The education of a child is a shared responsibility between the School and the home. This program enables parents to become more familiar with the academic expectations placed on their sons and encourages them to become confident to support their son’s academic development and success.

For further information, please contact Head of Libraries Andrew Stark at ajs@tss.qld.edu.au

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Yours, Theirs and Every Boy in Between Additional Learning Programs & the People who run them at TSS Prep

t TSS Preparatory School we take great pride in the high levels of expertise of the many dedicated teachers and assistants who work hard to achieve successful outcomes for all students. The teaching staff has worked tirelessly to develop a deep knowledge and understanding of how boys learn and the key successes, challenges or obstacles that they may face in their learning journey. We have created a holistic program that encapsulates the diverse nature of our boys; and we have developed and implemented strategies that complement each other to provide a strongly integrated framework for learning in our classrooms. One of the factors impacting on every classroom in Australia is the diverse cognitive ages of the students within it. An everyday Australian classroom will contain students who range in academic ability across a two-year age span, creating a need for some students to receive additional support either to extend their high level of understanding or to remedy an area of weakness. These additional learning and support needs may relate to a range of circumstances for the student, their family and their schools. They may be short term or ongoing throughout schooling. They may relate to disability or difficulties in learning or behaviour from a variety of causes, and/or they may relate to the need to tap into and extend a boy’s natural talent and gifts. To support and nourish the development of these boys we have engaged teachers and support staff who have been educated to support them at both ends of the “learning continuum”. These specialist staff not only work directly with the students in extension and support activities, but also work collaboratively with the classroom teachers on student assessment, which helps to identify specific learning needs.

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This group of very dedicated, professional staff includes our Gifted and Talented Team: Mrs Jasna Poeszus (Coordinator of Gifted and Talented Education) and teacher and administrative assistant, Mrs Lyn Morris. In addition, the Preparatory School benefits from the educational expertise of our Learning Support Team: Mrs Terri-Lee Hurd (Coordinator of Learning Support and Speech Pathologist), teachers Mrs Sue Weaver and Mrs Elizabeth Slater and teacher assistants Mrs Debbie Nicholson, Mrs Rosemary Wallace and Mrs Robbie Ellis. These teams… • Plan, implement, model, monitor and evaluate teaching programs for students with additional learning needs in conjunction with the regular classroom teachers, • Often model exemplary classroom practice when tailoring adjusted learning programs for students requiring extension or support; • Provide direct support for students through a range of strategies (including direct instruction, delivery of adjusted learning programs, assessment and monitoring of progress), including the areas of social integration, language and communication, literacy, numeracy and behaviour; • Provide professional specialist advice and assistance; and • Assist with professional learning for the teaching staff where appropriate.

Through the expertise of our Gifted and Talented Team and our Learning Support Team we have been able to deliver quality programs to meet the learning needs of all the boys in our Preparatory School, such as… • The Rainforest program • Maths ability classes (Years 3 to 6), including acceleration for boys who excel in this subject • Literacy Groups • Gifted & Talented extension and support groups • Academic competitions • Writing and poetry workshops • Resilience building • Early Literacy intervention (Year 1) through the MiniLit Program As a school we also work closely with a number of Allied Health Professionals:- Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Behavioural Optometrists and Educational Psychologists, who will assist with the diagnosis of factors that impact on learning and who can provide ongoing therapy to help boys reach their full potential. No matter where your son sits on the learning spectrum; from becoming aware of the concepts they need to learn, to being able to apply those concepts independently, at TSS Preparatory School the dedicated staff do their very best to cater for every boy’s specific needs. Your boy, their boy and every other boy in between is the daily focus of our staff and the programs they implement at Prep.

The Year 5 Classroom gets Flipped and goes for “The Pad”

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If we teach today’s students using yesterday’s techniques, we rob them of tomorrow”, words that John Dewey, Educational Philosopher, suggested over a century ago, but which remain relevant today. The introduction of the iPad as a tool for learning for Year 5 students at TSS has ensured that education is being delivered in a way that connects with our students. Communication between student and teacher is paramount for optimum learning to occur and the iPad facilitates this. Students have remained connected to learning even after they have left the classroom, as lessons have been delivered at home in a method known as the “flipped classroom”. This type of teaching introduces foundational content to students at their own pace, as they view podcasts, videos, documentaries and websites. Deeper learning then occurs in the classroom through further discussion with peers and teachers about the knowledge already gained. The multi-modal ways in which the information can be accessed appeals to and captures a variety of learning styles of students, resulting in heightened engagement.

The iPad has allowed our students to keep photographic and video records of their learning experiences, which are used to gain feedback and track individual progress. This has proven to be valuable for both students and teachers alike, as it is essentially assessment for learning, the most effective form of assessment, by which the direction for further instruction may be identified. The progressive compilation of an e-Portfolio, replacing the folder used previously, records an account of students’ achievements over the course of their year, portrayed through evidence collected in videos, audio reflections and photographs. Specialist teachers have also embraced the technology and recognised it as a valuable tool to enhance teaching within their domain. Both Music and LOTE have incorporated its use, with PE looking to use Apps that will record students’ techniques in varying activities, allowing them to be critiqued and given feedback for improvement.

in which it is not always their tool of choice. This highlights how important it is for the Curriculum to be delivered in varying forms, so as to capture the imagination and interest of young minds. Paper and pencil, laptop, desktop computer and very importantly, hands-on, manipulative materials, still have a very important place in a classroom structured to cater for all styles of learners. Technology plays a large role in our students’ lives, both personally and in the School context. The inclusion of the iPad in 2015 for Year 5 students has offered the opportunity for students to become responsible, informed and educated about the use of technology and all that it encompasses. This is a necessary development in the process of redefining the way in which we teach, as today, students enter our classrooms with very different needs and experiences from those of the past.

Interestingly, even though the use of the iPad is encouraged, many students have identified areas

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THE OLDEST ESTABLISHED PERMANENT FLOATING CRAP GAME IN TSS

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To view highlights of the Guys & Dolls performance, simply scan the code with your smartphone

he assembled performing arts talent of TSS actors, singers and musicians have brought the house down with a glossy, professional performance of the evergreen Broadway Musical Guys and Dolls. The original Broadway production opened in 1950, but Guys and Dolls is perhaps better and more widely known from the 1955 movie version that featured such Hollywood luminaries as Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons and Vivian Blaine as the leading characters. The show also gave rise to a number of timeless tunes, three being written specifically for the movie, one of which – “Adelaide” – was penned especially to showcase the rich vocal talents of Frank Sinatra. Set in New York City in the late 1940s, the plot involves the escapades of a bunch of petty criminals and professional gamblers, prominent among whom is Nathan Detroit (Sinatra), who must stay one step ahead of the police in the shape of the zealous Lieutenant Brannigan to organise an unlicensed crap game (“The Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York”). However, he’s flat broke and can’t come up with the thousand bucks demanded by the owner of the Biltmore garage, which has emerged as the only possible venue. At the same time Nathan is under considerable pressure from his fiancee, nightclub singer Miss Adelaide (Vivian Blaine), who feels it’s high time their 14-year-long engagement ended in marriage.

Enter Sky Masterson (Brando), an old pal of Nathan Detroit’s and a gambler willing to bet on anything. To get his hands on the necessary cash to stage his crap game, Nathan cleverly proposes a $1000 bet by which Sky must take a girl of Nathan’s choosing to dinner in Havana, Cuba. Sky accepts the bet, but is faced with a seemingly impossible task when Nathan names the girl as, Sergeant Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons), the virtuous sister in charge of the Save a Soul Mission, which opposes gambling. The plot unfolds from there with much hilarity, twists, a parade of seedy characters, including Mafia mobsters and of course memorable songs such as “Luck be a Lady” and “(Your eyes are the eyes of) A woman in Love”. The film won a swag of Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globes and was ranked by Variety as the top money-making film of 1956. Needless to say the TSS cast had big shoes to fill and they did so in no uncertain terms. A call for auditions sparked an enthusiastic response among the Years 7-12 students and a fine cast of was assembled as a result. A rigorous rehearsal schedule of over 200 hours stretched over six months, demanding a lot of commitment and sacrifice from cast, orchestra and crew.

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Cast & Crew Sky Masterson

Jesse Layt

Nathan Detroit

Jack Hughes

Sarah Brown

Bridgette Armstrong

Miss Adelaide

Amy Doyle

Benny Southstreet

Trent Sinclair

Nicely-Nicely Johnson

Mitch Lovett

Arvide Abernathy

Jack Hutchison

Hot Box Girls

Kiara McGowan, Emily Totman, Tahlia Traecey, Bree Lavin

Harry the Horse

Noah Smith

Big Jule

Joel Gray

Lt. Brannigan

Reilly Gall

Mission Band

Tahlia Traecey, Cameron Simpson, Mitch Nye

Rusty Charlie/Hot Box MC

Christian Behn-Katz

Angie the Ox/Drunk

Steve Sandeman

Waiter

Mitch Nye

Mimi

Bree Lavin

Gamblers/Male Chorus

Sam Moffat, Samuel Stevens, Calum Lockett, Cameron Vele, Robby Green, Cameron Simpson, Mitch Nye, Reilly Gall, Kevin Ho

Orchestra Rachael Fennell

Conductor

Sam McMath

Bass Keyboard

Franky Maroney-Vita

Drum Kit

Dean Burton

Percussion

Tim Zhu

Cello

Kye Kanemura

Cello

Daniel Flynn

Reed 5

Ethan Shields

Reed 5

Izaac Cocco

Reed 4

Rohan Hagbeck

Reed 2

Jimmy Chiu

Reed 4

Lucas Woodman

Trombone

Judd Pilkington

French Horn

Hugh Wheaton

Trumpet 3

Samuel Morrow

Trumpet 1

Cody Corbett

Reed 5

Ms Sarka Budinska

String Keyboard 1

Mr Robert Cooke

String Keyboard 2

Mr Mitchell Buckley

Trumpet 1/2

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Good Causes, Passion and Leading

Through Philanthropy L

eadership comes in many forms and each of us are given opportunities to lead within our lives.

Leadership opportunities can come through family, through business or in the broader community. At TSS there are also many examples of leadership on display. Leadership can be seen in teaching, administration, sport, academic achievement, cultural activity and spiritual endeavour. Recently, TSS has begun to benefit from growing interest in more philanthropic leadership. In simplest terms, philanthropy could be described as an expression of one’s passion towards a good cause that offers positive outcomes. I know that many of our philanthropic supporters experience a genuine feeling of accomplishment and ownership in seeing the outcomes delivered for TSS from the support they generously provide. While it may sound a bit clichéd in the cynical world that we sometimes experience, TSS is a special place. People who work here and people who support the school really do have a strong belief in what we do and what can be achieved. The large number of accomplished young men that graduate from TSS and go on to achieve so much is due in no small part to the degree of commitment and persistence that many of us bring to what we do. I am pleased to recognise the culture of philanthropy that already exists at TSS, and I also know that this culture can grow much more yet. The students and families here today are the beneficiaries of others who preceded them. Generous supporters from the past also believed enough in TSS to be philanthropic for the sake of those who would follow them. I believe that philanthropy also makes it incumbent upon us to ask “Why?”

Why did they choose to support TSS? Why should we choose to support TSS in whatever way we can comfortably do so? While the School is operating to ensure it remains at the forefront in its education of young men, resourcing this ability to educate remains the key factor. Over the next few years we have at least another $10 million of important projects to maintain the high standard we have set for ourselves.

Above: The new Cribb extension at the Preparatory Campus was made possible by the support of the TSS Community through the Voluntary Building Fund.

The reality for us at TSS into the future is that new revenue will always be challenging. Government funding is always going to be very limited compared to other schools, and the School Council is very cognisant of the pressure of school fees on families, so any increases there are always going to be kept down to what is only absolutely necessary. That leaves philanthropy as possibly our biggest transformative mechanism to do more for this generation of boys and many more to come. There are many areas that your support makes a difference, and supporting TSS through the Voluntary Building Fund and our Annual Appeal offers tax deductibility for all donations over $2, with no limit to the level or timing of contributions. As we launch into new projects for the Prep School and Senior Campus, more details will become available for anyone interested in considering philanthropic support. I am always happy to speak with parents and Old Boys who are interested in making their philanthropic mark. If you wish to find out more, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Bruce Wright – Director of Philanthropy Email: Bruce.Wright@tss.qld.edu.au Ph: 07 5531 9891 / Mob: 0414 597 673

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Butteries, Bullocky’s Joy a n d B o u n d l e s s D e d i c a ti o n L AY S A GREAT F OUNDAT ION Story by Debbie Turner – School Archivist 42

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Boys have gone out from this School for the last quarter of a century with characters and habits that will be handed on from father to son. The whole of the community has been enriched. – The Southport School magazine, 1929

hile TSS proudly and justifiably lays claim to being a school at the leading edge of boys’ education, it nevertheless looks with equal pride upon its traditions and history as providing the fundamental ethics, principles and spirit that has guided it on its century-long journey. Born in Cambridge, England on 1st August, 1869, Horace Henry Dixon was one of 11 children, the son of Thomas and Lucy Ellen Dixon. He worked as a Housemaster at Warkworth House, Cambridge, prior to graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree through Fitzwilliam Hall, Cambridge, in 1892. Dixon was ordained Deacon at St Alban’s Abbey in 1893 and priest the following year, also at St Alban’s. Following his ordination, he served initially at three English parishes; as a curate at Epping, 1893-94, moving to St Michael and All Angels, Walthamstow, 1894-97 and St Matthew’s, Burnley, 189899. Later qualifications included his Master of Arts from Cambridge in 1908 and an Honorary Doctorate in Theology, granted by the Australian College of Theology in 1932. There is no doubt that the founder of The Southport School, Horace Henry Dixon, was a colourful figure and a man with charisma, stamina and a considerable degree of showmanship. Above all, however, he maintained a profound and lasting love for the School he founded and the boys he taught. Horace Dixon married Florence Marie Godbold, the daughter of Bowler Godbold, in 1897. The couple had two sons, Bowler and Cecil, both born in Queensland. Dixon arrived at Southport at St Peter’s Church in 1899 and soon became involved in the Southport community, serving on a number of local committees, including the Southport School of Arts Committee as a vice-president. Dixon was also closely involved in the operations of Goy-Te-Lea, the forerunner of St Hilda’s, where he would attend services and occasionally be invited to present school prizes at the end of the academic year.

Left: The Founder of The Southport School, Honourable Reverend Horace Henry Dixon, 1901-1929.

It was during the long periods of travelling on horseback that Horace found time to reflect upon the need for an independent boys’ school in the district. A house on the Nerang River, known as the Summer House (also known as the Summer Place), while in a dilapidated condition, suited Dixon’s needs rather well. The home had originally been built by Henry Biggs circa 1870.

Dixon was able to arrange a lease over the property for three years. The conditions of the lease were that the occupation of the buildings would be rent free for one year with the provision that all repair work be carried out by Dixon at his own expense. Dixon agreed to this, with the added provision that he be allowed the option to purchase the property for £1000 upon termination of the lease. The first two boarders at The Southport School moved in before the end of 1901. These were Alex A. Markwell, the first student to be enrolled, and Frank Taylor. By the third term there were approximately 15 boarders. By the end of the first year the roll had increased to 35 pupils. In December 1901 Dixon began advertising the school in the colonial press. An advertisement for the school appeared in the Tweed Herald and Brunswick Chronicle on the 17th of that month, it stated:

HIGH SCHOOL FOR BOYS Southport Head Master: Rev H.H. Dixon, B.A., Cantab, (Three years House Master of Warkworth House School, Cambridge). Sound Education. Moderate Terms. Large Schoolhouse and grounds (lately known as “Government House”) Every advantage of climate and situation, sea view. Cricket, boating, etc. Boarders received under the immediate care of the Head Master. Prospectus on application.

Living conditions at the School were very basic. Water for bathing was pumped from the river by kerosene-powered engines. Toilet facilities were simple earth closets and the wood for heating and cooking was hand-cut from the nearby bush scrub (with Dixon doing most of the cutting himself). The wood was carted to the School grounds by a horse and dray and cut into shorter lengths with

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Left: Reverend Dixon in his later years. Below: An original TSS badge from the School’s founding years.

a circular saw. Lighting was provided by kerosene lamps, although acetylene gas provided light after 1905. Dixon was paranoid about fire and made sure all fires were doused before going to bed. There were no hot baths at the school; the water over the basins was pumped from a well. There was a high tank of saltwater to provide showers, and when this water ran out one had to go out and pump some freshwater up from Pong Creek with a small hand pump. During the weekends, fun was had by going over to Main Beach via the tea-tree swamps at low tide, to skinny-dip in the surf. Owing to an accident, Dixon banned this practice and made Main Beach out of bounds. A few boys disobeyed this order from the Head and when found out, Dixon stated that since they were so eager to swim they were to roll in Pong Creek every morning at six in the middle of winter for one week as punishment. Dixon was a keen photographer and entertainment on some evenings consisted of him showing his personal collection of glass-etched photo slides. For the boys’ enjoyment, he would shine a lamp behind each slide and project the image. The boys would gather around to see the pictures. This continued until the arrival of screened movies in the 1920s, where Dixon would put his hand over the lens if any short-skirted girls appeared. No doubt this act would have been accompanied by loud groans of displeasure from the boys! Once Dixon had established himself, the boys affectionately nicknamed him “Jimmy” for unknown reasons.

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In the words of one boy… “It was a custom to put out a quarter of a round of bread for each boy at the beginning of lunch, but Jimmy used to carve and sometimes we didn’t leave the dining room until nearly two o’clock, and one had eaten the bread by the time the first helping arrived. It became customary to take out a supply of bread or fix it with a pen nib under the table for next time ... One day at lunch Jimmy announced that there would be no more pinning of bread under the tables ... It transpired that Matron Murray had occasion to have one of the tables upset and there was a row of bread slices pinned along each side. “One small butter ball was put out for each boy at breakfast and again at tea, and there was jam and golden syrup (known as Bullocky’s Joy).The boys were allowed to request another serving of jam and the ration of golden syrup was unlimited. Breakfast consisted of sausages and gravy, one thick sausage per boy or two small ones. The porridge was served mostly lukewarm or cold and had ’little white grubs’ in it. During lunch, one side of the table was allowed roast beef while the other received a ration of bread and gravy or stew. For dessert there was usually boiled pudding, known as Spotted Dick, milky or boiled rice and stewed fruit. The boys were allowed two helpings of meat or vegetables, but only one of dessert. At night some of the senior boys received cold meat for tea while the remainder of the school received bread, butter, jam and golden syrup. Butter balls (butteries) and roasted potatoes were used for betting on The Melbourne Cup. A good win was three butteries and a few spuds.”

Left: The signed Certificate of Title for the TSS grounds from 1904.

They were a happy community of boys and being very much away from the world had its advantages. They learnt to make the most of the creek, the bush and very small playing fields, which then consisted of one full concrete wicket and a half wicket nearer the School. The main oval was in the process of being cleared by Dixon and the boys. The boat-shed was a basic slab hut and had the tennis court in front of the Head’s house. Despite the harsh conditions, The Great War and the stockmarket crash, Horace and his wife, Florence, remained dedicated to The Southport School until his resignation at the end of 1929. The school magazine later published: “And so we come to the end of the first great chapter in the history of our School. The work has been faithfully done, and the man who did it and his wife who has so devotedly helped him have earnt a rest. How great that work is it is impossible to estimate. The effects of the Head’s teachings, for example, his personality and his work will go on for ever. Boys have gone out from this School for the last quarter of a century with characters and habits that will be handed on from father to son. The whole of the community has been enriched.” As with all great schools, TSS owes much to its founder, whose character, vision and boundless dedication was stamped indelibly on the School at its very beginning and in many respects remains so this day.

Did you know? T

hat the Honour Board commemorating the lives of TSS Boys lost in WWI in the St Alban’s chapel has two gold lines painted about halfway down the board. This is because Headmaster Horace Henry Dixon in 1919 was in chapel, reading from the Honour Board list boys’ names that had perished in WWI, when he came to the name Hamilton. He read it out, and to his surprise Hamilton piped up, “But, I’m here, Sir”. He had not died in battle, but was alive and well at the school. The name was then removed and two gold lines replaced it.

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When Duty Calls,

BAND BROTH ERS a

Answers

t The Southport School, the significance of ANZAC Day strikes an especially deep emotional chord in its community of students, teachers, parents and Old Boys, for the School’s history and ethos is inextricably linked with the ideals of duty and service. In 1906, a mere five years after the founding of the School (at that time known as Southport High School) and nine years before the ANZACS waded ashore at Gallipoli, a cadet corps was formed. Designated “H Company 3rd Queensland Battalion, Commonwealth Cadet Corps, Southport High School”, the cadets have remained an unbreakable thread in the fabric of TSS, and today the tri-service corps stands as one of the largest in Australia. If the enduring presence and prominence of its Cadet Corps and the Honour Roll of those TSS past students who made the ultimate sacrifice is not enough, the phrase “Band of Brothers” resonates with every boy; as the title of the School song, the title of the School magazine and the very way in which the boys are encouraged to see themselves. Those potent three words are drawn from Shakespeare’s Henry V. Part of what is known as the St. Crispin’s Day Speech delivered by Henry to stiffen the resolve of his outnumbered troops before the Battle of Agincourt, the words appear in their fuller expression as Henry refers to his men as “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers”. The phrase has endured as a metaphor

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Duty, Honour, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. for courage, duty and honour and has appeared throughout history, being used by Nelson before the Battle of Waterloo in his communications with the Admiralty, contained in the lyrics of the song “Hail Columbia”, composed for the inauguration of George Washington and when the full speech was performed by Sir Laurence Oliver on radio during World War II to boost British morale. Just as the expression “band of brothers” has passed down through history, as a living, breathing article of faith, it has been upheld by generations of TSS students, providing a tangible link between the current crop of boys and the Old Boys whose memory and sacrifice is honoured in a number of ways. There is the daily ritual of the School Captain turning the pages of the Honour Roll, preserved under glass in the Memorial Room. There are the spectacular stainedglass windows in St Alban’s Memorial Chapel, many donated by families as a memorial to those who saw their duty clear, answered the call and gave their all. There is tribute paid through the pages of the recently published book To Honour Your Name, written by Judith A. Nissen. And of course, there is ANZAC Day itself, when the hearts and minds of the entire School community is focused on the past, present and future of this Band of Brothers. As this was the Centenary of the ANZAC landings, the Prep boys added a special symbolic touch by working long and hard to hand-make and fire ceramic poppies, which were then “planted” to create a commemorative poppy field on the Prep Campus. The TSS Cadet Corps mustered over 350 Army, Navy and Air Force Cadets who marched on the day and attended the Southport service. The School Choir raised its voice at both the Southport RSL Dawn Service and the service following the march, earning them many comments of praise and congratulations. The service at TSS was held in the Tobruk Cenotaph adjoining St Alban’s Memorial Chapel, bringing together present students and their families, Old Boys,

dignitaries and military personnel. The Honour Roll was read aloud, and as each name was sounded a TSS Cadet would place in the ground a cross bearing that name. The Ode was delivered with great emotion by Old Boy and former Deputy Chief of Army, Major General Arthur Fittock AO Rtrd. Both he and another Old Boy, Wing Commander Darren Goldie AM, CSC, Commanding Officer of RAAF Number 37 Squadron, laid wreaths and spoke on their connection to The Southport School and how it had helped shape their respective careers in the Australian Defence Force. Of course the Choir sang; a verse in the words of the School Song echoing the deep respect for those who had fallen, and pledging as a sacred trust the keeping of their memory.

Side by side forever young Row on row our finest sons. Though you never came home, Your memory lives on.

Lest there be any doubt that the memory and legacy of those Old Boys and the sense of being part of this Band of Brothers might somehow not be taken up by the younger generations, one episode may perhaps serve to dispel that notion. As the Choir performed “Band of Brothers” at the two public services, a number of TSS boys in attendance with their parents rose spontaneously to also lend their voices. However, it was at one service that a seven-year-old Prep boy stood up alone amid the crowd and with no sign of inhibition, joined in with the Choir some 100 metres away to deliver a proud and heartfelt rendition that amazed and delighted both his parents and the surrounding public.

So it is that the Spirit of ANZAC is deeply imbedded in the ethos of The Southport School and is clearly grasped and embraced by its students. We may regard that Spirit as a uniquely Australian thing, and it does have its own unique accent, yet its intrinsic qualities and timeless worth has a universality that has been acknowledged through the ages. General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers South West Pacific Area during World War II, had summed it up succinctly when he said: “Duty, Honour, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be.” Whether or not many, or any, at TSS know these words spoken by one of the United States’ most famous soldiers, the validity of them is intuitively known and form part of the boys’ education. The daily application of the concepts of duty, honour and country in all their shades, both subtle and obvious, spreads far and wide and into every aspect of conduct and endeavour. From the classroom, to the sports fields, to the wider community, the boys of TSS find these qualities a familiar currency that is of no less value when they have grown into men. It is no wonder then that the ANZAC Spirit is so well understood and held in such reverence by the School. Since that day over a century ago when the first TSS Cadets snapped to attention, through two world wars and many other conflicts, it has become a simple fact that when duty calls a Band of Brothers answers.

To view the video of the 2015 ANZAC Day Ceremony, simply scan the code with your smartphone.

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Treasures and Traditions T Keep Alive the ANZAC Spirit he fervour of ANZAC Day in the Gallipoli Centenary Year touched all Australians, but struck a chord that resonated deeply within the heart of the TSS Cadet Corps.

This seems wholly understandable, as the Cadets have been an unbroken thread in the fabric of TSS since they first snapped to attention in 1906, a mere five years after the foundation of TSS and nine years before the ANZACS stormed ashore at Gallipoli. Designated at its formation as “H Company 3rd Queensland Battalion, Commonwealth Cadet Corps, Southport High School”, the present tri-service corps has grown to become one of the largest in Australia. It has become so because the deepest meaning of ANZAC and its spirit of service, duty, mateship and sacrifice is imparted to TSS students in many ways and on many different levels. The Chapel of St Alban’s with its commemorative stained-glass windows, stands as a memorial to the 52

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Having celebrated its centenary in 2006, the TSS Cadet Unit has been woven into the rich tapestry of School life almost since the School’s foundation in 1901. past students who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I. The Memorial Boards pay further tribute, evoking the memory of all from TSS who saw their duty clear in times of conflict and in answering the call, laid down their lives in the name of freedom. Memorials such as these have been an historical presence since the earliest days of the Cadet Corps, while other symbolic reminders of the ANZAC Spirit – such as the “planting” of 132 crosses bearing the names of TSS fallen at the Tobruk Cenotaph beside St Alban’s Chapel – have arisen in more recent times. Director of Cadets Conan Bland believes the TSS Cadet program is bigger than just the individual and the uniform. He’s passionate about the importance of encouraging Cadets to develop a sense of reverence and recognise “the bigger picture” in perpetuating the ANZAC Spirit for future generations. In pursuing this ideal, there have been some notable milestones. Three proposals to Local Government and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs resulted in a $52,000 grant. This was well used to produce a comprehensively researched book To Honour Your Name, brass plaques of the 52 young men who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Great War and extensive cabinet work to display a massive collection of donated militaria and develop a Campus museum. To Honour Your Name is replete with images and biographies of all TSS fallen, poignant letters from battle zones to families at home, old telegrams and original plans and drawings for the Memorial Chapel and its priceless stained-glass windows. The first edition has proven a sell-out success, with a second run ordered and soon to be available on sale.

Underneath the Museum is one of the world’s few remaining Link Trainer Flight Simulators, developed in 1929 and used until the 1970s to train more than 500,000 pilots worldwide. One artefact in particular has given rise to a new tradition for the Cadets – an engraved 1907 100 Yards School Championship medal presented to Archibald Raymond, who was killed in action at Bancourt l’Abbaye, France in 1917. The medal must have meant a lot to him, as it was the only item returned home to his family after his death. In honour of Archibald’s sacrifice and as a powerful symbolic reminder, replicas of the medal have been reproduced and in this ANZAC centenary year will – for the first time – be presented to graduating Year 12 Cadets. The Tri-service Dinner for the 120 Year 12 Cadets has been revived. This follows the annual Graduation Parade, which, as an event in its own right, never fails to stir admiration from the TSS and wider Gold Coast communities. TSS Cadets are always notable for their presence at ANZAC ceremonies, and in recognition of the importance of the ANZAC Centenary Year, they were out in strength. They did their duty at Dawn Services in Southport and Surfers Paradise, as catafalque parties at cenotaphs and in the Brisbane ANZAC parade where they marched proudly bearing the banner of those ragged heroes of Kokoda, the 39th Battalion. Keeping the ANZAC Spirit alive and flourishing is very much a part of the TSS ethos and something regarded as a sacred trust. The TSS Cadet Corps is the living embodiment of that spirit and that trust and the Museum – “Lest we Forget” – stands as a tangible and emotive link to a past that has bequeathed us a priceless legacy of duty, service and sacrifice.

Located in a section of the Old Gym Café, the Museum has grown apace, as word gets out and donations of artefacts and memorabilia pour in. Framed photos of past students who gave their lives in such bloody battles as Gallipoli, Palestine, Pozieres,Ypres and Passchendaele to name a few, grace the walls alongside uniforms, medals, flags, old badges and military slides. Rarities that have found a new and honoured place here include Norman Freeman’s (Delpratt 1909-13) ceremonial sword and the roll-top desk of the School’s founder and first Headmaster, Reverend Horace Henry Dixon, who was a fervent believer in the importance of the cadet system in empowering his young students.

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H O U S E

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C L U S T E R

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A Brush R with Jungian Archetypes Explains Artistic Excellence

ecently, Year 10 Visual Art students Ethan Setchell, Jim Chapman and Harry McSoriley were recognised with Academic Excellence Awards for their ability to bring to life their own visions of Surfers Paradise, using innovative techniques and applying a mature understanding of complex visual skills to create compelling artworks. So what lies beneath this ability to visualise, interpret and manifest oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inner visions in artistic form such as painting or music? To find an answer we need to dip into the psychological paint pot of the legendary Carl Gustav Jung. Jung used the concept of character archetypes in his theory of the human psyche. Although there are many different archetypes, Jung defined 12 primary types that symbolise basic human motivations. Each type has its own set of values, meanings and personality traits. Most, if not all, people have several archetypes at play in their personality construct; however, one archetype tends to dominate the personality in general. It can be helpful to know which archetypes are at play in oneself and others, especially loved ones, friends and co-workers, in order to gain personal insight into behaviours and motivations. One character archetype defined by Jung is The Creator. This character is one who imagines or visualises something, and then makes it happen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he has the ability and the desire to create things of enduring value. He is often referred to as the innovator, the dreamer, the inventor, the musician or the artist.

To view more of the Year 10 Artwork, simply scan the codes with your smartphone.

When our award-winning Year 10 artists gave life to their unique visions, had you asked them they would most likely have just said they were simply doing what came naturally to them. Little do they know theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d just had a brush with a Jungian archetype.

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Sounds before Symbols & the making of Music T

he use of music notation is still a pivotal component of how we use and understand Western music. So why is it that most of us are capable of making music in some way, yet reading and interpreting music notation, even for talented musicians in some cases, is problematic? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that we can hear the sound (melody, tune, etc.), but the added complexity of interpreting sound through the reading of “bizzare little symbols” i.e. notation, adds an extra dimension that creates more barriers to music making than we would want. After all, when you consider this very precise and complex process, one can appreciate it demands very high cognitive skill, precision, aural awareness and a developed sense of prediction (reading ahead). These skills take many hours to master (at least 10,000 of them!), so it is imperative that the process starts early, sequentially and with a great deal of continuity.

a Hungarian composer and music educator who developed a very systematic process to help students become “aurally aware”. The basic premise of this system is that the awareness, or being conscious of the sound, must come before the application of symbols (notation). The Year 7 music classes have been singing simple songs, aurally analysing the tone structures, patterns, rhythms and phrases lengths. They then have added meaning to these sounds through solfege (do re mi, etc) and traditional note names and rhythmic values. This is then reinforced with the use of Kodaly hand signs as a visual stimulus. Does it work? The answer is simply, yes. Most of the Year 7 boys can determine random pitch in a pentatonic scale (five-note scale) through singing , using Kodaly hand signs as a visual stimulus. The next step is further visual reinforcement on a piano keyboard so note placement and perspective can be realised.

In Year 7 music, this process is developed through the use of Kodaly pedagogy, along with other methodologies. Zoltan Kodaly was

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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