The Southport School Band of Brothers Issue 13

we few,we happy few,

we bandof brothers.

OF BROTHER S ISSUE 13 : June 2016

William Shakespeare

Editors Karen Martin, Marketing Coordinator Design P’s in a Pod Creative Agency Content Editor Gary Edgar Photography Karen Martin, Adrian Gaglione, Dan Sleeman, Jared Bazley Printing Fast Proof Press Editorial queries, feedback and change of address Phone: 07 5531 9839 Email: marketing@tss.qld.edu.au Copyright: All rights reserved.

Copyright of articles and photographs of Band of Brothers remain with the individual contributors and may not be reproduced without permission. Other material may be reproduced, but only with the permission of TSS. Cover Photograph Students Hunter Cream - Year 1C Zain Hamid - Year 1C Ryosei Komatsu - Year 1T Santiago Sanchez - Reception B 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 2

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

In this issue

3

6

12

26

42

46

3

6

12

Who’s on Your Team?

To Engage, Motivate and Inspire, Just Get the Boys into Action

You Can Connect Wherever You May Roam

At TSS we know and understand that boys learn best when they are active; when they are doing, moving, making, touching and seeing. Boys want to explore and are naturally curious

One of the great aspects of a TSS education is that the connections you make in those years remain intact long after you pass through the School gates for the last time, and what’s more, they are connections that stretch all around the world.

26

42

46

Brotherhood – The Key that Opens the Door to Boarding

Poetry Unites the World and Inspires Prep Boys

Dog Bones, Einstein Wigs & Prep Imagination Gone Wild

Rogers House is the entry level to Boarding and Year 7, and as this is the first year of high school for boys starting at TSS, it’s important to ensure this ‘transitional’ year, from home to boarding life, is well managed.

Monday 21st March, 2016 was World Poetry Day, a special date in the calendar proclaimed

by UNESCO as a “… celebration of the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind”.

A regular part of our ‘day-to-day’ in marketing is keeping up-to-date photos and film that we can use for different strategies. Usually these are done by the Marketing staff, incorporating the everyday activities that happen on our campus

When talking with boys who have got themselves into some sort of trouble I ask “Did you think about talking to someone to get some help?” and the answer is often … “No”.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

3

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

4

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

GETS TOUGH O N

CHAPLAINS AND COUNSELLORS

Y O U R

team?

Your Team

UDENT PROTECTION OFFICERS

WHO IS Teaching TSS boys to know who they can talk to when they need advice or help is an important skill that will resonate throughout their lives

Greg Wain Headmaster

W

hen talking with boys who have got themselves into some sort of trouble I ask, “Did you think about talking to someone to get some help?” and the answer is often … “No”.

Then I ask, “Who at School could you have talked to about this before it got this bad?”

Too often their response is “I don’t know”.

Now many adults would give the same answers.

Why do boys and men not ask for help when they get into trouble? Here is my amateur psychologist theory: You need to have given it some thought before you get into a stressful situation; and you need to have rehearsed your response before the stressful situation occurs. Otherwise, you won’t think of it under stress because, under stress, the creativity and problemsolving part of your brain shuts down, so you are unlikely to suddenly decide to go and talk to an adult or a teacher about your problem or situation.

No wonder we then make poor decisions.

At TSS we believe that if we can get our boys to think about who they would go and get help from before things build up into a stressful, problematic

situation, then they will have more chance of seeking help and solving the problem before it hits crisis point.

We also think that if we can get boys to not only think about who to talk to, but we actually make them practise approaching an adult they trust and talking to them, then we will further increase the chances of our boys seeking help when they need to.

Almost all of us will get into work (or schoolwork), family or health problems at some stage in our lives, so we need people who can give us help and advice during such times. We definitely do not want our boys going through TSS not knowing who they can get help from. Asking for help is a lifetime skill we need to practise early. The older you get, the harder it gets.

We launched the Who’s on Your Team? initiative at the Years 7 to 12 Assembly. Who’s on Your Team? refers to the people that the boys can go and talk to when they need advice or help. Ideally their Team should include an adult or two at TSS, a friend or two and a family member (to the parents reading this, I would invite you to check who that is for your son).

I have never given homework before at Assembly, but for the first time the boys were given two

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

3

We definitely do not want our boys going through TSS not knowing who they can get help from.

homework tasks. I asked them to start thinking about who those people are that they would like on their Team, then to mentally rehearse approaching that person for help or just to talk about an issue they are having, decide how you will start the conversation (that’s not easy as we, as males, are often not very good at asking for help – that is why we are making the boys practise this). That is task number one – the mental rehearsal. Not too hard.

One of the boys in the Year 11 Leadership Team made the point that the staff member on your team is not there to bail you out, as sometimes you need to suffer the consequences of your actions. However, the staff member on your team is there to help you through it and support you, and to make sure you have said and done all you can to remedy the situation, if indeed you can’t work at solving the problem before it hits crisis point.

The second homework task: Sometime in the next two weeks the boys must actually step up and approach that member of staff and say something like “Hey, ma’m, I just want to let you know that if I get into trouble or get stuck on some issue I am going to come and talk to you. I hope that is OK” … that’s all they need to do.

The Year 11s were well aware that we are all going to go through stressful times, and when that happens we need people to look after us.

At Prep this life skill is introduced in the Bounce Back program at Chapel, which is based on the principles of Positive Psychology. The ‘O’ in Bounce Back stands for ‘Other people can help if you talk to them’. So this is now a consistent message from Preschool through to Year 12.

I was talking to the Year 11 Leadership Team the morning before the Assembly and they see this Who’s on Your Team? initiative as a very good idea. They see benefits in having someone that they can go to if they get into trouble to help them through the situation and support them in fixing things up. The Year 11s see it like a sporting team: They want to be on a team that supports and encourages them, and they want to be with people who’ve ‘got your back’. The adult people on the Team are a bit like the coach in that they can guide the boys through a difficult patch.

4

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

Let’s reverse things for a minute. We all need help from time to time, but we will also probably be asked for help by someone. Be aware that you may be on someone’s team, you may be the person they turn to for help. Make sure you make it clear you are available to help, that you are interested.

At assembly I confessed this to the boys … I had to give myself a kick in the backside recently when I was thinking about the Who’s on Your Team? initiative.

My daughter loves to tell people that “Dad only has two friends, one lives in Sydney and one in Western Australia” … and then she says “How sad is that!” Well it’s not sad because some people don’t need a lot of friends, as long as they are good friends. So when I’m thinking about Who’s on Your Team?, I realised that I catch up with my Sydney mate about once a year, but then I couldn’t remember when I last talked to my mate ‘Rabbit’ who lives in the south of WA. So I called his mobile phone number and got some stranger answers. I said “Where’s ‘Rabbit’?”

The stranger says “Who is Rabbit?”

“Hugh” I say.

“Oh, Hugh left this company 18 months ago”, and so I got his new mobile phone number. So I’m thinking, some mate I am. I didn’t even know he changed jobs 18 months ago. I feel terrible. We helped each other through school; I was there for him when his first girlfriend dropped him at age 19 (which happens to nearly all of us); then I was best man at his first wedding; helped him through his separation; helped him ask out a girl two years later; was best man at their wedding, and; he was best man at my wedding!

So I finally track down ‘Rabbit’ and he reminds me that he texted me three years ago. I remember it was pretty frenzied here at School and I forgot to get back to him. Three years! Who would want me as a mate? Anyway, I am visiting WA next holidays and I promised to hire a car and drive down and see him, and I’ll be asking if he is OK. So try and be a better person than me if you are on someone’s team.

So the boys’ homework was due by June 2nd. I can’t mark 938 pieces of homework from every boy in Years 7 to 12, so I asked for help from the Housemasters and Mentors. They have been asking their boys to confirm that they have made the approach and who it was that they approached, so we can check the mission was completed.

I encourage all the adults reading this to have a think about Who’s on Your Team?, and to think about whose team you might be on.

T

he World Science Festival is an annual week-long celebration and exploration of science, founded and first staged in 2008

by Brian Greene, Professor of Mathematics & Physics at Columbia University, NYC. Through a program of gripping debates, original theatrical works, interactive explorations, musical performances, intimate salons and major outdoor experiences, the Festival takes science out of the laboratory and into the streets, parks, museums, galleries and premier performing-arts venues of the hosting cities.

TSS ROBOT

SHINES

AT

THE

WORLD SCIENCE

FESTIVAL

The Queensland Museum in Brisbane hosted the city's inaugural World Science Festival in the second week of March, bringing together more than 100 of the world’s best scientific minds from nine different countries and showcasing scientists, engineers and performers from around the Asia Pacific region.

Part of the Festival was the free Street Science event in the Cultural Forecourt at Southbank, the object being to encourage families to interact with Science and Technology at close quarters and ask questions of the experts. As one of only two schools to present at the World Science Festival this year, TSS was asked by FIRST Australia to showcase their FIRST Tech Challenge Robot, which won the Inspire and Best Design Awards at the 2015 World Robot Contest.

Mr Mark Lockett and Mr Ben Hirst from the TSS Technology Department talked about their coaching experiences with robotic teams and the technology used in the construction and programming of the robot. Calum Lockett, a TSS Year 9 student, talked to the crowd about his experience building and programming robots and competing at various State and international competitions.

Attendance at the Festival over the weekend exceeded 20,000, with the TSS robot on the FIRST Australia stand a big focus for many parents and students interested in Robotic Engineering. Once again the TSS Robot got a chance to shine among the scientific best.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

5

CLASS RG

To Engage, Motivate and Inspire,

Just Get the Boys into Action Story by Kathryn Barry

Preparatory School Deputy Head Learning and Teaching

6

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

While our teachers regularly use dynamic and interactive teaching methods in their classes, which engage boys on many levels, excursions and incursions provide them with highly interactive learning experiences that are motivating and inspiring.

CLASS RL

A

t TSS we know and understand that boys learn best when they are active; when they are doing, moving, making, touching and seeing.

Boys want to explore and are naturally curious. While our teachers regularly use dynamic and interactive teaching methods in their classes, which engage boys on many levels, excursions and incursions provide them with highly interactive learning experiences that are motivating and inspiring. Here is a sample of the varied experiences our boys have had this year to date.

Nursery Rhyme Day in Reception During Term One, Reception boys spent some of their Literacy time learning and reciting nursery rhymes.

Nursery rhymes are good for brain development.

The repetition of rhymes helps to teach children how language works and helps to build memory capabilities that can be applied to all sorts of activities. Nursery rhymes are full of visual and oral experiences, which help to develop literacy skills in a fun and creative way.

The boys created artwork for many of the rhymes and also did written activities, which helped them to understand and remember the rhymes. In celebration of their learning, parents were invited into the classroom to hear their son recite his chosen rhyme (dressed in character) to an audience. Afterwards the boys shared morning tea with their parents.

Author and Illustrator Visits Year Four When Frane Lessac visited Year Four our boys were given an opportunity to hear about the process of making books. Frane spoke to the boys about her own books and how she came up with the ideas that led to her designing and creating the illustrations and stories.

The boys were invited to create their own storyboard ideas and were able to take away their artwork and

creative writing inspired by their experiences and stories shared during the workshop. Frane Lessac’s visit actively supported Literature, Writing and Visual Arts.

The Aunty Peach Show The Aunty Peach Show was based around Roald Dahl’s humorous twisted fairytales. Dropping in on everyone from Reception to Year 6, Aunty Peach engaged the students with her animated, quirky story-telling and clever magic tricks. She also actively involved students in their own version of Red Riding Hood, teaching practical tips for drama to the boys. It was certainly an entertaining show and the boys not only thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but many were inspired to write their own quirky poetry. Aunty Peach’s performance actively supported learning in Literacy, Drama and Visual Arts.

Buddying Up to Read With the ‘Big Boys’ There has been extensive research into buddy reading programs that has provided overwhelming evidence that peer-to-peer reading has a number of benefits for younger and older students. Several research studies have found that augmenting traditional classroom instruction with one-on-one interventions, such as a reading buddies program, is a powerful combination that can accelerate students’ oral vocabulary gains.

Others suggest that cross-age tutoring is effective at supporting children’s reading.

Since 2014 we have certainly found that our boys’ motivation to read skyrockets when our Year 11 students are on the scene. Each boy relishes the opportunity to read and be read to by their buddy and it would appear that the feeling is mutual. A wonderful activity that engages our boys.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

7

Dr Joe the Science Man Fills the Room with Clouds Boys love action more than anything and Dr Joe the Science Man delivered action in spades when he brought the Australian Science curriculum to Reception, Year Two and Year Three.

He really captured the attention of our Reception boys when he made a giant cloud that filled the room and floated over the boys. They were moving around and trying to catch the cloud.

Our Year Two and Year Three boys were kept on their toes by the many varied experiments that Dr Joe conducted, and many really enjoyed being chosen to help demonstrate some of the experiments.

Dr Joe brought Science to life for the boys and all were very keen to continue learning more and to carry out experiments.

Workshopping with the Budding Scientists of 5/6H In cooperation with the Senior School Science Department, the budding scientists of 5/6H undertook the first of a series of workshops during Term Two aimed at challenging their thinking and assumptions about the world around them. Questions such as “What is light?”, “From where does light originate?” and “How is colour made?” all triggered wonderfully in-depth conversation and discovery with Senior Physics teacher Mr Alini. Additional opportunities to engage with guest teachers in the Senior School are currently in the planning in an effort to continually extend and challenge the thinking of the boys within the class.

History in the Hinterland You could feel the excitement in the air when Year One stepped back in time at the Mudgeeraba Hinterland Museum. Many were amazed to learn that there were no computers “in the olden days”; and were fascinated with having to push down on the buttons of typewriters to see how people used these ancient machines. It was really quite hard work and sometimes the keys became jumbled.

8

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

No-one could quite believe the size of the old school. It was so small that only seven children could fit on the bench seats and those children were in all different grades. Imagine it! Seven children in the whole school. It was here they also learnt that you had to behave very well when you were at school. Your writing had to be very, very neat and you had to sit up straight all the time. Our boys were intrigued to learn that teachers used the cane on children who were naughty. This, they decided, was not something they would like to happen to them at TSS. The boys also discovered how very different homes were in the ‘olden days’. They spent some time looking at a squatter’s tent, which they could not believe people would live in, in the middle of the bush, until they could build a proper house; and they were fascinated when they discovered that when the early settlers did build their homes there were no floors and windows, and that they used hessian and wood to build beds and chairs. Our boys also found it hard to believe that people back then would use a tin bucket to wash themselves and heated water in a billy over the fire. At the end of their visit they enjoyed some damper and a cool drink. They certainly had a lot to talk about when they got back to school.

The Light Horse Comes Alive Year Two enjoyed a wonderful experience at the Mudgeeraba Light Horse Museum this term. The purpose of the Museum is to ‘collect, preserve, make accessible and display objects, photographs, memorabilia, information and documents of significance to the origins, traditions, connections and history of the Australian Light Horse’.

Their morning at the Museum commenced with a flag-raising ceremony, three-gun salute and a tentpegging exhibition with Jett the horse and his handler, Chris. Volunteers from the museum then guided the boys, in small groups, around the property where they identified the various ANZAC symbols and their significance. Learning how to care for a warhorse, toss a horseshoe, raise the flag and how to use a periscope were other engaging activities.

The boys had lots of questions to ask the volunteers and they came away with a greater knowledge and understanding of the role the Light Horse played in our Australian History in World War I. Drums, Gongs, Cymbals and Dancing Lions As part of the L.O.T.E, Chinese experience, a local Dragon Dance Group created a sensation with a dynamic performance of the traditional Lion Dance.

Staged on big occasions such as Chinese New Year to bring good luck, the dance is performed by a number of dancers in a lion costume and accompanied by beating drums, clashing cymbals and resounding gongs. Depending upon the style, the costumed dancers’ movements are a combined imitation of various movements of a lion and the agility of martial arts.

On this occasion the Pearce Theatre fairly shook with the sounds, while acrobats and dancers entertained the boys as the lion rolled, wrestled, leapt, jumped and climbed around the audience. The boys not only thoroughly enjoy this exciting annual experience, but discover that they begin to develop a further appreciation of the richness of Chinese culture.

Excursion or Incursion, it Gets the Boys Thinking This eclectic mix of activities and visits to or from the School serves the single purpose of getting the boys engaged as the beginning of a learning process. Once actively engaged the thinking starts and the motivation and inspiration to do so follows naturally. For boys, activity, exploring and doing finds them right in their learning element.

MAN US ISLAND WHERE OLD TEXTBOOKS

GO TO FIND A NEW LIFE

F

or more years than we care to admit, textbooks that were not being used were moved out of the active textbook collection up to the loft and an uncertain fate. We’d often wonder what would eventually happen to them, as being librarians – and ergo book lovers – the thought of throwing them out was abhorrent to us.

But then the day arrived when it became obvious that something would need to be done sooner rather than later, because plans were being drawn up for a new library. We knew that the time was drawing near when these wonderful books, holders of so much knowledge, would need to find a new home.

Then, in a serendipitous email, Kris Hailey from the OSA was contacted by TSS Old Boy Shaun Jacobs (Turnock 03) who was working on Manus Island in PNG. He was asking if TSS had any books for students in PNG, and as the saying goes, “Timing is everything”. In this instance Shaun’s timing was perfect.

We spent most of November and a large chunk of December 2015 hauling books down from the loft, begging for boxes, taping and labelling until we had the job done. Hundreds of books were sent to Manus Island and we think it was probably one of the best Christmas presents we could have given them... and us.

It was with a feeling of some gratitude and relief that we had found such a good home for our old textbooks and that we never had to face the dismal prospect of consigning them to the dumpster.

Youngest-Ever Equestrian Champion

Rides Tall in the Saddle

Y

ou can imagine competition is stiff at the Australasian Horse and Rider Championships, yet despite being just four years of age and in Prep Preschool at the time, Chase Jackson – now in Prep B – claimed the distinction of being the youngest rider ever to take out the title in his class of eight years and under.

The Championships were held last December at Werribee Park in Melbourne and in a show of dedication it took the family three days to drive there with the horses in tow. But the effort was amply rewarded, as despite facing riders from all over Australia and New Zealand who were somewhat older than him, Chase proved he had skill beyond his years to take out first place.

Chase first began riding at the Kim Durante Riding academy at Pimpama when he turned three. Under the guiding hand of his instructor, Kim Durante (whose son Cody is a senior student at TSS), he’s already given notice of what may well be a stellar future riding tall in the saddle.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

9

IT'S A GREAT BIG LEARNING CURVE Story by Karen Capper Preschool Coordinator

Y

ou might catch a bunch of Preschoolers happily engaged playing in water and think that all they’re doing is splashing about. Well you’d be wrong.

Extensive research has established that Water Play fosters learning in all developmental areas. It provides opportunities for the boys to experiment with pre-numeracy and science concepts, strengthen their physical skills, advance their social and emotional skills, and enhance language development.

Water Play, both indoor and outdoor, is a unique activity because it’s always available, open-ended, and provides opportunities for extended learning. Educators at TSS Preschool recognise the importance of Water Play for the boys and have designed a natural Water Play area, which was installed in the Preschool yard in March 2016. This, alongside other Water Play opportunities provided by the educators, enable boys to develop the foundation skills needed, in all developmental areas, to support them to engage fully in the Australian Curriculum in Reception.

So, as the boys engage in Water Play at TSS Preschool what skills are they actually acquiring?

First, problem-solving skills. As the boys manipulate Water Play materials, they begin to understand why and how things happen. For example, given sinking and floating objects, a child will soon discover that just because something is large in size does not mean it will sink.

10

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

The boys strengthen their gross motor skills by running, dodging water drops and hopping through a sprinkler.

They widen their sensory experiences as they put their hands in different textures.

Numeracy skills develop as the boys begin to understand and experiment with concepts such as more/less, same/different, many/ few, empty/full, before/after, greater than/less than, and counting.

Science is involved in that Water Play gives the boys an avenue to contemplate issues such as: What makes rain? Where does water come from? What makes mud? They also learn physics principles such as the effects of force (increasing the water flow through increased force); effects of gravity (water runs downhill); and change in state (solid, liquid, gas).

Physical development receives a boost too. Water Play encourages the development of eye/hand coordination through pouring, squeezing, stirring, painting, scrubbing and squirting. The boys strengthen their gross motor skills by running, dodging water drops and hopping through a sprinkler. They widen their sensory experiences as they put their hands in different textures (gritty, squishy and slimy) and different temperatures (warm, cool and cold).

Social and emotional development is supported, as Water Play allows the boys to explore and interact with each other.

Shared discovery experiences within shared spaces offer a great opportunity for social development. Water Play is one of the most relaxing activities the boys can experience as it relieves tension by encouraging them to release their emotions with pouring, pounding and swooshing. In addition, social skills expand as the boys play cooperatively; negotiate; and share equipment, space and materials.

Language capacity also develops while the boys play and excitedly communicate their discoveries to everyone around them. This is a great confidence booster. As Water Play typically occurs in a limited space with limited supplies, the boys practise sharing with each other and work together engaging in play. There are many opportunities for communicative and social growth during Water Play. The boys learn new vocabulary such as sieve, funnel, eggbeater, stream, bubbly, moisture and evaporation. Water Play is such a meaningful experience for young children that it can be extended to writing experiences as well. The boys may draw pictures of sprinkler play, then dictate a description or story to the educator. Another valuable writing experience involves the educator writing down children’s predictions, such as how long it will take ice cubes to melt in the sandbox or how many babies one batch of soapy water will wash.

Finally, creativity is enhanced, as water encourages the boys to use their imagination. For example, during play they may pretend that they work at a car wash or live in a castle. Water also encourages the boys to try out new ideas and solutions to problems in a safe environment.

So when next you see our Preschoolers splishing and splashing and looking like they’re having fun, they are... but they’re also actively learning.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

11

You Can Connect

Wherever You May Roam O

ne of the great aspects of a TSS education is that the connections you make in those years remain intact long after you pass through the School gates for the last time, and what’s more, they are connections that stretch all around the world. It’s a marvellous thing to know that wherever on the planet you may roam, whether passing through or relocating for career reasons, you’re very likely to find that you’re able to plug into that TSS Old Boy network.

Story by Kris Hailey Executive Officer Old Southportonians’ Association

For example, this year, as the TSS Business Tour heads to the US, it will be visiting a few of the many Old Boys who are residing there. Here’s a personal snapshot from some of them.

JACK BUCKNALL

BRAXTON COOK (Melbourne 1989–92)

GREG TWEEDIE

(McKinley 1985-87)

“I currently reside in Seattle and work for one of the States’ better-known Marine E-commerce operations – Go2Marine, owned in part by Redden Marine. We operate from Bainbridge Island, just off the coast of Seattle. If the list of cities changes, it’s just a quick hop up from SF.”

“I was recently promoted to the role of Deputy Director of the Control Systems Engineering (CSE) directorate in the Space Division of Orbital ATK, based in Washington DC. In this role I am responsible for supporting my director in the management of over 180 very talented software and attitude/guidance control engineers. It's a significant challenge and I'm very excited for the recognition and to be offered the position.”

“I live in Hollywood and have done so for 28 years.

For the past 40 years I’ve been a member of the Church of Scientology and have worked mostly as a Counsellor. I deal daily with all sorts of people at all levels of life and also assist in the Church’s antidrug campaigns, educational programs, etc., which is my wife’s main work. I’ve been married for 36 years and have two daughters and two grandkids.”

ALEX URUCHURTU (Radcliffe 2002–09)

“I recently completed a Bachelor of Arts (AB) Cum Laude with High Honors, Concentration in Economics, Secondary in Global and Health and Health Policy, at Harvard College and am an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company in New York, one of the world's leading business consulting firms. I've completed a number of cases resulting in recommendations being presented to senior executives of global companies/funds.”

STEPHEN DARKE (Atkinson 1983–91)

Lives and works in New York as an investment banker for Macquarie Bank. Stephen has been involved in the School’s US trip for a few years now, meeting up with the boys and staff and giving them a rare insight into the world of high finance.

PHILLIP MILLS

(Delpratt 1963–65)

KEN WU

(Walker 1991–95) “I’m based in Silicon Valley where I work in the semiconductor industry.”

JOHN GRAY

(Thorold 1966–73) “I have extensive contacts at Microsoft in Silicon Valley.”

(McKinley 1968–77)

TIM FORELL

(McKinley 1969–70) “I have a valuable resource in extensive contacts with venture capitalists in high tech in the San Francisco/Silicon Valley area.”

12

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

“As a partner in David Polk’s Mergers and Acquisitions Group in New York, I’ve always made myself available to meet up with the US Business tour group. I’ve also been in touch with many young Old Boys through the OSA Mentor Network program and made use of my knowledge and contacts in the legal profession to provide guidance relating to careers in law.”

MARCUS CANESTRA (Kaiser 1985–89)

“I’m based in the San Francisco area and work in a high-growth, organic skincare business.”

But apart from the US, we have well over 100 Old Boys currently in the UK. Here’s a short list of a few that we know of.

Brodie Cunningham – Surveyor at CBRE UK David Sarafini – COO at Lendinvest in London, UK Christian Faes – CEO & Co Founder at LendInvest in London, UK Daniel Ritchie – Consultant, Global Sport Practise at PSD Group, UK Chris Walker-Hebborn – Olympic Swimmer, Personal Trainer, UK Richard Charlesworth – Environmental engineer/advisor at Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd, UK Brett Tully – Head of Simulation at First Light Fusion, Oxford, UK Tom Partridge – DPhil Student at University of Oxford, UK

OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ ASSOCIATION

Carl Allen – Senior Associate at Pinsent Masons LLP London, UK Proving that the GPS connection is alive and well, a bunch of these Young Old Boys currently living in London; Brodie Cunningham (TSS), Ben Crow (Churchie), Alex Makim (TSS), Jack Bruton (TSS), Dustin Kavanagh (TGS), Jack Makim (TSS), Chris Allan (from NZ) and Andrew Hardie (Churchie) – met up in Bratislava (Slovakia) for the weekend.

So you get the picture. We all know connections are important, whether for business or simply social reasons, and more so when you’re far from home. The world is a big place and connectedness with others who have a shared experience can be a welcome and supportive thing.

We encourage anyone else living abroad to contact the OSA and let us know what you are up to.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

13

Max Makes Music

Beyond His Years M

usic plays a very important part in the lives of many Prep boys and as a result we have a wonderful and broad music program that thrives. Every once in a while an exceptional young boy shines through with stunning achievements and musical maturity beyond his years.

Maxmillion Carr in Year 5 is one of these young boys.

Music has always played a valuable part in Max’s life along with – just for some contrast – golf. Max’s main instrument has always been piano and in this field his light has shone through. Starting at the tender age of six, Max has progressed each year, preparing for examinations and achieving outstanding results. He may have been learning for only five years, but he has achieved Honors in his Grade 7 AMEB piano exam and is now currently preparing for his Grade 8 AMEB and Trinity College London Exam. This is an amazing achievement, marked by a playing maturity that sets him apart from many other musicians.

In Year 3 Max undertook cello studies as part of the School’s compulsory Strings Program. After two years of study, Max is now preparing for his Grade 5 AMEB Cello Exam. Once again, he plays with great sensitivity and outstanding musicianship.

14

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

In addition to exams, Max has had success at various Eisteddfods including those conducted on the Gold Coast, in Beenleigh and Brisbane, as well as at various State-wide competitions.

As an extension to his solo performance, Max performs as part of a piano trio (piano, violin and cello) with fellow TSS Musicians Victor Wu (Year 7) and Kye Kanemura (Year 7). As wonderful ambassadors for TSS, they share their love of music through nonprofit charity concerts, in churches and in nursing homes.

Max is proof that the combination of talent, focus and dedication can produce music that defies the boundaries of mere age.

Undoubtedly the sky is the limit for this talented musician.

Trish Matthias Prep Music Master

Tough Competition Proves No Obstacle to our Cross Country Team The 46th GPS Cross Country Championships were held in May, and from a TSS point of view it was great to have over 120 runners from both sides of Ferry Road unite to form a strong team. The preparation of both teams had been very consistent and all runners were excited to test themselves against the best runners in the GPS Competition.

14 Years

6th (4 points)

15 Years

4th (6 points)

16 Years

2nd (8 points)

Open

2nd (8 points)

TSS performed really well on the day and it was great to see many smiles on the faces of the boys at the Championships and at the TSS Cross Country Trophy Presentation. The Junior team comprised runners from Years 5-7 and these age groups performed admirably against the bigger Brisbane schools, achieving sixth place overall.

Senior team

2nd overall (33 points out of 50)

In the Senior event, 2016 was one of the most successful days in GPS history for the TSS team. The hierarchy of GPS Cross Country schools was changed when the senior team achieved second place behind Brisbane Grammar and ahead of Brisbane State High School.

Since the GPS Cross Country Championships began in 1971, it is only the fourth time that TSS has finished on the podium and the second-best performance ever by a TSS Cross Country team. This achievement was the result of consistent, hard training over a long period of time. All TSS runners on the day performed admirably and it is impressive to see the TSS team still improving despite the fierce competition between schools.

Age Group results were: 10 Years

6th (4 points)

11 Years

6th (4 points)

12 Years

4th (6 points)

Junior team

6th overall (14 points out of 30)

13 Years

3rd (7 points)

There were a number of top 10 performances on the day.

These were: • William Ell – 5th 12 Years • Diesel Donnelly – 4th 13 Years • Kobi Rutherford – 6th place 16 Years • Ben Gibson – 7th place 16 Years • Toby Redler – 7th place Open A special mention must go to Oscar Rutherford and Stirling Smith (Year 7) who put aside their chances of excelling in the 12 Years age group in order to bolster the 13 Years team. This selfless act ensured that the age group achieved third place.

Interestingly, the team had more top 10 performances last year when we achieved seventh place. This demonstrates that the second place overall was as a result of a huge “team” performance where the top six runners in every age group performed admirably.

Even though the GPS Cross Country season is finished, runners are reminded that Run Squad sessions will continue throughout the year, and all runners are encouraged to continue training for their fitness, health and wellbeing.

Andrew Stalling Director of Athletics

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

15

No Hat-Trick, but still a Great Season on the Pitch

A

lthough the 1st XI couldn’t pull off a repeat of winning the last two years’ premierships, it was still another successful season for TSS Cricketers, again winning many games across all teams against larger schools.

We fielded two more teams (7D and 4th XI) than in previous seasons, but it’s how we’ve gone about our play that’s been very impressive. TSS boys prepare well, look the part and play with purpose. We strive to support and encourage the boys to aim for the highest levels, and with around 60 boys currently representing at a Gold Coast rep level we’re in a healthy position.

Some boys have pursued their cricketing goals to achieve even higher standing at GPS, State and even national levels this season.

Their ranks include: QCA U17’s Representative – Harry Kerr, Aust U17’s Representative – Xavier Bartlett and GPS Representative 2016 – Sol Budinger. Brandon Faber and Matthew Grant were also selected to the Qld U17 Rookie Challenge towards Qld U17 selection next season. Sol Budinger, Harry Kerr, Xavier Bartlett and Scott Palombo are on track for Qld U19 Squad selection.

With a 2016 key focus on supporting all TSS Cricket teams to perform at their best, the claim to the title of most successful team proved to be a close contest, with Years 5A, 8A, 9C, 10B, 2nd XI and 3rd XI finishing top of the table and after very successful seasons.

However, the winners for 2016 with a 100% win record across

16

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

all games was TSS 5A. With such a strong Year 5 Group coming through, this augurs well for the future years. The John Glenn Trophy for the most outstanding Years 7-10 “Junior” Cricketer for 2016 was awarded to Jack Hocart for work ethic, attitude and performance for the team. The Sam Loxton Supporters’ award was presented in recognition to Remwell Melia and Glenn Denniston.

TSS Cricket doesn’t happen by chance or by a single effort, but through what is truly a community effort, and in this there have been many contributors. In particular we would like to thank the TSS Cricket Support Group led by Graham and Sarah Budinger, together with Glenn Denniston, Ian Young, Simon Durante, Vanessa Grant, Nick Hall, Yvonne Faber and Damien Hocart. Their efforts in supporting facilities such as the Indoor Prep Nets and Boatshed Nets upgrade, Match Day catering and supporting our great sponsors and key events have been first rate.

All we can say is... bring on next season.

Steven Baker Director of Cricket

TSS Crews Administer a Sailing Lesson To Our Rivals

A

reinvigorated push from BGS (with new boats and sails) and BBC, who both travelled down to TSS with teams to compete in our annual cock of the river regatta, were to no avail as our sailors left them in their wake.

The 2016 sailing season started in Term 4, 2015 with sailing captain Tom Cunich and racing captain George Morton leading the boys well against our rivals. Tom Wright and new crew Baxter Stewart, Oscar Weatherseed and Charlie Piacun and an improving Xavier Doerr with Tom Edmonds in action, our depth of talent showed to be our strength against the other schools, as Tom Cunich and Blake won the day with Tom Wright and Baxter Stewart coming third.

This year on 19th March TSS again retained the GPS sailing championship with a 30-point buffer over BGS. After an almost unbeaten lead-up regatta, Tom Cunich and Blake Wilson finished fourth on the day with a BGS boat in second, Tom Wright and Baxter Stewart in third, and taking out top place George Morton and Charlie Piacun, giving everyone a sailing lesson in the seven races, with wind strength varying between five and 25 knots, to finish with a resounding win on only five points.

Outstanding results from Oscar Weatherseed with his crew Lachlan Read, who headed the wins for the seconds. Jazz Augius Jones with crew Ryan Kennedy and Xavier Doerr and Tom Edmonds making up two unstoppable teams from TSS sailing.

On regatta day we had Conner Pilcher sailing with Lachlan Free, Michael Murdoch with Patrick Anning, Lewis Cole and Darcy Douglas (on the water for their first try in the big league) and Callum Lockett with crew Bailey Brown, who improved every week this year thanks in part to our Tack Tracker program run by Matt Wright and Erica Stewart. Tack Tacker along with Periscope gives live data that is transmitted via modem to anyone watching around the world. This has proven to be an exciting new coaching tool that helps the boys understand racecourse strategy during our debriefing sessions.

A special thanks to Conner Pilcher, Oscar Weatherseed and Tom Wright for helping train the juniors on Saturday mornings. Thanks also to Alan Morton, whose Presidency of Friends of Sailing has created a great framework wherein parents can be involved and assist in the many tasks involved while learning about sailing, so the boys can retain their ongoing interest.

Special thanks to Di Francis, Mark Lockett and Mike Halpin for coaching the junior and intermediate groups. With these talented young sailors learning the ropes each year, TSS Sailing is well placed to retain the GPS title for many years to come.

Grant Wharington Director of Sailing

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

17

Tennis Young Guns Muscle Up to the Challenge

T

he 2016 Tennis season has been one of considerable growth for our young squad. Facing the daunting task of competing in the strongest high school tennis competition in the country, with many of our more senior experienced players out due to injury, the TSS Tennis program flexed its muscle with regard to competitiveness and team spirit.

With a result that will be difficult to match in future years, our First IV – largely made up of Year 9 and 11 players – scraped and clawed its way to a top four finish. This result was hard-earnt and symbolic of the quality training, camaraderie and coaching shown all season. Will Timoney, Jack McCarthy, Ryan Selvey and Vikram Nedunchezhian anchored the team, with Zac Berney and Alexey Shtengelov playing supporting roles.

TSS Tennis took further strides towards being an overall GPS champion program with excellent results in all eight year levels.

Our 5As and 8As were within a match or two of being undefeated.

The 5As were the unanimous choice for 2016 Team of the Year, closely followed by the 8As. The 5As consisted of Bailey Kowalczuk, Samson Fancutt, Harry Goffman and Sean Sturgess.

Overall, TSS Tennis was represented strongly across the board.

Our Most Valuable Player for 2016 was Scott Ross on the back of consistently dominant performances for his team.

Our tennis team will certainly miss the contribution by our seniors, but as in years past, we look forward to them remaining close to the program. Their leadership throughout the year was pivotal in setting the stage for the success of our current group of young guns.

18

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

Under the direction of our new Head Junior School Coach, Gemma Eaton, our junior programs continue to go from strength to strength. Players flocked to the sessions each afternoon and we saw significant skill improvements in all areas.

Our facility continues to improve, as this year we welcomed brand-new wind screens and court numbers. We will also see the benefits from the coaches’ office, storage room and players’ room for years to come.

Our attendance records for spectators and participants in our preseason camp was broken and the Welcome BBQ and Tennis Festival were bigger and better in 2016 as well. The mini tennis tournament was a hit again and the captains’ speeches were well delivered.

Once again TSS had the most experienced coaches in the GPS competition. We were able to put together a group with unrivalled experience and passion for the sport in Kaden Hensel, Gemma Eaton, Ross Taylor, Tom George, Beck Meares, Matthew Bentley, Deb Goudy and Old Boy Aiden Williamson.

TSS Tennis continues to make big strides in all areas. We’re excited about the improvements made in the past few years, but also know we have lofty goals. To support our endeavors please consider joining the Friends of Tennis support group to help improve our support, fundraising and events.

David Hodge Director of Tennis

A Stroke of Swimming Genius In 2016

A

s the pool falls quiet for the season, there’s no room for doubt that 2016 has been the greatest swimming year The Southport School has ever seen. We retained the GPS Premiership and won the Junior GPS Premiership for the first time ever, and a look at the records shows that TSS has now finished in the top three at the Senior GPS Championships every year since 2003, with three premierships in the past four years.

In another historic first, TSS Aquatic has three athletes heading to Rio for the Olympic Games. David Morgan will be competing for Australia, Ashton Baumann (son of Alex Baumann – a previous teacher at TSS) will be competing for Canada and Emma Robinson will be racing for New Zealand.

TSS swimmers are in fact competing in a range of major championships. Max Osborn (Surman) and Laura Taylor will be competing for Australia at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in August. TSS Old Boys Jake Kersten and Lachlan Colquhoun will be competing at the Oceania Championships in July, while TSS Aquatic has another five swimmers also racing at this competition.

Still on a winning roll, we’ve produced our best Australian National Championships result ever, winning two gold, one silver and four bronze medals, as well as eight additional National medals from the Canadian, British and New Zealand Olympic Trials. But wait, there’s more. TSS has managed yet another milestone with our best-ever National Age Championships at which our swimmers came home with a total haul of 14 gold medals.

Of course support out of the pool and behind the scenes is vital and in this respect The Southport School has been absolutely amazing, not just this year, but every year. With each season the backing from dedicated staff and parents has grown, allowing our swimmers to focus on what they do best – displaying a stroke of swimming genius.

Liam du Feu Director of Swimming

New Boats, New Enthusiasm for the Rowing Season to Come

F

or the 2015/2016 season, four new boats – Charles Thorold, Clavill Bere, E. Moyse and Islay Lee – were added to the TSS Rowing fleet, enhancing a new-found sense of enthusiasm that fuelled a very positive atmosphere in The Shed. The boys looked excellent, behaved admirably and in every aspect upheld The Shed’s pillars of unity, discipline, respect and consistency.

The efforts of 187 students from Years 8-12, supported by around 20 staff members, including teachers from TSS and external coaches, produced many highlights during the season.

Unlike most other GPS sports, the rowing season culminates in one major event, the Head of the River. Going in, TSS had a strong build-up to the 2016 event, with a number of crews ranked in the top three. No less than seven TSS Championship crews finished in the top three at the Head of the River, which was a good result for the boys competing. The Year 11 1st and 2nd VIIIs finished the season with really strong results, as both crews won their respective races with open-water margins over TSS rival schools Nudgee and Churchie.

Off the back of these successes and participation numbers, moving into the 2016/2017 season there’s no doubt that we’re building for something special with the group that’s coming through.

The belief in The Shed is evident, and the boys know that through hard work the next two seasons can be very successful for the TSS Rowing Program.

We look forward to beginning the next season in Term 4 of 2016, but in the meantime we continue to organise and plan so that with every season that unfolds we continue to develop and grow until TSS Rowing is back on top of the Queensland GPS competition.

Adam Harrison Director of Rowing

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

19

There’s No Debating Our Debating Performance

T

he 2016 debating season was one of our most successful in recent years. The combination of a large number of very willing boys, wise and patient coaches, great support from the student body and good results across all year levels raised its profile and resulted in a high overall finish and best Senior A results in 10 years.

TSS fielded a total of 25 out of a maximum of 28 teams this year, which meant we were able to match the larger debating schools across all year levels. We competed in a total of 108 debates (third most) and won 58. This put us firmly in the same league as BBC, Churchie and BSHS and just behind the “powerhouse schools” of Brisbane Grammar School and Gregory Terrace.

The Senior A team of Yash Bhoola, Jack Woods and Cale Kalinowski – ably coached by Mr Oliver Alini – began the year with a rush and were at the top of the table for a large part of the year. They eventually finished a very creditable third – our best result since 2007 – claiming the scalps of both Gregory Terrace and Churchie on the way.

20

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

One of the real strengths of our program is the lengthy commitment of our students over two terms and their willingness to step into unfamiliar speaking positions, teams or even year levels.

Over the course of the season a large number of boys stepped up at the last minute, often doing their first debate or preparing on the bus. We also had a team of two, Michael Jiang and Oscar Churchill, take on Brisbane State High, and our 11.2 team of Joel Gray, Tiernan Halpin and Henry Waller take on a Year 10 Brisbane Boys’ College team after volunteering on the Friday of the debate.

Andrew Berryman MIC Debating

Football Developing According to the Program

W

ith nearly 5000 boys playing Football across GPS schools, 2016 has yet again been a year of growth the code, and in keeping with this trend, here at TSS our team numbers have increased to close to 500 players. Gratifyingly there’s also a clear pattern of Football’s increased popularity among the boys as they travel through school.

The feedback from the majority of coaches has indicated that the TSS students have a lot of fun playing Football and most have made significant progress in terms of understanding the game, its tactics and its rules.

In terms of player development, our pathway towards local Junior Premier League (JPL) and National Premier League (NPL) clubs has been improved this year, by virtue of working closely with Surfers Paradise Apollo Soccer Club (SPASC) and Gold Coast City.

We have doubled the number of boys at TSS that play Club Football and this will help towards our goal of producing a higher quality of player for our First XI. The First XI had a good season. It was a slow start as the newly formed group got to know each other, but then they gained momentum with successive wins against Gregory Terrace, Ipswich Grammar and Nudgee College. Unfortunately a wash-out at Churchie extinguished any hopes of regaining the Premiership.

The Football Development Program (FDP) is in its first full year, and its main aim of motivating the boys academically has proved highly successful, with diligence grades improving across the 31 students. Eight of these students have been selected to travel to the UK to train for two weeks with the Crystal Palace Academy in the Premier League. These boys will experience what it is like to be a player of their age in England, and also what Football looks like at different levels in Europe.

With the European Championships in France and the Premier League due to start again in August, there is a real buzz for Australian Football fans watching on TV here. Clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are all visiting Australia now, recognising that it’s a relatively untapped market for talented young players.

The future is most definitely bright for footballers at TSS and our development program will aim to show them Football all over the world as part of their TSS education.

Joe Dolan Director of Football

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

21

Robert Ritchie Wellbeing Team Head of Humanities

D

o you ever get so involved doing something that nothing else seems to matter and you lose track of time? Can you remember a recent occasion when you were so fully immersed in an activity? Perhaps you felt this deep sense of absorption in your leisure time; for example when reading a riveting book, engrossed in a game of chess, effortlessly gliding across the dancefloor, stirring the perfect pasta sauce, or snowboarding down a challenging run with no room for distraction. Maybe you have also felt this sense of full engagement in your workplace, perhaps as a teacher lost in the moment explaining simultaneous equations, marking that incredibly insightful research essay, or methodically demonstrating a science experiment.

Whatever it is for you, and whether it happens at work or at play, when you feel you are ‘in your element’, totally ‘in the zone’, you are experiencing the state called ‘flow’.

22

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

virtual absence of emotion, probably because there is a loss of one’s sense of self. However, this loss of selfconsciousness during the experience is followed by a strengthened sense of self after the flow experience, accompanied by positive feelings such as pride and joy.

Flow is also associated with the development of intelligence and creative thinking. Flow involves an activity that demands a level of skill to match the level of challenge presented by an activity.

If the challenge is too great anxiety may set in, but if the challenge is within reach a person is encouraged to improve their skills to reach a new state of flow.

Similarly, if the challenge is too low a person may feel bored, and encouraged to increase the challenge to match their skill level, again returning to a state of flow.

Flow acts as a magnet for learning new skills and setting new challenges. In so doing, individuals grow in mental and physical capability.

What are the benefits of Flow?

Does Flow have a dark side?

Flow is associated with feelings of positive emotion, and so acts to enhance individual wellbeing.

Interestingly, during the flow experience there is a

As in all things, balance is important. So it is with flow, as not all challenging activities lead to healthy outcomes. Gambling, for example by playing poker,

Whatever it is for you, and whether it happens at work or at play, when you feel you are ‘in your element’, totally ‘in the zone’, you are experiencing the state called ‘flow’.

can set up flow, but produce financial loss and family breakdown. Computer games similarly can transform moments of flow into addiction, with subsequent impacts on productivity and, in the case of students, puts their academic success at risk. Being totally engrossed in one’s work can also be problematic, especially if the resulting loss of a sense of time causes one to often arrive home late from the office, neglecting home duties with spouse and children.

While flow is good in the sense that it has potential to increase the intensity, meaning and richness of one’s life, and grow one’s sense of self-esteem, it may have negative social consequences if one is unable to disengage when necessary.

How can I experience Flow more often?

Studies conducted in the USA and Germany found that approximately 20% of people experience flow often in a day, and another 40% say sometimes. About 15% claim to never experience flow.

Interestingly, it was observed that flow was most likely to be experienced at work, rather than at play.

This might at first glance seem like an unexpected result, but the explanation makes sense. Work involves activity with clear goals as there are set tasks to complete. These tasks usually provide a level of challenge that matches fairly well with their level of skill, and they demand concentrated effort. Provided one enjoys one’s job, and can prioritise the tasks one enjoys most, then it is likely a person will experience flow several times a day at work.

In contrast, it was also found that people often lack a sense of clear purpose in their free time.

This suggests that unless we learn to use this time effectively – by engaging in an activity such as playing sport, pottery, painting or piano with sufficient challenge to elicit flow – simply having leisure at our disposal will not improve our quality of life.

The key to using our time in a way that is rewarding in itself is to tune into our strengths. Since flow occurs when we are doing something we are good at, it follows that flow occurs best when we are using our strengths. Thus, to increase the frequency of the flow experience, we must look for new ways or new opportunities to use our strengths. A good place to start is to complete the VIA Character Strengths survey online, which will put 24 strengths in order, and reveal your top five Signature Strengths.

Human beings are not naturally lazy, but, in contrast, are innately proactive and curious and are driven to seek out new challenges and new possibilities. This draws into question the whole issue of the value of ‘carrots and sticks’ in managing human behaviour, and questions whether many managers – especially those who are task-focused, controlling, and reluctant to give praise or credit – actually reduce organisational productivity and creativity by thwarting the basic psychological needs of their staff and, in doing so, kill their intrinsic motivation.

In contrast, new business practises, grounded in the research findings of Positive Psychology, which help individuals to flourish at work, experience elevated energy and enjoy greater autonomy, are emerging under the banner of ‘positive leadership’.

Companies now adopting these different work practices are especially those, such as IT start-ups, where worker creativity is crucial to the company’s success.

A notable example is NetFlix, which has established a ‘Results-Only Work Environment’ (ROWE) in which workers are free to arrive at work when they want, and free to choose when to take vacations. Employees are appraised purely on their capacity to achieve their work targets, with very few restrictions on how they achieve these. Google has introduced the concept of ‘20% time’, allowing their workforce to spend a proportion of their work time on whatever project they desire. Zappos, an online shoe store, builds employee relationships by forgoing the

traditional password login with an identification quiz of photos of fellow employees.

Arguably, a school environment is more difficult to operate as a ROWE, given the duty of care that adults have for students and the timetabled nature of classes.

However, it is worth considering how one might achieve greater autonomy in one’s work at our school.

The key is for us each to think in particular about which aspect of autonomy is most important to us – is it autonomy over what we do (Task), with whom we do it (Team), how we do it (Technique), or when we do it (Time)?

Conclusion One key to boosting an individual’s wellbeing is the frequent experience of ‘flow’, achieved through intrinsically rewarding work and other enjoyably challenging activities. In this context, there is a case for re-evaluating every workplace to enhance opportunities for flow and emphasising the particular importance of a caring environment that fosters feelings of autonomy and competence.

The take-away message here is that in the interests of maximising outcomes for the young men who attend our school, it behoves each of us to examine how we might tweak our work role and environment for ourselves and for our colleagues to maximise productivity, positivity and creativity. In so doing, we further embrace the TSS culture of being a Wellbeing School.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

23

STEM

BUILDS UP TO A T FULL HEAD OF

STEAM Story by Jasina Poeszus Prep – Year 6 Gifted and Talented

24

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

here are many schools discussing the need to design and implement more STEM (Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics) programs. The logic is simple: the wave of future economic prosperity lies in a workforce that is well-versed in rising job markets like science, technology, engineering and math. Therefore, schools commonly are providing initiatives such as Robotics, after-school STEM clubs or STEM curriculum, where projects using STEM practices are embedded, Coding clubs and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) initiatives.

TSS Prep already provides all these for its community of learners, and while these initiatives are a wonderful start into the exploration of these four areas of study, the critical process of creativity and innovation is missing. Enter STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts & Mathematics) – a way to take the benefits of STEM and complete the package by integrating these principles in and through the Arts. STEAM takes STEM to the next level.

STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking. The end result is students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration and work through the creative process. However, Engineering and Art

The end result is students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process.

were not always completely separate disciplines. For example, Leonardo da Vinci seamlessly combined the two. It is hoped that these STEAM students will be the innovators, educators, leaders and learners of the 21st century.

The withdrawal aspect of the Gifted & Talented (G&T) program often includes both project-based learning and STEAM education. With a push for deeper learning, teaching and assessment of 21st century skills, both Problem Based Learning (PBL) and STEAM help target rigorous learning and problemsolving. STEAM education isn’t just the content, but the process of being scientists, mathematicians, engineers, artists and technological entrepreneurs.

The pathway to STEAM is exciting, but can also be dangerous without an understanding of what STEAM truly means in both its intention and its implementation. Like its STEM predecessor, STEAM could potentially stop short of its best manifestation without several core components, and these are considered when planning student-centred teaching and learning experiences: STEAM is an integrated approach to learning that requires an intentional connection between standards, assessments and lesson design/implementation.

True STEAM experiences involve two or more standards from Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and the Arts to be taught AND assessed in and through each other.

Inquiry, collaboration, and an emphasis on processbased learning are at the heart of the STEAM approach.

Finally, utilising and leveraging the integrity of the Arts themselves is essential to an authentic STEAM initiative.

Finally, there is a link between STEAM & Creativity. We are creative creatures and have been since we first existed, as evidenced by the first cave paintings formed over 40,000 years ago. But somehow in this modern day we’ve forgotten that being creative is part of the human experience.

There is plenty of talk in the news about making our children more creative to prepare for the jobs for the 21st century. The word “creativity” is used a lot, but no-one is taking the time to define it. Plato used to think frequently about creativity and would describe it as being a channel for a muse. To me creativity breaks the ice to enable learning. Creativity is the secret sauce to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), where A is for Art is the necessary ingredient to the concept STEAM. Most scientists use metaphors, as part of their toolkit. Metaphors create a linkage between two dissimilar ideas and are useful in the sciences because they allow information to be attained by connecting the unknown with the known. This is the key element to scientific creativity. Metaphors are important because they create a means of seeking answers, and sometimes they free students from common thinking and enable increased divergence and thus eventually, one day, scientific breakthroughs.

For example, metaphors are peppered into scientific language. Scientists will say light waves, electric current and magnetic fields, but they do not literally mean an ocean of light, a stream of electricity or a pasture of magnets. These phrases make connections between that thing we know and that thing we are trying to explore. Metaphors are thought–mappings that help understanding.

To highlight this further, Sir Isaac Newton figured out that celestial bodies and the earth were linked by gravity. An apple falling to the earth was a metaphor for the linkages between the earth and the moon. German astronomer Johannes Kepler linked the workings of a clock to the motion of the planets.

Danish physicist Niels Bohr visualised the atom as a mini-solar system. Metaphors can help us take a cerebral leap. We need parallels – a cell is a city, atoms are billiard balls and DNA are spiral staircases – so that we can play with these concepts to uncover answers and enable learning.

By incorporating STEAM into the educational opportunities for boys we are providing space in which to create, collaborate, analyse critically, explore, design and reach new scientific understanding. Nurturing through STEAM is essential preparation for these boys who have the potential to be an Einstein, Newton, Kepler or da Vinci of the future.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

25

The Key that Opens the Door to Boarding 26

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

R

ogers House is the entry level to Boarding and Year 7 and as this is the first year of high school for boys starting at TSS, it’s important to ensure this ‘transitional’ year, from home to boarding life, is well managed.

Boarding staff work hard to ensure this transition year is smooth, comfortable, exciting, and free from too many problems for the new students.

Rogers Housemaster Ian Browne has a philosophy on ‘Introduction to Boarding’ using the analogy of ‘BROTHERS’ to prepare the Rogers boys for their Senior Boarding life.

Brotherhood is the first step into settling into new boarding life. Being accepting of the boarding culture, prepared to accept new mates, build friendships and bonds and be open to new and exciting experiences both within the House and out of it. Change is always difficult for new students, and if they are open enough to try something different they will find it such a rewarding experience.

Resilience is a major part of the first term in boarding. Being able to manage situations yourself and not jump on the phone to call mum when you can’t find a pair of socks or have lost a book for class. This is simply resolved by the student’s willingness to “ask questions” of the people around him. By asking a staff member of the House or their teacher, in most cases the problems are solved quickly and effectively.

Organisation is about being able to meet the daily routines of making your bed, putting your washing out, tidying your cubicle, preparing your books and

uniform for class, and even regularly shampooing your hair. Morning inspections of the House by the Housemaster and Assistant Housemaster ensure that boys know they will be held to account for their areas.

Awards and incentives for routines are also a big part of ensuring that the organisational skills are realised.

Time Management is similar to organisation, but in Rogers the focus is more on developing good skills academically and being able to meet the requirements of a new, sometimes daunting, academic program.

Utilising the School’s Record Book (Diary) is the first step to organisation, and students learn quickly that this becomes a very vital tool.

Homesickness & Health. Every student comes with varying degrees of homesickness. It usually arrives about week three and can last for an hour, a night or in some cases weeks. Staff and Matron are very aware of what is needed to manage these situations and best of all, other students also assist ‘ailing’ students by comforting them through these times. At this stage of their boarding life, it’s always best to be busy and involve yourself in as many activities as possible to take your mind off missing home, which is what brings homesickness on. Health too is an incredibly important factor, particularly for those who have had parents do everything for them.

Managing a good eating plan, personal hygiene and even just exercising are all part of developing a healthy lifestyle in boarding.

Energy levels soon begin to fall when things get tough. Academic pressures, sporting commitments, busyness and tiredness all impact on a student’s energy

levels. As a result students become grumpy, agitated and sometimes very non-responsive. To reboot energy levels, Rogers has a number of initiatives, including ‘Time-Out or Chill Zones’ for students to simply rest quietly in their dorms.

Respect for others, their property, space and feelings is a big part of what Rogers tries to build upon.

As many students arrive with no experience of living in a dormitory life, it can be very upsetting for some that have to tackle such everyday situations as not being able to take a shower when you want because they are taken, or not being able to just take what they see from other areas of ‘their’ home. Respect in many ways is about looking after each other and respecting the fact that everyone is different.

Service in Rogers has many facets, from doing daily chores around the House (including washingup), to serving as table captain, collecting washing bags and tidying the common room. Through this students develop ownership of the House and work together. Service to the School develops as well, as many boys are asked to be a part of groups that may work in the community in ways such as Clean Up Australia Day or collecting money for the Round Square Organisation. A great example of this has been the sleepover in Brisbane’s Anglican Cathedral, in which all of the Rogers’ boys slept on a cardboard bed overnight to raise money for the Anglican Churches fund for the Homeless.

All in all, Rogers is a unique boarding experience and one that prepares its boys for the many years of Boarding life at TSS.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

27

Spreading the Word about

Wellbeing

to the Wider World A

t The Southport School, the positive benefits of Wellbeing and Balance are emphasised and strongly promoted to our boys and young men as being worthy of pursuit. The goal is that they’ll develop positive relationships, resilience and a positive disposition, so that when faced with life’s challenges they’ll have the emotional strength and strategies to flourish.

But beyond reaching out to the students, The Southport School aims to put in place a Community Wellbeing Program – being based on Positive Psychology – to provide our parents and our wider School community with opportunities to learn about, monitor and develop their own wellbeing, as well as supporting and nurturing the wellbeing of their sons.

Becoming TSS Certified in Positive Psychology Parents and members of the TSS community will have the opportunity to attend free workshops dedicated to the latest research in Positive Psychology. These workshops will be delivered by TSS staff that hold formal qualifications in this area.

The workshops will be delivered over time in six modules, with successful completion resulting in the attainment of the TSS Certificate in Positive Psychology.

This series of workshops will be open to all adults in the community and are slated to commence later this year with dates, times and session to be advised via the School website and Newsletter. For further information on session content you can email wellbeing@tss.qld.edu.au or contact the Dean of Curriculum Innovation, Mark Herriman.

Self-Enhancement Through Myers-Briggs Profiling Throughout the year, members of our community will be invited to attend Myers-Briggs profiling sessions with qualified practitioners on campus.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator identifies valuable differences between normal, healthy people. By taking the MBTI assessment it helps to enhance your understanding of yourself, your motivations, your natural strengths and your potential areas for growth. It will also help you appreciate people who are different from you.

Profiling sessions will continue to be held throughout the year, with notification via the TSS website and Newsletter. RSVPs and a subsidised payment are required.

28

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

21st Century Teacher Mindset

Collaboration is Key principals result in better learning for students”. The importance of teachers working together to effectively implement these technological solutions is clear.

T

he 21st century learning environment continues to change in dramatic and previously unimagined ways. The existence of social media in our lives means that instantaneous inclusion or even dismissal from communities of belonging are factors that can impact on relational and emotional wellbeing of our students. Also, sifting and sorting through a range of multimodal entertainment items and an overload of information, opinion and creative opportunities from online ‘authors’ presents young minds with a tangled mix of both bias and expertise. While in the past such insight into ‘big ideas’ and detailed content retrieval was typically deemed to be the domain of a school-based education, today the Internet contributes significantly to the bank of knowledge we create and colours the way our world is perceived. This environment is vastly different to that of previous generations.

Yet harnessing technology for optimum productivity in the classroom is not immediately straightforward and often comes with criticism and debate. Professor John Hattie, Chair of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, is well known internationally for his work in establishing the ‘effect sizes’ of different factors on student learning.

For educators who are technology enthusiasts, the initial findings are not all that positive. Simply having technology in the classroom, while it is not

detrimental to the learning, does not have anything like the galvanising effects we might expect.

What Hattie’s work does reveal, however, is that factors such as the quality of feedback, to both teacher and student, about the learning that is actually happening in the classroom can have a profound impact on the progress that is made, if immediate and accurate feedback can enable teachers to be much more responsive to the needs of the students and also motivate them by making their progress tangible and thereby measurable. The ongoing challenge for teachers therefore, is to ensure that the use of technology is driven by the requirements for teaching and learning rather than being regarded as a solution in itself.

Similarly, Professor Michael Fullan – formerly of the University of Toronto and recognised as a worldwide authority on educational reform – has written extensively on technology in the classroom.

He explains that the “integration of technology and pedagogy to maximise learning must meet four criteria. It must be irresistibly engaging; elegantly efficient (challenging but easy to use); technologically ubiquitous; and steeped in real-life problem-solving”.

He reminds us that we should “[n]ever think of technology without worrying about teachers and mentors. It is teachers with technology who will make the difference”. Moreover, he emphasises that, “We have… greatly miscast and underutilised technology’s power. When we enlist technology in the service of exploratory learning for all, watch out!” Fullan also highlights collaboration in schools as a key component to effective learning environment. He says, “The research has been clear and consistent for over 30 years – collaborative cultures in which teachers focus on improving their teaching practice, learn from each other, and are well led and supported by school

Within this brave new world of Web 2.0, the opportunities for teacher collaboration in education offers many new ways to meet the needs of current, emerging and future learners. This year, TSS teachers have been working both within and across academic departments using a variety of compatible collaborative platforms such as OneNote, Google Drive and Stile to improve student organisation, clarity of writing and retest the students’ application of content knowledge.

Students have found Microsoft’s OneNote product to be excellent for its organisational ability.

Like the old-fashioned folders with ‘tabs’ for each subject, students have been reminded of the importance of such organisation and how it can be achieved similarly online. As Benjamin Franklin famously explained, “A place for everything and everything in its place”. Moreover, TSS students are being encouraged to make use of the OneNote Clipper plug-in to help with collating their research links with one-touch. To work with the collaborative nature of OneNote, teachers have been sharing content with students and colleagues, offering opportunities to co-edit and further create a new bank of knowledge to share and seek feedback.

Other collaborative tools working well for students and staff include Google Drive and quizzes using Stile. With these Web 2.0 tools, students are quickly sharing their writing styles and content knowledge with peers and teachers, again with the purpose of looking for productive feedback. The nexus between Hattie’s theory and TSS teaching practice is thus evident, culminating in strong student productivity and engagement.

With a team of educators embracing new systems that demonstrate collaboration comes increased productivity, stronger motivation and a high-energy learning environment. It is this kind of positive and collaborative learning culture that Hattie and Fullan both endorse for the optimum 21st century classroom.

Dr Jill Margerison Associate Dean of E-Learning Nicholas Stansbie Biddle Housemaster

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

29

From Little Georgie to

Front Row George A Mother’s View From the Sidelines Dear Mr Hain,

Bryan Hain

What has happened to our dear little boy? George left home eight years ago to play his first game of Rugby for TSS Prep. He was only nine years old. I remember the day clearly. He set off with his dad after a light but nourishing breakfast, neatly dressed in a new TSS Rugby jersey, socks rolled carefully to the knees and a pair of nice little boots.

Director of Sport and Activities

He carried a banana (for stamina) and a bottle of water (for thirst) in his sports bag. Naturally, he had a proper mouthguard ($145 including dentist’s fees) and a maroon-striped helmet ($98). He was to wear this if anyone ran at him in a threatening manner.

I

t’s that time of the year when there is a chill in the air and Rugby balls start to reappear on the ovals around TSS. It wasn’t that long ago I was sent this letter from a TSS rugby mum who continues to watch her boys play Rugby in TSS colours. I have adapted the letter slightly for publication in this issue of the Band of Brothers. I am sure many of you can relate to this amusing description of life on the sideline.

30

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

The George I remember back then was a gentle, chatty little fellow with a happy disposition who got on well with everyone. He was a tiny little chap, with a sunny smile and curly blond hair. George is now 17 and I can’t help but notice the difference. I write to ask for an explanation.

Last Saturday, after watching his game, his father and I picked him up from the usual spot. George was leaning against a tree. His jersey was streaked with mud and one sleeve was torn at the armpit. He appeared to have a long scratch on his cheek and blood on his right earlobe. There was grass in his hair. His shorts were filthy and he winced as he ripped off the tape that was the only thing, as far as I could see, still keeping his ears attached to his head.

His mouth contorted wildly and we were seriously worried about yet another injury until, on closer inspection, we realised he was eating a giant green and purple jelly python without using his hands. He did this in much the same way a real python might devour a rabbit, deliberately dislocating its own jaw and swallowing the unfortunate creature centimetre by centimetre.

Dropping clods of earth from between the studs on his boots, George clattered across the road and clambered into the back of the car. He smelled of damp, sweat and Dencorub. Then three more boys climbed in. Footy players, like nuns and policemen, rarely travel alone. It was a chilly winter day in Queensland, Mr Hain, and we were forced to travel with the windows closed.

There have been other disconcerting changes, too. People sometimes say a boy “has a good head on his shoulders” with reference to his maturity. In George’s case, it can now be taken literally. Sadly, the neck that used to separate his head and shoulders so attractively seems to have disappeared altogether since he found his niche in the front row of the scrum. And this brings me to another sore point – the rules of Rugby.

After years of watching my sons scramble about on muddy paddocks, I think that I have worked out the rules and I respectfully suggest, Sir, they are not just the ones printed in the referee’s handbook.

Rule I: The other team is always bigger. They travel with a masseur and physiotherapist. Even if they are Under 12s.

Rule 2: Rucks, in which players jump on each other’s heads with spiky boots, always take place near mothers. I should warn you that when the blood starts to flow, a mother’s thoughts turn quickly to Soccer.

Rule 3: A forward pass is any pass that results in a try for the other side.

Most fathers were once Rugby Internationals and they know a forward pass when they see one. A good referee will, at all times, consult these sideline experts. Especially the one with the booming voice.

Rule 4: A boy with floppy socks is more likely to drop the ball than one whose socks are held neatly in place with tape. (OK, I made that one up.)

Rule 5: Attempting to read players’ lips from the sidelines is dangerous and may result in the unhappy discovery that your son’s vocabulary is more colourful than previously thought.

Rule 6: A referee, in addition to being blind and deaf, may be related to the other team’s loosehead prop.

Rule 7: To ensure a boy kicks a goal, has a strong run or scores the first try of his career, it is only necessary for his mother to go to the toilet, become engrossed in conversation or look the other way for a second.

Rule 8: Building character and teamwork will always involve a groin strain.

Rule 9: Mothers must restrain themselves at all times. A mother may not embarrass a boy by running on to the field of play in a panic.

She may, however, ride in the front seat of the ambulance, produce all required documentation at the hospital and drive her son to and from school each day until the bone knits.

Rule 10: A win in Rugby is due to skill, training and talent. A loss is due to bad luck and the genetic shortcomings of the referee.

Two big questions remain, though. How can a boy have the best time in the world doing the worst things that his mother can imagine, and where is that mouthguard?

I remain (on the sidelines),

Pat Wilson

TSS Rugby Mum

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

31

FIRING UP

THE SENIOR BRAINS through

VISUAL ARTS

32

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

Opposite: Bone Totem – Dried animal bones 2016 Fourth generation Southport School boy Lleyton Sehmish-Lahey’s work investigates the order of nature and preservation by creating a totem pole made from bones sourced from Quamera, Goondiwindi

Jemma Peisker Visual Art

T

he Visual Arts program in the Senior School has been designed specifically to enhance and engage the developing social, emotional and intellectual brain of boys at TSS. Research that draws on results from studies in neuropsychology and the cognitive neuroscience of art suggests that visual art uses reduced physics to understand the world in exploring the potentials and capacities of the brain.

Students engaging in art-making practices at TSS demonstrate infinite creative variability unique to artists, whereby they create different artworks that arise out of common neurobiological processes. The inter-subjective form of Visual Art communication has an important role within the TSS community as a system that conveys individual expressions of history, ideas, emotions and aesthetics in a manner not afforded by language alone.

To accommodate various learning styles and capacities for learning, Visual Art considers an open-ended curriculum that

Above: Nature’s Eye – Natural timber & mirror Alex Suwannalue

supports the inquiry-based learning model. This model develops students’ investigative and thinking skills and contributes to their ability to participate in aesthetic processes. Thus moving beyond acquisition of facts to metacognition (thinking about one’s own mental processes) and developing understandings about concepts and focuses, the process of investigation as well as the production of object is emphasised for the students.

Dana Gioia, 2007 Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, commented that art is an irreplaceable way of understanding and expressing the world, as art addresses us in the fullness of our being – simultaneously speaking to our intellect, emotions, imagination, memory and physical sense. In addition, the value of personal experience in art-making enriches the process as students bring their personal understandings to their practise.

In Visual Arts at The Southport School, boys are encouraged to value their individuality and depth of understanding as they learn to respect their own experience as being unique and powerful.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

33

High Tea and the

Visual Art of Mother’s Day V

isual Art education enables us to match teaching and learning styles to the male brain, which in turn creates an environment of relevance and purpose for boys. Whether a boy is a Kinesthetic, Visual Spatial, Musical, Linguistic or Logical-Mathematical learner, the Visual Arts provide the opportunity to maximise a boy’s learning potential.

Boys’ learning should be filled with wonder about the world. The Visual Art program is highly international and covers a range of fascinating cultures from the indigenous worlds of the Americas and the Asia Pacific, to classical cultures of Europe. The Art curriculum is linked to the Core Curriculum areas, particularly Literacy, History, Geography and Science.

Boys respond well to relevant and purposeful subject matter, with a large variety of visuals, DVDs movies, sound stimulation, music, graphics and visiting artists.

TSS Prep is a strong, cohesive community, and to this end the Art staff and every boy in the School from Pre Prep to Year 6 recently worked in conjunction with Friends of Prep to create a substantial collection of Artworks for the 2016 Mother’s Day High Tea. All

34

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

works have archival integrity, comprising stretched primed canvas and synthetic polymer paints.

This annual fundraising event is designed to celebrate the joys of motherhood as well as generating much appreciated financial support for the Prep school community. Each year level produced a work of Art related to the theme of JOY. Pre Prep painted a blushing sea of blooms; Reception boys painted the tree of life; Year One painted an abstract garden, Year Two painted Water Lillies after Claude Monet, Year Three painted an underworld wonderland, Year Four produced a huge spray of Mother’s Day flowers, Year Five painted Gold Coast Dreaming from an indigenous perspective and Year Six stencilled and spray-painted flora.

All works at the 2016 Mother’s Day High Tea were auctioned by an professional auctioneer who managed to entice buyers’ generosity beyond all expectations.

The top bid went to a Year One work produced by all students in the cohort, taking turns to paint triangles of all sizes and colours. Focusing on predominantly warm tints and hues, the students mixed their own

colours before applying the paint to the composition.

The end result was a piece that hinted at the vibrant Australian outback environment. The making of the image required a collaborative response and the students relished the unfolding visual artwork.

Visual Art is produced in isolation, in small groups and large groups at TSS. The Mother’s Day auction provided the entire School with another opportunity to work as a team. As with the whole School ANZAC Poppy Project, the boys gain satisfaction from contributing something small to create a result designed to benefit the whole School community.

For decades, boys have been most fortunate to have a specialist Art facility at TSS Prep. Visual Art is a ‘good fit for the male brain’. It encompasses a curriculum that is purposeful, creative, relevant and provides opportunities for academic stimulation and skill building that challenge boys’ minds.

Kerrie Anderson, Shelagh Rogers, Wendy Rix Prep Visual Art Staff

T

he Premier Division of the Gold Coast High Schools Chess Competition always promises to be intense, pitting the best players the Coast can muster against one another. This year our TSS team started with the handicap of being very much under strength, with six of our seven top-rated players unavailable to play on the day.

But the TSS spirit doesn’t accept defeat easily and the boys came home with a Premier Division win by beating teams from very strong chess schools that included Kings, Somerset, All Saints and St Stephens.

The team that checkmated all opposition comprised: Robert McCullough (Year 11), Taisei Fuji (Year 9), Tosh Allan (Year 11) and Tyson Spisich (Year 10). Robert was the top player of the day, winning six and drawing one of the seven games played, decisively beating players who were rated far higher than himself.

It Was Checkmate Against All-Comers in the Premier Chess Division

Others who competed on the day and acquitted themselves admirably were Heaven Elishav (Year 10, winning five out of seven in the Premier Division), Spencer Lee (Year 8), Peter Wolfenden (Year 8), Wilson Spisich (Year 8), Tae Yoon (Year7) and Jack McAuley (Year 7).

The boys have done TSS proud, so if you see them round the campus, congratulate them on a stunning victory that was really against all odds.

It’s Officially a Great Library at Prep F

AIR (Freedom of Access to Information and Resources) recently published a new report on the impact of school libraries and teacher-librarians, with focus on the three areas in which libraries make a unique contribution – reading, digital literacy, critical thinking and research skills. These represent vital elements of a student’s educational experience, providing the building blocks for learning and underpinning every aspect of the Australian Curriculum.

However, it appears Australia has a long way to go to ensure that all students benefit from these skills. The Australian Early Development Census 2015 reveals that nearly one in five fiveyear-olds in Australia are at risk of not achieving a good standard of reading.

In this context, FAIR has made the case that school libraries and teacher-librarians are perfectly placed to nurture these vital skills and that further investment in school libraries and qualified teacher-librarians is fundamental if Australian students are to fulfil their potential.

To further highlight the case, in October 2015, FAIR joined with library associations and Education HQ to seek nominations

of Great School Libraries across Australia. The objective was to recognise libraries that help children and young people find reliable information; use the information effectively; think critically; make informed decisions; work productively with others; build knowledge and understanding of the world; safely navigate the internet; communicate and share their ideas; and find great reads to meet personal interests and abilities.

A huge response produced nominations of more than 200 school libraries across Australia, from across the full spectrum of government, Catholic and independent, K-12, primary and secondary schools. Nominations were supported by materials, included drawings, stories, quotes and photographs to provide evidence of how much these libraries are valued within their schools.

Criteria for a Great Library included: a qualified teacher-librarian managing the library, enough space for a whole class to fit in the library, high-speed internet and encouragement of students to make use of online resources.

Needless to say TSS Prep was confident in meeting all the FAIR benchmarks and has now received official recognition of something we all knew... that Prep has a truly Great Library.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

35

1985 First XV Team Photo

I Saw Us Buck the Sporting Odds

...Twice

W

hen the odds are stacked against you in a sporting event, it’s pretty natural to feel it’s all over before the start and that to see that rabbit get pulled out of the hat is at best a faint – if loyal – hope. But sometimes it happens and the impossible win is pulled off, and if you’re really lucky you get to see it.

The likelihood of being there to see two such victories claimed is bordering on the fanciful, and yet in the history of TSS sports, as a TSS teacher and a former director of swimming, John Wallace witnessed the impossible in Rugby during the 1985 season and in the GPS swimming championships of 1992.

John calls it as he saw it.

TSS v IGS Round 8, 1985

I

t was “the” game of the GPS Rugby season in 1985. The team captained by School Captain John Clifford, and coached by School Sergeant “Curly” Lamb had a mixed season with four victories and four losses. Their opponents this day were the undefeated GPS team of the season, Ipswich Grammar School who had a number of BSHS players backing up from the previous season including Wallaby David Wilson. Ipswich approached the game as a percentage booster and the confidence of players and supporters was clearly evident from the moment they arrived on the Gold Coast. Dressed in their red and white tracksuits with matching hoods the Ipswich team warmed up in front of the TSS spectators on the now Wallaby Ware field, looking every bit the winners before the game had even begun. It had been a bleak week leading up to a typical winter’s Saturday with many muddy patches on the field and the spectators were dressed in their winter woollies. The TSS team in the eyes of most present that day, looked like lambs to the slaughter. Very few teams had won that day and supporters loyal to the School cheered the boys on to the field for this David versus Goliath struggle.

36

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

The game started and most were expecting early Ipswich tries, but this was not to be. It was a tight, close game with both teams giving their all in the trying conditions. The soft ground had evened the teams and early on it was inevitable that the game would be a close contest. Ipswich’s fast game was nullified by the wet conditions and the TSS boys knew that an upset was possible. Many lifted that day to produce their best performance of the season. None more so than winger Bruce Wright. Bruce excelled in the wet conditions and ran like a gazelle on the slippery surface. In the first half the closeness of the match was only broken by an intercept try by Ipswich, which was completely against the run of play. At half time IGS held a 6-0 lead but there was a feeling that TSS was still well in the match. An emotional “Curly” Lamb and captain John Clifford asked for the boys to give their all in the second half and there was a determination and resolve that you could feel in the boys even though they were up against such a talented opposition.

in the conditions, he scored the first try to the roar of the TSS spectators. The Ipswich team looked on in bewilderment. Surely a quick reply from Ipswich was inevitable. Minutes later Bruce again accepted a pass and scored a brilliant try in the corner. The mound was alive with excited and emotional parents and supporters who sensed the upset of the decade.

Ipswich threw everything at TSS. They charged the line like rampant Zulus and the TSS defence was courageous and held fast. Only two points separated the teams and for the 15 minutes remaining, Ipswich was right on TSS’s goal line desperate for that final try or penalty to win the game. The final minutes seemed like hours as Ipswich pressed forward. The final whistle saw scenes unparalleled in TSS history, with TSS parents and supporters hoarse with acclamation for such a wonderful game. Ipswich was shattered, but in awe of their opposition’s performance. For the first time that year coach “Curly” Lamb cracked a smile and tears welled in his eyes as he greeted his team in victory.

With a tight tussle continuing into the second half, Bruce accepted a pass on the opposition’s 22-yard line and charged for the line. So fleet of foot was he

I can attest to it being the game of the decade as I was there, sitting on the mound next to Delpratt Housemaster the Reverend Bruce Maughan.

1992 GPS Swimming Team

GPS Swimming Championships 1992

I

n the early days of Coach Ian Browne’s tenure as TSS Swim Coach the School had a small, modest team of swimmers. The small group, usually reinforced with boys from Rowing and Cricket, always gave their best on GPS, but fell short during the relays due to a lack of depth. The spirit was strong and the team had a genuine feeling to do well, but lacked the numbers of good, competitive swimmers to be a force in GPS competition. To win an individual event at GPS was like the School winning the Head of the River.

The swimming captain in 1992 was Mark Knobel, a boy who had entered TSS in Year 7 from NSW. Mark showed leadership qualities in the sport and excelled in the backstroke, his favourite event.

He was a quietly spoken young man who let his swimming do the talking.

In 1992 he was one of the favourites to win the 100 metres Backstroke and he was the School’s best chance to win an individual event. On the eve of GPS Mark was primed to swim the race of his life for the School.

It was always a tradition at that time to have a Pasta Party the night before GPS at one of the Year 12 parents’ homes. In 1992 the Jefferies family were the hosts. As usual the team bonded well on the evening and the Pasta evening was a great success. Towards the end of the evening the unthinkable happened. Mark Knobel having some fun like all boys do, slipped on the ground and dislocated a disc in his back. He was in

terrible pain and could hardly walk. He was shattered as were the coaches and his family. It was looking like we would be without our best swimmer for GPS. That evening coach Browne hardly slept a wink and reports early next morning were not good from Mark’s mum and dad. He was on painkillers and could only lie down to relieve the pain. When the team arrived for the bus we were all in anticipation as to whether Mark would turn up or not. Five minutes before departure and the time before mobile phones it was not looking good. We would have to leave without our captain and best chance for a GPS victory. As we were about to depart TSS, Mark turned up. To make things easier for him we laid him on the back seat en route to Chandler. We were thankful that he was able to join the team, but still doubtful that he would be able to swim.

When we arrived at Chandler Mark hobbled into the stadium in obvious pain, but with a smile on his face. To me this was a sign that he would swim his pet event, the 100-metres backstroke. Up until his event we were still without a win, but with most boys attaining PBs. The team has its fingers crossed that Mark would be able to take his place in the Open 100 metres backstroke. When the 100m backstroke was marshalled, Mark, in pain and hunchbacked, made his way to the marshalling room and then to the start.

He looked so different to all the other swimmers on

his way to the starting blocks as it was obvious that the walk was a painful experience.

When the starter’s whistle blew Mark just fell into the water to take his position for the start. He was unable to start in the extended arch like all backstroke swimmers. He looked awkward. After the start and as soon as he was able to extend his body into motion and take away the pressure from his legs the gracefulness of his stroke took control and the pain was gone. After 50m he was clearly in the lead and it was only when he had to make the halfway turn was his lead slashed. Marginally in the lead after the first turn he extended this even further in the final lap to win convincingly. TSS stood as one to applaud a magnificent swim in the most trying of circumstances.

He could barely get out of the water, but the thrill of winning took away all of the pain.

Mark Knobel was a champion that day in the eyes of everyone who knew him. As captain he knew that he had a tremendous responsibility to fulfil and he did so magnificently. He could so easily have said “I can’t swim...”, but this was never an option for Mark as he was a true team man and his final GPS swim meant everything to him and his team. A true champion.

John Wallace Housemaster Emeritus

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

37

Pythagoras, Pi and Circles in the Sand P aul Richard Halmos was an American mathematician who once said, “The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics”, so with this in mind we give the Year 8 students the experience of “doing mathematics” in an environment not ordinarily associated with mathematics.

Since 2014, the Mathematics Department has been taking all the Year 8 classes to Dux Camp on South Stradbroke to experience maths activities outside the traditional classroom. Two teachers accompany each class and the class is split into teams, each team rotating through the various mathematical activities.

Activities include orienteering, estimating the value of π (Pi) by drawing circles in the sand, finding the height of a tree by using trigonometry or similar triangles, finding the volume of water tanks and calculating the amount of water that could be held in them, finding examples of right-angled triangles around the campsite and using Pythgoras’ Theorem to check the right angles. We also challenge the students with Logic problems to get them to “think outside the square”.

The one-night camp for the students is a very positive learning experience, with many returning to class the next day enthusiastically talking about mathematics and the camp in general.

38

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to go on that camp and I hope that it is just as good for the rest of the Year 8 classes that go. I hope to go again some time.” – Finn Bongers “My Year 8 Maths Camp experience was fun and very educational.

It delivered learning in a fun and appealing way. My best activity was drawing circles in the sand.” – Nikai Phillips “Exhilarating. A whole new experience.” – Andy Sui “The best camp I’ve ever been on.” – Christian Goh “It made Maths more enjoyable.” – Finn Smith It’s obvious that giving the boys an opportunity to “bring maths to life” in a practical and fun experience in the classroom of the great outdoors is well received and lifts their understanding and appreciation of maths to a new level.

It’s an important and unique experience for the boys and thanks must go to the many dedicated Mathematics staff who freely give up their time to support this camp.

Ms Robyn Gibson Acting Head of Mathematics

The Many Faces

of Philanthropy Philanthropy in Bricks & Mortar Terms Evidence of this can be seen in the generous response to the McKinley House Appeal and its practical outcome. The ongoing refurbishment of the Boarding Houses is a priority, as boarding continues to generate a unique spirit and culture that sets TSS boys apart from other schools. One of the top strategic aims is to continue growing the number of country boarders in the School, thus the support generated from families and Old Boys (especially those who have had multiple generations attend TSS and/or are proud McKinley House members) has ensured that the quality improvements needed within all areas of McKinley House have been completed and now offer exceptional facilities for the boys.

A special Honor Board acknowledges all the names of donors supporting the Appeal, while individual plaques are located in specific areas throughout the House as a dignified and respectful way for McKinley House and the School to acknowledge donor support.

To put a personal, human face on the project, McKinley Sports Captain James Cain commented: “The 2016 McKinley House renovations are nothing short of spectacular. From the spacious rooms and

new modern decor, to the built-in fans (which all the boys love), these past few months have truly changed the feel of McKinley as a house. It has been a tedious process in transforming McKinley into the house it is now, but the overall product is something the boys and the staff are very proud of.”

The next boarding House to have the opportunity is Thorold House and we look forward to providing further information when the Appeal is launched shortly.

Unfolding the Future with the Strategic Plan The role of philanthropy in supporting the ongoing growth and evolution of the School becomes even more significant in these exciting times as the Strategic Plan comes alive.

Starting last year, the Headmaster conducted a far-reaching series of special presentations for parents for two upcoming projects and this year those presentations continue. Every family at TSS is offered the opportunity to hear first-hand what the next phase of the School’s development entails. Parents who have attended past presentations have expressed appreciation of the insight and opportunity that these

T

here's no question that philanthropy accelerates development of TSS and enhances the future of our boys, as the support that TSS receives from donors means that we can put all kinds of projects on to a faster rollout than would otherwise be the case. This extra revenue is the best way that we can maintain affordable fees and where possible fast-track projects and achieve the best outcomes for all families in a timely and efficient way sessions have provided. TSS will continue to press on with more development work to ensure that the boys are able to benefit from the best resourcing that we can make possible now and into the future.

The Full Philanthropy Picture is on a New Website The fruits born of Philanthropy at TSS are many and varied and in this context so are the ways in which donations can be made and directed.

A new website, philanthropy.tss.qld.edu.au, contains extensive information about the initiatives and special interest projects that form the wide variety of ways in which we can continue to advance education for TSS boys.

Visit the site to learn more about Indigenous Education and Country Boarding Bursaries, the new Lecture Theatre and Library Redevelopment, Preparatory School Multi-Purpose Prep Hall, the School’s history in photos, Australian Sports Foundation, TSS Master Plan and much more.

Bruce Wright Director of Philanthropy

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

39

The Nightly News, Pizza and Grasp the

Sparrow’s Tail Rob Ritchie Head of Humanities

A

s most adults appreciate, it’s beneficial to keep abreast of what’s happening in the world. Such knowledge and understanding of global and local events is arguably the foundation of responsible citizenship. But how do you get boys excited about the nightly news?

Teachers at The Southport School know that the answer lies in tuning into boys’ brains and designing a learning strategy that is boy-friendly. A current events multiple-choice quiz based on the previous week’s news is now emailed by the Head of Humanities, Mr Robert Ritchie, to all teaching staff on a weekly basis.

Many teachers have adopted this quiz as an activity with their pastoral-care group and engage in a weekly competition with their boys.

Leading by example is French teacher and Biddle pastoral-care teacher Ms Sophie Boissery. Guided by Michael Gurian’s book The Purpose of Boys, Sophie has set up a system based on mutual respect, peer mentoring and adult care. For Sophie, being a female role model for her class of boarding boys from Biddle House is paramount.

40

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

Her PC students literally run to her Mentor Period, where she has divided them into vertically streamed teams, consisting of one or two boys from each year level. Armed with a whiteboard marker and a mini whiteboard, each team writes the answer to each multiple-choice question and holds it up. Ms Boissery tallies the results in the French language, much to the amusement of the boys with whom she has built a strong relationship.

As Sophie explains, “The key to engaging the boys is to set up a friendly, competitive environment. The boys love competition, and I’ve found that many are now keeping an eye on the news so they can help their team win. I’ve also found that having teams with boys across Years 7-12 helps build relationships within our pastoral-care group. The younger boys really love it when they know an answer the bigger boys don’t know. We have a lot of fun together, and the boys are really expanding their knowledge while getting to know each other better too”.

A prize for the winning team each term – invariably involving pizza – will be provided by the Biddle Housemaster, but for the boys this is just a

bonus, as the real prize is the fun and challenge of the quiz played in good spirits with their House mates and their Pastoral Care teacher.

At The Southport School, each year level undertakes workshops each term as part of a formal curriculum designed to build their wellbeing. Recently, through collaboration with the Solaris Health and Harmony Centre, Year 11 boys were introduced to Tai Chi as an innovative way of delivering the workshop on ‘Healthy Living’.

After demonstrating a sequence of moves – which in some forms can bear such exotic names as Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail, Repulse Monkey and Carry Tiger to Mountain – Tai Chi exponent Paul got 120 boys on their feet and joining in with some traditional warm-up exercises. The boys were enthusiastic and willing participants. For many, the workshop could not have come at a better time of the term.

With the boys feeling the strain of their assignments and looming exam block, they were appreciative of the opportunity to learn the benefits of deep breathing and gentle-mindful movement. Indeed, Tai Chi is often referred to as ‘meditation in motion’.

Tai Chi is just one of several strategies through which The Southport School deliberately seeks to equip our boys with a kitbag of skills they can draw upon in difficult times and to build their resilience. All the research consistently shows that the quality of one’s life in adulthood depends on more than just a good job and a good income. It’s crucially important that boys build their resilience while at school, and that means learning what works for them to keep them centred and coping in times of stress.

Following the positive feedback from the Year 11 boys, Tai Chi is set to become a strategy to which other year groups will be introduced later this year. It combines many boy-friendly elements – it’s mindfulness while being physical, it’s challenging to one’s sense of balance and core strength while being relaxing, and it’s new and different from what boys have done before, hence appealing to their curiosity and sense of fun and adventure.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

41

Kerrie Aquilina Prep Teacher

M

onday 21st March, 2016 was World Poetry Day, a special date in the calendar proclaimed by UNESCO as a “Celebration of the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind”. World Poetry Day promotes a return to the traditions of poetry recitation and the teaching of poetry and allows people to see “that everywhere in the world, individuals share the same feelings and ask the

same questions”.

The Preparatory School at TSS offers our boys a wide range of opportunities as part of their growth in literacy and literature appreciation, and to this end we decided to provide a new avenue of expression – the Poetry Competition. This competition was open to all boys in Years 3 to 6 and was promoted at assemblies, in class and on posters around the School. Boys were given three to four weeks to write and enter a poem about significant upcoming events – ANZAC Day, Earth Day and Mother’s Day. The poetry could be created in a variety of styles, including Acrostic, Haiku and Free Verse poems.

We are excited to say we received over 80 entries, which were judged by Mrs Barry and myself. The winning poems from each year level were published in the weekly Prep School Newsletter and the winners were acknowledged with certificates presented at our assembly. Such was the quality of the poems that it was decided to also award several Commendations in each year level. All entries will be encouraged to enter the Ipswich Poetry Feast as a follow-up to this event.

We sincerely believe this competition has provided our boys with another window for expression, a better understanding that writing has a purpose and a strengthened awareness of the power of words.

Get hold of the newsletter and enjoy reading some more of our entries from the competition this year.

42

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

ANZAC

Mother’s Day Poem

I can see cruel guns being shot by innocent people,

Beautiful, loving, generous and kind,

My friends and mates being shot, the medics risking their lives for others.

No better Mother could I possibly find.

I can feel the tension in the air as each person pulls the trigger to shoot – I can feel my hands shaking.

The key to my heart she will always hold, She is everything to me, more precious than gold.

I can hear bombs being dropped by the air force, bullets zooming through the air, people yelling for help!

I can touch the guns and the soil in the base that we’re shooting from, I can taste the stale meat and porridge in my mouth – I miss my mother’s chicken that she made.

Nicholas Hill – Year 3

Chocolates and presents, all for my mum, She is most definitely my number one.

So give me a kiss and hug me real tight, Because Mum, I’ll miss at bedtime tonight.

But when I open my eyes, you’ll be the first one I see, Tomorrow is Mother’s Day for Mummy and me.

We’ll eats lots of cake and have heaps of fun, And count down the days for the next one.

A Poem for The ANZACs.

Sam Ledingham – Year 5

Gunshots blasting through red, bulldozed sands of Gallipoli, The Turkish soldiers murdering my friends in this destroyed land.

My best mates are dying while I’m crying inside.

The Beauty of Death

The deafening bombshells of the Turkish artillery piercing my ears,

Under all the horror, life is beautiful.

My friends screaming in pain as the Turkish take us down.

People don’t recognise this so much.

My guns all being filled with gunpowder as I fight for my amazing country,

Certain things and certain sounds,

Sweat from nervousness carving into my devastated hands.

These give life an amazing touch.

The blazing sun burns my nervous skin as my anger is released,

My mum’s mouth-watering pie and sugar taste ruined by the irony – the taste of my enemy’s blood and stale, salty meat.

Tadhg Stuckey – Year 4

One smile can make someone’s day, One compliment can give hope.

One sound can bring back memories, Be happy with life – please don’t mope.

Death of a loved one can be devastating, They’ve gone to a better place you see.

Your time will eventually come to an end, At least you can say, “I’m happy”.

Finn Corser – Year 6

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

43

TSS Teachers Show How to Lead From the Front

44

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

Jo Inglis Deputy Headmaster – Head of Learning and Teaching

T

SS teachers are supported and encouraged to develop professionally in the four identified domains of the TSS Ideal Teacher Framework; Knowledge, Relationships, Wellbeing & Balance, and Leadership. Leadership in the teaching profession is one aspect of the leadership domain and TSS teachers are encouraged to present at State, national and international conferences in their area/s of expertise.

TSS teachers have previously presented at a wide array of conferences and topics including; Adolescent Leadership, Gifted and Talented, Positive Psychology, English & English Extension, Reading, Mathematics, Modern History, Chinese Living Language and Culture, eLearning and collaborative writing, Robotics, Coaching, BYOD programs and Data Analytics.

Earlier in February, Mr Mark Locket, TSS Robotics and Engineering Technology Coordinator, presented workshops at the Bangkok International Schools’ Gifted and Talented Festival by invitation of the festival’s organising body. Over 400 students from five Bangkok International School attended the 20 workshops over two days at The Patana School. Mr Lockett, an experienced presenter on Robotics at Australian and international conferences, presented a oneday Robot Design workshop and a one-day Advanced Programming workshop to Years 7, 8 and 9 students. Mr Lockett commented that “Only a few students had programmed robots before so they had a steep learning curve at a fast pace. The 9000km round trip in four days was a little extreme but the experience of teaching to G&T students has extended my teaching practice skills immensely”.

Left: Scott McDonald visiting the high commission in Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian schools.

Recently, Dr Jill Margerison, TSS Associate Dean of Learning and Teaching – eLearning, and English teacher, presented by invitation of the organising committee of EduTech on collaboration, creativity and mastery in writing to 400 educators from across Australia at the EduTech National Future Schools Conference at Australian Technology Park, Sydney. Her key message was one that reminded the audience that, “Achieving mastery at school is important, but let’s not forget smiles, laughter, relationships and collaboration in the pursuit of our outcomes”.

TSS colleagues Robert Ritchie and Susan Presto were selected to present at the Positive Education Schools Association Conference held at The Peninsula School in Victoria in March. Robert and Susan spoke about topics related to the School’s focus on Positive Psychology and Wellbeing, as well as Type Theory and its link to Wellbeing. The workshop synthesised the latest research findings in education and Positive Psychology to present the seven most important things school leaders and teachers must teach their students (and parents) to make a real positive difference to their wellbeing. Then, drawing on the experience of innovation at the school, new ideas were presented, including the School’s use of the Myers-Briggs Personality Profiling. This proved to be a successful workshop with a high number of attendees and queries about the School’s focus on Wellbeing.

This year the English faculty has been awarded a fellowship through the Asia Education Foundation to implement a literacy extension project, partnered with a school in Malaysia. In January, our Head of English, Mr Scott McDonald, and our Associate Dean of E-learning, Dr Jill Margerison, visited the High Commission in Kuala Lumpur and a range of Malaysian schools.

As part of the project, Dr Margerison’s 9E English class have been collaborating with the SMART school in Pahang, on Malaysia’s eastern coast. The class has been working in cluster groups with Mr McDonald and have been connecting and writing with their Malaysian counterparts on lifestyle, culture and are now embarking on a world literature study. The innovative program will also form part of an action research project study being undertaken at The Southport School to further enhance literacy, writing and global citizenship. The fact that the boys have already made a host of friends from across the seas is just an added bonus.

Internationally and nationally this action research project on collaborative writing and global citizenship has already attracted much attention. Most exciting for the boys and their their Malaysian counterparts was the news that the Australian High Commission in Malaysia are publicising the global friendship and ‘classroom without walls’ approach through its government media channels.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

45

46

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

A

regular part of our ‘day-to-day’ in marketing is keeping up-todate photos and film that we can use for different strategies.

Usually these are done by the Marketing staff, incorporating the everyday activities that happen on our campus, capturing photos of our boys in the classroom or at play. These are always taken at random and are never staged.

Recently, we went a step further and had a professional photoshoot at TSS to update the photos on the School’s billboards. This shoot was something entirely different. Staged. Planned. And very strategic. Following the line of our recent billboard photos in which we used stock photos showing young boys using their imagination, we rolled different ideas around, remembering to illustrate our brand archetype “The Creator” and importantly, to catch the attention of our young audience and evoke emotion.

As staff, we see things every day on campus that makes us stop and wonder at the engagement and imagination of our boys.

Whether students are big or small, there are inspirational moments of imagination. It might happen in the classroom when a new strategic way of approaching the problem is voiced, or when paint is put on to canvas, or it might be on the oval when cricket bats are placed over a puddle and there ensues a game of ‘who can make it over without getting their feet wet?’ Boys are vessels of thought and imagination here at TSS, so we just needed to figure out a way to show it.

After much thought, we decided to build a set in one of the classrooms, provide numerous props and let our boys’ imaginations run free.

Decision made, there followed a week of painting backdrops, borrowing skateboards, finding Einstein wigs, staging homemade

drum kits (made out of pots and pans from the Boarding kitchen) and organising the Southport Park butcher to find the largest bones possible.

Our stage was set, the props in place, the dog and chicken worded up on their behaviour. Our next big issue – talent. We needed boys with personality and unrestrained imagination. After consulting with staff, we decided not to hire talent, as we felt our students fit the bill perfectly.

Then came three days of the most fun I have ever had. Spending time with the younger students from the Prep Campus is always a highlight in the marketing calendar. The randomness of their young comments, the rapture they show at participating in events they’ve never been a part of before, their imagination that pulls you along for the ride, and especially their excitement at being on the BIG campus.

As we knew they would, our boys performed with aplomb. Given a backdrop and some cardboard boxes it’s amazing what games suddenly come forth from young minds. From conquering Mars to selling dog bones (instead of lemonade), we let the boys ‘go with it’ and provide evidence of the imagination they show day-to-day in the classroom.

What we were after was something different from the ‘run of the mill’ school advertising that is normally used, and we’re confident that’s what we have. The billboards using our new photos will start to appear over the coming weeks, and my favourite one appears on the cover of this edition of Band of Brothers. Our Reception and Year 1 boys, Zain, Hunter, Ryosei and Santiago had an absolute ball playing on the tyre swing. We hope you like them as much as we loved creating them.

Karen Martin Marketing Coordinator

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

47

To Enhance Wellbeing and Unlock Potential, Start Out by

Thinking Jung Susan Presto English Teacher

A

poethical philosophy, one that takes responsibility for the unknowability, must be the starting point when considering the creation of an environment in which to flourish. To do this, there must be promotion of a curiosity that leaves no stone unturned. A quest such as this has led The Southport School to becoming a leader in the world of wellbeing in education. In 2015 the wider international community responded enthusiastically to these innovations through invitations to spread the word about how and what we were doing. For TSS, enhancing wellbeing and unlocking potential for the individuals and teams, it all started with Jung.

Carl Jung’s publication of Psychological Types in 1921 was the foundation upon which Myers and Briggs based the profiling tool, MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), in 1940. All three, Jung, Briggs and Myers, took their own steps towards taking responsibility for what had been previously considered unknowable, or had been previously unexplained about human nature. Myers and Briggs believed this knowledge would bring about world peace.

The power of this information comes from understanding more about oneself and others, how this can affect the choices we make and unlock previously untapped potential simply by knowing why. Jung explained that “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate”.

48

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

Who looks outside who looks inside

dreams,

For the past five years the entire Year 10 cohort at TSS have been given the gift of this information using the MBTI. In 2016 we are still finding new and innovative ways to learn more of what can be known about ourselves, and how to make the most of what we have discovered.

Since beginning work with the sporting teams in 2011 the focus has been on; team dynamic, decisionmaking and dealing with stress. However, every year coaches, managers and players marvel over the insights that reveal themselves in unexpected places.

It is clearly liberating for all stakeholders to take responsibility for what had previously been considered unknowable or not considered at all. The most tangible outcome has been the creation of a more harmonious environment in which everyone feels safe to flourish.

During game-time all three focus point come into play. The coaches needed to be able to access individual information. At a glance that would enhance communication with that player on the spot in the most effective format. If it isn’t instantly available, it isn’t any use.

Each year I created ‘booklets’ specific to each team and player. As I printed these pages and stapled them carefully in the specific order I’d envisioned as user friendliest, I had a pretty good idea where these pages wouldn’t be during the game. The question then became, how to provide maximum information with minimum information. There was no precedence for what we needed, no-one had published a format for this sort of use.

Clearly the success of the MBTI profiling was its downfall as far as my research for enhancing teamwork was concerned. Big companies found it incredibly successful in creating work teams and in

awakens

managing office dynamics. So much so that most of the currently available information includes expected outcomes for each of the 16 types with regard to statistics gathered on topics such as education, family life, social life, job satisfaction, etc. According to this research, an interpretation of the MBTI manual for my own four-letter type could be that it would not be surprising if I was educated in degrees I never used, was divorced, alcoholic or in jail.

There seemed no positive use in our School or team context in predicting an outcome according to statistics on type. To use this information to enhance wellbeing, it had to be invented. No-one else had asked the same questions and no research had tried to use the information in the same way as we wanted to use it. Jung did say, “Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge”. It is as if he predicted the paradox of the potential to flourish monetarily from this information when statistically analysed, as opposed to using the information to flourish as a race.

Stepping away from anything that has been done before with MBTI profiling, I finally realised that I didn’t need to look for outside research to show how this information could be most useful to what we were doing. Looking back at the origins of the system and focusing on our specific purposes, a seed took root and grew.

By establishing a basic understanding of the Myers-Briggs dichotomies and which energies they represent, the four-letter code produced by the MBTI becomes much more potent information when colour coded according to percentage of preference.

The information suddenly becomes much more individually specific.

coaches about ways to deal with situations that arise, specific to the player. The coach is also under pressure during the game, so his natural preferences need to be taken into consideration when presenting this information.

A thorough coach knows other very important information about his players as well with regards to ethics, culture, intelligence, traits, etc. This, combined with what MBTI can tell us, can take a team beyond the sum of its individual parts.

For TSS basketball, the results are tangible. This knowledge has led to the creation of a warmer, safer, more trusting team environment. Understanding and trusting differences has expanded the environment to the point where there is room for everybody’s ego to grow without encroaching on another’s. The point has become more than creating an environment, but making sure the environment has no edges or limits.

This overlaps into everything, every day. The team dynamic dribbles out beyond the court, further into the wider context of the basketball community, the classroom, the office, the School, home. Understanding and appreciating individuality will inevitably lead to more peaceful environments in which to grow big, courageous dreams into possibilities.

Carl Jung said it so long ago,“Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakens”.

In the context of a basketball game, a four-letter colour code for each player provides reminders to

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

49

Determination, Dedication and Smiles as

Prep Rugby Goes From Strength to Strength

O

ver 150 enthusiastic Prep School boys have been developing their Rugby skills during Term Two, then every Saturday testing those skills in one of 13 TSS Prep teams in the Gold Coast Rugby Competition.

The strength of the program is having enthusiastic parent-coaches who guide their young charges to tackle, tag, run forward, clean out and enjoy playing alongside their mates. These parent-coaches began the season with an information evening where they had presentations from key TSS Rugby staff and Ryan Roberts, GC Development officer. The parentcoaches have also had the support of teacher age group managers – Mr James Sproule U6, Mr Robertson U7/8, Mr Darren Fellowes U9 and Mr Mark Hoppe U10 – to ensure focus is provided at training. Another wonderful addition to the 2016 program is the support from 1st XV coach Mike Wallace to assist at the U8 – U10 level training sessions, where his focus has been solely on improving tackling technique.

Having members of the 1st XV squad cheering on the sidelines on Saturday mornings has been a highlight for the Prep boys. Many of this next generation of TSS Senior Rugby players will return the favour during the Term Three GPS Championships.

Each week the coaches report on the improvement of their teams and it’s been pleasing to see the

50

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

enjoyment everyone involved is getting from the highest-profile sport at School, as evidenced in some recent quotes from the coaches: ‘The boys had a cracking game. Thank you to parents for the photos and half-time oranges. The smiles and faces of determination tell the perfect story. It is what Rugby is all about.’

‘What a great start to the season. Those living near TSS would have heard the regular and loud cheering as TSS Prep Rugby players scored against teams such as the Coomera Crushers, Nerang Bulls and Palm Beach Alleygators.’

‘It was a very positive morning of Rugby for the TSS teams with more wins than losses. Overall we had happy boys and happy parents. It was great to see Year 10 1st XV squad members Tom van der Schyff (Year 10) and Noah Lolesio (Year 11) who turned up to support the U6 to U10 teams. It was great to see the younger players looking with admiration at Senior TSS players.’

‘We have one of the more experienced coaching groups in our grade with a Head Coach, Skills & Conditioning Coach and a Player Development Coach!’

‘Great game. Awesome defence. They’re doing great.’

‘We are now learning what the word “forward” means and are trying to avoid the words “sideways and backwards”.

‘What a fantastic game the team played today against the Barbarians. Their level of maturity and sportsmanship should make all of the parents proud!

In scoring our tries we showed the passing and cleanout drills are starting to have an influence on the game.

The boys are now starting to understand you can’t always run around the opposing team.’

‘Wet-weather football was in full effect on Saturday, as showers swept over the field during warm-ups and tested the drainage of the Prep Ovals. Fortunately, our game was against Tamborine Mountain, and not the Mighty Ducks... It was always going to be a tough assignment though. The Mountain Men were hungry (apparently the team bus didn’t make a stop for food on the way to the ground) and we were also expecting their endurance to come to the fore in the second half, given their high-altitude training facilities...’

‘We tamed the Bulls for the whole 40 minutes. They moved the ball around so freely it was like watching poetry in motion. Our defence was awesome as we created a TSS wall by banding together like the brothers they are.’

With this sort of enthusiasm both on and off the field, the future of TSS as a great Rugby School looks assured.

Andrew Robertson Prep Sports Master

An Armidale Tour de Force by

Years 7/6 Rugby Squad T

he 2016 Combined Years 7 and 6 Rugby squad assembled at the Senior School on Friday 8th April, bound for Armidale and the Annual TAS Rugby Tournament. Ahead of the squad was a six-hour bus journey, four pool matches, a final and some colder weather than it was used to. The squad of 19 boys and three staff took to the road, viewing some of rural New South Wales’ finest countryside along the way and arriving at Armidale in the late afternoon. Not wanting to waste an opportunity, the boys promptly changed into training gear and went through a final training session before settling into their accommodation for the night.

It was up early on Saturday morning for breakfast, with a long, action-packed day ahead and four tough games to be played. TSS was in the A Division and played Gordon Rep for a loss, claimed a win over Central North Rep NSW, had a close loss against Waverley College and defeated Noosa RUC. At the end of the day the boys had the honour of listening to former Waratahs and Brumbies back Mr Peter Playford, who spent the weekend at the tournament watching the action.

scored again to level the score, then go on to lead the scoreline for the remainder of the match. The final tally was TSS two tries to SCGS three. TSS placed sixth overall from a pool of 43 teams.

A well deserved win. Cody Wood was named TSS Player of the Tournament, and received a special commemorative T-shirt for his fantastic performances.

A great effort by all of the squad to make the final of this major tournament, finishing sixth out of 43 teams in the A Division with teams from Queensland, ACT and New South Wales. The boys played in great spirit, setting the tone for behaviour and attitude on and off the field to make for a wonderful weekend of rugby and mateship. Congratulations to all boys involved and a big thank you to the coaches, Mr Browne Snr, Year 5 teacher Mr Darren Fellowes and for the support of the TSS parents.

Ian Browne Rogers Housemaster, Senior Business Teacher

As the team had lost only losing matches in the pool rounds, its final match was against Sunshine Coast Grammar School to decide the fourth and sixth places of the competition. Throughout the first half both teams battled to get the upper hand, with TSS showing some strong defence and classy backline plays. SCGS crossed the line early, then TSS responded with a charge that saw our forwards push through their line and TSS score two tries before half-time. Early in the second half TSS had a number of attacking opportunities, but could not break the much improved SCGS pack. Sunshine Coast

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

51

TSS Makes the

China Connection

with Enan School

52

B a nd

o f

Br o t h er s

During the 10-day English and Cultural exchange program, TSS boys were given the opportunity to study alongside the students from Enan, share stories about their lives and backgrounds, play sport together and enjoy an Aussie lunchbox experience at break times.

Angela Tyler Prep School Teacher

I

n April, TSS welcomed one of the first international student groups to ever visit Gold Coast City. This was a direct result of a Study Gold Coast campaign conducted in China to raise awareness of the education opportunities afforded by Gold Coast schools, universities and training providers. Utilising China’s popular social media channels Weibo and WeChat, it is estimated the campaign reached some 46 million Chinese and drew some 1500 entries to a competition offering the chance for a limited study experience on the Gold Coast.

Arriving at Gold Coast Airport on the new direct return flight connection with Wuhan, China, the TSS visitors comprised 17 Middle and High School students, two Chinese language teachers, two executive staff and two Vice-Principals from Enan High School in the Hubei Province. In a typical show of TSS hospitality, a civic reception, including a performance from our very own Chinese Lion Dancing and Drumming group, was held under the Clocktower to officially welcome the visitors.

Enan High School has a student population of more than 4000 and is ranked as one of the top eight schools in their province, which has more than 2000 schools. TSS – with the assistance of Tyler

International, who arranged and coordinated the Enan group’s Study Tour – is looking to form a brother-school link with this prestigious Chinese school. Tyler International has been working with TSS over the past few years to create stronger ties between our current Chinese language programs and to provide genuine opportunities for TSS boys to experience true cultural exchange and understanding through specific study tour programs both in-country and abroad.

It’s vital for our boys to develop and experience international awareness and connectivity firsthand, and through in-school programs such as this – as well as home-stay opportunities for our school families – our boys can be enriched by opening their school, homes and hearts to peers who live and learn in a different culture to their own. During the 10-day English and Cultural exchange program, TSS boys were given the opportunity to study alongside the students from Enan, share stories about their lives and backgrounds, play sport together and enjoy an Aussie lunchbox experience at break times.

It is our hope that our relationship with Enan School continues to strengthen as the years pass and that our students will have the opportunity to spend some time at Enan School in China, as it has invited TSS students to a reciprocal visit in 2017.

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

53

The Founder’s Vision The School, Our Students & Families The History, Traditions & Camaraderie The Generations of Our Old Boys

The LEGACY?

A

bequest can be the most important gift you ever give. By remembering The Southport School in your Will you are ensuring that TSS will remain at the forefront of education in Queensland.

Based on the principles and belief in education of our Founder, Bishop Horace Henry Dixon, TSS continues to instil the Christian ethos in a non-selective, balanced and holistic educational environment. Bishop Dixon’s vision continues to enable each student to learn, with confidence, self-belief and a genuine motivation to contribute positively in life and the broader community.

With the establishment of The Bishop Dixon Society, members who share the vision of our founder, through a bequest made to support and contribute towards The Southport School can secure its future and a genuine legacy that will ensure the vision continues for future generations of Southportonians.

For details on The Bishop Dixon Society, you may wish to visit philanthropy.tss.qld.edu.au or please contact Bruce Wright; Phone: 07 5531 9891 54

B a nd

Email: Bruce.Wright@tss.qld.edu.au o f

Br o t h er s

B a nd

o f

B ro thers

55

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