The Celtic Cross represents our Irish Catholic heritage and our knowledge that God is a loving presence in our lives and in the lives of those we serve. 
Like Blessed Edmund Rice, we challenge ourselves and others to strive for personal excellence, using our knowledge and gifts in the service of others.

HUMILITY
The Star symbolises the light of faith created by the knowledge of the Gospels, inspiring us to become people of humility. Embracing humility means we develop true self-awareness  
of our strengths, areas for growth and where we need the courage to change. 
Like Blessed Edmund Rice, we learn to respect ourselves and others, celebrate inclusion and diversity and become more compassionate as we live a life of integrity and purpose.

WISDOM
The Book of Learning symbolises wisdom and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ who is the beginning and end of all things. Wisdom may be drawn from Sacred Scripture and the Catholic tradition, from our knowledge and from the practice of humility, inspiring us to truly discern the best outcomes for ourselves, others and our communities. 
Like Blessed Edmund Rice, we pursue wisdom so we can advocate for the common good, liberating ourselves and others to be the best that we can be.

Download a copy of The Charter: A proclamation of an Authentic Expression of Edmund Rice Education as applied to Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition.

St Joseph’s College has a very strong, active culture of Pastoral Care for its students, which is strongly tied to the sense of family that has become synonymous with Terrace. We pride ourselves on growing an atmosphere of care, in which every individual is valued and welcomed. Central to our work is the concept of 'The Terrace Gentleman'. Our goal is to form the young men in our care into the best that they can be.

Our College strives to put multiple significant adults around each Terracian – from their core teacher, to their Pastoral Care Mentor, their House Dean, their sporting and cultural coaches and mentors.

Our Pastoral Care system is enhanced by our Retreat Program, the Campus Ministry and service programs from our Peer Ministry, the House System and other College opportunities that are offered, especially via our Outdoor Education Program. These elements all work to foster student leadership and identity among Gentlemen of Terrace. Our Pastoral Care and Formation programs are monitored by the leaders and Deans of our College, in particular, the Dean of Students.

The Pastoral Care system at Terrace is unique and is consistently reviewed and developed to continue to enhance the educational experience of our students. As a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice tradition, our Pastoral Care structures are consistent with the spirit and ethos of our faith. It is a strong incubator for the sense of belonging that endures among our Old Boys and gives students a sense of confidence to develop their individual personalities and gifts.

The House system is a fundamental structure in the personal formation of our students and a central component to life at Gregory Terrace. The nine Houses provide the framework for Pastoral Care Groups and the Buddy System, which are more condensed support, communication and social forums.

Our Houses advance their own sense of spirit, goal setting and striving within the broader Terrace Family and promote healthy competition and participation through inter-House events. They strongly support the College's goal of helping the development of the individual in the context of a close knit, sharing community.

Each House is named after a Christian Brother or someone who has had a significant impact on College life and the history of Terrace.

The Houses are:

• Barrett
• Buckley
• Kearney
• Magee
• Mahoney
• Reidy
• Treacy
• Windsor
• Xavier

The College enjoys several international study experience programs with overseas schools. We have long standing friendships with Konan Boys High School in Japan and several schools in France.

St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace offers a merit entry program. This program is designed to provide enrolment to students who are at a level of excellence in their field and who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend the College. The Academic Merit provides a 50% reduction of tuition fees subject to performance on the ACER testing program. The Sport/Cultural Merit Entry program may involve tuition fee relief, subject to financial need, or may provide accelerated enrolment entry only. Scholarships are not offered at the College.

All prospective merit entry students will need to demonstrate a commitment to learning, to the ideals of Catholic education and to demonstrate the traits of what it is to be a ‘Gentleman of Terrace’ – Knowledge, Humility and Wisdom.

Academic Merit Entry for Year 7

Level 1 | Designed for students in Year 6 for entry into Year 7 the following year.

Academic Merit Entry for Year 10

Level 2 | Designed for students in Year 9 for entry into Year 10 the following year.

For general information on ACER Testing and to register for the test, click here.

ACER Testing Information

Registration for the ACER Scholarship test for Academic Merit entry consideration for Year 7 2024 and Year 10 2024 will close at midnight AEDST on Monday 6 February 2023. To register for the test, click here.

Sport/Cultural Merit Entry Application Process

• Request a Merit Entry Application from the College Enrolments Office - enrolments@terrace.qld.edu.au
• Complete the Merit Entry Application (with additional required documentation). Sporting and Cultural Merit Entry Applications must be returned to the College by 30 June in the year preceding entry to the College.
• Applicants are required to submit:

1. A copy of the student’s most recent school report and NAPLAN results
2. Evidence of performance, team selection, competition results, academic reports, rankings
3. Other supporting evidence that may enhance the application

Edmund Rice Bursary Application Process

The Gregory Terrace Foundation is proudly committed to the Edmund Rice Bursary program, which financially supports students to access a Catholic education at St Joseph’s College. Entry into the Edmund Rice Bursary program is available to students from Years 7 to 12 and we particularly welcome students who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or families who have joined our wider Australian community as refugees.

Applications for the Edmund Rice Bursary program will be welcomed up until 30 June of the year immediately preceding entry.

Further information on the Edmund Rice Bursary application process is available here.

Dear members of the Terrace Family,

Last Sunday, I was fortunate to attend the annual Norm Clarke concert. Whilst I mentioned the upcoming concert in last week’s edition, I do want to briefly make comment on what a brilliant event this was. The talent on display is outstanding, as is the commitment shown by staff and students that allows them to perform to such a high standard. I enjoyed Captain of Music Tom Druve’s reflections on his journey, from trying different instruments as a beginning Year 5 student, to the experiences that have led him to his outstanding current musical standard. It was quite a sight to see more than one hundred Year 5 students on stage in their first-ever semester of playing an instrument, actually producing some quality music! For many, this is the beginning of a lifelong love of music, and we have Norm Clarke to thank for much of what these young men are able to experience and achieve. I am sure Norm was smiling down upon us on Sunday.

The celebration of musical excellence we saw on Sunday is a reminder of the many opportunities available at Terrace and very importantly, that our young men respect and support excellence in music, drama, dance, debating, chess and many other activities that so many of our students enjoy. I love that it is seen as normal and to be celebrated when boys are passionate about doing their best in these pursuits. It then comes as no surprise that the College has been awarded Australian Performing Arts School of the Year. This is an outstanding achievement that reflects many years of hard work from our passionate students, staff and volunteers. It is thoroughly deserved and fitting recognition of all those who have made Terrace’s Performing Arts the shining light that it is.

This week is Queensland Philanthropy Week, and the College is using the time as an opportunity to say thank you to the many generous members of the Terrace Family. We have numerous donors who give generously in order to enhance the educational opportunities for our students, and this week we would like to focus on acknowledging and thanking these wonderful people. Our school, and many like it, was founded through the work of Edmund Rice, a man who gave away most of what he had earned to establish places of learning for the disadvantaged children of Waterford in Ireland. His legacy now reaches around the world.

One of the activities taking place this week has been the College’s Thank-a-Thon, with members of the Foundation and a number of senior students making phone calls to our donors with the sole purpose of saying thank you. All donors will receive a grateful phone call at some stage, but I would also like to add my thanks. Terrace is absolutely a better place, with greater opportunity, because of the actions of our many donors. Thank you from me, and from all of the Foundation team and its Directors.

This week, we also release our 2022 Impact Report. This report tells the story of how donors’ gifts have made a difference throughout 2023. The report can be found hereand I invite you to read over it to gain an understanding of the positive impact of these gifts.

Most year levels have now commenced the exams that come with the end of Semester 1, and our Year 12 students move into their exam block next week. I would hope that this important assessment period becomes the priority over the final days of the semester, and we see our young men sacrificing less important pursuits in favour of their academic priorities before they enter the holiday period. As always, our staff are here to help get the best out of students in the spirit of collaboration and support.

My best wishes to all,

Mr Damien Fall
Acting College Principal