I welcome you back to another term at Foxwell State Secondary College. I hope that you all enjoyed a relaxing and rejuvenating break filled with wonderful moments with family and friends. Our students have been excited to fill me in on their adventures, with the common theme being how grateful they were to spend quality times with their parents and families.

I can say that I am extremely grateful for the current freedoms that we have in Queensland that allowed us to enjoy a holiday without lockdown or too many restrictions. I empathise with families in other states and locations that have been heavily impacted by COVID-19 related restrictions.

I thank our students and staff for adhering to our current mask requirements. If these restrictions allow us to continue with on-site learning then we can understand and accept the need to wear them at this time. 

I am presently overcome with a feeling of gratitude. We can be grateful for the beautiful part of the world that we live in where we can explore beaches, mountains, rainforests, waterways, parks, restaurants and shopping centres. We can be grateful that, for the most part, we live in a safe and kind community that values inclusivity and integrity.

We can certainly be grateful for the incredible education that our students are receiving and the extraordinary learning environment that our students get to learn and flourish in. Each week we welcome visitors from State and Private schools from across Queensland, Australia and beyond to learn more about our unique curriculum and pedagogy, and to see our state-of-the-art facillities so that they perhaps can replicate these for their schools and students. 

Foxwell State Secondary College has a reputation across the Gold Coast and beyond as a school driven by kindness and support for students individual educational and social-emotional needs. Our staff put the mental health of our students as a priority and I know how grateful our students and families are for the intensive support offered by our FOX-SWELL team which includes Heads of Year, Head of Inclusion, Guidance Officers, School Based Youth Health Nurses, Chaplain, Industry Liaison Officer, and Deputy Principals. This team is supported by our Heads of Department, Teachers, Teacher Assistants, Administration Staff, and all other staff to ensure the very best for our students so that they can continue to develop and flourish. 

This week we welcome a new Guidance Officer to our team. Mrs Brittany Nicholson has joined our team from Southport State High School and will continue to support students and families in a range of areas including social emotional support, referrals to external agencies, and educational and study support.

Next week we look forward to our Mental Health Week where we spotlight the need to take time for mental health. Below are some tips from the Queensland Mental Health Team. Our Mental Health is as important as our Physical Health and together we can support each other to thrive.

Over the coming week we will share on Facebook some of the great moments from our Mental Health Week program.

Our Leadership and Teaching teams also continue to grow and I welcome Mr James Hamlyn, our new Head of Technologies, who is joining us from Kingston State College. With extensive experience in Digital and Design Technologies, James will continue to ensure we provide our students with incredible opportunities both now in the Junior School 'Wonder Years' but also in to the future as we enter the 'Compass Years'.

We welcome Ms Octavia Gold and Ms Allison Williams to our teaching team. Their passion for education and improving outcomes for ALL students will be a great asset to our school. They have all commented how welcoming and supportive our school community are and how grateful they are for the opportunity to work at Foxwell State Secondary College. 

Next Tuesday we farewell one of the most significant staff members of the foundation of Foxwell State Secondary College. Ms Celeste Fishburn has been with me from nearly the beginning of the Foxwell SSC journey. Even before we had a name and we were simply known as New High School - Coomera East. She has been instrumental in the design of our school, our branding, uniform, colours, logo, events, and the list goes on. We would not be the College we are today without Celeste. Celeste will continue to work with new schools across the South East Region supporting them to be the best they can be for their local communities.

On Tuesday at 9am we will acknowledge Celeste during our school assembly. This assembly will include dance and singing performances from our amazing students. Parents and community members are welcome to attend. We ask guests to sign in and then be seated by 9am in the Sports Performance Hall.