With so many challenges facing our communities and our world currently, we can sometimes focus only on the negatives and forget to celebrate and acknowledge those magical and positive moments or experiences in our lives.

This can become contagious. Some days we can feel like all we ever hear our friends and family members, or the media talking about, is the difficult times.

I acknowledge that we can’t brush over these challenges with a rainbow coloured brush, but I do believe that we can actively and regularly shift our focus from the doom and gloom and look up towards the positive and the silver linings. 

When we as adults look back on our childhood or school memories I am sure that we can recall moments of despair, confusion, sadness or betrayal, as we worked through friendship breakdowns and challenges with our teachers, our parents, and our family members. But the vast majority of people can also look back and remember the triumphs, the laughter, the long lasting friendships, and joyous moments with parents and family.

I encourage parents to speak with their children as they work through any teenage woes they encounter, and at these times be careful not to always jump to their rescue or try to be the problem solver too quickly. Just be there, listen and support them to problem solve towards their own solution. Also remind them that for the vast majority of situations, these challenges, and feelings, will pass. This will best set them up for a resilient future.  

The key to navigating challenging times is optimism – “a hopeful, positive outlook on the future, yourself and the world around you”. Optimism is key aspect of resilience. People who are optimistic are more committed to their goals, are more successful in achieving their goals, and are more satisfied with their lives.

When we focus on a positive and successful future, we are more willing to put in time and energy to make that come about. We are more engaged and persistent in our endeavours. Even on those days/weeks that we don’t feel particularly positive, the benefits of optimism will soon follow. This weekend, try to enjoy the small things and celebrate every win. 

I truly believe that it is not what happens to us in our lives that is important but rather how we react to what happens in our life. I am proud to be an optimist (most of the time) and to be someone who looks for the good in people and humanity. This does not mean that I accept disrespect or harmful behaviours towards me or others in my world/school - it simply means that I consider the circumstances, the challenges and the function of what is going on for that person at that time.

If we all take a moment to pause and consider things from another perspective, then maybe situations that may have escalated, can sometimes be managed in a much more peaceful manner, leading to the best possible outcome for all.  

The current pandemic crisis, weather crisis, (and hopefully even the rental crisis) will pass. The optimists will use the this time to learn, grow and adapt. The pessimists on the other hand will catastrophise, throw their hands in the air in despair or feel sorry for themselves. Winston Churchill once said “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Let’s continue to support each other as an optimistic community and look for the good in each other and the world.  

Our children can be our role models in this space. They can lead us as we remember the good in the world.

This week I announced our four College Ambassadors, and I can honestly say that their optimism and positive outlook on life was just some of the characteristics that made them stand out.

We were also impressed by their strengths in communication, organisation, innovation, and their passion to work together to not only continue to improve our College, but also our local and broader communities. 

Congratulations to Ava Van Klooster, Aidan Chapman, Josephine McMurtrie and Ayyan Qureshi.

We are so excited to see what we can achieve with your leadership of your fellow Ambassadors and all students of Foxwell State Secondary College in 2022.  

Until next time.

Mrs Kym Amor

Principal

Foxwell State Secondary College

Quite often Maths is a subject that many people either love or dislike. At Foxwell State Secondary College we aim to have students loving maths and offer an amazing and engaging Maths program, which allows students to deepen their knowledge and understanding of Maths by making connections to the world they live in.

This term Year 7 – 9 students are learning various mathematical concepts relating to indices, positive and negative numbers, and algebra through the lens of life on land (The United Nations - Sustainable Development Goal #15).  The students have been amazed that algebra has so many real-world applications. Some examples of this include:

Year 8 students collaboratively created stories about positive and negative numbers and represented their story in words, diagrams, and numbers.

Year 9 students have been learning how algebra can be applied in the real world through identifying how to best use the land in a way which is sustainable for our environment.

Students and teachers are starting to get ready for the end of term assessment.  Our year 7s have had their first mini test and all Year 7 – 9 students will have their final test in Week 9. Students should be actively revising key concepts and can use their Cambridge Essentials Maths textbook, Manga High or Education Perfect platforms to practise questions.

Maths help will be available next week in the Learning Hub during WIN time  as outlined below as well as during lunch break on Tuesday and Thursday.

• Monday (3-4pm) 
• Tuesday (8am – 8.35am) 
• Tuesday (11.30 - 12.30)
• Wednesday (8am – 8.35am) 
• Wednesday (3-4pm)  
• Thursday (11.30 - 12.20)
• Friday (8am – 8.35am) 

Thank you to families that have made sure students have all the necessary equipment for their Maths classes.  As a reminder students need to be bringing to their Maths class the following items:

• Exercise book
• Pencil case (with pencil, eraser, sharpener, pens, highlighter, ruler, scissors, glue)
• Calculator
• Charged iPad

Thank you for your support by checking in with your child to ensure they have the necessary equipment.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your child’s classroom teacher or the Maths Head of Department, Mrs Tania Russell (txrus5@eq.edu.au)

What an interesting start to 2022 in the land of teaching and learning at Foxwell! We certainly weren’t anticipating that the term would be shortened by two weeks for students but we have used that time to our advantage.

As part of how we leverage digital at FSSC, staff were introduced to our whole school learning platform, OneNote. This has proved to be an invaluable tool to help students stay connected with their teachers and their learning given the disruptions we have faced throughout Term 1. Teachers manage a class notebook for each of their classes, populate this with the learning intentions and success criteria for each week, and share a range of resources and learning experiences applicable to their class. Most students are working in OneNote as a virtual ‘notebook’ so family members and teachers can track their progress. Engagement with this platform and feedback so far has been positive and staff are keen to learn more about other functionalities to support student learning.

2022 has also seen exciting changes to our Enrich Program for Year 7 and 8 students. Ms Sihvola is coordinating the program and working collaboratively with other Heads of Department to design a program that provides students with the opportunity to engage with literacy, numeracy and social-emotional learning through relevant and meaningful contexts.

This term, Enrich has focused on the following:

• Connecting and reconnecting with peers;
• Building positive relationships;
• Team building activities;
• VIA character strengths;
• Understanding and using the Mood Meter to discuss emotions;
• Planning for Personal Achievement (P4PA) – reflecting on previous results for attendance, effort, behaviour and academic achievement to set goals;
• Gratitude.

In Term 2, we will move towards more authentic inquiry-based learning which will see students and teachers learning alongside one another on a topic suitable to each specific class. We are excited to see how students continue to engage in this program and develop their skills in inquiry, and the 6Cs of Character, Citizenship, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity and Critical Thinking.

As students move into ‘assessment season’, family members may like to support their child by checking in to see if they have drafts due or upcoming exams fow which to study. Students are invited to access WIN Time in the Learning Hub if they need additional support and a quiet space to assist them with completing assessment. The Learning Hub is open before school from 8.00am-8.35am and again from 3pm-4pm.

I look forward to continuing to see students engaged in their learning after many warm and welcoming class visits so far.

Ms Rachel Vickers

Head of Department – Teaching and Learning

In Physical World, students in Year 8 have completed an exam to sequence historical events on a chronological timeline. They have analysed sources to determine features such as purpose and origin. Students have made links between Science and History by analysing features of the human body and how our understanding of this has changed over time.

Students in Year 7 also completed their exam this week. In the meantime, they have been busily working on their Science investigations around the forces used to build the ancient pyramids, drawing connections between Physics and History. Students have experimented in the science lab pulling model stone blocks over wet and dry sand, just as the ancient Egyptians would have done, and have collected force data using our Vernier equipment.

Students in Year 9 Science have been learning about how energy and matter flows through ecosystems, exploring the relationship between producers, consumers and decomposers in food webs and chains. We have secured Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to deliver their Wildlife on Wheels presentation to Year 9 students on Monday 21^st March. The students and teachers are all so excited for this wonderful in-school co-curricular learning opportunity.  A reminder to please ensure notes are returned and payment is made by Friday 18^th March.

Welcome to Term 1 in Japanese classes for Year 7 and 8, and the Personal Endeavour Course (PEC) - Anime Japanese for Year 9. This year we are fortunate to have four Japanese Teachers: Ms Vickers (Head of Department), Ms Yoshino, Mrs Mikami and Ms Madsen.

In Term 1, Year 7 students are learning to introduce themselves in written and spoken Japanese.

Year 8 students are creating a yurukyara (a character with values) and introducing their character with a story.

Year 9 students are learning about the Japanese language through anime.

Culturally, this term, students learnt about how Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Japan and made origami hearts.

Girl's Day was recognised on 3 March and our doll’s display, known as Hina Matsuri, can be viewed by students in Mrs Mikami’s room for the month of March.

We have also been active participants in the EP Language Championships. At the time of writing, our students have answered 35,000 questions in Japanese with final results to be published soon. Fantastic work, Foxwell Mariners!

Mikami Sensei

Japanese Valentine’s Origami

Japanese Girl’s Day Hina Matsuri

EP Languages Championship

National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence and Harmony Week

Today we recognised the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence and the 2022 message that Kindness Culture starts with us. Our reflections and learnings from this important day then carry us into Harmony Week next week where we will consider how we can be the changemakers in creating a world where everyone belongs.

In 2022, we acknowledge that one of the first steps in making change for everyone is to truly understand each other and will be inviting students to participate in a week of multicultural experiences. Through performances, activities and conversations we will come together to celebrate our uniqueness and culture. The week of events will then culminate in our first assembly for 2022, which is set to include performances from our recently formed Pasifika student group.

Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations as well as representing freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. To celebrate Harmony Week, students are also encouraged to wear a school appropriate, orange t-shirt next Friday (March 25^th).

Mr Bryce Berrell - Head of Students Year 8

Leadership

Last week, 10 of our Year 9 candidates for the position of School Leader attended the Brisbane Youth Leadership Conference at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Although traffic was not on our side that day, we eventually made it and were privileged to hear stories of young people who had overcome much larger obstacles than our traffic woes, in order to make a change in the world.

All of the speakers were inspiring and were all there willing to make a change for our generation - Josie McMurtrie

Leadership is about the skills, the compassion, the act of being yourself and engaging your audience, so people remember you and your message. Together we can all make everyone feel united and welcome – Ayyan

We were fortunate enough to be able to listen to four young leaders and entrepreneurs, all sharing their knowledge and lived experiences, inspiring and fostering the creativity of the young leaders in the room. A highlight of the conference was being able to listen to the incredible Daniel Flynn, the founder of social enterprise “Thankyou”. He told of the vision he had to establish a water company that assisted people in poverty-stricken areas and his navigation through the hardships and challenges he faced during his journey. – Edwina

Student leadership voting has taken place this week for our College Ambassadors and our Specific Ambassadors across Year 7-9, while House Captain applications have been extended until Tuesday 3pm. All successful applicants will be celebrated later this month with a leadership induction ceremony – more detail to follow – but all students with the courage to apply should be proud of their efforts regardless of the results. One of our key takeaways from the stories from the Leadership Conference was that even though your time might not be now, it doesn’t mean your time isn’t next.

Extra-curricular Activities - Update

Sign-ups took place from Year 7-9 and the interest shown through these sign-ups will be used to coordinate activities throughout 2022. Students who have signed up for extra-curriculars that are yet to commence should ensure they are regularly checking student notices on Sharepoint as well as their EQ email.

In addition to the more formal extra-curricular activities, a wide range of lunchtime activities will soon be advertised to students through Student Sharepoint. Students can opt in and out of these activities as they please, and they provide a perfect opportunity for students to challenge themselves by trying out something new!

Mrs Elle Bullock - Head of Student Success

Hello and welcome to 2022! I am Pascale Street the Guidance Officer at Foxwell SSC.

My role within the College is diverse; however, my main focus is to support students in managing their mental health and wellbeing. I am also a referral pathway for external supports for young people and their families.

At the beginning of 2021, we introduced Taco to our school community. Taco is Fowell’s own support and engagement dog and his role is to support school attendance, decrease learner anxiety and improve motivation. Taco can provide a listening ear and that much needed cuddle.

If you have noticed a change in your child’s academic performance, change in relationship with others, dysregulated moods outside of the adolescent norm or if there has been a change in circumstance in your family dynamic, you are able to refer your child directly or encourage them to make an appointment with me.

The most effective way to engage my support is to send me an email – ppier6@eq.edu.au or contact 5555 3333 and request a return phone call in relation to supporting your child.

I have included some information regarding how teenagers are in need of supportive parents to help them navigate their paths.

Supportive Parenting and Teenagers:

Despite wanting to be a supportive parent to your child, you may feel like you’ve just had the door closed in your face and you’ve got it all wrong. Your relationship will be changing and starting to become more equal as they grow up and you spend more time apart. This doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected and provide the support they need as they go through this process of becoming a whole new person, an adult.

This can help if you:

• want to understand why your child needs you to be supportive
• want to learn more about ways to support your child through their teenage years.

What is supportive parenting?

Being a supportive parent means having your child’s best interests at heart but also being present, involved and helpful. It includes:

• actively encouraging them to do their best with school, their hobbies and interests
• listening without judgment and seeking to understand their concerns and challenges
• acknowledging their achievements and supporting them through mistakes and challenges
• setting consistent expectations and consequences to help them to feel secure and able to predict outcomes
• treating them fairly and developing a trusting relationship.

Why is having a supportive parent so important for teenagers?

The influence that you have over your child is more dependent on a trusting relationship than it is on how much authority you dish out and how many lectures you give. It may feel like they’re trying to push you away, but they’re actually trying to push themselves away from you to choose a direction in life, and to shape an identity for themselves as a separate, independent person. 

Love, support, trust and optimism from their family make them feel safe and secure, and are powerful weapons against peer pressure, life’s challenges and disappointments.

Tips and tricks for supportive parents

Your aim is to keep your child safe and to give them the foundations they need to do their best. At a minimum they need:

• to know they are loved for who they are, and that you are always there to support them
• an environment where basic needs such as a safe and healthy place to live, healthy food, and school supplies are made a priority
• protection and support to keep themselves safe from mental and physical abuse
• respect for their feelings and concerns
• acknowledgement of their milestones and achievements such as birthdays or first day at school
• respect for their friends, clothing, sports and music choices, and interests.

Some parents struggle to adjust to the demands that parenting their child through the teenage years brings. It’s a time that can put even the strongest and most loving relationships to the test. Your child needs you at this time just as much as they have always needed you, but in a different way.

They are looking to you for support through one of the biggest changes in their life, towards adulthood and independence. You’ve been through it so you know how confusing and difficult it can be. Don’t be afraid to share some of your own teenage experiences with your child. Tell them that you understand because it happened to you too. Talk to them about how you handled it (or didn’t handle it) and what you learnt from it. Realising that everyone goes through the same struggles can be very reassuring to your child, especially if it’s their parent that is telling their stories.

Your child is becoming an independent person. They need a firm foundation of values and expectations that can guide them now, and carry them into adult life. Decide what’s important to your family and how you’ll share those expectations and values with your child. That way they’ll have the knowledge to help them navigate life on their own and make decisions that fit with what the family values.

There’s no doubt that the teenage years will probably cause you some worry and frustration. There may be times when you feel as if you don’t know your child, or are disappointed by some of their choices. Try to be as loving and supportive as you can through all of their trials, no matter how small they are. If you can do this, they’re more likely to rely on you, share their struggles and come to you when they need help.

Be there for them in the way that you would have wanted your parent to be there for you when you were growing up.

Mrs Pascale Street - Guidance Officer

It has been a whirlwind start to the year for our 2022 Creative Voices team at Foxwell.  Students have hit the ground running, proving to be adaptable, creative, and hard working as they became Narrator and Editor of a children’s audiobook, before turning their attention to creating their own professional Showreel.  Students have prepared audition materials and gathered evidence of their life experiences from the stage to the sporting area, from the make-up studio to the public speaking area.  Our Creative Voices students are proving yet again, they are really all-rounders.  

Our new Year 7 cohort have brought their confidence to high school, with many extending their creative skills in Debating, Dance Troupe and Musical.  We wish many of our wonderful Creative Voices students’ luck, as they nominate for Ambassador positions at Foxwell.  We are so proud of you all!  

We were excited to step foot in our new, state-of-the-art Performing Arts Centre this week, with many feeling right at home, centre stage.  The students are keen to commence their staged drama works in Term Two which will feature to the Foxwell Public, in the PAC, early Term 3. 

And finally, our excursion to FROZEN, the Musical, was postponed due to the recent floods, yet our students will eagerly await our rescheduled date at QPAC soon.  

The Instrumental Music Program here at Foxwell has started on a high note with almost 50 students enrolled across band and strings! We have officially moved into the new Performing Arts Centre (PAC), and the instrumental Music students have been lucky enough to be the first students to use this space and the incredible facilities. They have weekly band and string rehearsals and lessons in the music classroom overlooking the oval and are delighted to have their own space to make music. If you are interested in joining the Instrumental Music Program, please speak to Mrs McLennan (Head of Department),  Mrs Cardno (Strings teacher and IM coordinator), or Mrs Kerkow (Band teacher). 

Mrs Sophie Cardno

A huge shout out to the many students who auditioned for a place in the Foxwell Dance Troupe for 2022.  The students from Years 7-9 learnt a short jazz sequence, taught by Co-ordinator, Mrs Lauren Riches before auditioning the work on March 1st.  Just a week later, the seventeen successful applicants took part in a Hip Hop Workshop with guest artist, Jack Harris which will be a part of their repertoire for the Future Stars Competition, early Term 2.  

Dance teachers, Lauren Riches and Jackson Kook have been impressed with the dedication, perseverance, and teamwork for this young group of students, with some students auditioning via video due to lockdown. 

We can’t wait to share with you our repertoire this year; WE ARE THE FOXWELL MARINERS! 

Congratulations: 

Taiga Hosono 

Josephine McMurtrie  

Isabella Dagg 

Saphera Church 

Harry Kenrick 

Emily Hehir 

Brooklyn Rogers-Bristowe 

Verona Hilzinger 

Charlotte Bulmer 

Sebastian Padowitz 

Ayla Boyce  

Ceanna Loots 

Zoe Longhurst 

Alexander Murphy 

Wintana Cizic  

Amelia Head 

Emerson Smith 

 Mrs Lauren Riches

On Tuesday the 8^th March, Foxwell sent five students to the South Coast Regional trials as representatives of Broadwater Sport.

Montana A, Sienna M, Riley M, Lachlan P and Jacob I represented the school and district in swimming with the hope of making it to the State Championships.

Congratulations to the following for making it on the South Coast team:

Sienna Mercer, Montana Atkinson, Lachlan Potts and Riley McMinn.

[pictured] Broadwater Representatives – Montana Atkinson, Riley McMinn, Lachlan Potts and Jacob Inglis. (Sienna Mercer - absent).

Broadwater Trials

We have had a number of students attend trials in recent weeks to try out for the Broadwater Representative team of their chosen sport.

It is great to see so many students take an interest in trialling out for a representative team.

Well done to the following students on their successful trials:

Chezaan Kainui (Touch Football/Rugby League)

Panatahi Tonga-Awhikau (Rugby League)

Tiana Te Maari (Rugby League)

Brigham Siteine (Volleyball)

Mikaela Piezas (Basketball)

Lillie Farcic (Basketball)

Kauri Murphy (Basketball)

Ihaka Ranga (Basketball)

Tyler Lauaki (Basketball)

Below are the latest trials that students are able to sign up for if they wish to represent Broadwater at a representative level.

Please see Mr Taylor in the A Block staffroom for a note and details of the trial.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE BELOW SPORT CLOSES THURSDAY WEEK 7:

- Touch Football - 10 to 12 years - girls

CROSS COUNTRY 2022

Our Cross Country Carnival for 2022 is fast approaching and will be held on the last day of this term. There will be two events from which students can choose on the day.

Competitive Race:

The competitive race is for students who are trying to achieve age champion for their age group or if they would like to trial at the next level for Broadwater Representation. These students can also participate in the fun run after their race.

Fun Run:

This is for all students to get out on the course and walk, jog, or run for the afternoon. Participation will be based on fun and keeping students active. Teachers will give out BONUS house points to the best dressed in house colours or points for how many laps you can do.

Please let your child/ren know to keep checking STUDENT SHAREPOINT notices for course details/map, what to wear, as well as when Mr Taylor will hold lunchtime course tutorials to get a better understanding of the track.

Year 7 School Vaccinations Happening Soon!

The Gold Coast Public Health’s immunisation team will be providing vaccinations to all Year 7 students on Thursday March 31st, 2022 who have returned their permission to Queensland Health. These vaccinations are in line with Queensland Immunisation Schedule and vaccinate against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Diptheria-tetanus-pertussis. 

** Please note the School Immunisation Program does not provide the Covid-19 vaccination

You should have received an email from admin.immunisegc@health.qld.gov.au to the address you nominated with the school (please check your junk mail folder). 

If you haven’t received this email you can contact Gold Coast Public Health’s immunisation team on 1800 940 750.