As we move toward the end of the school year, we wish to remind all families (as we have already with our students) that our high expectations remain. In order to maintain these high expectations we have provided all students with reminders of our rules:

Lunch time

For the first 15 minutes of lunch each day, from 11.30-11.45pm,  the oval, the half court and the hall will be closed. The purpose of this is to provide students with the opportunity to ensure they eat and access the toilet facilities prior to participating in sport. This will ensure that students will be ready to attend class at 12.30pm instead of arriving late under the excuse of “I was still eating” etc. We are one of the very few schools that offer a 60 minute lunch break but we need to ensure we are using it correctly.

Bathrooms

Due to a recent spate of vandalism in our bathrooms, not all bathrooms will be open to students. Students will have access to the bathrooms in the canteen area. Students entering and leaving the bathrooms during break time will be monitored by staff on duty as will behaviour in the bathrooms. During lessons, monitoring of the area outside the bathrooms will be video monitored to see who is entering and exiting and at what times. In addition students have been reminded that using the toilets during lesson time ought to be limited in order to minimise time out of class. Students needing to use bathrooms during class time will not be prohibited from doing so.

Canteen

In line with our mobile phone policy, students are not prohibited to use their mobile phone for canteen payment. The canteen will close to students at 12.20pm each day (5 minutes before the bell goes).  These changes around the canteen operation will support students to arrive at class on time and ready to learn. Any student who arrives at class eating food, including icy cups, will be asked by teachers to throw item(s) in the bin by teachers. Students who fail to follow teacher instructions in this regard will have a consequence applied.

Prohibited items

Chewing gum and bubble gum is not permitted at school. These items when disposed off inappropriately cause damage to our school environment. Students in possession of packets of gum will have them confiscated and students chewing gum will be asked to dispose of it immediately. Again students who fail to follow teacher instructions will have a consequence applied.

Aerosol cans of any kind, including deodorant are not permitted at school. If students require deodorant please ensure that they have a roll-on. Students with deodorant cans will have these confiscated and in the first offence the can will be returned at the end of the day, if the student chooses to collect them. On the second offence, the can will be held until the end of term. Aerosol cans pose a safety risk to students and staff with asthma and can be used in a manner which has potential to cause harm to self and others.

Chalk pens, marking pens or liquid paper are not permitted as these items have recently been used for vandalism.

Attending class

Students are required to be in their timetabled class at all times unless they have permission to be, or have an appointment, elsewhere. Students should be in class and in the line of sight of their classroom teacher at all times.

Students not attending class are truanting, regardless of whether the student remains in the school grounds or leaves school grounds and appropriate consequences will be applied.

If students are upset or distressed in any way and feel that they cannot attend class, it is imperative that they report to Student Services so we can arrange support. A small number of students with identified needs have been issued with passes which permit them to leave class. When used by these students they must immediately report to the Learning Hub.

Students refusing to enter classrooms or leaving classrooms without permission are losing learning time. This learning time will be required to be made up at either a lunch break or before or after school, depending on the circumstances

Arrive on time with the right tools

Reminder that the school day starts at 8.35am when the bell rings. Students are required to move to class and be ready for learning by 8.45am.

Students arriving late to school and without a note of explanation from parents will be asked to complete a detention to make up for lost time.

Prior to 9.00am students must go directly to class. After 9.00am students must report to Student Services prior to attending class.

Students are required to bring their iPad, writing tools and books to each lesson, every day. Students who persistently arrive without the right tools for learning will have consequences applied.

Uniform

• Plain black leather lace up shoes (can be sports style) must be worn with the formal uniform. We have a small number of pairs of black shoes which we will offer for sale for students who repeatedly wear incorrect shoes.
• Students are only permitted to wear their sports uniform on their Healthy World practical day. All other days, students must wear their formal uniform.
• Socks must be plain white with no logos or writing and crew length. Invisible socks/no show or low cut socks are not appropriate for school and will be considered as being incorrect uniform.
• Hats must be worn at all times when students are outside of class. The bucket hat is only permitted to be worn with the sports uniform. The broad brim hat must be worn with the formal uniform
• The school bag must be a back pack and be plain navy or purchased from the Foxwell SSC uniform shop. No backpacks are permitted to have a logo or writing on them. We have a small number of plain navy backpacks which we will offer for sale should students repeatedly present with the incorrect bag.

Students in incorrect uniform must bring a note of explanation to Student Services before school to be issued with a variation slip. Students without a note will firstly be asked to contact home to see if the matter can be rectified by having an item of uniform brought to school. If this is not possible, the students is deemed out of uniform and if this is not a first offence, a 20 minute detention will be issued. A detention will be issued each time a student is out of uniform. These detentions must be completed within 5 days of issue, with the detention room open Monday, Wednesday & Thursday lunchtimes.

 Appearance

Please note facial piercings are not permitted at school. If a child has a facial piercing, they may be permitted by the Principal to wear a clear until such time that the piercing is healed and it can be removed.

Students are permitted to wear two earrings in the lower lobes. Small, plain sleepers and studs are permitted only.

Students wearing piercings which are not permitted will be asked to remove them and if this is a pattern of behaviour, will have the items confiscated.

Coloured nail polish is not permitted. Acrylic nails are not permitted as they pose a workplace health and safety risk. Please ensure if students have these put on over any school holiday that they are removed prior to returning to school.

Make up that is noticeable is not permitted. This includes eye liner, mascara, eye lash extensions etc. Students will be asked to remove make up and to make arrangement to have lash extensions or nails removed urgently.

We ask for your support in encouraging our students to learn to be responsbile and respectful when at school by following school rules and routines.

Foxwell SSC first Swimming carnival will be held at the Pimpama Sports Hub in Week 9! The theme this year is Hawaiian Tropic. So, get your Hawaiian shirts ready, practice your Hula dancing and get ready for some poolside fun!

The event will include competitive races, novelty races and the opportunity for free-swims. If students are not wishing to swim, that's ok! They can cheer on their houses and have some fun with friends and peers poolside.

To join us at the pool, students must have returned a signed permission form to attend. These can be collected from and returned to Student Services.

The details:

• Swimming Carnival Week 9, Thursday the 1st of December.
• Pimpama Sports Hub, 139 Rifle Range Road, Pimpama.
• This carnival is a school wide event and students are expected to atend. There will be no alternative program running at school.
• Students are expected to arrive at the venue by 9:30am and picked up by 2:50pm.
• A shuttle bus will be avalaible (at cost) if students are needing transport from Foxwell SSC and the venue.
• Students wanting to be part of the Broadwater Swimming Team for 2023 must attend and compete at this event to register their times.

What to bring/wear:

• Your most funky, most colourful, most tropical Hawaiian shirt! Get creative to complete the look!
• Hat zinc/sunscreen and sunnies.
• Sun-safe and appropriate swimwear.
• Towel and wet gear bag.
• Lunch and snacks. Food will also be available for purchase at the venue.
• Waterbottle. Stay hydrated!
• Poolside footwear.
• Caps and goggles are recommended for competitive races, but not necessary.

Let's go Mariners! Which house will take out our very first Swimming Carnival?!

KEY REMINDERS

As we move quickly to the end of term, students are reminded of the following:

1) you must be in the correct uniform at all times. In variations must be validated by a Variation Pass, available through Student Serices, and explained by communication from home. There are too many non-uniform items, as well as jewellery and makeup appearing on students at the moment. This is not acceptable and students will be issued with consequences;

2) Punctuality to class is essential. Students are reminded that they should be moving to class when the bell goes. There is more than adequate time to use amenities and fill up drink bottles during the break. Students must be at the classroom and ready for learning, equipment in hand, at the start of the lesson.

3) Inappropriate and offensive language, whether directed at a student, staff member or said in passing, is not acceptable at Foxwell. This includes slang words often used in place of expletives. Please be mindful of time and place. 

4) Work completion should be everyone's primary focus. Students are reminded to seek and act on feedback, revise and practise their work, and try the absolute hardest they can so that they can optimise their opportunities to achieve success.

COURSE SELECTIONS 2023

We are right in the thick of course selections with all Year 8s and 9s finalising their courses for 2023. Thank you to Year 8s for being on top of the process; Year 9, it is now your turn! Please head to the Student SharePoint where you will find the button for Subject Selection 2023.

Once you click on the button, you will be taken to the relevant section of OneSchool. 

Please follow the steps outlined below to ensure that you enter all selections. Students will need their usual login details to access OneSchool. 

All selections must be finalised by 9am, Wednesday 25 November 2022. As explained previously, it is vital that you review, again, the course information in The Compass Years - Year 10 handbook to ensure you are making informed choices. 

The following instructions also appear when you enter OneSchool:

PERSONAL ENDEAVOUR COURSES:

*Choose one subject from each box.

*Do not select any course more than once.

*If you wish to study one semester of Japanese, select Japanese in Semester 1 PEC 1 only.

*If you wish to study Japanese for the whole year, select BOTH Japanese in Semester 1 PEC 1 AND Semester 2 PEC 3. To do this: Unfortunately, OneSchool will allow you to select it only once, in Semester 1, PEC 1. If you also want to study the second semester course, so that you complete the full year, pick any other course in Semester 2 PEC 3 (otherwise you won't be able to exit later) and then indicate in the notes section that you wish to select Japanese. 

*Select 3 additional preferences in case you do not receive your first 5 selections.

Instructions

1. Navigate to OneSchool oslp.eq.edu.au

2. Enter student username and password.

3. Read and agree to the Responsible Use Agreement

4. Select My Education Plan

5. Select Subject Selection

6. Select here to select the subject selection model and Save.

7. Select the 2023 Year 9 Subject Selections model.

8. Select Edit to add your subject selections.

9. Terms/Lines – select the radio buttons to make your choices.

Note: Instructions for completing the subject selections will appear at top of page.

10. Use the green arrows to list your subjects in order of preference.

11. Preferences—use the dropdown to select preferences. After selecting a preference you need to click on add. You will do this three times. 

12. Save—select to save your selections.

Note: Edit—select to edit selection choices any time up until the closing deadline. 

If you have any logon issues, please see Mr Harper. For all other questions, please see Ms Nicolas in Administration. 

We are so excited to be taking our Year 7s to Movie World to celebrate the completion of their first year of high school!  This will happen on the 5th of December (Monday of Week 10).  Students will have the option of travelling from Foxwell on a chartered bus for a fee or by their own private transport.  Students also have the option of using their theme park passes if they have these or purchasing a discounted student ticket.  All of the associated costs and options are listed in the Forms survey and the email that was sent earlier this week.

So that we can organise transport and tickets we ask that all parents please repsond to the Microsoft Forms survey by Monday at 9am.  Please use the link below to complete this survey if you have not already done so.

Movie World Survey

Planning continues for our Year 8 Celebration and Shuffle Up Day on Monday the 6th of December.

Students in Year 8 will spend the day in our Senior Campus, getting to know their knew facilities, teachers and lesson structure. They will spend time learning about our Compass Years program on offer, experiencing it first hand. 

We are also excited to be joined on this day by Cooper Chapman, professional surfer and founder of The Good Human Factory. Cooper works with students, asking them to think about mental health differently. Sharing the message that mental health is not an illness, it is rather our health. Cooper will provide tips and tricks to students to allow them to improve their quality of life through science backed skills such as mindfulness, gratitude, kindness, empathy, and taking responsibility. 

More information will be shared with familied prior to Week 10. 

With only three weeks left of Term 4 we are so incredibly proud of all of our Year 9s for all of their hard work this year. 

On Monday, December 5, all Year 9 students are invited to attend a Day of Celebration at Dreamworld to acknowledge all of the hard work they have put into this year of schooling. Please be aware that the school reserves the right to make final attendance decisions in line with the student Code of Conduct.

To help us plan this, could you please complete the Microsoft Forms survey below by 8am, Monday November 21, to inform us as to whether your child will attend, whether they will need bus transport to Dreamworld and back (approximate cost of $15), and whether they need to purchase a ticket (cost of $38) or they already have an annual pass. We will hand out permission forms for this day early next week, and these will be due back by Monday, November 29. 

Please email me at hfbra0@eq.edu.au with any questions or concerns.

In Week 9 our ALP Year 7 and 8 students will be presenting their final prototypes for testing.

Our Year 7 students have been building different types of bridges that need to span 700mm and be able to hold a minimum of 10,000 grams in weight.

Our Year 8 ALP students have been building towers that will withstand a simulated earthquake of 7-8 on the Richter scale.

All of our students are very excited and will be inviting members of the Executive, HOD’s, HOY’s and available Excellence program students to come and cheer them on.

The following insights and thoughts about the excursion to Bond University with Sharyn Cabrera, Year 9 ALP teacher, and our students were written by our Year 9 ALP students:

The Year 9 ALP class trip to Bond University was very astonishing with the way the buildings looked and the amount of information given. It also gave an in depth “what uni is like for students”. The buildings were really cool and my favourite would the architecture building. The courses they offer are quite varied and suitable to most people. If I was to change one thing, it would be to add a course on zoology.

by Cooper Hayden

The year 9 ALP class trip to Bond University was a very engrossing and astonishing chance to delve deeper into the understanding of the ‘University Life’ and in particular, the rewarding, rich study life that would be undertaken by an undergraduate psychology student. This tour, led by the Domestic Regional Manager, Mr Sean Johnson, gave the chance for us ALP Students to have not only a tour of the beautiful campus, but also enter various study and investigation rooms where they undertake Psychology investigations.  Moreover, by serendipity, we were lucky enough to even be able to talk and interact with multiple groups of students who explained the pathways they chose, and the ones we can choose if we study at Bond. 

by Ayyan Qureshi and Nikau Currie

At Bond University we were introduced to the many different facilities that they had to offer. Some of these facilities were the accommodation areas for the students to stay at on campus as well as some surrounding rooms to help them get into the workforce and have tutoring services available to succeed in their studies.  We were also introduced to some more facilities that were designed to help them relax and stay fit. These facilities were things such as two different gyms, two different pools where one of them was a recreational use and the other was for competitions and they also had a jacuzzi. After that, the tour guide brought us to their psychology rooms where we were introduced to some of the work that the students were working on such as if people were able to concentrate with loud noises around them. Soon after we travelled to the library and explored the different floors to see how they work in a louder space on the bottom floor and a quieter space on the top floors. We then met one of the people who helps students find the pathway needed to kickstart their careers and he informed us about the different areas we would need to study in order to achieve our future career pathways. After this we then went to visit the science and health buildings, the lecture theatre, some of their courtrooms and an Ideas building where they had people come in and help make your idea a reality.  This is very similar to the Future Anything project that Year 9 students participated in this year in Activate. We also saw their unique fountain piece with the names of graduated students engraved on it and their cafeteria located next to the office.

by Noah Searle