Thats a wrap - Week 1 and we are done! What a fantastic week we have had welcoming our Year 7s to Foxwell. We are so very proud of each and every one of the youngest members of our Foxwell family. I am sure they will make an outstanding contribution to our College community as they progress through the years.

I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce our Year 7 team to you. Our team is made up of myself, Deputy Principal, Ms Zana Schroeder, Head of Year, Mr Bryce Berrell and Year Level Assistant, Ms Sarah Tiller.

I am delighted to be the Year 7 DP for 2023. I have been at Foxwell since we opened in 2020 and I love watching our school community grow at the start of each year when our eager Year 7s join us.

This week,our Year 7 students have begun to experience high school life - they have completed a scavenger hunt, assisting them to navigate around our school and they have learnt how to read a timetable, helping to ensure that they are in the right place at the right time. Some students have been in Science Laboratories, others in kitchens, workshops and art rooms, exploring the world of opportunities at Foxwell.

Student iPads have been connected to the Network and students have begun leveraging their iPads to deepen their learning. If your child's iPad is yet to be connected, rest assured that this will occur early next week.

Starting high school opens the door to a world of opportunity for students to expand their friendship groups. We challenged studentsthis week to push out of their comfort zone, to welcome new friends and to engage in learning and social activities which they may not have encountered before. We encouraged students to embrace our SPIRIT values and to lead by example.

Students have learnt about our three school rules and what they look like in classrooms, in the playground, in the school grounds and at the bus stop and bike racks. We pride ourselves on having high expectations, those same expectations that will hold students in good stead now and later in life.

We reminded students that we are a no mobile phone school and that if a phone is required for safety reasons, traveling to and from school, that students need to arrange a locker so as to secure their phone between 8.35am and 3pm. Please call the school to make arrangements, if need be. Students are not permitted to carry their phone either on their person or in their bag.

Our conversations have focused on our core belief, that Kindness is the Foxwell Way and we have reminded students that our words and actions can impact others, both positively and negatively.

On Monday monring students, will watch and discuss the following video which was so beautifully produced by one of our teachers (currently on leave), Mrs Peta Bemet in collaboration with her daughter. This sends a powerful message to all of us about the impact that our words and actions can have on others.

Students have been reminded that if another student is being unkind to them, to respectfully ask the other student to stop and should this not work, students have been instructed to make a report to an adult, so that we can support them to remedy the matter. Students can make a digital incident report through SharePoint or can fill in a paper incident report at Student Services. These reports will be triaged and investigated accordingly. Consequenes will be applied, if necessary, and in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

The role of adults in keeping students safe has been emphasised to the Year 7s. We have reminded students that it is never ok to take matters into their own hands and to become physical with each other. We have a strictly hands-off policy. Students being physically aggressive and making others feel or to be unsafe, will have consequences applied.

Student safety and wellbeing is a priority for us. We want students to come to school and to feel safe and supported. Please reinforce with your child the need to report any on-going harassment or friendship issues so that we can intervene and negotiate a positive solution.

Today myself and Mr Berrell visited classrooms and noticed that the vast majority of students are complying with our Student Dress Code. Students who were out of uniform were reminded of the process, should they require a temporary variation and we had a conversation, seeking to understand each situation. We may have made contact with some of you today regarding uniform items such shoes or bags. Thank you for your positive engagement with us during these phone calls. Thank you to all families for your commitment to our College in ensuring your child presents to school in the correct uniform.

Please see below as a reminder:

It has been a massive week, with lots of new learning and not just for the students! We have beeen very impressed with how students have presented themselves in appearance, manner and attitude, both in classrooms and in the playground. Thank you for preparing your children so well for their next level of education.

On assembly this afternoon, we answered some questions we had gathered from students across the course of the week. My favourite question by far was, 'What tips do you have for Year 7?'

This was our response.

2023 is going to be a great year. We look forward to working in partnership with you to ensure success for your child here at Foxwell.

As we move through the coming weeks, we will share photos of students.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us, using the details above.

Until next time, take care.

Zana Schroeder

Deputy Principal

Welcome back to our returning families and welcome to Foxwell to all of our new students and families joining us this year.

It's been so lovely to see our Year 8 students back and engaged in learning, many that have had a big growth spurt over the holiday break.

We have spent the week getting to know each other and our teachers.  Over the course of the holidays, we spent countless hours attempting to perfect classroom compositions to optimise the learning of all students.  This has been a big change for our Year 8 cohort, and some students have been pushed out of the comfort zone to form new relationships and make new friends.  Well done on your success in this space, Year 8!  It's great to see the atmosphere and learning happening as I have visited classrooms this week.  If this has been a source of anxiety or worry for your student this week, thank you for working with them to build resilience and make these new connections.  We ask that students and families continue to give these new classrooms a chance to settle next week.

I'd like to take the opportunity to introduce our Year 8 Head of Year, Mr Jason Breese, who has joined Foxwell this year.  Mr Breese comes with a wealth of experience in the role at a number of different schools in Brisbane.  Welcome Mr Breese; it's been wonderful seeing you get to know this wonderful group of individuals in Year 8.

Additionally, Year 8 retains the amazing Ms Sara Tiller in the role of Year Level Assistant, looking after Year 7 and Year 8 this year.  We are so thrilled to have you with us, Ms Tiller.

As always, if you have any concerns, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the Year 8 team.

Di Russell

Year 8 and 9 Deputy Principal

What a big week it has been for our Year 9 cohort of 2023.  We welcomed many students back this week and introduced a number of new students to the Foxwell family as well.

This week has been one of transitions for our Year 9s, as they move into their Compass Years - a time to look inward and find the direction they may wish to explore in the years to come.  Our Year 9s have explored their new 'Senior Precinct' and been exposed to amazing new classrooms and specialty learning spaces.  Students have more choice and voice in their learning in Year 9, as they move through their elective PECS subjects and refine the skills they wish to develop over the course of the year.  With this choice and voice, some students may discover that over the course of the holidays, they have had a change of heart in the direction they would like to take.  If this is the case for your child, please direct them to collect a subject change form from Student Services and once the completed form has been returned signed by a parent or guardian, we will investigate their requests.  There are a number of electives where classes are currently full.

I am very excited to join the Year 9s on this journey and to oversee their growth and development this year.  We are very fortunate to welcome Mr John Morris to the Year 9 team in the Head of Year 9 role.  Mr Morris joins us at Foxwell, with a vast experience in similar roles, in schools across Logan and Brisbane.  Additionally, we are excited to retain Ms Sharni Hughes in our Year Level Assistant role.  Ms Hughes will be overseeing Years 9 and 10.  Her knowledge of and relationships with Year 9 students and their families will be invaluable to our team.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to Mr Morris, Ms Hughes or myself should the need arrive.  We look forward to working with you, in partnership, to secure wonderful outcomes for your child in 2023.

Di Russell

Year 8 and 9 Deputy Principal

It is hard to believe that our foundation cohort has started their Year 10 journey with us in 2023! Where did the time go? I was so excited to see their happy faces on Day 1 and to hear all about their holidays. A few things we have discussed this week in our sessions, so that you can continue the conversations at home, were:

1) Year 10 is an important year for setting up opportunities for the future. Students should be thinking about how their effort, behaviour and overall way of being and thinking will allow them to access opportunities such as pathways (traineeships, apprenticeships) for learning beyond Year 10, employment (now and later) and events across the College (e.g. leadership and extra-curricular activities). One of my mantras this year has been "Do Better!". We can all do more to be better in all aspects of our daily lives. 

2) Year 10 means more choice in learning. Students have begun their three elective courses and need to focus on how their learning is helping them navigate future pathways. All students should now expect to remain in their classes and courses so as to not miss any learning or need to catch up.

3) We won't always be friends with everyone! So, whether it is a teacher or another student with whom they may not get along, students need to focus on the important outcomes of their learrning, and in the case of courses they have elected, not miss out on opportunities to study their chosen courses. Parents are encouraged to make an appointment with Ms Nicolas if they wish to discuss class placements.

4) Be organised for learning. That means, iPads are charged for learning, all materials are brought to class, homework is completed and any concerns regarding learning are raised with the teacher.

5) Be responsible - from uniform presentation to classroom behaviour, every action and behaviour has an impact on learning, culture and reputation. As a team, it is important for all Year 10s to be the best they can be, to do better, so that everyone reaps the benefits. There is no excuse for students being out of uniform, other than minor mishaps along the way, for which students have accessed a Variation to Uniform Slip. Our College Dress Code, including shoes and jewellery, is very clear and there will be consequences for students who are found to be in breach of the Code. 

Personal Endeavour Courses and Compass Courses - Class Changes

By now, all students should be settled in their classes. There will be some ongoing changes due to typcial operational requirements, but it is best if students do not change their PEC courses as they would now have up to three lessons to catch up. Please be aware that some courses are offered across the year, that is, more than once and that this means that some preferences will not be included in this semester's timetable but in next semester's schedule. For example, Global Dining will be a course offered in Semester 1 and 2 so students may be studying it in either semester. 

Fusion 2023

Our Fusion Program, focusing on Accomplishment, Careers, Empowered Learning and Development, began in earnest this week. Together with Mrs Moller, our Head of Year 10, Ms Street, our Guidance Officer and our teachers, I look forward to many fun and fulfiling activities this year. Currently, we are in the process of determining which suggestions from our students we will put into action as the terms unfold. We've had many great ideas from Year 10 students, including buddy activities to help the Year 7s settle in and leadership opportunities and projects for 2023.

Email and SharePoint

Another reminder to please ensure that your child is able to access and is checking/using Outlook email and the Student SharePoint so that they don't miss opportunities, announcements and important information. 

Our Year 10 Team

Our team for this year consists of:

Deputy Principal           Ms Dianne Nicolas           dnico0eq.edu.au

Head of Year                  Mrs Lisa Moller                lmoll38@eq.edu.au

Year Level Assistant      Ms Sharni Hughes             

Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Moller, in the first instance, if you have any concerns regarding your child, particularly in relation non-curriculum matters.

I am really looking forward to sharing this year with our Year 10s!

Ms Di Nicolas, Deputy Principal Year 10

Dear Foxwell families,

Our first P&C meeting of the year will be held via zoom on Tuesday the 7th of February at 7PM. Should you wish to join us please email pandc@foxwellssc.eq.edu.au for the zoom link. New members are welcome to attend, we encourage you to come along to be part of a dynamic group.

The next meeting will be the last one before our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the 14th of March. At this meeting we welcome in a new executive team which may be returning or new members decided on by a committee vote. If you wish to be part of the executive team for 2023 all positions are open. We also hold a non-executive role of grants officer who looks after grant applications. All positions are voluntary, no former experience is necessary.

Applications will be available before the AGM, please email if you would like details of any executive roles.

Trusting everyone had a wonderful break over the festive season.

I look forward to welcoming you to our next meeting.

Warm wishes

Roz Rowe

P&C President

The SWEL team warmly welcome you back to the 2023 school year. 

We are excited to share that we have some new SWEL staff commencing at Foxwell. 

We welcome Sean Atiifale, a second Guidance Officer to the team.

Sean joins us from Coomera Springs State School so may already be a familiar face to some of our students and families.

Sean Atiifale sxati0@eq.edu.au Guidance Officer - Year 7, 8 and 9	Pascale Street ppier6@eq.edu.au Guidance Officer - Year 10, 11 & 12

Support and Engagement Dog - Taco

Taco has had a very relaxing Christmas break where he spent most of his time on the beach. Please be patient with him as he adapts back into school routines! For our new Year 7 families, Taco is at school Monday - Friday and is based at the Foxwellness Centre. However, it is not uncommon for Taco to be greeting and farewelling students at the front gates or hanging out at Cafe 4209 in the mornings. 

We are excited to welcome back Brooke Birt as our School Based Youth Health Nurse. Brooke has returned from Thursday Island and will be at Foxwell every Tuesday and every second Thursday. 

With growth, there is change. Chappy JP will not be continuing his role as Chaplain in 2023 at Foxwell. We are very grateful for the time and impact he has had on our community and wish him all the best as his family relocates to Melbourne in the coming weeks. 

The SWEL team are looking forward to supporting the Foxwell Community in 2023. 

It has been so exciting to see so many returning faces and welcoming new faces to our College this week. As students get settled into their classes, the Inclusion faculty is working to assign case managers, confirm Individual Curriculum Plans and ensure Personalised Learning Plans have the latest information.

Our Inclusion faculty provides support by way of Case Management for students captured under the Inclusive Education Policy which includes: Students with Disability, Students in Out of Home Care, LGBTIQ+ students, ATSI students, Gifted and Talented etc. If you have provided information to us that your student falls within one of these learner categories, a member of the Inclusion team will be in touch with you by email by the end of Week 2. 

All families of students accessing an Individual Curriculum Plan should have received an email from me during the holidays with the proposed plan for 2023. If you haven't already, can you please respond to this as a matter of urgency. 

As Personalised learning plans are completed, they will also be sent home for families and students to read and approve. These plans outline impacts for the students that create barriers to learning and identify effective strategies for classroom teachers to best support students. If you have a student with a personalised learning plan, and you have specialist reports that suggest strategies school should implement, please send these through to me at emgil0@eq.edu.au as soon as possible, for inclusion into the plan. 

Our 2023 Inclusion team are so thrilled to be able to support your students this year. 

- Elle Bullock, Head of Inclusion (Acting)

Health and Physical Education in Years 9 and 10 and Healthy World in Years 7 and 8 enables students to develop skills, understanding and willingness to positively influence the health and wellbeing of themselves and their communities. In an increasingly complex, sedentary and rapidly changing world, it is critical for every young Australian to flourish as a healthy, safe, active and informed citizen. It is essential that young people develop their ability to respond to new health issues and evolving physical activity options.

Health and Physical Education in Years 9 and 10 and Healthy World in Years 7 and 8 provides students with an experiential curriculum that is contemporary, relevant, challenging and physically active.

Each week, students will participate in both practical and theory lessons to experience the curriculum. Students are to wear their full sports uniform on the day allocated as practical each week. Please see below practical uniform days by class code, please refer to students' timetables to determine their sports uniform day:

To engage in practical lessons, students must be in full sports uniform. This includes appropriate footwear with a full black leather sport shoe being ideal but fabric sports shoes which are all black, are also acceptable. Students must always wear the school sports hat in outdoor learning environments to practice sun safety and bring a water bottle to remain hydrated.

In the event your child is sick or injured and cannot participate in the practical activity, please provide a note or email to their teacher to keep them informed. Your child’s teacher will engage them in an appropriate activity to promote participation in the lesson.

OneNote will be our learning platform for both theory and practical lessons. Here teachers will distribute lesson content, tasks and resources and students will complete all learning experiences on this platform. It is encouraged that you check-in regularly with your child’s learning on this platform and maintain regular communication with their Healthy World/HPE teacher to ensure they flourish.

For further information, please contact your child's classroom teacher or the Head of Department, Mr Braiden Ruge at bruge3@eq.edu.au 

In 2023, we welcome Mr Watmuff to the role of College Sports Coordinator. Students wishing to nominate for Broadwater Sport are to pay close attention to student notices and retrieve a nomination form from Mr Watmuff in A block staffroom when trials are called.

For a head start on all Broadwater Sport District Trials in 2023, please like the new ‘Broadwater District School Sport’ Facebook page for all trial information, dates and venues. Students will be able to access District Sport notices via their SharePoint and the Broadwater Facebook page. Foxwell SSC looks forward to another great year of our students excelling in Broadwater sport and beyond.

For any questions regarding representative sport, please contact Mr. Watmuff at drwat1@eq.edu.au

We are excited to announce that Foxwell SSC will be entering the Queensland School Sport Futsal League this year. This will be a competition for a squad of 15/16 boys and 13/14 boys to compete against other schools in our the South Coast area on a regular basis with fixtures on a Tuesday. This will include home and away games with the 15/16 boys competing in semester 1 and the 13/14 boys competing in semester 2. This is in addition to cup competitions for students to develop their skills throughout the whole school year. If you would like to know more information about the new league, upcoming cup competitions or when trainings may be, please contact Mr Croucher on nccro0@eq.edu.au.

If you are a female student wishing to express interest in a College Futsal team, please email nccro0@eq.edu.au. 

2023 is shaping up to be an incredible year in the Social World and Arts Departments. I would like to introduce myself as the Acting Head of Department for these two areas.  I have a healthy passion and strong belief that every child deserves a quality Arts and English education.  We are so fortunate at Foxwell to have an innovative curriculum that merges English and the Arts to create rich and deep learning experiences.

We welcome many new faces to our teaching team this year, each of which brings a wealth of experience to ensure our Foxwell students reach their full potential.

Shortly, your child's Social World teacher will send out an introductory email to each family to introduce themselves and to give some insight into the exciting learning experiences your child will encounter this term in their Social World and Arts classes.  

We encourage you to engage with your student's teacher as a partner in your child's learning.  When a student is supported at home and at school to achieve their best, great things happen!

I have seen the exciting experiences already happening within our Social World classrooms.  From students engaging in fun Drama lessons, to students outside exploring and taking photos for their Media lessons, students are accessing a world of opportunity already and it is only Week 1.  Ask your student what they have been up to so far in Social World.

If you have any questions about your student's learning in Social World and the Arts, please do not hesitate to contact me or your student's teacher.

Collette Wilson

cwils138@eq.edu.au

Acting Head of Department

Instrumental Music will be underway by Week 3 and the music staff are so excited to start making music with all of our students in lessons and ensembles. The program has grown so much that we now have  four instrumental music teachers at Foxwell this year!

We continue to have Mrs Sophie Cardno who is our strings teacher and Instrumental Music Coordinator and Ms Cindy Riemer who is our band teacher. We welcome Mr Randal Scheerle who will be teaching band and percussion, and Mrs Emma Bltyh who will be joining the team and teaching strings.

All details including lesson timetables, groupings, and ensembles' running times will be emailed to all parents and students by the end of Week 2.

We are so excited to meet all the new students in Year 7 and welcome anyone who wishes to join the program, regardless of skill level.  If you think your child would benefit from being part of our growing program, please do not hesitate to send me an email; scard26@eq.edu.au

Welcome to our returning and new students.  We are excited to announce that Foxwell SSC will be auditioning for positions in our extra-curricular activity -  DANCE TROUPE - for ALL interested students across 7 to 10.

This two-part process will commence Week 2, Monday 30th January at 11:45am in the Performing Arts Centre (during lunch). Students will engage in a warm up before learning two short dance sequences (1. Hip Hop & 2. Contemporary).  Students will then have one-week to rehearse before returning in Week 3 to audition (dates to be advised).  

Students interested must commit to a minimum of two-style of dance with the following genres of dance on offer:

• Hip Hop 
• Jazz
• Contemporary
• Lyrical
• Cultural
• Cheer (TBA)

Please complete the linked Expression of Interest form or collect a hard copy from Student Services.  Printed copies must be returned to Student Services by Week 2, Monday 30th January - 9AM.

Any questions can be directed to Mrs Lauren Riches, Dance Troupe coordinator - lrich225@eq.edu.au 

Dance Troupe EOI Form

As the Head of Physical World, I am thrilled to welcome our new year 7's to the College!

All students in year 7 and 8 study Physical World, which is a cross-curricular subject that encompasses the learning areas of Science and Humanities. It nurtures student’s natural curiosity about the increasingly culturally diverse and dynamically interconnected world around them. Physical World teachers support this through developing students' understanding of the world, past and present, and developing students' ability to respond to challenges, now and in the future, in innovative, informed, personal and collective ways. Students are provided opportunities to develop an understanding of important science concepts and processes, the practices used to develop scientific knowledge, of science’s contribution to our culture and society, and its applications in our lives.

Physical World curriculum supports students to develop knowledge, understandings and skills to make informed decisions about local, national and global issues. Students are provided the opportunity to develop critical and creative thinking skills and challenge themselves to identify questions and draw evidence-based conclusions. Physical World plays an important role in harnessing students’ curiosity and imagination about the world they live in and empowers them to actively shape their lives; make reflective, informed decisions; value their belonging in a diverse and dynamic society; and positively contribute locally, nationally, regionally and globally.

Our most exciting event this Semester is our annual Night at the Museum event. This is where students have the opportunity to present their study of History, through researching critical events and significant individuals from Ancient Times (year 7) and the Middle Ages (year 8). This will be held on Wednesday 24th of May, with all students expected to attend. Parents and carers may join our evening from 4pm onwards. More information will be disseminated via email closer to the date, but for now, add this to your calendar. It is one that is not to be missed!

I encourage all parents and carers to actively participate in their child's learning through checking OneNote and Seesaw, which is where all teacher feedback is disseminated. The first point of call is the classroom teacher for all matters pertaining to the classroom, however I can be contacted at all times on the College number, or at nmccl31@eq.edu.au should you have and queries or questions. The full list of Physical World teachers and their emails is in the table below:

I look forward to a wonderful year of Physical World together.

Warm regards,

Nahdia McClymont

Head of Physical World

Welcome back to all of our year 9 and 10 students, and a huge welcome to all of our new students!

I have the pleasure of leading the science team in year 9 and 10. Unlike years 7 and 8, science is delivered as a discrete subject, with the purpose of delivering a robust, diverse learning experience in line with the Australian Curriculum. Students in year 9 and 10 will both begin with Biology in Term 1, before experiencing Physics, Chemistry, and Earth Science across Terms 2-4.

Students have three lesson of science a week in year 9, and two lesson of science a week in year 10. Students will be assessed on a variety of assessment types including Experimental Investigations, Research Investigations, and Examinations. There have been a myriad of additional learning experiences incorporated into this curriculum to engage, inspire, and motivate students to apply their understanding of science to the real world, and prepare them for potentially selecting science subjects in Senior School. 

I encourage all parents and carers to actively participate in their child's learning through checking OneNote and Seesaw, which is where all teacher feedback is disseminated. The first point of call is the classroom teacher for all matters pertaining to the classroom, however I can be contacted at all times on the College number, or at nmccl31@eq.edu.au should you have and queries or questions. The full list of Science teachers and their emails is in the table below:

I look forward to a wonderful year of Science together.

Warm regards,

Nahdia McClymont

Head of 9-10 Science

A warm and exciting welcome back from the Technologies at Foxwell SSC.

2023 is already set to be an amazing year. Based on feedback and the experiences of 2022, we have revised the technologies related learning opportunities for students in Grades 7 through 9 and developed an amazing Grade 10 program to prepare students for the contemporary workforce or further study. Over the New Year's break, the faculty has experienced considerable growth with a number of diverse and sensational Technology teachers joining the team. We wish to formally welcome Mr Colquhoun, Ms Smith, Ms Dywer, Ms Maltseva and Mr Davies who join Mr Foers, Mr Newton-Smith, Mr Power, Ms Watkins and Mr Nicholls. If you have any questions about the Grade 7 to 10 Technologies (Materials, Textiles, Food, Engineering, or Digital) or Grade 7 Business & Economics your student is participating in, please dont hesitate to contact their teacher to discuss the discipline, its skills, knowledge and learning activities they'll experience.

In the coming week, all Technologies students will receive their health and safety notice and permission form. This form needs to signed by parents or guardians and returned to the college before students can participate in practical activities. Can I please ask that you take the time to read the information in this notice carefully with your students. Please make particular notice about our expected behaviours and the need for appropriate footwear in our workshops and kitchens. As outline in the college dress code, shoes worn in our workshops and kitchens should be fully enclosed, of substantial construction with a sturdy sole and are in good condition. As kindness is the Foxwell way, we want to ensure that our teachers and staff are able to help students achieve their goals while they learn in a safe and engaging environments.

If you have any additional questions about the Technologies curriculum, please do not hesitate to contact myself, Andrew Nicholls, Head of Department. On behalf of the Technologies team, we look forward to a successful year of learning and growth for your student.

I hope everyone had a lovely break and is excited for this new year.  In English this year, students in Year 9 and 10 move away from their 'Worlds' to separate subjects.  In English, students will interact with others, read, view, listen to and understand a range of texts and create a range of spoken, multimodal and written texts, including literary texts for a wide range of purposes and audiences that express and expand on their ideas and are supported with evidence from the texts they have studied. 

It is important that students are reading at home and bring a book to school to read during English lessons. Students should also be ensuring that they are completing any class work and assessment at home as required.  It is important that we all start the year afresh and focused. 

Semester 1 of Year 10 is a very important part of our students' education and will help students make decisions about their subject choices in Semester 2 and in Senior in the future.  

In the next week or so, your student's English teacher will send an introductory email to each family outlining what students will be learning this semester.  As always, we encourage you to work in partnership with your student's English teacher to support your student at home and at school to achieve success. This week, students have been reflecting on what success looks like for them in English, so please take some time to discuss this together and how you might support them to achieve this success.

Welcome back to 2023 and welcome to all of our new students and their families. 

In Year 9, all students will study History in either Semester 1 or Semester 2.  In the alternate semester, students have chosen one of our other Humanities electives to study - Geography, Civics & Citizenship, Economics & Business or Ancient History & Philosophy.

In Year 10, all students will study History in Semester 1.  Our focus in Term 1 is World War Two and in Term 2, it will be Human Rights and Freedoms.  In Year 10, students may also choose a Humanities elective in Semester 2, but this is not compulsory.

In History this year, we are focusing on note-taking skills and source analysis.  Students will be taught how to take effective notes and analyse a source and provided with scaffolding and exemplars to assist them as well.

In the next week or so, your student's History and/or Humanities teacher will send an introductory email to each family outlining what students will be learning this semester.  As always, we encourage you to work in partnership with your student's Humanities teacher to support your student at home and at school to achieve success. We hope students enjoy their Humanities studies this year.

Activate is a new subject for our Year 9 students this year that involves Work Studies as well as participation in the Future Anything entrepreneurship program.  Students have Activate twice a week and during this time, they will be involved in working both individually and in groups on various projects.  Assessment of Activate is portfolio based, so work that students complete each lesson will provide evidence for reporting.  It is therefore important that students ensure that they are keeping up to date with any classwork and that they are using One Note to catch up if they are absent.

We will also use this time to talk with students about their futures and Planning for Personal Accomplishment (P4PA).

I would like to take this opportunity to ask any of our school community who would like to offer their time and expertise to work with our students throughout the year to contact me on dgodd2@eq.edu.au and let me know how you would be able to assist.  We would love parents to speak with our students about their careers, their own education, job changes, entrepreneurship, work, apprenticeships or anything of this nature.  Our students learn best when they are talking to people in our community who might be doing jobs they would like to do in the future, or who might have had a number of different jobs before finding something that they love, who have completed apprenticeships, own their own business, work with young people in other areas etc.  We would love to hear from you if you are able to help us help our students and to engage in valuable learning partnerships.

Hi Debaters and Debating parents and friends! 

Debating season is fast approaching and we will be meeting with interested students next Wednesday at lunch to talk about all things debating. 

Last year, one of our Junior A teams was runner up in the Gold Coast Debating Competition and one of our Junior B teams won their final round debate. 

We have some wonderfully talented debaters who I know want to continue to build and practice their skills. 

This year, we will be able to enter teams in both Junior (Year 7 & 8) and Intermediate (Year 9 & 10). 

Please encourage your student to come along at lunch time to the Learning Hub level 2 on Wednesday next week to learn more.

This year ALP is exciting; We welcome Mr Gary Emerson to our team, along with Ms Gayle Neville and Mr Tom Power.  Students will have their ALP lesson on a Thursday morning before school.  This lesson starts at 7:45 sharp and is an expectation of our Excellence Program students.  On this day, students will be able to wear their ALP shirts, which should arrive very shortly for our new Year 7 students.

Please contact your student's ALP teacher, if there are any concerns or questions and we will endeavour to assist you in any way that we can.

We are looking forward to a fantastic year and I know our ALP students will be as competitive as ever with each other, but also be overwhelmingly supportive of each other.

"The purpose of an Arts education is not to produce more artists and actors.  The real purpose of an Arts education is to create complex human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in society". Dana Gioia

Creative Voices has well and truly kicked off this year for our Year 7 and 8 students. The energy from these students and their teachers was incredible.  We are really looking forward to a great year with many exciting opportunities and experiences for our students.  The Creative Voices team this year includes Mrs Lauren Riches (Year 10), Mrs Tara Goldhardt (Year 9), Miss Paige Wilkie (Year 8) and Mr Jackson Kook (Year 7). Each of these wonderful teachers bring a wealth of experience in the Arts and will provide our students with incredible experiences.

A reminder that morning classes begin in Week 2 and this year they have moved to Friday mornings.  These sessions begin at 7.45am and run through until the start of Period One.  It is important that students are on time and prepared for their Creative Voices lesson and that they have had a healthy and filling breakfast.  Year 7 and 8 morning sessions will run in the E block Drama classrooms and Year 9 and 10 students will have their lesson in the PAC.  

If your student is not currently in an Excellence program at Foxwell and they have expressed an interest in Creative Voices, please send me an email cwils138@eq.edu.au with their information and I will forward an audition pack.

Acting Head of Department - Social World and The Arts

Collette Wilson

The Foxwell State Secondary College Sporting Minds Excellence program kicks off next week. In the initial weeks, Sporting Minds' Coaches will be conducting fitness testing and working with students to determine their sporting focus and accomplishment goals. 

Sporting Minds is a High-Performance Sports Program, which aims to nurture and develop the physical, mental, social and emotional potential of high performing student athletes. The program will recognise and identify emerging athletes and assist each individual in achieving excellence and success in both their chosen sport/s and academics. The driving aim of Sporting Minds is to provide a program that is unique, centring around the development of the mind of an athlete, to think powerfully and with purpose, with passion and with perseverance towards every aspect of athletic development.

Students in the Yr 7 & 8 program are expected to attend two scheduled lessons per week. Lesson one will take place during the students daily timetabled Enrich class. This is during Period 4 on a Tuesday (1.50pm - 3.00pm). In addition, students are expected to attend a morning scheduled class on a Thursday between 7.45 am and 8.45am.

Students in the Yr 9 & 10 program are expected to attend a morning scheduled class on a Wednesday between 7.45am and 8.45am.

All of our coaches, coordinators and industry partners bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the Sporting Minds program. This lived knowledge provides the opportunity for our athletes to learn the facets of elite athlete development and provide them with the tools for the body and mind to be successful at any level, from lifelong learner to elite athlete. We look forward to continuing our partnership and strengthening our program with Glenn Gamlin of GMG Training, Paul Haines of Perform, Dani Smith of Glowforlife and Griffith University.

For further information, please contact the program Coordinator, Mr. Braiden Ruge at bruge3@eq.edu.au 

Ms McClymont, Miss Jones, and Mrs Moraes are all so excited to see our bright and bubbly students back for another fun and exciting year of Gen STEM. This year the Gen STEM program welcomes Mrs Sam Ramos to the team. Mrs Ramos will be taking the Year 7s, with Ms McClymont taking the Year 8s, Miss Jones taking the Year 9s, and Mrs Moraes taking the Year 10s. Students in Year 7 and 8 attend two Gen STEM lessons a week, one on Tuesday, during their period 4 timetabled class, and another on Thursday morning from 7:45-8:45am. Students in Year 9 and 10 Gen STEM only attend the 7:45-8:45am class each week.

The contact details for the teachers in the program are as below:
Mrs Ramos – sehol0@eq.edu.au
Ms McClymont – nmccl31@eq.edu.au
Miss Jones – hjone295@eq.edu.au
Mrs Moraes – smora35@eq.edu.au

This year we will continue our unique partnership with the Wonder of Science, where Year 7 students will be partnered one-to-one with an individual PhD mentor from universities all over Australia. Our students in Year 8 will travel to Moreton Bay Environmental Education Centre, where they will act as Citizen Scientists conducting surveys and collecting data aboard the vessel, Inspiration. Year 7 and 8 students will follow the inquiry cycle to investigate a problem in STEM, and generate a solution, presenting this at the Wonder of Science Regional Conference.

Year 7 and 8 students will also design, code and problem-solve in the First Lego League Coomera Regional event, which will be hosted by Foxwell State Secondary College. Our Year 9 students will begin their journey with Horizon Educational, engineering and mathematically designing and racing RC cars. And year 10 students, sponsored by ABB Technologies, will travel to Gladstone to compete in the Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix, where they will race their designed car featuring the ABB Technologies and Gen STEM logos! We hope to come home with a win, and the opportunity to travel overseas and represent Australia in the International Grand Prix. All students will participate in the annual Up & Atom Gen STEM Fair, where they will present their Term 3 cumulated passion project.

A reminder about the expectations in the Gen STEM program of excellence are below:

Next week, each student will receive a Gen STEM t-shirt, which they are expected to wear to school on Thursdays.

If your child requires extra support with Gen STEM, teachers can make themselves available during lunch times, or before/after school, on a needs basis. WIN time is also available before school in the Learning Hub after 8am, and until 4pm each day.

We have all this, and so many more exciting experiences planned this year. We cannot wait to share them with you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone call. I look forward to a positive year of Gen STEM ahead!

Warm regards,

Nahdia McClymont
Head of Physical World

Invoices will be emailed to families next week for the following activities:

- Student Resource Scheme

- Excellence Programs

- Subject Levies

For families who elected to pay via CentrePay, an authority to deduct form is now available, please email finance@foxwellssc.eq.edu.au for a copy of the form. 

The finance window is open on Fridays, from 8.30am-10.00am. The payment window accepts correct cash payments and EFTPOS. We are unable to process credit card payments over the phone, you will be directed to the secure payments phone number for this option. Our preferred payment option is BPOINT. You can access the BPOINT option by clicking on the link in the invoice you received via email.

If you would like a copy of your invoice or would like to discuss your payment options, please contact Toni Brampton - Finance Officer - finance@foxwellssc.eq.edu.au or alternatively you can phone the School on 07 5555 3333.