This week, during our whole of college assembly, I took the time to reflect on and share the outstanding opportunities and experiences that our staff have provided our students throughout the 10 week term. 

I was able to share with our students a showcase of photos that celebrate these events, and of course, thank our staff for taking the time to seek out and organise such great events. I have added these photos to the article today. Having opportunities like these available to our students increases their sense of belonging to our College and connects them with staff and students with similar interests and passions, and I would encourage all students to get involved.

To list some of the events through Term 2, they included:

• ANZAC Ceremony
• Interschool Sport days
• Make Bullying History Presentation (Year 7 and 8)
• Supported local primary schools for their sports days
• ALP – TAFE QLD Screen and Media workshop
• Foxwell Careers Expo and Information evenings
• Gold Coast Careers Expo
• Year 6 Enrolment Information Evening
• Coral Fanfair
• Night at the Museum
• Farewell – Ms Amor
• Netball, Football, Rugby League competitions
• Starbound Competition at Miami SHS
• Gold Coast Mountain Bike Competition
• Waves Forward
• Film Festival - ALP
• Moulin Rouge – Creative Voices
• Debating competitions
• Instrumental Music Concert 
• Athletics Carnival

Next term, we have a couple of staffing changes. Ms Elle Bullock has been successful in gaining an Inclusion Head of Department role at Kedron State High School. She will commence this role in week 3 of next term. We are also introducing 2 new Head of Department positions to support students in Wellbeing, Engagement and Learning. We will be joined by Ms Jessica Maxwell in the Year 9 and 10, and Mr Bryce Berrell will be the Year 7 and 8 SWEL HOD. We will be advertising for a new Year 7 Head of Year to commence as early as possible in term 3 to continue to support our year 7s. 

There will also be an advertisement for the permanent Principal position at Foxwell over the holidays, to appoint the new permanent Principal early in Term 3. I will continue at Foxwell until the appointment of the new Principal. I look forward to continue to work with you and your children during this time. 

As we head into the holidays, I would like to remind you of the upcoming Student Led Conferences in Week 5 of Term 3. Please save the date for these important conversations with your child and their teachers. 

We made it! Semester 1 is done and what a tremendous experience it has been for our Year 7s as they have transitioned into the secondary phase of their education journey.

I have watched our Year 7s grow in confidence as they move around the College interacting with peers and staff. I love to see their happy faces in classrooms and in the playground and am always so grateful for their openness in conversations with me.

AMAYDA - Bullying Prevention Program

In order to better support our Year 7s  transition, students have been engaged in the AMAYDA anti bullying and resilience program during their ENRICH lesson on Tuesday afternoons this term. This program will continue for the first few weeks in Term 3.

AMAYDA has trained our staff to deliver this bullying prevention program. 

Our students have engaged in role playing a range of potentially difficult situations and have been provided with practical solutions. They have learnt the best real-world self-defence and negotiation skills while receiving understanding and guidance around how to get the best outcome. 

The program has taught our students how to;

• have RESPECT for yourself and others;
• have the COURAGE to do the right thing, even when you’re scared and to make the right decisions when subjected to peer pressure;
• have the INTEGRITY to do what you say you’re going to do; and
• build RESILIENCE, by strengthening their self-image, enabling students to recover quickly when faced with adversity.

If you would like more information on the program you can find it here.

We regularly remind our students that if we are not aware that they are experiencing negative and upsetting interactions with others, then we are unable to support them. As a College, when we are aware of incidents of harassment or in the rare case, incidents of bullying [targetted and repeated actions by one person toward another], we take the matter seriously and following a detailed investigation, we put in place consequences, as per our Student Code of Conduct.

Term 3 - Timetable Changes

Students will receive their Term 3 timetables when they return to school. Due to class sizes and staffing, there will be some class changes occurring. Changing Arts rotations will also mean that most students Arts subject will change, whilst some students will extend their studies in their current Arts subjects. For a small number of students, there will also be changes to some core classes. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns in regards to this, once timetables are released.

Reminders

Uniform

Please ensure your child has all the correct items of unfirom available to them for the start of Term 3. Please remember that only college-branded jumpers are permitted at school regardless of how cold the weather is.

Our on-site uniform store is managed by our uniform supplier UMS. Uniform Shop trading hours are:

Monday: 8 am - 11 am
Tuesday: 8.00am - 11.00am
Wednesday: 2.00pm - 4.30pm
Thursday: 8 am - 11 am
Friday: 8am - 11.00am

Learning Tools

Please ensure that your child has all the required stationery items at school each day so they are ready to learn. All students are required to bring a book and pencil case with statinery items in, to class each day, in addition to their fully charged iPad.

I thank you for your support over the past term and I wish you and your families a safe holiday and as always, if i can be of any assistance please feel free to reach out.

Congratulations to our Year 8s on a successful semester. Having spoken to many students this week, I know that everyone is looking to their two week break. As always, it has been a busy semester!

On assembly last week, I spoke to the Year 8s about the “T” in our SPIRIT values: teamwork. At Foxwell, teamwork is about collaboration and cooperation, and developing strong partnerships to ensure everyone works together in a constructive way:

These partnerships are between parents, teachers and students to ensure each and every student is supported and nurtured throughout their schooling journey. I reminded students that every class is a team of learners, and also posed the question: “Who’s on your team?” For our students, it’s each other, their teachers, their families, and wider support networks at school and beyond. It is when we work together that we can innovate, be more productive, solve problems and unlock potential!

Effective communication is central to effective teams. I’ve met and spoken with many parents in my first few weeks at Foxwell and am very thankful for the open communication that is fostered in our school community. I am also grateful that conversations have been constructive and developed dialogue to make improvements and generate shared understanding. As Billy Slater said on Wednesday after Queensland’s victory in State of Origin, “I can, because we are.” How we work together is fundamental to student success.

I hope that families will take the opportunity to participate in Student Led Conferences next term where they can talk and reflect together with teachers as we move into Term 3 learning. 

For now, wishing everyone a safe and restful holiday!

YEAR 8 CAMP UPDATE

A reminder from Mr Breese that Camp permission forms need to be returned ASAP. We will discuss camp a lot more next term. 

Below is the link the camp website. This maybe something you wish to explore as a family to prepare your child for camp:

https://www.maranatha-camp.com/yandina

TERM 3 TIMETABLES AND REMINDERS

During the holidays, please double check that your Year 8 student has the necessary books, stationery and equipment needed to begin the term. This might also include checking the health of iPads and arranging any repairs. 

Students will be given their Term 3 timetables when they return to school. There will be changes to electives, as these rotate each term. For a small number of students, there will also be changes to some core classes. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns in regards to this. 

Semester 1 Wrap Up

It has been a highly productive semester and this is most evident in the report cards I have spent today reading.  The Compass Years (Year 9 and 10) are all about students finding their way; navigating the curriculum and deciding where they may like to spend their learning time, whether it is on the sporting field, in the Arts, or in a kitchen or workshop.  It has been a great pleasure to see the evidence of success that students have experienced at Foxwell this year so far.  Report card time is a time for reflection, to celebrate the successes and take on feedback on ways to improve. 

This term, it has been amazing to see our Year 9 students, your children, thrive in the Cafe Program.  The responsibility of taking the helm at the espresso machines and milk frothers and the obvious sense of acheivement as they made coffees and hot chocolates was a highlight of my term.  We hope that this experience has provided them with a great opportunity to gain experience that will make them highly competitive in part time job opportunities, should they wish to explore applying for a weekend job.

We would like to take the opporutnity to thank Ms Amy Benbow for all the work she has done transitioning to the Year Level Assistant role in the last few weeks.  She will be a very valuable addition to the Year 9 team.  You may be aware that Ms Sharni Hughes took on a very exciting professional challenge in a new industry recently.  We thank her for all the work and support she provided the Year 9 students this year.  

Ms Benbow, Mr Morris, (Head of Year 9) and I wish you all a safe and restful break.  We look forward to seeing Year 9 back, relaxed and rested ready for a busy Term 3!

Di Russell

Year 9 Deputy Principal

I love our annual Athletics Carnival! It's a sea of colour as mate versus mate for the ultimate prize - the winning house shield! Today, as I spent time meandering through the crowds and events, it was a really lovely opportunity to share a joke, enjoy the sunshine, push out a bit of banter and make some memories as a Foxwell Family. I was also buoyed by the fact that our nominees for House Captain were so enthusiastically leading their houses – cheering, cajoling and chanting the entire day. Congratulations to these students for demonstrating your SPIRIT Values and leading your houses to a fun-filled and exciting day. We cannot wait to announce our House Leaders when we return from holidays.

SEMESTER 1 REPORT CARDS

Today, I also had the pleasure of reviewing our Semester 1 Report Cards. It has been a busy semester and our students are to be commended on their effort across the last 5 or so months. While it can be difficult to see the finishing line when we are deep in our learning, our students’ report cards are a snapshot reminder of the amazing work of our students and staff. Please take the time to check your emails – including your junk folder – to access your child’s Report Card and then discuss it with them. Some good questions to start asking our Year 10s are:

• Is this your best effort?
• Why not?/How did you manage to work so well/successfully?
• What else did you do to achieve your best (attendance, study habits etc.)?
• What do you need to do differentl;y?
• Will there be any positive or negative/challenging impacts on your opportunities for study and pathways in Semester 2 this year/Year 11 and 12?
• What are your goals for next semester?

SENIOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING PLAN MEETINGS AND LOVE BITES PROGRAM

Please note this information sent our via email earlier this week:

We will be conducting our Senior Education and Training Plan Meetings in Week 2 of next term – Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 July 2023. All students in all Queensland schools must complete a SET Plan regardless of their pathway beyond Year 10. This process, which is being facilitated during our Fusion lessons, allows schools to properly support and coordinate opportunities and programs for students both within and beyond the school. Please read the attached information carefully. 

We will also conduct the “Love Bites” Program (the same program repeated on both days). 

Students will access these opportunities as follows:

Please note the following information regarding the organisation of these two days. All students are required on-site for:

Senior Education and Training Plan (SET-P) Meetings 

Contact is Deputy Principal, Fusion Years (Senior School), Di Nicolas

• Meetings are 30 minutes in duration 
• Please schedule your booking via this link as follows:

• Student Surname beginning A-L (e.g. Allenby, Larsen) are asked to select a time on Wednesday 19 July 2023;
• Student Surname beginning M-Z (e.g. Miller, Zakis) are asked to select a time on Thursday 20 July 2023

• A parent/carer must also attend in order to endorse the SET Plan. 
• Our Industry Liaison Officer, Ms Lynn Davies, will be available for further clarification and consultation across the days.
• PLEASE ARRIVE 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO YOUR INTERVIEW TIME. 
• STUDENTS WHO ARE SCHEDULED TO ATTEND ANOTHER ACTIVITY ON THEIR ALLOCATED DAY (e.g. GenSTEM Excursion) are to book their SET-P meeting on the alternate day, regardless of their surname. 

Love Bites – Either Wednesday or Thursday – ALTERNATE DAY AS A STUDENT’S SETP MEETING. 

Contact is Guidance Office, Pascale Street

• Program runs for the full school day – NO APPOINTMENT OR SIGN UP NEEDED – JUST RETURN THE CONSENT FORM ATTACHED;
• Due to the nature of the content/topics explored, only those students for whom we have received signed consent are permitted to attend the session.
• Please Mrs Street's article for more information about the Program.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

COURSE SELECTIONS – YEAR 11 2024

Thank you to students who have made their first round selections for courses in 2024. The data collected will now inform our structure of offerings for 2024. More information will be issued via email in Week 1 of next term. 

STAFFING CHANGES

This week we welcomed Ms Amy Benbow to the role of Year Level Assistant, after farewelling Ms Sharni Hughes. Ms Benbow has already made an impact on our students through her work in Inclusion and we look forward to working more closely with her for the remainder of this year. We acknowledge the dedication and hard work of the effervescent Miss Hughes and wish her every success. 

Wishing all Year 10s a safe and relaxing break - a time to reflect, rejuvenate and rethink our options after a busy term with so much to look forward to in Semester 2.

Ms Di Nicolas

There is an opportunity for you child to attend MOB - Men of Business Academy for a 2 hour information session and site visit. 

Please email me if you would like your child to attend or would like further information - ppier6@eq.edu.au.

Please see the link below for their website for you to explore and seek more information.

https://menofbusiness.com.au/

Love Bites

NAPCAN’s highly regarded Love Bites and Love Bites Junior programs have been running in schools since 2005. The interactive and engaging sessions focus on the development of respectful relationships for young people aged 11 to 17. The programs aim to provide a safe environment in which young people can discuss and learn about their rights and responsibilities in relationships and look at ways to access support when needed. During the sessions, young people are introduced to a number of services in the community and encouraged to support their friends by utilising safe, healthy and proactive strategies.

Love Bites will run for a full day, with two interactive sessions followed by creative workshops. Young people are given an opportunity to create their own campaigns to promote respectful relationships in our community through these workshops.

The facilitators for the Love Bites program come from different community organisations and services including Mission Australia, Wesley Mission, Queensland Police Service, Youth Justice, Gold Coast Youth Service and other community-based organisations. Our Staff will also be present during the sessions.

Activity details:

• Love Bites will run on Wednesday 19^th July and Thursday 20^th Students will only attend one of the allocated days depending on their surname A - L Thursday 20th and M - Z Wednesday 19th.

To attend, students will need to have the below consent form signed.

Love Bites Consent Form

Love Bites Consent Form 948.11 KB

In Year 9 Humanities, students study History for one Semester and choose an elective from either Ancient History & Philosophy, Economics & Business, Civics & Citizenship or Geography for the other semester.  If your student completed History in Semester 1, then they will complete their Humanities elective in Semester 2 (and vice versa).

In Year 10 Humanities, all students have completed History in Semester 1.  In Semester 2, students may choose a Humanities elective to complete if they wish.

It is vitally important that students are completing work both in class and for homework in order to prepare themselves for success in Humanities subjects.  These subjects all require the employment of high level thinking and application of high level cognitions.  If students are completing all class work to the best of their ability, homework, study and practice of skills and assessment and using their class time effectively, they should be successful.

Unfortunately we have had some students using AI and plagiariarising their assessment tasks. This usually means that their submission does not adequately address all aspects of the task or the standards upon which they are assessed and does not contain the direct reference to historical sources required of students.

We would like to remind you that it is a requirement that students are able to prove the authorship of their work in all subjects.  In Humanities subjects, this means that students will complete exams analysing sources as well as the requirement to produce research notes and draft work during lessons provided and be able to demonstrate how they have employed feedback to improve their work.  Students in Semester 2 will be expected to complete drafts in class by hand to assist them with proving their authorship.

We look forward to Semester 2 and consolidating understanding and skills with students.

This semester, Year 9 English students have been engaged in a unit about humour and have created humorous narratives as well as analysed sitcoms and how these position us as an audience to accept the representations presented to us.  

In Year 10 English, students have completed a unit about heroes and villains that saw them read a novel about WWII and write a narrative intervention into this novel as well as analysing heroes and villains in film and how we as an audience are positioned to view these characters through language features and textual features such as cinematography, sound and camera angles.

To be successful in English, students need to ensure that they are using class time effectively, completing all set work and applying the skills they are learning to texts they watch, listen to or read.  Unfortunately, we have had a number of students using AI and plagiariarising their assessment tasks. This usually means that their submission does not adequately address all aspects of the task or the standards upon which they are assessed and does not contain the direct reference to language features and text structures required of students.

We would like to remind you that it is a requirement that students are able to prove the authorship of their work in all subjects.  In English, that means that students must produce draft work during lessons provided and be able to demonstrate how they have employed feedback to improve their work.  Students in Semester 2 will be expected to complete drafts in class by hand to assist them with proving their authorship.

Year 10 students will move into classes to prepare them for their Senior English pathways in Semester 2.  Students have been discussing their results with their teachers and recommendations of what English subject would be best for them based on their results over Year 9 and 10 so far.  Students will be recommended to complete either:

• Literacy Short Course - this English subject is aimed at students who struggle with literacy and with English and have not passed English for 3 semesters.  Completing this course successfully with provide students with their Literacy requirement and allow them to use this to apply for apprenticeships, TAFE etc.
• Foundation (Essential) English - the majority of our students will be recommended this subject if their results are inconsistent and they are are not achieving B results or higher consistently in English.  In Senior, Essential English will allow students to either complete a non-ATAR pathway or an ATAR pathway depending on their Senior subject choices.  Students who would like to attempt Core (General) English, despite being recommended Foundation (Essential) should discuss this with HOD Danielle Goddaer.  We recommend that students attempt Core (General) English in Semester 2 of Year 10 to see if this subject suits them and they are able to be successful.
• Core (General) English - students who consistently achieve B results or higher in English will be recommended this subject.  Core (General) English is highly academic and rigorous and requires a great deal of work at home and during class, as well as the expectation that all set texts (novels, plays, poetry, media texts) will be read/viewed outside of class. Students who are going to choose an ATAR pathway and are seeking university entry should speak with HOD Danielle Goddaer if they have not been recommended Core (General) English about attempting this subject in Semester 2 Year 10.

Welcome to the end of the first semester of 2023 where together we built numerate and mathematical citizens for the future!  Students gained a range of knowledge about concepts relating to number, algebra, probability and financial maths and the numeracy skills associated with these topics. Students have engaged in many engaging mathematical tasks that extend and support the learning of every child.

At Foxwell, we are incredibly lucky to have some of the finest and best skilled maths teachers in the state working here and I feel incredibly excited as I walk through classrooms and see the fun and engaging activities that are underway.  Success for students is a partnership between the teacher, parent and child.  Thank you to all parents who have partnered with us to support your child's mathematical journey.  Have a relaxing holiday break.

Mrs Tania Russell

Head of Department Maths

Across the year, our students cover all four core units of Science - Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science. Speaking with your child, they will be able to tell you which two of the four units have been studied in they respective year this Semester. In case they have forgotten, these are listed below.

Year 7: Chemistry and Physics

Year 7 students described techniques to separate pure substances from mixtures, and represented and predicted the effects of unbalanced forces on motion.

Year 8: Biology and Physics

Year 8 students analysed the relationship between structure and function at cell, organ, and body system levels, and described how energy transfers and transformations cause change in simple systems.

Year 9: Biology and Earth Science

Year 9 students analysed how biological systems function and respond to external changes with reference to interdependencies, energy, and matter flow, and explained globla features and events in terms of geological processes and timescales.

Year 10: Biology and Chemistry

Year 10 students have explained the processes that underpin heredity and evolution, and have analysed how the periodic table organises elements and used this to make predictions about the properties of elements. They have also explained how chemical reactions are used to prodice particular products, and how different factors influence the rate of reactions.

This week, staff have been conducting fun and engaging science experiments with students. In the photo below, Ms Cabrera is performing the elephant toothpaste reaction, a demonstration of the reaction between sodium iodide and hydrogen peroxide. The sodium iodide reacts with the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) by removing an oxygen atom. This essentially produces water and oxygen gas (H2O + O2). The oxygen gas produced gets trapped in the soap which produces the big ball of foam. The reaction produces oxygen gas, water and iodine.

I feel like everytime I write an Arts update, I start by telling you how big the term has been for us and our Arts students.  This newsletter is no different!

I am incredibly proud of our students and how they have represented Foxwell and the Arts at the many events and Eisteddfods they have participated in!

Our Creative Voices and Dance Troupe students took to the stage recently at the Starbound Eisteddfod and competed with such passion and commitment.  The Creative Voices students took out second place for their Hamilton performance and the Dance Troupe were awarded second place for their Hip Hop performance.  But more rewarding than any of the accolades, was the way these students represented our college.  Their behaviour and team spirit was exemplary and we couldnt be prouder of them.  Our Creative Voices and Dance Troupe teachers continually blow me away with all that they do for our students.

This week we had our first ever Insturmental Music concert at the college.  It was inspiring to see the growth in these students from the beginning of the year until now as they performed for an audience of family and friends.  We truely are blessed at Foxwell with such wonderful insturmental music teachers! 

Thursday saw our Creative Voices students travel to QPAC to engage in a special opportunity with the creative and technical team behind Moulin Rouge the musical. Students learnt about the many career opportunities in the Performing Arts industry and were also be treated to a sneak peak performance of the musical.  They heard industry experts speak about their journey into the performing arts and were priviliedged to hear Catherine Martin, fourt time Oscar winning production and costume designer speak about her life in the industry. What a great way to round out a busy semester!

Thursday also saw our Music and Sound Production students along with Mrs Cardno visit the local TAFE to experience a day in the life of a TAFE student.  They were able to meet with students and lecturers and engage in the state of the art sound recording and production facilities.  What an incredible day.

Our Art Club students have also been busy in their lunch breaks painting with Mrs Dwyer and producing some beautiful works.

None of these amazing opportunities would be possible without the dedication and commitment of the incredible team of Arts teachers behind our students.  Their work both in and outside of the classroom is nothing short of inspiring.  They really live out the school motto by providing 'A World of Opportunities'.  

What a fabulous term of learning within Social World.  Students have worked tirelessly to draft, edit, apply feedback and create quality repsonses that have analysed and evaluated characters and their values, attitudes and beliefs within numerous different text types.

Year 7s have engaged in a fun movie study unit that has seen them step into the shoes of a character to understand how their actions have impacted those around them. They have looked at character strengths, the mood meter and studied how movies are able to use language features to represent the values, attitudes and beliefs of their characters.  Students then demonstrated this understanding by writing in role as a character from their selected movie.

Year 8s have engaged in a novel study this term but have also looked at how language features and structures help to communicate the theme of identity to teen readers. They have learnt how to analyse dialogue and interpret what that shows the reader about characters and their values, attitudes and beliefs.

There have been many different experiences across the Arts components of Social World, including play studies, story boarding activities, choreography, drawing and painting to express a message and it has been great to see students engaging with all of these art forms.

With the recent explosion of Artifical Intelligence platforms, it is important to address the concept of plagarism within student's work.  I had an interesting lesson with a Year 8 class were we looked at an A.I response to their current assessment and how what is being generated by the A.I is not specific enough to demonstrate a pass result on our GTMJs.  It is important that students are using the time given to them in class to draft and edit their responses so that teachers can see their progress and provide ongoing feedback and support. 

I hope you all have a relaxing holiday after what has been a very busy semester.

Foxwell State Secondary College came alive as Year 7 and 8 Physical World students recently hosted the extraordinary event, "Night at the Museum." This engaging exhibition provided an opportunity for our young historians to present their history research projects to an eager audience, including parents, guardians, and members of the community.

The Year 7 students delved into the captivating realm of Ancient History, exploring some of the greatest events that shaped civilisations between 60,000 BCE to 650 CE. With meticulous dedication, they studied renowned landmarks and historical phenomena, showcasing their findings through interactive displays and informative presentations. Notable highlights from their research included the construction of the Colosseum, the Great Wall of China, the Peloponnesian War, and the legendary Battle of Salamis. Through their diligent efforts, these students examined the profound impact that these events had on various societal groups.

Meanwhile, Year 8 students embarked on a journey into the lives of significant individuals from the Medieval period. These bright minds skilfully researched prominent figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Joan of Arc, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Queen Elizabeth the First. Their thorough investigations allowed them to understand the remarkable contributions made by these historical icons and how their actions shaped the societies at the time and for years to come. The students' presentations exuded passion, creativity, and an in-depth comprehension of their chosen figures' profound legacies.

The success of the Night at the Museum event is a testament to the unwavering dedication of the teachers who guided and supported their students throughout this academic journey. The Night at the Museum event underpinned the importance of providing students with opportunities to display their learning and share their knowledge with others in ways that best reflected them as individuals. Such events not only foster a deeper understanding of historical events and influential individuals but also instil a sense of confidence and accomplishment within the students themselves.

We look forward to the future editions of Night at the Museum, intrigued by the possibilities they hold and the valuable insights they will continue to provide. Please enjoy a selection of photos of the event below.

As students head into a much needed break, it is important to consider nutrition and movement habits of our young people during this time.

Today's newsletter has been written by a year 8 Healthy World student, showcasing the important work of analysing and being critical of our daily habits to improve our health:

Eating a balanced and nutritional diet is important for my development as an adolescent. Teenagers need a balanced and nutritious diet as this will help them grow and develop properly helping to reduce illnesses later on in life. Teenagers grow quickly and need extra nutrients for bone growth and good development of organs and muscles. According to eatforhealth.gov.au (2023) ‘A healthy diet improves quality of life and wellbeing and protects against chronic diseases… diet related chronic diseases are currently a major cause of death and disability among Australians’. To achieve this, adolescents and families can use the Australian Dietary Guidelines to monitor the intake of foods each day to improve on health and wellbeing. These guidelines provide specific serving sizes of certain foods to outline what young people should be eating each day. They are based on the latest scientific evidence and recommended the best diet to insure a long and healthy life. According to eatforhealth.gov.au "many of the health problems due to poor diet in Australia stem from excessive intake of foods that are high in energy, saturated fat, added sugars and/or added salt but relatively low in nutrients". By making small improvements to eating habits and achieving a balanced and nutritious diet, this will support support adolecent physical, emotional and intellectual growth and development.

It is also important for young people to be active daily to stay fit and healthy. It is recommended that children and adolescents aged 5-17 get at least an average of 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity throughout the week. According to World Heath Organisation, "lives are becoming increasingly sedentary, through the use of motorised transport and the increased use of screens for work, education and recreation." Children and adolescents should limit the amount of time they are sitting during the day and the amount of time spent on screens. Research emphasises it is important to be active each day to have a healthy growth and development, strong muscles and bones, improved fitness, including coordination and movement skills. Regular physical activity can also help prevent and manage lifestyle diseases such as obesity and heart disease and can maintain healthy body weight, improve mental health, quality of life and wellbeing (World Health Organisation). It is also important to achieve a healthy balance because by overtraining yourself, you can raise the risk of injuries such as muscle strains. Even too much exercise without enough rest and recovery can drain you and wear you out. Being active daily, and achieving balance with rest time, is important as it benefits our health and improves our everyday lives. 

Well done to all students this Semester. Have a happy and safe break.

Mr. Braiden Ruge

Head of Healthy World & Sporting Minds

On Tuesday evening, we held out first ever End of Semester Instrumental Music Concert and what a wonderful evening it was full of fantastic music played by our very talented Band, Strings, and Choir students. The energy from everyone in the room was high and the students played so well. It was such a great way to end a semester of rehearsals and lessons. The Music team is so excited for Term 3 when the Concert Band, String Ensemble, and Choir will all participate in the Gold Coast Eisteddfod.  

House Captains

Over the last few weeks, our Year 10 students have had the opportunity to apply for a position as one of our 2023 House Captains. We had an impressive amount of interest and students were invited to attend interviews, based on their applications. All of our applicants did a commendable job and presented themselves in a manner they should all be proud of. Our final step in the House Captain selection process will see our candidates give it their best at our Athletics Carnival on the last day of this term. They have this opportunity to show us the sort of House Captain they can be. We are very excited to see them in action and encouraging our students to get in to the House SPIRIT!

Our House Captains will be announced at our first whole school assembly in Term 3.

House SPIRIT

As we work to select our 2023 House Captains, we are also doing lots of work to get our Foxwell House SPIRIT up and running. House SPIRIT is an integral part of building a stronger sense of community amongst our students. It provides our students with the opportunity to work as a team and develop stronger connections to students from other year levels, all working together to achieve the same goal – victory for their House.  Next semester will see many opportunities to continue building our House SPIRIT not only at our whole school events, but during break time activities and competitions as well.

Let's go!

Student Leaders

Recently, our student leaders have had the opportunity to be involved in the running and presenting at a handful of our whole school assemblies, including Mrs Amor’s very special Farwell celebrations. Not only have they demonstrated their extremely impressive leadership skills, but have embodied what it means to be proud members of our Foxwell community. Their SPIRIT values have been on display in all aspects of their leadership work this term and we are very excited to see them involved in our Student Council which will re-commence next term. We are looking forward to lots of exciting opportunities for further leadership development that our ambassadors will have next semester.

Social Emotional Programs at Foxwell

At Foxwell we have a range of different social emotional programs available for our students, as outlined below.

RAGE Program – Year 7 and 8

RAGE is a 6-week program designed for young people who have difficulty controlling their emotions. This program helps students to identify feelings of anger, along with triggers, and explore alternate strategies to coping with frustration.
 
Feeling Fantastic Program – Year 9 Girls
Feeling Fantastic is a 6-week program that helps young people to develop a good understanding of their feelings and emotions as well as the changes that are occurring in their lives and equips them with knowledge and skills to cope with these emotions such as anxiety and depression.

Foxwell Teens Program (Muay Thai wellbeing) - Multi Year Level and Gender
The aim of the program is to instil confidence, integrity, respect and honour in our young people. In order to prevent anti-social behaviour through Muay Thai. The 8 week school program will encourage students to participate in learning the art of Muay Thai.
While not only learning the foundations of Muay Thai (how to punch, kick, knee and elbow.) but the culture.
- To respect your peers and teachers
- To work as a team with teachers and peers 
- To build confidence in their self
- To be apart of a Muay Thai community
- To give discipline and structure in a calm safe environment

Bus 3414 to Coomera Sports Park will no longer stop at the Coomera Train Station. 

Bus 3460 to Coomera Springs & The Heights will no longer stop at the Coomera Train Station.

Bus 3361 to Coomera Waters has been renamed to Bus 3443. It will no longer stop at the Coomera Station

Buses 3492 and 3493 to Coomera Train Station have been added to the service and stop ONLY at the Coomera Train Station. 

School Service Change Notification from Kinetic – Effective from Monday 10^th July 2023

Please find attached student and parent notice/s from Kinetic for your information and reference.

If you have concerns regarding your schools’ services or a student on the network, Kinetic can be contacted directly on 07 5552 2700 and select option 5, where you will be directed to the Customer Experience Team.

Useful links to follow and keep up to date on travel and road conditions:

To view the latest updates from Transport and Main roads please visit https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/.

To view TransLink service updates, please visit https://translink.com.au/service-updates.

For all travel options, to and from school, refer to the TransLink Journey Planner by visiting https://jp.translink.com.au/plan-your-journey/journey-planner  or phone TransLink on 13 12 30.

Waves Forward

Waves Forward was on Friday 16^th of June. Waves Forward is a Pasifika mentor program that includes our Indigenous, Torres Strait Islander and/or Pasifika students.

This years’ theme was Joy, Knowledge and Listen. We hosted 14 mentor organisations who prioritised the cultural belonging of our students.

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School Holiday Programs

On Wednesday, Foxwell State Secondary College hosted the Wonder of Science Regional Conference. Judged by a panel of 9 PhD candidates from the program, our Gen STEM students across Year 7-9 presented inquiry projects on topics ranging from mixture separation to energy transfers to continental drift. The calibre of the students' presentations was simply outstanding, and the judges commented that the level at which some of our older Gen STEM students were presenting could be likened to the quality of first-year university students. 

A massive congratulations to our three winning teams:

Year 7: Annabelle Finch, Yamuna Thirukumaran, and Aja Strother

Year 8: Millah Johnson, Emily Swain, and Caitlin Gray

Year 9: Yena Jung, Amritha Ravipati, Alexis Tuisamoa, and Jelena Uzelac

On Thursday 15^th June, our school held the inaugural Foxwell State Secondary College Film Festival. It was a wonderful evening for the students, staff, and members of our wider Foxwell community. At the event, ALP students from Years 7, 8 & 9 showcased short films they’d created this semester. The short films portrayed socially relevant messages they felt were important and having the opportunity to showcase their work was a very proud moment for the students.

The Film Festival was generously sponsored by Event Cinemas at Coomera Westfield and the QLD Tafe Creative Campus.

Except for the People’s Choice award, which was selected on the night by the audience, categories were pre-judged.

Awards were given to the following films in the following categories.

Best Cinematography                     The Eshay

Best Screen Play                            Why Me?

Best Comedy                                  Touch Grass

Best Drama                                    A Tendency to Apathy

Student Choice Awards                    Be Careful What You Wish For

People’s Choice Awards                    2K Street Balling

Best Overall Film                             Fast Forward

Later this year, the short films will be entered in an international film competition where their work will be shared with an even wider audience.

We are excited to announce the outcome of our Senior Secondary Formal College Uniform Survey and the final result!

In 2022, we started consultation with staff, students and our P&C on our College Senior Secondary Uniform. Our student body overwhelmingly acknowledged that they love their current uniform. With this in mind, our uniform supplier (UMS) developed three options that were reflective of our student's love for their current design, while balancing the importance of a unique identity for Year 11 and 12 students.

Earlier this term our parents, carers and staff had the opportunity to provide their feedback on the three options by way of a community survey. We have always acknowledged our Year 10 students as our foundation cohort of students, as well as the many challenges that arise from such a position. As such, we have continued to provide this group of students with unique opportunities to guide the culture of our college. Our Year 10 cohort also had the chance to provide feedback on the Formal Uniform. 

Option 1: White Fabric with Navy Strip Trim, Navy Buttons and 3 Colour Embroidery was the successful option!

The images include the tie. The tie is NOT mandatory for students to wear. It is pictured to provide additional context for those students that may choose to wear it. There will not be an option for a Senior School dress.