It is hard to believe that we are already halfway through Term 4 and that I have now completed my first 8 weeks as the Principal of our school.  It has been a fabulous and busy term as I have been learning about our College culture, our team, our students and families and our community connections. I have also been spending time planning and reflecting upon our next steps as a College and implementing plans for 2024. As a result, families are encouraged to read the following information for College operations for the remainder of Term 4 and for the beginning of 2024.

Foxwell Learner

 During the past few weeks, I have been working alongside our staff team to align our staff beliefs and define our collective why statement. I am pleased to be able to share with you, that as a College team:

We believe in the pursuit of success through individual achievement and the development of 21^st Century skills to equip and enable our learners to make a powerful difference in an ever-changing world.

This belief statement will drive our work and continuous improvement cycles to ensure the success of every student within our College.

Year 10 Semi-formal Event

Congratulations to our Year 10 students on completing their Compass Years at Foxwell and their compulsory years of education. Last Friday evening, we held our first semi-formal event in our stadium to honour our students and their families on reaching this lovely milestone. It was a great night of celebration.

Thank you to Ms Nicolas, Mr Russell, the Year 10 staff team, the team of staff who helped serve food on the night and our student semi-formal committee for their efforts in creating a night for students and their families to remember.

Student Code of Conduct review and Reset for Learning process

This term, we have started our annual review of the Student Code of Conduct for implementation in 2024. Our team has spent considerable time reflecting on our current approaches and have decided to move our College towards being a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) school in 2024. This will see a range of new positive behaviour strategies being implemented and a review of our behavioural flowchart and possible consequences for both minor and major breaches of the code. If you are interested in nominating to be a parent partner in our PBL set up process, please express interest by emailing principal@foxwellssc.eq.edu.au.

This term, we have already begun aligning our practices for student engagement in learning. The reset process has been refined to allow students to reset for learning within the Learning Hub. A Head of Department or Deputy Principal will help students to assess their own well-being for learning and support them, where required. This support may include: an appointment made with the Guidance Services team, learning intervention with the Inclusion team, assistance from the teacher or HOD to re-engage with the learning tasks, support from families to prepare students for re-engaging in learning the next day or behavioural consequences as per the Student Code of Conduct where a young person has not behaved appropriately within the classroom.

Celebration of Success – Awards Day 23 November 9am

This year, our College Celebration of Success will be held on the 23^rd of November at 9am at the Highway Church, Ormeau for all award recipients and their families. 

Our normal learning programs and classes will be suspended on this day to allow all staff and students to attend the awards day. Limited supervision at the College will be provided for any students not required to attend the awards ceremony. Award recipient lists will be published soon to allow for arrangements to be made.

Change to the organisation of the school day for 2024

As a part of our review of our student engagement and achievement in learning and our staff well-being frameworks, our College team have voted in favour to a change of their rostered duties and our timetable / organisational structure for 2024.  These changes include:

• The establishment of Care classes for teacher / student relationships / well-being for learning check ins and roll marking at the beginning of the day. Care classes will start at 8.45am.
• The end of the school day to 2.45pm.

(Bus companies are also being made aware of this change)

• Students will attend four timetabled sessions plus Care class each day.
• There will be two breaks for students: 1 x 30 minutes after period 1 and 2, and 1 x 40 minutes between periods 3 and 4. 

We appreciate your support as we implement these changes in 2024.

Strategic Plan development and School Review 2024

In 2024 we will be undertaking a full school review as required by all schools, every four years which is implemented by the Department of Education. We have requested for our review to be scheduled in Term 1, as the outcomes of the review will then be able to be used to support the development of our next four year Strategic Plan.

To assist in our planning for 2024, the review and strategic plan, we will be forwarding a survey in the coming weeks for parent feedback. This feedback will be taken into consideration as we continue to refine our College policies and practices for increased student engagement and achievement in learning. I encourage you to become involved in this opportunity in the coming weeks.

Communication

I have enjoyed meeting students, parents, community members and staff over the past few weeks. Should you wish to make contact with me, appointments are able to be made through the administration office by asking for the Executive Services Officer or via email at principal@foxwellssc.eq.edu.au. As the Principal, I am often out in the College working alongside students, staff, our cluster schools and regional staff and therefore, may not be immediately available.

Please be aware that normal school communication protocols are encouraged. Students and families should seek the support of their Heads of Year, Heads of Department, Deputy Principals, Guidance Officers and Support Services team. These are our more immediate support personnel and lines of contact for students and families.

I am looking forward to celebrating our students’ success at the upcoming Celebration of Success and to meeting more members of our College community.

Kind regards,

Melanie Harth

Principal

Today marks the halfway point of the term; only 25 school days until the end of Year 7.

We do, however still have a lot to do before we can take our much-deserved summer break. We are heading back into drafting, editing and assessment time in all classes so it is important to stay focused, organised and keep our goals in mind. Please remember to communicate with your teachers if you have any questions or need any extra help on assessments as they will be more than willing to help you.

Soon, we can take the opportunity to reflect on the fantastic year that we have had in our first year of high school. I look forward to our upcoming Celebration of Success ceremony where the hard work of our students will be recognised and celebrated in our community. I am so proud of all our achievements this year: in the classroom, on the sporting fields, the stages, the tournaments and out in our community.

With the weather getting warmer I just want to remind students to stay hydrated. Get in the habit of carrying a drink bottle with you so that you are not interrupting your learning time when getting a drink. Hats are a must if playing outside and where possible seek shade for your lunchtime activities. I would also like to take this opportunity to remind students and families that it is not appropriate to engage in “water fights” at Foxwell. As outlined on our most recent year level assembly, there will be consequences put in place for students who engage in these sorts of activities moving forward.

It’s hard to believe that we have reached the halfway point in the term. Having been out and about in classrooms, it’s been wonderful to see our Year 8s hard at work. This week, there has been drafting in Social World, practice exams in Japanese and checkpoints for Technology. I’m excited to see our Year 8s focusing on their learning to finish the term strong and achieve their best results.

With assessment well and truly underway for all subjects, I encourage families to review the Assessment Calendar that was sent out earlier this term. This will help your student to map out due dates and their workload. If you believe that there are extenuating circumstances that necessitate an extension for any subject, your Year 8 student can access the form for this through the student Sharepoint.

Moving into Year 9, our Year 8s have also participated in subject selection for their Year 9 Personal Endeavour Courses (PECs) for 2024. They have chosen four elective courses to study over the course of the year. With such a diverse range of subjects on offer, I know there has been lots of excitement about this process. A big thank you to Mrs Russell for facilitating this process for our students as they move into the Compass Years next year.

Over the past week, we have hosted a number of Staff versus Student activities in honour of World Teachers Day, and our Year 8s have been enthusiastic participants! Last Friday was a close game of soccer that was cut short due to wet weather, with a 1-1 result. On Tuesday, a chess tournament was held in the Learning Hub and today volleyball was held in the Sports Hall. It’s been lovely to see our Year 8s involved in these activities, whether taking on the teachers or spectating to support their friends and teachers.

This week has also seen a number of extra-curricular activities involving Year 8 students. A huge congratulations to all Year 8s involved in our IGNITE Creative Voices and Dance Troupe Showcase held in the Performing Arts Centre on Wednesday evening. The talents and hard work of these students are to be commended, as well as the dedication of their teachers. We have also hosted Rugby League games against Pacific Pines, with teachers commending students for working together to see their work in training displayed on the field.

I commend our wonderful Year 8s on their commitment to learning throughout the term, and the effort they are applying to their studies. Let’s continue to work together as a team of learners to ensure every student is achieving personal success.  

With only 5 weeks of schooling left for 2023, we are already preparing for 2024!

Thank you to families that have supported your students to choose subjects for Year 10 in the last few weeks. We saw strong student engagement with the subject selection process before the cut off time today.

If your child is yet to complete their subject selections, please direct them to collect and return a hard copy at Student Services. The Year 9 team are working with these students at school to complete their selections. As these are being completed after the due date, these selections will be dependent on class sizes. The earlier students complete the process, the greatest chance they have of getting their first or second preferences.

In the coming weeks, I look forward to celebrating the success of our Year 9 Foxwell Learners at our Celebration of Success.

Di Russell

Deputy Principal

Oh, what a night! If I could go back in time, I would have found a way to slow down our Semi Formal celebrations so we could really savour every fun moment, beautiful outfit, smile for the cameras, public displays of friendship and excited chatter. Our team spent so much time preparing for the evening and it was absolutely worth every minute. Congratulations to our Year 10 Compass Years Students! Every one of you presented yourselves with pride, humility and joy! It was my privilege to watch each of you as you walked across the stage to receive your Certificate and Gift Bag. I couldn't quite comprehend how quickly you have all grown and changed over the last four years. Thank you for being there to celebrate your personal success and the success of your peers. Having your families there to recognise and celebrate you really enriched the evening and added to the sentiment of the occasion. We will provide access to photos as they become available.

I would like to thank the staff who assisted in the lead up to and on the evening, and, in particular acknowledge the immense contribution of Mrs Lisa Moller (Head of Year 10), Ms Amy Benbow (Year 9 and 10 Assistant), and Mr Glenn Russell (who prepared all of the food). Your energy and commitment are very much appreciated. I would like to also acknowledge the contribution of Nikau Curie and Jennifer Wheele, two of our Year 10 students, who spent countless hours preparing for our celebration.

Students who were not present to receive their certificates will be celebrated at our next Year 10 assembly. 

From here, we have a few more important priorities to manage before the end of term:

• We will finalise Year 11 course selections by the end of Week 8. Where necessary, we will contact families to join students in meetings regarding their pathway. Some students will need to re-select due to clashes or courses not running in 2023. Please continue to check your emails regarding any invitations to these meetings.
• Whole cohort examinations in Year 10 English, Mathematics and Science during Week 7 and 8. More information will be provided later this week.
• Year 10 Opportunity Week – Week 8. During this week, which is still part of our compulsory learning time for Year 10, students will be provided with opportunities to consolidate and/or extend on their learning journey in Year 10. Sessions will include a focus on topics such as:
  1. Confirming competency in literacy and numeracy
  2. Attending training for the Responsible Service of Alcohol and Responsible Gambling Service
  3. Safe Party Practices
  4. Setting up for Senior

I would like to remind all families that we expect all students to be in attendance up until and on Friday 24 November 2023. It is important that we make each day count and that all students are present for their learning and assessment until the end of term. I do not expect that family holidays are booked in for this time.

Have a great week!

Ms Di Nicolas

Deputy Principal 

Year 10 Livin' Presention

The LIVIN Well program was presented to our Year 10 students with the aim of encouraging discussion about mental health and to educate the students about the resources available if they need to speak up. Our college prioritises the education of mental health literacy to break the stigma, enhance self-efficacy (both helping themselves and helping others) and encourage help-seeking in the school.

Men of Business (MOB) Academy

We are proud to share our first cohort of Year 10 boys who will continue their senior schooling journey at MOB Academy in 2024. The Immersion Program reignited their motivation to engage in education to achieve their future plans. We look forward to hearing how they progress and develop as young men in our community.  

As we reach the half way point of Term 4, our students are working very hard to ensure they reach their goals that they have set themselves for 2023. Our school leaders have also been very busy excelling in their respective areas. Here is a little snapshot of some highlights so far this term...

Empowering Young Women's Award 

One of our inpsiring Year 10 student leaders, Josephine McMurtrie, has been nominated for the Gold Coast Women in Business Awards - Empowering Young Women's catergory. Josephine was nominated for her exceptional commitment to her fundraising and leadership endevours throughout the College and wider community. Josephine made it through to the final selection process and sat an panel interview last week. Josephine will attend the 2023 Gold Coast Women in Business Awards Presentation in a few weeks, where the winner will be announced. We are beyond proud of Josephine already and wish her the best of luck for the upcoming announcement (we will keep you updated in our next newsletter!)

Northern Collegiate

Congratulations to our Northern Collegiate Leaders for successfully completing a year-long journey of fundraising and community outreach. Throughout the year, the Northern Collegiate has achieved a remarkable milestone by raising over $100,000 for seven local charities.

Special recognition goes out to the dedicated individuals who played a pivotal role in this achievement:

Ava Van Klooster

Josie McMurtrie

Ava Watkin

Renee Tiller

Tiana Te Maari

Elijah Oabile

Isabella Waterman

Amongst the charities was The Cancer Council where students were a part of the Relay for Life Event. Our students were hands-on in organizing and wrapping up the event, as well as overseeing various activities throughout the day. Our students passionately fundraised, and collectively spent 12 hours walking and running the relay to support the cause.

We couldn't be prouder of our students and their unwavering commitment to giving back to our community. Here's to a year of meaningful impact, and we look forward to more inspiring initiatives in the future.

Good Morning, Mariners!

Our positive behahviour program, Good Morning Mariners! has continued to gain momentum this term. All of our students have been engaging in 10 minute lessons each morning in their Peiod 1 class, each week with a new focus area. Over the last few weeks, students have learned all about:

Week One: Being a Learner in Term 4 - "It's your turn to learn!"

Week Two: Being a Learner in Term 4 - "Be the best learner you can be!"

Week Three: Wearing our Uniform with Pride - "Dress to impress and be your best!"

Week Four: Showing Respect to Staff - "Think, reflect and lead with respect!"

Week Five: Understanding our New Reset Process - "Be the best learner you can be!"

Be sure to check out our Facebook page for all of our weekly videos which star and have been produced by our Mariners.

We are thrilled to announce the resounding success of Foxwell State Secondary College’s inaugural Hawaiian Tropic Swimming Carnival; a day filled with excitement, House Spirit, and extraordinary achievements! During Week 2, The Pimpama Sports Hub came alive with the competitive races and novelty events, marking a historic moment for our school. The atmosphere was electric as our talented swimmers showcased their skills in various events, including freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly. The cheers from the spectators echoed the spirit of sportsmanship, creating an encouraging environment for everyone involved.

Congratulations to our overall house winner on the day: CORAL! An absolute blitz of the pool, showing that participation truly is the key to success!

Special recognition goes to our outstanding swimmers who achieved remarkable feats.

Age champions will be announced during our full school assembly, week 6!

While the day was filled with impressive victories and record-breaking moments, the Swimming Carnival was about more than just winning medals. It was a day of inclusivity, where students of all skill levels had the opportunity to participate and shine. The support and encouragement shown by peers and teachers alike highlighted the strong sense of community within our school. Well done to all Houses and their efforts.

Organising a swimming carnival for the first time was no small feat, but the dedication and teamwork of our school's staff, students, and parents made it all possible. The event aimed to foster a sense of belonging, healthy competition, and sportsmanship among our students while promoting physical fitness and positive relationships.

The success of our first-ever Swimming Carnival has set a high bar for future events, and we are excited about the prospect of making this an annual tradition. We anticipate more remarkable achievements, personal growth, and unforgettable moments in the years to come, strengthening the bonds that make [High School Name] a truly exceptional learning environment.

Once again, congratulations to everyone involved in making our Swimming Carnival a roaring success. Your dedication and sportsmanship have made us all incredibly proud.

In Week 3, Foxwell hosted an Instrumental Music workshop with our feeder primary schools for Band and Strings and it was a great success! Students had a wonderful time playing music with students from other schools and Foxwell showed tremendous leadership throughout the day. We are so excited to continue collaborating with other schools in the future. Instrumental Music students are reminded that assessments are now upon us, so please ensure you student is practising and always communicating with their teacher if they cannot attend a lesson due to a clashing exam. A reminder that Instrumental Music lessons and rehearsals will finish in Week 8.

Year 9

Students are currently analysing picture books and writing analytical paragraphs on the language features and text structures in these. The books we are analysing are: Home and Away, John Marsden and Matt Otley; The Island, Armin Greder; and The Arrival, Shaun Tan.

Year 10

Students have been studying drama in English. Essential English students are studying The Stones and various written and visual texts and will complete an exam. General English students have been studying Romeo and Juliet and learning how to write an analytical essay for their analytical essay exam. We were lucky enough to have performances of both plays for our students to watch in the PAC. Both of these exams will take place at the end of Week 7 and students will be given the exam stimulus/topics 1 week prior to the exam.

Humanities in 2024:

Our Year 8 and 9 students are currently going through their subject selection for 2024.

For both years, students will need to undertake a semester of one of the following Humanities subjects:

• Modern History
• Ancient History
• Civics and Citizenship
• Geography
• Business and Economics

Further information can be found in the relevant year levels Subject Selection handbook.

Year 9 History:

Over the course of this term, students have been learning about World War 1, in particularly Australia’s role in the Great War and how we emerged as an independent nation on the world stage. World War 1, and the story of our ANZAC soldiers, is particularly relevant for Term 4 due to our commemoration of Remembrance Day on Saturday 11^th November.

Students will complete a short answer response exam for this topic in Week 8.

Year 9 Civics and Citizenship:

Over the last 2 weeks, our Year 9 and 10 Civics students have visited Southport District Court to observe the law in action. The cases we saw prompted great discussion in class on the importance of education and making good choices.

Students in both classes have been examining social justice issues based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They have developed their own individual solutions to these issues, both nationally and globally, and demonstrated that they understand the need for individual actions.

Year 10 Geography:

Our Year 10 Geography students have embarked on a captivating journey delving into the dynamics of human wellbeing and its measurement on a global scale. Students have been guided to explore concepts that transcend borders and cultures, and uncover the intricate tapestry of human welfare.

Our young geographers have delved into the world of data visualisation, mastering techniques such as population pyramids, choropleth maps, and scattergraphs. These skills have empowered them to examine and understand the complex data surrounding human wellbeing.

As they journey through this term, our students are gearing up for an exciting assessment project. They are currently working on creating a comprehensive report on the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Queensland. This project is not just about identifying challenges; it's about crafting thoughtful solutions to improve the government's "Closing the Gap" initiative.

This assessment is not just an academic exercise; it's an opportunity for students to contribute to a more equitable future for all Australians.

Year 9 Science

Our Year 9 students have be re-visiting the concepts of energy, energy transfers and energy transformations into various forms, with a particular focus on electrical circuits. Students investigated the effects of static electricity with an array of different activities including the use of a Van de Graaff Generator which demonstrated the powerful effects of making an object more negatively charged than its environment. Students have also been investigating series and parallel circuits and constructing various machinery including magnetic cranes, battery operated cars and solar cars to examine the effects of a variety of modifications on their efficiency, speed and strength. Students are now diligently collecting and analysing their results to compile their final investigative task for what has been, a busy and productive year.

Year 10 Science

This term, our Year 10 science students delved deep into understanding the interactions of Earth's spheres and their importance in sustaining life and matter cycles, and their important links to the Carbon Cycle and climate change. They are now expanding their learning journey into the vast realms of the universe, exploring different scientific theories about its origins and evidence for these theories, whilst realising just how vast our universe actually is. Please note an upcoming important date for our Year 10 students with their hard work being assessed in an exam on the 20th of November during their exam block. Let's wish them the best as they traverse from our world to the cosmos!

7 Physical World 

Year 7 Physical World students are taking on real-world water challenges as part of their Geography and Science unit. Choosing locations grappling with water scarcity, pollution, or inefficient usage, these students are delving into research and data analysis. The goal? To propose sustainable solutions and foster a sense of environmental responsibility. From advocating community awareness to suggesting advanced purification methods, their solutions showcase a blend of creativity and critical thinking. This real-world approach not only enhances academic skills but also connects students deeply with environmental issues. The hope is that these young minds will not only graduate with grades but with a commitment to making a positive difference in the world.

8 Physical World

This term in Geography, our Year 8 students embarked on an exciting journey exploring UNESCO World Heritage Sites. UNESCO designates these sites for their cultural, historical, and scientific significance, and we encouraged our students to delve deep into the wonders of these remarkable places. Through extensive research and hands-on exploration, we uncovered the importance of preserving and managing these sites for future generations. Our students' dedication was truly impressive as they explored various sites worldwide, gaining a newfound appreciation for their role in our collective human heritage.

 Photo of a field sketch & a climate graph created by students.

In Earth & Environmental Science, our students took a hands-on approach to unravel the mysteries of the rock cycle. Rocks, as enduring and transformative materials, play a crucial role in shaping our planet. Our students had a blast crafting their own rock cycles with crayons, offering a fun and educational experience. They grasped the intricate, cyclical journey rocks undergo as they transform beneath the Earth's surface. This experience provided an engaging and memorable understanding of the Earth's geological processes and the profound impact rocks have on our environment and ecosystems.

As we roll through the halfway mark of the term, it is important for students to continue routine and preparedness in wearing the appropriate practical uniform to create a conducive environment for physical activities. Summer days will continue to get warmer and being equipped with sun safety, such as wearing a hat and applying sunscreen, is crucial, especially during outdoor activities. This not only prevents short-term discomforts like sunburns but also reduces the risk of long-term skin damage and related health issues, emphasising the need for students to be proactive in protecting themselves from harmful UV rays.

Staying properly hydrated is also vital for students' overall well-being and optimal physical performance. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, decreased concentration, and even heat-related illnesses, all of which can hinder daily learning. Therefore, students should come to class with water bottles and are encouraged to take regular sips throughout the session. By being prepared with their practical uniform, and sports hat, and staying well-hydrated, students not only prioritise their own health and safety but also actively contribute to a positive and productive learning environment in Health and Physical Education classes.

During this time of year, students are also encouraged to establish a study routine, ensuring effective time management of completing assessment tasks and applying teacher feedback to assessment tasks. Creating an effective study routine can significantly enhance student learning and achievement. Healthy tips to help during assessment periods include:

Establishing a Study Space:

• Finding a quiet and comfortable place where students can concentrate without distractions.
• Ensure good lighting and have all necessary study materials nearby.

Set Specific Goals:

• Work with teachers to create learning goals specific to learning needs.

Plan Your Schedule:

• Create a weekly study schedule that includes all your subjects and extracurricular activities. This includes noting theory and practical classes for Health and Physical Education.
• Allocate specific time slots for each subject based on its difficulty and your proficiency level.
• Don't forget to schedule short breaks to avoid burnout.

Prioritise Tasks:

• Identify the most important tasks and prioritise them.
• Tackle challenging subjects or assignments when you're most alert and focused.

Stay Organised:

• Keep your study materials, notes, and assignments well-organised. Use folders, notebooks, or digital tools to manage your resources.
• Be organised with your practical uniform, including a hat and water bottle, to perform your best during practical lessons.

Seek Help When Needed:

• Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you're struggling with a particular topic. Reach out to your teachers, classmates, or online resources for assistance.

Take Care of Yourself:

• Ensure you get enough sleep, exercise, and healthy meals. A well-rested and nourished mind functions better.
• Manage stress through relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or hobbies you enjoy.

Stay Consistent:

• Stick to your study routine as much as possible, even on weekends. Consistency is key to long-term retention and academic success.

Remember, everyone's learning style and preferences are different, so feel free to adapt this routine to suit your needs. Good luck with your studies!

Another eventful term is passing us by, faster than many of us would like.

Over the last number of weeks, the Technologies faculty has started the lengthy process of developing our Year 11 program while refining our offerings for both our Year 9 and Year 10 courses. Our writers for Year 11 have been allocated a range of subjects including Design, Engineering, Food and Nutrition, and Digital Solutions from the General subjects and Hospitality and Industrial Graphics Skills from the applied subjects.

Our Year 9 courses have been reviewed and modified to provide students with a wider range of opportunities within each discipline of the Technologies curriculum. This will allow our students to develop skills with freehand and digital illustration to communicate design ideas, safely working to hand tools and machinery to understand how products are manufactured, combining circuits with programs to make machine do work and develop kitchen-based skills to better understand the finer points to cookery. By reversing and pulling apart the design and manufacturing processes, students will have a greater opportunity to solve digital and design problems as they progress into Year 10. Please note that some of these subject titles might be combined or tweaked based on student selection rates.

The Year 10 program has received some more conservative changes based on the feedback from students and faculty staff. The streamlining of these subjects will account for faculty staffing but also allow students to explore the design and problem-solving process on an individual level within their chosen discipline. The Year 10 Technologies PECs will include Information Management and Web Design, Coding Games and Programs, Junior Chefs, Design Solutions, and Circuits and Mechanisms.

Staffing within the Technologies faculty is again set for some changes as we head towards the end of the year. We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Mr Lindsay Newton-Smith, who upon returning to us from his acting Head of Department position with Glenala State Secondary College became a father of a healthy little boy. On a related note, we will soon see Ms Heidi Rankine on maternity leave in preparation of the delivery of her second child. We wish Heidi and her family all the very best. Both Mr Newton-Smith and Ms Rankine will return to us during 2024. We continue our endeavour to source additional staff in preparation of 2024.

As we approach the final reporting period for 2023, we encourage families to have ongoing and open conversations with students about their effort, positive engagement, and achievement. Many of our Technologies subjects will have a mixture of coursework and folio-based assessment to complete in the coming weeks. Students should be utilising time in class and requesting any assistance necessary from their teachers. Upon request, teachers can make time for students during the before and after school What I Need (WIN) sessions for any additional support or guidance.

We are nearly at the end of a very busy performance, eisteddfod and showcase season.  I have loved every minute of our students proudly taking to the stage to showcase their skills and talents across the Arts.

Classes have also been incredibly busy as students are in the midst of producing, creating and refining their work across all Arts areas.  

As students at Foxwell are working through the subject selection process, I wanted to reiterate that students who select subjects that they enjoy and are good at, are more likely to achieve success.  An education rich in the Arts is an education that develops and fosters creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.  These are skills that ensure that students will experience success in whatever career pathway they end up moving into.

If you would like to discuss our Arts offerings and what may suit your student, please do not hesitate to contact me; cwils138@eq.edu.au

NIHONGO NEWS

It’s hard to believe that we are fast approaching the end of the 2023 school year! As we reach mid-term, there have been a number of celebrations in the Japanese faculty recently.

FSSC Japanese Art Contest

Each year, the Japanese faculty runs an art contest where students are inspired to recreate their own version of the famous Japanese artwork ‘The Great Wave Off Kanagawa’ by Hokusai.

This year’s entries were amazing and we would like to congratulate our contest winners:

Students were pleasantly surprised to hear their names announced and received their certificates and prize packs at our full school assembly last week.

Congratulations and thank you to all entrants for sharing your creativity!

Year 9 and 10 Japanese Dinner

To celebrate language learning in Years 9 and 10 Japanese PECs, students were offered the opportunity to participate in a Japanese dinner at Kamikaze Teppenyaki restaurant. This was a popular activity, with our group having enough students to fill the entire grill while we dined. Students thoroughly enjoyed the company of their peers, as well as the ‘oishii’ (delicious) meals, which included miso soup, Japanese salad, rice and teriyaki grilled chicken.

We look forward to offering students this opportunity again in 2024.

WIN Time

As we approach assessment time, students can access additional support from the Japanese Team. For help with revision or classwork, or simply some extra time to work on learning vocabulary with EP, students are welcome to join Japanese tutorials at the following time:

Wednesdays:           11:45pm – 12:30pm in the Learning Hub (upstairs)

Home Support

Keen to know how you can help support your child in Japanese?

The Japanese team have EP tasks assigned to students to help them learn key vocabulary for each unit. This is a quick and easy way for students to consolidate their class learning. It is also extremely useful and important way to ensure key vocabulary is learnt in preparation for students’ upcoming exams.

Please see below for some other prompts to help check in with your child about what they are learning in Japanese.

Every Student Succeeding

To all the families that I have met since joining the college in August, thank you for your kind words, for making me feel welcome, and for your understanding whilst I find my feet. To those of you who I have yet to meet, my name is Tracey Robb and I have recently been appointed to the Head of Inclusion. I feel tremendous pride in having been given the opportunity to join the Foxwell community, and I continue to be in awe of the amazing facilities across the school, and the supports that are available to support every Foxwell Student.

To offer you some reassurance, whilst I may be a ‘newbie,’ to the college, I am able to draw on extensive experience in the field of Inclusive education. Whilst, a lot of the work in the inclusion space is focussed on supporting students with disabilities, our purpose is to consider the diverse needs of all students, because every student matters and matters equally. It is our job to support the best possible outcomes for all students; your support in making this happen is key, please support us by ensuring that your child attends school every day and is ready to learn.

The inclusion team look forward to working with you to support the best possible outcomes for your child.

Ps. Things coming up at Foxwell….

Monday 13^th November 3-4pm

Yr. 10 Students -Supported Traineeships for Students with Disabilities

On Monday of Week 7, Gold Coast Employment Support Services will be dropping into the Learning Hub. They will be running an information session for Year 10 students with disabilities. If you would like to find out more about supported traineeships, please support your child by accompanying them to this session.  

Any questions, please contact Lynne Davies -Industry Liaison officer

ldavi157@eq.edu.au

Monday 27^th November 9:00am – 2:30pm

Year 6 students with disabilities

Year 7 and 8

Excitement is building as our Year 7 and 8 Gen STEM students gear up for the upcoming First Lego League Regional conference. Scheduled for Saturday, November 18th, held here at Foxwell State Secondary College, this event promises to be an inspiring showcase of innovation and teamwork. Our young scientists and engineers have been diligently honing their skills, dedicating countless hours to building and coding their robots. Simultaneously, they've been developing their Innovation projects, which promise to tackle real-world challenges. It's wonderful to see our students' passion and commitment to STEM education, and we can't wait to see their hard work pay off at the conference.

Year 9

This term, Year 9 Gen STEM students have dived into their Hydrogen Grand Prix RC challenge. Working in teams, students will design, build, and race their own hydrogen-powered cars. The goal is to apply their knowledge of hydrogen fuel cells and explore ways to create a cleaner, more renewable future. This challenge will extend into the next year, as our students persist in examining and improving both their cars and presentations. As they test their cars on the track, these students aren't just racing for fun—they're learning and contributing to a greener tomorrow.

Year 10

This Semester in Year 10 Gen STEM, students answer the question “How can I contribute?”, benefiting others by leading a series of experiences. Students have organised and led fun Science Week activities with Year 5 and 6 students at Picnic Creek SS and visited HeadSpace to learn about the value of STEM in careers in psychology and counselling. This term, students are volunteering to improve the quality of life of Magnolia Aged Care residents through Uno, board games, catapults, quoits, bead-making, and more. They will be visiting Griffith University and Breathe Well Clinic to further their understanding of applying STEM to become a global citizen. Thank you to our STEM Professional in School, Dr Andrew Bulmer from Griffith University, for his continued support and time in our classes.

Year 9

Students are well underway with their passion project and ideas of the future. Each student or small group of students have researched, generated ideas and begun their pursuit of knowledge in their chosen area. Some students have had skype meetings with university liaisons and university students in their 4^th years of various subjects, tested gamification of topics, experimented and even used design ideation. Their end goal is to teach the benefits of their topic, pass the knowledge of future pathways or produce an exciting new item.

Year 8

Our Year 8's have been analysing the scientific aspects of an earthquake and evaluating the different ways famous towers and buildings around the world handle the different forces. After extensive research into a variety of different building aspects, students have designed their own methods to handle earthquake simulated forces and are testing them using models designed with matchsticks. Under stringent guidelines which have limited their number of matchsticks and weight allowed, they are finishing construction on their 60cm tall towers, with some having already passed mild testing conditions.

Year 7

Students have been investigating different aspects that make aesthetic-looking and structurally strong bridges. Students conducted a variety of different experiments to investigate the different facets of various bridge designs before constructing and testing their own proto-types. With the proto-type testing completed, students are refining their designs before the final evaluation in Week 9. We look forward to a spectacular testing event to come.