What interesting times we live in! I can't thank our school community enough for the supportive response to our school moving to our remote Continuity of Learning Plan last week.

This response from staff, students and parents demonstrated the strength of our school and our SPIRIT values in action beyond anything I could have predicted.

The positivity of our students and their engagement with their teachers and peers, and their work was phenomenal and is the envy of schools across the South East of Queensland.

Schools are looking to replicate our model should we ever find ourselves in the need to swiftly move to remote learning again.

We put our students first in every decision we make and this was clearly on show last week.

As we return to school we obviously have had to introduce new restrictions throughout the school. These include the mask requirement and the cancellation or postponement of some of our activities and programs.

Once again I don't have that elusive crystal ball so cannot advise how long these restrictions will be in place, but please know that we are doing all we can to support our students and staff during these times.

I urge parents to contact me or Ms Schroeder directly if your child has not yet returned to school so that we can discuss the next steps in re-engaging them in their face-to-face learning in the safest possible way. 

On a brighter note, this morning when I walked in to my office I was delighted to find a beautiful gift from one of my Foxwell SSC colleagues. The 'Be Kind' book fits in beautifully in my office that is filled with constant reminders of the importance of being kind. Thank you to this kind and generous person who knew how much this book would mean to me.

We cannot ever underestimate the importance of kindness and the impact it has on others. Particularly in these complex times, that one random act of kindness, that smile (even behind your mask), that compliment, or that tolerance and empathy for others who may be struggling with things that you cannot even imagine, let alone see, is so very important. At Foxwell, Kindness is Real.

At this week's Parents and Citizens Meeting I raised a motion to make an amendment to the Foxwell SSC Student Dress Code.

The only amendment is that students are now permitted to wear either (or both) the Foxwell SSC Wattle coloured knitted jumper (with school logo) and the Foxwell SSC Ink Blue Jacket (with school logo) with their formal and sports uniform.

This motion was unanimously approved and is supported by staff, students and parents.

Students are permitted to wear the jacket over the jumper in the coldest weather. Please remember that we also have a Foxwell SSC scarf available for sale.

YEAR 9@FOXWELL

It is an exciting time for our current Year 8 students who are completing their Year 9 Subject Selection. Our 'Compass Years' program is unlike anything you will see in Queensland schools.

After extensive research nationally and internationally and with the consideration of our school context, we have designed a unique and engaging program that will best ensure our students remain engaged in their learning and also ready for the learning years ahead.

At our Year 9 Information Evening we asked parents to work closely with their children to make the most appropriate selection for your child. What are their interests, strengths, and aspirations?

If you based your decisions on these three questions you should feel confident that your child has made the right selections. 

The deadline for the submission of the subject selection preferences has now closed. Should you have missed this date, please contact Ms Nicholas urgently to discuss.

Students who completed their selections by the due date will be given priority placements over students who did not submit on time. Please be aware that this was cleary communicated to all students/families whether they were in attendance at school or via email if they were absent.

A reminder that Enrolments for 2022 are now open. All prospective students are required to submit an application and attend an Enrolment Interview.

Places are filling fast for the upcoming Enrolment Interviews. Please submit your application and contact the office as soon as possible.

Remember that even if you already have a student at Foxwell SSC, you still need to complete your application. 

Once again thank you to each and every person who has ensured the continued safety and wellbeing of our students. We will continue our commitment to keep you informed with any changes that may arise.

Please continue to check your emails and our Facebook page as these are always our first point of contact and our point of truth for our school.

Stay safe everyone, and Be Kind!

All College fees are now overdue.  

Statements were sent via email to all families with outstanding fees this week.  

Payment is required for your student to continue having access to the apps, resources and texts that the College offers under the Student Resource Scheme. 

Students with outstanding fees may not be able to attend excursions or camps. 

Payment Plans are available! Either CentrePay or Direct Debit plans are accessible for all families. 

Do you receive Family Tax Benefit A or B from Centrelink? If so, you can nominate a fixed amount to be paid from your Family Tax Benefit directly to the College to cover your child's education costs. Please contact us via email to set up your payment plan: finance@foxwellssc.eq.edu.au

As part of our ongoing partnership between Foxwell State Secondary College’s signature G-STEM program and the University of Queensland’s Wonder of Science program, the 2021 Year 7 G-STEM students have been afforded a heavily subsidised one-off opportunity to travel to Aroona for 3 days and attend Camp Koala.

This program, being offered in conjunction with the Queensland Trust for Nature (QTFN), is just another example of our Deep Learning approach to education. Whilst this camp encompasses a plethora of curriculum knowledge and skills, the experience will deliver more than just this alone.

This is an opportunity for the Year 7 students in G-STEM to work collaboratively as local STEM citizens to answer the question, ‘How can changes to agricultural practices and urban planning improve biodiversity?’.

Students will bushwalk, survey for koalas, work with koala tracking dogs, survey for invertebrates, survey the plant community and diversity, set remote traps to monitor brush tailed possums (day and night), as well as cook on an open fire and sleep in tents under the stars.

We know these students are going to have a great time! Letters will go home to parents next week with more information.

Year 7

Year 7s have been participating in practicals with water experimentation that has given them hands-on experience to gain deeper understanding of the water cycle. Students were given the chance to visualise how water evaporates, condenses and precipitates throughout the water cycle. They observed how the blue water (food colouring) gets drawn through the different stages in the cycle. One experiment also showed how pollutants flow through the cycle and hence the necessity to purify polluted water for drinking which resulted in awareness of the need to protect our environment and keep it clean so that we can enjoy this life-giving resource.

Year 8

In class the students have been discussing and learning about chemical reactions and have used this information to take part in a practical showing the production of gas when mixing reactants. In the coming weeks there are more exciting experiments planned where they will get to watch different types of reactions that create different products; some exothermic, some changing colours and others creating weird product. Make sure you ask your student to fill you in on the details over the next couple of weeks.

Year 8 have also had an opportunity to discuss their future in Science at the Year 9 information night thanks to Mrs Moraes and Ms Jones, who were there to answer questions. Students are more than welcome to ask their teachers any queries they might still have for next year.

Mrs Moraes answering questions from families at the Year 9 information night

The Head of Physical World, Nahdia McClymont “playing around” in the laboratory.

Showing that science is fun.

INTERESTING SCIENCE FACT

The human brain is over three times as big as the brain of other mammals that are of similar body size.

Sir Isaac Newton had time to use his brain during the great Plague of 1665. He went to his family home away from the city and formulated some of his greatest scientific work; planetary motion, his understanding of colour and light and even had time to observe apples falling from tress in his garden that formed his later work on his theory of gravity.

Maybe we can take time-out to make some important discoveries during COVID downtimes. All  young and aspiring scientists start discovering!

National Science Week 2021 Schedule

Next week is National Science Week! Below is the exciting schedule of activities planned for Foxwell students. 

Countdown is on…only 61 days until we head off to spend two nights at Camp Kokoda, Maroon Dam. The Year 8 Camp is a two-night, three day camp running from the 12^th to the 15^th of October (pandemic willing).

We are excited to say that we currently have over 136 students committed to attend. This means that they have returned both a signed permission form and paid a $30 deposit.

If you would like your child to attend camp and have not yet returned the form or paid a deposit, please do so by COB on Monday the 16^th August.

If you have any enquires please contact Mr Dane Anderson dande230@eq.edu.au

We look forward to sharing the Camp Kokoda experience with your children.

With last week spent learning from home, with the focus on only four subjects, we are now in the process of re-assessing timelines for assessment. We want to ensure that no student is disadvanaged by recent/ongoing events.

Please be aware that assessment due dates are likely to change and as soon as these are finalised we will release a Version 2 of the Term 3 Assessment Calendar for both Year 7 and 8 students.

We appreciate your support and patience at this time.