End of year nearly upon us

As we approach the end of another remarkable year at Fairhills I am filled with gratitude for the dedication and hard work of our incredible staff. This year has brought its unique set of challenges, but our team’s unwavering commitment to our students’ learning & wellbeing has truly shone through.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to each and every staff member for their tireless efforts in creating a positive and enriching environment. Your passion for education and your commitment to fostering a supportive community have not gone unnoticed.

We say farewell to the following staff. I wish them all the best for the future.

• Anthony Hitchman
• Julian Stokes
• Ying Qin
• Emma Peng

On leave for 2024

• Julie Cox
• Sunita Sewani
• Jesse Harberger
• Peter Milner

Everything we do is focused on enhancing the overall student experience. In 2023 our students’ positive perception of the school has surpassed the state averages in all framework factors. This achievement is a testament to the collaborative spirit of our staff, the engaging learning environment they create, and the strong sense of community that permeates every corner of our school.

In addition to the exceptional strides in student perception, we have invested in capital works improvements to provide state-of-the-art facilities. These enhancements are designed to further elevate the educational experience for our students and ensure they have access to the best possible resources.

These include:

• New carpet in the Middle School – completed in the January holidays
• Vinyl flooring in the Art Learning Hub – completed Term 1 break
• New garden and landscaping – completed Term 3 break
• STEM & Senior Learning Centre – open at the beginning of 2024
• Music Learning Hub – open in 2024

As we embark on a well-deserved summer break, I encourage each member of our community to take a moment to reflect on the achievements of the past year. Whether you’re a student who has overcome challenges, a staff member who has contributed to our school’s success, or a parent who has supported our community, you have played an integral role in making Fairhills High School the inspiring place it is.

Wishing you all a safe, relaxing, and joyful summer break. May this time be filled with laughter, warmth, and the company of loved ones. I look forward to welcoming everyone back for another exciting school year in 2024

Statewide STEM success

Congratulations to our Senior girls’ team who participated in the prestigious SuperHack competition at the University of Melbourne. It is an annual engineering hackathon where female, non-binary and gender diverse students in years 10 and 11 are invited from across Victoria to compete in teams to solve engineering design challenges based on a set theme.

I am proud to say that they came third in the competition. An amazing effort indeed!

With Vex Robotics being implemented at the school from 2024 the sky is the limit for our incredible students.

Vivi

In Term 4, we have been trialling Vivi, which is a mirror casting program that enhances collaboration, control and creativity in classrooms. Due to its ability to transform the learning experience of students, all classrooms will have Vivi from 2024.

Personalised learning environments have been proven to deliver better educational outcomes for individuals through increased participation and engagement. To successfully create such an environment requires a fluid, visual dialogue between teacher and student. Vivi supports this dialogue.

Return to School Interviews

2024 Year 8-12 parents/carers will have received a Return to School Interview email from the school. There will be a booking link in the email. This link will be available until the end of the school year. After this time parents/carers who have not booked a time will be allocated one.

The mandatory interviews will be held on Tuesday January 30, 2023, from 11.15am-7pm

The key aims of the Return to School Interviews is to:

• Ensure a positive start to the year for students
• Build closer relationships between parents/carers, students and the school
• Provide important 2024 information to parent/carers and students

We look forward to meeting with parents/carers and students on the day.

2024 Contributions

Parent/carer contributions are critical to the development and enhancement of exciting and engaging opportunities for all students.

The School Council has carefully evaluated the existing contributions structure and made important changes after discussions with the school community. At the end of October, the School Council endorsed the changes to the contributions structure.

The 2024 contributions have now been published to parents/carers. This will ensure parents/carers understand where their contributions are going. I thanks parents/carers in advance for making a contribution to your child’s education.

Parents/cares should reach out to the General Office for further clarification.

Ian Van Schie
Principal