I would like to welcome our school community to Fairhills this year. I hope everyone had a relaxing holiday with friends and families.

Staffing

Welcome to the following staff who have made Fairhills their school.

School Improvement

I am pleased to announce the 2024 School Improvement Team (SIT). This team’s core focus is to improve learning and wellbeing growth for all students.

Our key foci this year is to:

• Implement and embed the SWPB matrix Embedding
• Embed our LEARN Instructional Model in all classrooms
• Develop data walls so all students are challenged at their point of need
• Develop a 2025 STEM academy

These strategies will ensure we are continuing to increase learning growth of all students.

STEM and Senior Learning Centre

At last the STEM and Senior Learning Centre (SLC for short) is open!  All the delays and frustration are all worthwhile when you see the students’ excitement and pride shine on their face and in their body language.  Students and staff have settled in well and there has been some amazing learning experiences already.

In a few weeks’ time we will be offering a guided tour for parents and carers.  Stay tuned for this information.

Ian Van Schie
Principal

School Council Elections

School Council elections are upon us again.
School Council term of office is for two years with some members retiring each year but eligible for re-election. In 2024 we have one parent position available.

The School Council plays an integral role in shaping the school’s future. If you want to be actively involved in making positive changes I encourage you to nominate.

Timeline

• Call for nominations from Friday 16 February. Nomination forms can be obtained via the following email – fairhills.hs@education.vic.gov.au
• Call for nominations close Friday 8 March 2024 at 4pm.
• Monday 11 March Nominations displayed at Fairhills High School.
• Election held if more than one nomination. Friday 22 March close of ballot 4.00pm. Votes counted.
• Wednesday 27 March School Council meeting with new members

What is a school council and what does it do?

All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally formed bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within centrally provided guidelines. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.

Who is on the school council?

There are three possible categories of membership:

• A mandated elected Parent category. More than one third of the total members must be from this category. Department of Education and Training (DET) employees can be Parent members at their child’s school as long as they are not employed at the school.
• A mandated elected DET employee category. Members of this category may make up no more than one third of the total membership of school council. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members.
• An optional Community member category. Its members are appointed by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests or experiences. DET employees are not eligible to be Community members.

The term of office for all members is two years. Half the members must retire each year, creating vacancies for the annual school council elections.

Why is Parent membership so important?

Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help shape the direction of the school.
Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying in itself and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.

How can you become involved?

The most obvious way is to vote in the elections, which are held in Term 1 each year. However, ballots are only held if more people nominate as candidates than there are positions vacant.
In view of this, you might seriously consider

• standing for election as a member of the school council
• encouraging another person to stand for election.

Do I need special experience to be on school council?

No. What you do need is an interest in your child’s school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school’s future.

Remember

• Ask at the school for help if you would like to stand for election and not sure what to do
• Consider standing for election to council this year
• Be sure to vote in the elections.
• Contact me for further information.

It has been a thriving start to the Middle School this year as we welcomed our new year 7 students to the Fairhills High School community. Students engaged in a 4- day induction program delivering sessions on setting high expectations, being an upstander, team building, mindfulness, organisational skills and time-management. The highlights included building a spaghetti marshmallow tower, and designing a future time capsule to open at the end of year 12, in 2029.

Students in year’s 8 and 9 participated in the return to school interviews, an opportunity to reinforce important information around key policies such as attendance and uniform, positive behaviour and learning expectations. It was great to see so many families attend.

We have also seen a resounding response to the call for performers to audition for this year’s State School Spectacular; an invaluable performing arts opportunity. Congratulations to all our successful middle school applicants who will perform at John Cain Arena later this year.

Our focus this year in the middle school is our collective responsibility to improving student learning and outcomes to ensure all students fulfil their full potential. Our guiding principles are framed around our school values of acting responsibly, building relationships and showing respect.

Yet again I feel very privileged to lead the middle school this year and seek to assure you that the middle school team is committed to working together to create a learning environment in which all students are respected, where all students are safe and where all students have access to many engaging learning opportunities.

I very much look forward to working with all our middle school parents/carers, students and families.

Silvana La Leggia
Middle School Leader

Fairhills High School Time Capsule

To celebrate the beginning of their secondary school lives, the Year 7s recently participated in a Time- Capsule activity. Students were asked to write a piece about themselves outlining their personal characteristics, their likes and dislikes and what they want to be when they grow up. Importantly they also wrote a message to their future selves. These items were sealed in envelopes, some along with other personal mementos like photos, keepsakes and drawings and placed in a chest for safe keeping. These treasures will be unlocked when the students reach Year 12 in 2029. It is always fun to see how students have developed over the years and to give them a chance to reflect on their younger selves.

Introducing Our State-of-the-Art STEM & Senior Learning Centre (SLC) Building: A Hub for Innovation and Discovery!

At the beginning of this school year, we were thrilled to welcome a remarkable addition to Fairhills High School—the brand-new STEM & SLC building! This state-of-the-art facility is now ready to ignite the flames of curiosity and innovation within our student body.

The STEM & SLC building stands tall as a testament to our commitment to providing an exceptional education that prepares our students for the challenges and opportunities of the future. It has been designed to foster a dynamic learning environment, where science, technology, engineering, and mathematics converge to inspire creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

The new building boasts a range of specialized laboratories. From biology and chemistry to physics and robotics, students will have hands-on opportunities to conduct experiments, analyse data, and explore the wonders of the technological world. The building also features spacious, flexible classrooms that promote collaboration and teamwork. These areas are designed to facilitate group projects, discussions, and brainstorming sessions. With comfortable seating arrangements and interactive whiteboards, students can engage in lively debates, exchange ideas, and enhance their communication skills.

It was fantastic to see our senior school students enter the new STEM & SLC building on the first day of school. Our students will benefit greatly from this new addition to our facilities and we wish them all the best for the year ahead in their new surroundings.

Bill Exton
Senior School Assistant Principal

School Tours

To book a School Tour go to: https://www.trybooking.com/COXXT

We look forward to welcoming you and showing you around our great school.

2024 Term Dates

Annual Privacy Reminder for our School Community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy ES10-Photographing-Filming-and-Recording-Students-Policy.pdf (fairhillshs.vic.edu.au), describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school. For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages: Amharic, Arabic, Dari, Gujarati, Mandarin, Somali, Sudanese, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese.

2024 Parent Contributions

2024 student charges are now listed on Compass under Payment Centre.  Parent payment contributions can be made through this area at any time.

2024 CSEF Applications

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.  If you have a valid means-tested concession card, such as a Veterans Affairs Gold Card, Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible. There is also a special consideration category for asylum seeker and refugee families.

If you applied for CSEF through our school last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.

If you would like to apply for the first time, please complete the 2024 CSEF application form.

General Office Details

The General Office hours are: 8.00am-4.00pm

Telephone: 9758 5022
Email: fairhills.hs@education.vic.gov.au

Parents, contractors, visitors and volunteers should always make contact with the General Office first when visiting the school or requiring to make contact with their child.

Appointments with teachers must be made via telephone or email.

Compass

Compass is the communication portal for Fairhills – https://fairhillshs-vic.compass.education/

Parents/carers are provided with log in details. For any questions or trouble logging in please contact the office. Using Compass allows parents/carers to have access to up-to-date information and the following features:

• Monitor attendance, and enter an explanation for absence or lateness
• Communicate with teachers
• Update contact details
• View their child’s timetable and the school calendar
• Monitor homework and assessment tasks
• Download and view semester reports
• Book parent-teacher-student interviews each semester
• Pay and provide consent for events and school contributions

Compass Events / Payment Centre / Course Confirmation

Please check Events regularly as these need to be consented/paid by the due date for your child to attend.  Also check out the Payment Centre and Course Confirmation sections.

Click here for the Compass Parent Guide

Student Absences

If your child will be absent or late due to illness or for any other reason, parents/guardians are able to:

• Mark their absence on Compass / or
• Send an email to the school: fairhills.hs@education.vic.gov.au / or
• Phone the absence hotline on 9758 5022. Leave a message after the prompt. The absence hotline is operational 24hrs a day, 7 days a week for your convenience.

Student’s arriving to school late should report to the General Office to receive a late pass.

If a student is required to leave school early for any reason they should bring a note from their parent/guardian and record this on Compass. All students are required to sign out from the General Office.  If they need to call home, they should come to the office.  Students should not use their mobiles.

Parent Carpark – pick up and drop off

If you drop/pick up your children please ensure you:

• use the parent car park – not the staff/guest car park, except for those with a disability parking permit
• pull into a parent parking spot to let your child out/pick them up
• when exiting turn left onto Scoresby road (as per the sign)

Uniform Shop

The purchase of School Uniforms are now through Dandy Schoolwear in Dandenong.

Dandy Schoolwear

Factory 8, 169 Cheltenham Road, Dandenong
(03) 9792 0424

Monday to Friday – 9:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday – 9:30am to 2:00pm

Uniform details

Uniform Price List

2024 Fairhills High School Student Dress Code

2024 Bell Times

Two different bell times run during the week:

• Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
• Monday and Thursday (includes House Group)

2024 Team Leaders

On Tuesday 13 February we held our 2023 Awards Assembly. The Excellence Contribution Awards celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of Middle & Senior School Students who have demonstrated excellence in various areas throughout 2023. Whether they’ve excelled academically, maintained positive learning habits, or exhibited exemplary attendance, these students serve as inspiring role models through their enthusiasm, resilience and commitment to self-improvement.
We would like to thank Jackson Taylor, Honourable member for Bayswater, Ameisha, 2023 Year 12 DUX and parents for attending our assembly.

Congratulations to all of our Award recipients.

Year 7

• Caine for demonstrating school values to a high level
• Sebastian for demonstrating school values to a high level
• Tayla for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits
• Kiara for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits
• Maddison for Academic honours and demonstrating Positive Learning Habits
• Isabelle for Academic honours and demonstrating school values to a high level
• Ardy for Academic honours and Exemplary Attendance

Year 8

• Zaydah for demonstrating school values to a high level
• Daniel for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits
• Matilda for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits
• Victoria for Academic honours
• Miles for Academic honours
• Olivia for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits and demonstrating school values to a high level
• Jay for Exemplary Attendance and demonstrating school values to a high level
• Amillia for Academic honours & demonstrating school values to a high level

Year 9

• Shania for Exemplary Attendance
• Keisha for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits
• Sophie for Academic honours
• Winifred for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits and demonstrating school values to a high level
• Eva for Academic honours and demonstrating school values to a high level
• Jessica for Academic honours, demonstrating Positive Learning Habits & demonstrating school values to a high level

Year 10

• Tom for Exemplary Attendance
• Sean for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits
• Abby for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits and demonstrating school values to a high level
• Zachary for Academic honours and demonstrating school values to a high level
• Jackson for Academic honours and demonstrating Positive Learning Habits
• Parvir for Academic honours and demonstrating school values to a high level

Year 11

• Scarlett for Exemplary Attendance
• Mitchelle for demonstrating school values to a high level
• Haylie for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits
• Brandon for Academic honours
• Ben for Academic honours
• Charles for Academic honours
• Arina for Academic honours
• Cas for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits
• Kate for demonstrating school values to a high level
• Audrey for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits

Nik for demonstrating Positive Learning Habits and demonstrating school values to a high level

Year 10 Long Tan Leadership Award – Hayden

Art Acquisition Award – Mela for her artwork ‘Butterfly Eyes’

Year level All Rounder Awards

• Year 7 – Isabelle
• Year 8 – Millie
• Year 9 – Jessica
• Year 10 – Jackson
• Year 11 VCE-VM – Haylie
• Year 11 VCE- Audrey

2023 VCE DUX Award – Ameisha

Congratulations also go to Maddison, Audrey, Cas and Ella, who performed a lovely acapella performance of ‘All is Found’ from Frozen 2, with the guidance of Ms Turner.

The assembly was also an opportunity to introduce our 2024 School Captains and Leaders

• School Captain and Sport Leader – Tyson
• School Captain and STEM Leader – Elissa
• VCE Vocational Major Leader – Nikolas
• Senior School Leader – Isabella
• Middle School Leader – Taylor
• Arts Leaders – Mela and Jacqui
• Wellbeing Leaders – Liv and Scarlett
• Community Development Leader – Mia

• Students may borrow a maximum of 4 books each and have them for up to 2 weeks.
• Books may be renewed for a further two weeks.
• Students will be provided with an ID card which also acts as their Library Borrowing Card.  Please do not lose this card as there is a charge to replace it.
• A chute is provided in the Library foyer for out of hours returns