Term 2 Holidays

Firstly, I want to thank our incredible staff for once again going above and beyond to support our students and parents/carers.

As we approach the school holidays, I would like to take a moment to reinforce the importance of taking a break to rest, recharge, and reenergize. School holidays provide students and staff with a much-needed opportunity to step away from the hectic pace of school life and to reset their focus.

Taking a break from the rigors of school life can actually help students return to their studies with renewed vigour, focus, and creativity. It is essential to appreciate that rest and relaxation are vital for maintaining good mental health.

During the holidays, students are encouraged to engage in positive activities. This might include reading, outdoor adventures, and exercise. By participating in new interests and experiences, students (and adults) may gain a fresh perspective on their studies and personal growth.

Ultimately, school holidays offer an opportunity to balance the demands of school life with the need for personal growth and self-care. As we approach the holidays, I encourage the school community to take full advantage of this time to rest, recharge, and adventure.

I wish you all a restful and enjoyable holiday period, and I look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready to tackle new academic challenges when we return in Term 3.

Staff changes Term 3

Ms La Leggia (Week 1 & 2) and Mr Exton (Week 1-4) will be having a well earnt extended holiday. Both are going overseas, and I wish them a safe and rich and fulfilling experience with their loved ones.

Ms. Blackson will be the Acting Assistant Principal of the Senior School whilst Mr Exton is on leave.

I will oversee the Middle school with support from Ms Power whilst Ms La Leggia is away.

For most instances the first port of call for parents/carers are the classroom teachers and the year level Team Leaders.

Host Families for Japanese Students Needed Urgently!

We are still in urgent need of host families for Japanese students. The students will visit from Sunday 30 July to Saturday 12 August. They will go to classes with their host student and participate in a number of excursions. Host students will have the opportunity to participate in a couple of excursions (dates to be confirmed)

There will be a payment of $658 per student to provide 3 meals a day and any transport to and from school.

All members of the host family 18 and above need to have a Working With Children Check. A copy needs to be provided to the office. If you don’t have a Working With Children Check you can apply for one here. Please apply as a volunteer in which case there is no fee.

https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/

The students range in age from 13 to 17. You don’t have to be studying Japanese to host. It’s a great opportunity to make a new friend and learn about cool Japanese culture.

KSKK is the organisation we have organised our school trips to Japan through, so who knows; in the future maybe you can travel to Japan and meet the student you hosted!

Please contact Jessica Winstone the Languages Leader for more details and a hosting application form. Her email address is: jessica.winstone@education.vic.gov.au

Extracurricular activities

I was privileged to be invited by Ms McAlister (Instrumental music coordinator) to watch the FHS band practice last week at lunchtime. It was terrific to see so many students practicing together and stepping out of the comfort zone (that is where all great learning takes place). I loved hearing the passion in their music!

The school is extremely proud of the extracurricular activities we provide to our students. They provide an opportunity for students to explore new interests, develop skills, and form meaningful connections with their peers. We encourage all students to get involved in extracurricular activities and find something they are passionate about.

Some our extracurricular activities include:

• Art club
• Band practice
• Basketball academy
• Chess club
• Dungeons and Dragons
• Philosophy club
• Rocket League
• Wellbeing groups

I want to thank the staff who organise these clubs in their spare time to support our students to thrive.

Ian Van Schie
Principal

Dear all,

As we head into the winter break, the Middle School staff would like to thank all our parents and students for their support in term 2. As ever, the strength of our school community remains strong.

There have been many highlights to celebrate this term:

Reconciliation Week

Fairhills High School remains committed to the teaching opportunities discussions about aboriginal reconciliation affords. In Week 6, we celebrated Reconciliation Week through a series of activities, the theme this year being’ Be a voice for generations’.
National Sorry Day held every year on 26 May remembers and acknowledges the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as ‘The Stolen Generations’. During the lunchtime activities students had the opportunity to take part in a handprint activity and think about the importance of National Sorry Day and what it means to say sorry.

NEVR Youth Concert

Congratulations to our middle school students who participated in the NEVR Youth Concert: Fire and Rain on 29 May!

Seven of our dedicated vocal students performed two songs as part of the mass Secondary School Choir, under the direction of Dr Lisa Young, as part of the annual NEVR concert at Hamer Hall!

After two full days of rehearsal, our singers learnt challenging pieces that extended their musicianship and performance skills. They made new friends, wonderful memories and are already preparing for next year.

Co-Curricular Activities

Term 2, 2023 saw a continuation of the plethora of co-curricular opportunities on offer at school. There have been high levels of student engagement in these additional programs running before school, during recess and lunch and afterschool. It is also important to acknowledge the efforts of our school’s great teachers and support staff who devote large amounts of discretionary time to organise and deliver these programs.
Students at all year levels are strongly encouraged to seek ways to become involved in our school’s co-curricular offerings. Programs include Dungeon and Dragons, Art, gaming, Dance and Philosophy clubs and Basketball Academy.

Congratulations to all students on the successful completion of Semester 1, 2023. Best wishes to students and families for a safe and restful holiday break.

Silvana La Leggia
Middle School Leader

Year 7 Science – Chromatography

This term in Year 7 science, students learned about mixtures and separating techniques. They took a chromatography test to separate the colours in food colouring and textas. As you can see in the photos, they did a great job in this experiment as the mixture of colours came out very nicely!

7/8 Technology The a’maze’ing Sphero Challenge

In technology, the students designed and create a maze. They used their coding knowledge to program the sphero robots to navigate it through the maze successfully. A lot of students demonstrated great resilience during this challenge and persisted perfecting their code to make it work. Very impressive work!

Year 7 KIOSC ‘Mission to Mars’

Our Year 7 students had an unforgettable time at KIOSC participating in a “Mission to Mars” program. This program provided them an opportunity to experience a number of activities including flying drones, VR headset mission, planning colonisations on Mars, martian chemistry and a 3D igloo experience.

The excitement and enthusiasm displayed by our students throughout the day was proof that this program was a huge success. It was a fantastic way to engage students in STEM learning and inspire them for their future careers.

Year 9 Tree Planting

The Year 9 Connect class went to Glenfern Valley Reserve to plant trees with the volunteers. The students managed to plant trees in the morning with only a little bit of drizzle. After lunch the weather cleared and we walked around the Reserve to see some animals and the trees that were planted last year. This activity has instilled a sense of responsibility and ownership among students towards their environment, and the Friends of Glenfern Valley Reserve were happy for the assistance.

As the end of Term 2 approaches, students start focusing on their subject and pathways choices for 2024 and beyond. We are fortunate to have a well-resourced Pathways Department at Fairhills, managed by Liz Rundle, who provides support to students in a range of ways. This is further supported by our THRIVE program where students engage in Pathways activities throughout the year.

We strongly encourage students and families to take the time to learn about the possible pathways and subject opportunities available to students. There are many ways to do this such as:

• Exploring the Fairhills Careers website where there is important information for students and parents in all year levels: https://www.fairhillscareers.com/
• Engaging in the parent and student presentations/webinars from Elevate Education.
• For our Year 10 students reflecting on their Work Experience placement, they will be doing from 19 – 23 June.
• For our Year 9 students, discussing their Morrisby Career Profiles with their parents.
• Speaking with Ms Rundle about the future opportunities at Fairhills and beyond.

Ultimately, the more informed students and families are about the vast pathways opportunities Fairhills students have, the better choices students will make. This will lead to students being able to achieve their potential and experience success as learners and people over the coming years so that they are future ready.

Year 10 into 11 Parent Information Night – SAVE THE DATE

The Year 10 into Year 11 Parent Information Night is scheduled for Tuesday 25 July. This event is a wonderful night for students and families to explore the many opportunities available to students in the senior years at Fairhills. Current Year 10 students and parents are strongly encouraged to attend to gather information about VCE and VCE VM. The evening will include tailored information sessions and an array of subject booths to explore the variety of subject options and pathways available at Fairhills.

More information regarding the Year 10 into Year 11 Parent Information Night will be sent out to families at the beginning of Term 3.

I would like to thank and acknowledge the significant work and dedication of Ms Rundle, who continues to lead the way with an outstanding pathways program. Our students and families are lucky to have access to such a wealth of information and resources.

Semester Two

Last week students in Year 11 and 12 started Unit 2 and/or Unit 4 of their VCE studies. I would like to congratulate all our students who have continued to grow as learners and people by engaging with all the opportunities Fairhills has to offer so far this year. As we begin Semester Two, I encourage students to think about their goals for the rest of the academic year and think about how they can reach their full potential.

Learning Conferences (formally Parent/Teacher Interviews)

Learning Conferences are scheduled for Term 3. These vitally important conversations will once again be conducted onsite in order to provide as much opportunity as possible for parents to partner with the school. Learning conferences will be conducted on Monday 14 August. We strongly encourage all senior school students and parents to attend, as it provides an ideal opportunity for students, parents/carers and teachers to discuss strategies to improve the learning that is taking place. It also provides students studying Unit 4 the opportunity to discuss focus areas for their upcoming exams.

I look forward to seeing all our students continue studying hard and being the best learner and person they can be as the year progresses.

Bill Exton
Assistant Principal Senior School

Year 11 VM Road to Zero

In late May our Intermediate Year 11 VM students travelled into the city to undertake the ‘Road to Zero’ experience. Held at the Melbourne Museum, this interactive program works on educating our students on the impact that advertising and social media can have on road safety. Our students created an advertisement using amazing interactive smart boards and then went into the exhibition to examine how the features of cars can make a difference to our safety. The aim of the program is to tap into how we can reduce serious accidents on roads and therefore the death toll, to Zero. The VM’s had a fun day and learnt a lot in the process.

VCE Art Making and Exhibiting

The VCE Art Making and Exhibiting students handed in their folios this week, who includes their impressive artworks and highlights the skills of our talented students.

VM Café Update

The VM students have been very busy in the Café this term. Along with cleaning and painting the cafe space, they have been practicing their barista skills making coffees for the teachers. In order to improve customer service they have sought feedback via an online survey. The Café is coming along and we are hoping to have it open to students sometime next semester.

Year 12 Formal

The Year 12 Formal, the Year 12s’ most anticipated event of the year, took place on 3 June at the Southern Golf Club. After a lot of planning and devotion to the event, it was a huge success where the graduating class got to enjoy their final year of high school with their fellow classmates. The night provided everyone with a comfortable setting where they were able to interact with one another, putting aside the stress of VCE. The opportunity to create unforgettable memories was well taken advantage of by the attending Year 12s, and the distribution of light-hearted awards surely added to the excitement of the occasion.

The photobooth was also well taken advantage off, as everyone got the opportunity to take home a memorable picture from the night. The food was well enjoyed by everyone, with the dessert being one of the highlights of the night. The awards nominated by students definitely provided a great amount of excitement and something everyone was eagerly looking forward to.

We would also like to thank all the teachers who attended, especially Mr. Exton and Mr. Stokes for contributing to the planning of the event. It was definitely a night we will all forever remember and cherish the memories made.

Ameisha Gupta (12B) – Student Leader – Senior School

Year 10 work experience

In the last week of term year 10 students were out and about experiencing the world of work.
Changed hours, transport challenges all part of the experience.
We would like to congratulate all the students who took up this opportunity, you have represented the school and yourselves with pride.

Year 10 Careers Expo and Swinburne Campus visit

On Friday 14 July the year 10 students will be attending the Melbourne Careers Expo at the Melbourne Convention centre in the morning. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to speak to industry professionals and find out about Career opportunities. In the afternoon the students will be given a campus tour of the Swinburne campus in Hawthorn – where they will hear about both TAFE and University pathways.

This event is on campus and requires parent consent and a payment of $10 for the Charter Bus.

Term 3 Course counselling and Subject selection – Years 10-11 & 11-12

Term 3 sees the start of planning for 2024. Students in years 10 and 11, will be asked to select their programs and subjects for 2024.

Across weeks 2-5 students will be provided with details and one on one interviews to help them in their decision making.

KEY DATES for Families include:

Year 12

Term 3 is a vital term for year 12 students, not only are they finalising their VCE units and preparing for final exams but they need to start actioning steps for the transition from school.

University and TAFE Applications open as of the 31st of July via the VTAC system.

Students intending on working need to prepare all the application resources, Resumes, cover letters, interview details.

All students will be counselled individually across term 3 and offered support.

Key Dates:

School Tours

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

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

2023 Term Dates

General Office

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.

Saver Plus

Saver Plus is a free financial education and matched savings program offered to lower-income families to help them budget and save for education costs. In the 10-month program, participants gain financial knowledge, learn healthy savings habits by saving $50 a month, and have their savings matched up to $500 to be used towards school costs such as uniforms, books, laptops, and sports fees.

At Saver Plus, we pair participants with a savings coach while they budget and save over the next 10 months. Participants attend online Zoom workshops to learn tips, tricks, and information to grow their budgeting and savings skills. Once they reach their agreed savings goal, their savings are matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $500. Participants can use that money towards education costs such as uniforms, textbooks, laptops, or extra-curricular activities such as sport or music.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

You could be eligible to join Saver Plus if you:

• Be 18 years or over
• Be a parent or guardian of a student attending school, or be attending or returning to vocational training yourself
• Have a current Health Care card or Pensioner Concession card
• Have some form of income, for example, yourself or your partner may have casual, part-time, full-time, seasonal, or cash-in-hand employment
• Be in receipt of an eligible Commonwealth social security benefit, allowance, or payment
  
  * Many types of income and Centrelink payments are eligible

Click on the links below for more information:

Berry Street Flyer

Berry Street Letter for Parents

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.  Any students without consent/payment after this date will be removed from the event and will not be able 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.

Students 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.

COVID

If your child has COVID, please ring or email the school so we can record their absence accordingly.

Students who are family close contacts, must wear a mask whilst indoors and onsite and test regularly.  If you require RAT tests, please contact the General Office.

Asthma / Diabetes / Anaphylaxis / Epilepsy

ASTHMA, DIABETES, ANAPHYLAXIS, EPILEPSY or an ALLERGY management plans are required to be updated and submitted to the school every 12 months. Please ensure you have provided this to the office in the best interest of your child.

If you require any assistance, do not hesitate to contact the office on 03 9758 5022.

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

Click here for the Uniform details and  Price List

Click here for the 2023 Fairhills High School Student Dress Code

Sustainable School Shop

Looking to buy or sell second hand books or uniforms?  Visit: www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au 

You can also find the following items:

• Calculators
• Sporting items
• Musical items
• Electronics & DVD’s
• Stationery

2023 Bell Times

Two different bell times run during the week:

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

2023 Team Leaders

Upstander Movement

Dear Parent/carers and students

Throughout our level assemblies, house groups and Thrive classes this term we have continued our emphasis in growing connections, to help prevent bullying and being an upstander.

People all over the world are taking up the challenge of the upstander movement, in particular young students who want to see changes in their school. This is no different at Fairhills where we have seen many students come forward to report harmful behaviours.

An upstander is a helpful bystander–a person who recognizes when a situation is wrong and acts promptly and decisively to make it right. Moreover, an upstander will always stand up and do their best to protect and support anyone who is being hurt or treated unfairly.

Upstander aren’t born – they’re made

These skills are learnable, coachable, and teachable. Some of the simplest ways to start include:

• If you see or learn about a bullying incident or other harmful behaviour, do SOMETHING to help. Be a friend to the target, report the behaviour, discourage others from contributing to the problem, etc. Being an impassive observer helps no one but the bully.
• Get friends and colleagues involved. There’s strength in numbers. The more people you can get to condemn and report the abuse, the more likely it will stop.
• Be aware of the bullying/harassment policy in place at work or school. Also, point out the specific guidelines or laws being breached by the perpetrator.
• Be a reliable, impartial witness to bullying incidents – accurately record time, place, persons involved, and precise details, so it can be investigated.
• Promote tolerance and acceptance by respecting differences.
• Stop hurtful messages and lies from spreading. The Internet has made it all too easy to spread malicious gossip about others. Refuse to be a part of it.
• Educate yourself about bullying, harassment and toxic behaviours. The more you know about its causes and effects, the better prepared you will be when it’s your turn to be an upstander.

When you see any kind of harm say something by reporting it to your team leader or through Stymie at www.stymie.com.au

Instrumental Music

The instrumental music students have been busy completing their term 2 performance CAT.

An example – some of the flute, clarinet, saxophone, percussion, and trumpet students performed in a lunchtime concert. The program, performance poster and photos are included in this report. The focus of the common assessment task was the development of performance skills, for all levels of ability, within a peer supportive concert environment. Well done to these students.

Fairhills High School Instrumental Music program featured in the June edition of the Gully Newspaper – included is a copy.

Enjoy the school holidays and we look forward to more music making next term!

Senior Boys and Girls Basketball

An exciting day of Basketball for our Senior Boys and Girls at the School Sport Victoria.
The boys’ team dribbled and shot their way to victory and won the grand final. Congratulations your hard work, dedication and perseverance paid off.
The girls’ team played an outstanding game and came in second place. Despite not winning the championship, their performance was nothing short of amazing.
It was a great day for our school, with both teams showcasing their skills and sportsmanship.

EMR Cross-Country

Zaydah competed in the EMR Cross-Country on Tuesday 13 June. Congratulations on finishing 54th.

Congratulations

A big congratulations to Jamie for securing a place at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas, Nevada. We wish you all the best.

Calling all Fairhills High School Writers

Insight Publications is an Australian-owned company which publishes English resources for secondary teachers and students. This year Insight is sponsoring a Creative Writing Competition open to high school students around Australia with the aim to ignite a passion for creative writing and inspire the voices of the future. Entering the competition is free and all entrants will have the chance to share in over $3000 of cash prizes!
All shortlisted entries will be judged by a panel of acclaimed Australian authors including Alice Pung and Scot Gardner.
Insight first conducted this competition six years ago and since then more than 1500 creative pieces have been received from high school students around the country. If you’re a budding writer, start creating your masterful piece over the school holidays and submit it by 1 September 2023.

Competition Key Dates

Entries close: 1 September 2023
Longlist announcement: 18 October 2023
Shortlist announcement: 1 November 2023
Awards Ceremony: 7 December 2023

For more details visit Insight Publications at https://www.insightpublications.com.au/insight-writing-competition-2023/ and follow on Facebook and Instagram for announcements, creative writing tips, information about this year’s judges and more.

It is hard to believe we are in the last week of Term 2 and the start of winter. Term 2 has been quite busy for Wellbeing, but also exciting. We have welcomed two new amazing counselling interns into the team- Anita and Callum, who will be with us until the end of Term 4. We have sadly said goodbye to Eliza who has been on her counselling placement with us since October last year- we wish her all the best with her career and thank her for all her support of our students. We also express our gratitude for Kerrie and Sarah, former counselling interns who are continuing to offer their support and care for our students and the wider school community as volunteer counsellors. Along with our core team of Gail, our Chaplain and Mariani, our Mental Health Practitioner, we are truly blessed to have such a dedicated, skilled and energising Wellbeing Team.

The team have been out in classes this term delivering a number of programs including a Girls Art Group for Years 7-9 that has been an opportunity to explore creative expressions of self; the ‘Why’ workshop with our Year 9 boys looking at what sits underneath our anger and a building mental toughness workshop for Year 7 students. We are looking forward to Term 3 with more campaigns and workshops as well as additional activities aligning with the Respectful Relationship modules. See below for more details on what’s on in Term 3.

Please also see information below for accessing wellbeing support and check out some local and online supports for families and young people.

Please see information below for accessing wellbeing support and check out some local and online supports for families and young.

Peta Cartwright | Student Wellbeing Coordinator

The Team

Student Wellbeing Coordinator – Peta Cartwright/ Social Worker (3 days per week – Mon (Wk2), Tues Thurs, Fri)

School Chaplain – Gail Ackroyd/ Counsellor (2 days per week – Mon/Tues)

Mental Health Practitioner- Mariani Lim (2 days per week- Thurs/Fri (Wk1), Tues/Fri (Wk 2))

Counsellor (Volunteer) – Kerrie (2 days per week- Mon, Tues/Thurs)

Counsellor (Volunteer)- Sarah (1 day per week – Fri)

Counselling Interns- Callum (2 days per week- Tues, Fri) and Anita (2 days per week- Tues, Thurs)

Reminder: Bridge Builders Retreat

We will be having an information session for any students interested in nominating to go on the Retreat on Tues 25th July at lunchtime in the Wellbeing Centre. The Retreat is open to young women and those who identify as female aged between 13-15 years old. Come along to the info session to meet facilitators and hear from past students who have been on the retreat.

What’s On: Term 3 Calendar Activity

Local and Online Services and Supports for Families and Young People

Cybersecurity: Resources

eSafety’s express learning series provides parents and carers with practical tips and advice on common online safety concerns. The videos are 5 to 10 minutes long and cover four important topics, including:

• Setting up parental controls
• Digital technologies and mental health
• Cyberbullying and online drama
• Online sexual harassment and image-based abuse

Cyber Safety Project provides a whole community approach focused on developing future skills, lifelong habits and self-regulation when innovating and using digital technologies for work, life and play. To create safer communities our educational programs and proactive teaching strategies will engage the whole community with learning how to participate safely and responsibly in a digitally-engaged world. To learn more about family workshops and webinars for parents or carers, please visit https://cybersafetyproject.com.au/families/

Accessing support through Wellbeing: Students

The Wellbeing Team can support students to navigate challenges that may be impacting on their ability to engage in learning or general feelings of wellbeing. This can include: transitions and adjusting to change, family or relationship difficulties, grief and loss, mental health concerns, drug and alcohol concerns, and many other challenges that young people encounter.

An initial appointment with a member of the wellbeing team will be an assessment of need with the student or family which will help to decide the best support option for the student. Support options available through the Wellbeing Team are:

• Individual short term counselling, psychoeducation and skills development
• group programs
• referrals to external support agencies.
• students may also be encouraged to access self-help strategies or resources.

Referrals to see someone from the team are made through year level leaders. Parents, students or teachers with concerns are encouraged to speak to their year level leader. Students or parents can also make an appointment directly with someone from the Wellbeing Team by attending the Wellbeing Centre, calling the school office or contacting us via email at wellbeing@fairhillshs.vic.edu.au

Year level leaders who are made aware of concerns by a teacher will always endeavour to make contact with parents before referring a student to the Wellbeing team.

All counselling sessions with students are confidential and information is only shared if a student is deemed to be at risk of harm.

If you or anyone you know needs immediate support, please contact kidshelpline or lifeline on the numbers at the bottom of this page.

What’s on in Wellbeing?

The Wellbeing Centre is open at recess and lunchtime for students who need a quiet, safe place to regulate or access support. The centre is also used for lunchtime group programs which are advertised through compass or on notice boards.

Q-Squad, our LBGTQIA+ group runs every Thursday lunchtime.

More groups to come!

Accessing Support: Families

Most families, at some stage, need a little extra support to manage the normal challenges of life as well as the more difficult situations that arise. If you are experiencing hardship, stress or circumstances that are impacting on the wellbeing of your family life or your ability to cope, the Wellbeing Team can help to connect you with community services that can provide support. Please contact the Wellbeing Team via the school phone number or via email at wellbeing@fairhillshs.vic.edu.au

Breakfast Club

With the support of volunteers from local churches- Knox Baptist and Hillsong Church we are able to provide a breakfast club 5 days a week for our students, including a Pancake Breakfast every Thursday morning. All students are welcome.

Breakfast Club before school – Wednesday and Friday before School in A03

Breakfast Club Recess – Monday and Tuesday at Recess in A03

Breakfast Club Pancakes – Thursdays before school in A03

Tasty Truck Sandwiches – Everyday in the canteen courtyard at recess.

Food Support for families in need

Each fortnight on a Tuesday after school from 2:48pm – 3:08pm we have food support available for families who may be in need, for whatever reason. We have a selection of frozen meals and pantry items that families can collect from the former school canteen area without question or judgement. We know that access to food can be a real challenge for some families and we feel strongly about supporting the basic needs of our students and families. Watch out for compass posts each fortnight.

External Food Support Options

The following community agencies provide food support for families in need.

Fairhills at KPMG

As part of our partnership with Ourschool, Fairhills High School students were fortunate to experience an Industry Insights session on Friday with our wonderful partner KPMG Australia.

Students heard from employees and public high school alumni about their career journey’s in the professional services industry and learned just how diverse their roles are and the many services offered by KPMG – so much more than just accounting!

They were also lucky enough to experience a tour led by KPMG staff around their incredible Melbourne office, the highlight of which is still under fierce debate between the AI room, the roof terrace, the view from the boardroom…or the amazing curly fries!

Students genuinely loved the opportunity to participate in this event and be inspired about their career and they went home buzzing! Alumni events like these can change and shape students lives, thank you to everyone who helped make the day such a success!

If your workplace can offer a learning tour, please reach out!

Save The Date – Fairhills is 50!

In 2023, Fairhills High School Knoxfield celebrates 50 years of history-making, a significant achievement for any school or organization.

Our 50th anniversary will be a memory to hold for all current and former students, staff, parents, and the community. As an amazing school, we want to share our experiences of the last 50 years and look back to see how the school has changed from 1973 to now, 2023, and see just how far it has come.

Friday Evening 6 and Sunday  8 October 11am – 4pm, Fairhills High School Knox is delighted to play host, and invite you to join us celebrating the people, the stories, and the growth of the school over the last half-century and looking ahead to the next 50 years…

Planning is underway on a terrific line-up of exciting events and activities across the two days for all members of the Fairhills High School family- and we hope that all our staff, students, parents and community members – both past and present – will be able to join us in celebrating our fantastic school!

The future is bright for Fairhills, be part of it!