Term 3 Welcome

I would like to welcome the following staff to our school this term.

• Sheron Fernando – Integration Aide (5 days per week)
• Kaye Walker – Health Promotion nurse (Tuesdays)

Parent/Carers Survey

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents/carers think of our school. The Parent/Carers Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional but we encourage all families to participate. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.

All families are invited to participate in the survey.

The Survey will be open from Monday 7 August to Friday 8 September 2023.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the survey period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones.

The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese.

We will communicate the results of the survey through the newsletter and annual reporting.

Last year we used the survey results to help plan our facilities improvements which have included, new carpet n the Year 7/8 Learning Hub, new vinyl in the Art Learning Hub and external improvements to the gardens and pathways (coming soon).

An email with the link will be sent out by 7 August. Your voice counts.

Fundamentals for Learning Success

For teenagers to THRIVE in their learning and wellbeing the following fundamentals are key to success.

* Sleep *

Sleep is essential for effective learning. Teenagers need at least 8.5 hours of sleep a night. Put the digitals in another room. Breakfast is essential and should be some nutritious cereals and/or multigrain toast (bring on the vegemite!). Students should have a packed snack and lunch (with some fruit) or enough money for a Tasty Truck lunch.

* Healthy Eating *

Teenagers go through big physical changes in puberty. They need extra nutrition to fuel these physical changes, which means they need to eat healthy food.

Your child’s level of physical activity and stage of development determine exactly how much healthy food they need. But you’ll notice your child has a bigger appetite, which is their body’s way of telling them to eat more.
Teenagers need a wide variety of foods from the five healthy food groups – vegetables, fruit, grains, dairy and protein.

* Attendance *

Every day counts. Successful students are ones who consistently attend (95% and above should be the goal). Students should be at their locker by 8:30am and preparing for their first class at 8:40am.

Did you know that 80% attendance equated to:

• 1 day per week
• 10 days per term
• 40 days per year
• 240 days in their high school journey. That’s over one school year of missed learning time!

* Equipment *

Laptops should be fully charged Sunday night (and every school night) and all relevant materials should be ready e.g. pencil case, notebooks.

Uniform

In 2021, students had to change in and out of their PE uniform, which impacted learning time both in PE and other classes. Feedback from students also showed that some of them were feeling uncomfortable changing around others.

Improvements

As a result we have made changes whereby students are able to wear their PE uniform for the whole day if they have a PE class. This DOES NOT include morning, lunchtime or afterschool activities such as basketball training.

We have noticed that some students are deciding to wear their PE uniform on non PE days, which does not comply with current school dress code. We will be following up with these students via our uniform infringement process. To minimise this, we ask parents/carers to support and remind their children to wear the PE uniform only on days they have PE.

PE uniform consists of the Sports Polo shirt / black long shorts / black tracksuit pants.  These items are available at Buxear – https://buxwear.com.au/collections/fairhills-high-school-2023

2024 Dress Code

Every year the School Council discusses, then endorses, the following year’s dress code. The School Council will begin the 2024 dress code discussion shortly. School community members are welcome to write letters regarding the 2024 dress code to the School Council (via the General Office).

The Leadership Team and School Council focus on the following factors when determining dress code:

• Does it look good and build school and community pride?
• Is it comfortable to wear?
• What are the costs for parents/carers?

By the end of this term I will send out a uniform Google form so all members of the school community have an opportunity for their voice to be heard.

Ian Van Schie
Principal

Dear students and families,

Welcome back to Term 3.

As I returned this term after an extended break, I was so pleased to see how well the Middle School students have settled back into Semester 2. A very special thanks to Sarah Power who stepped in to cover many of my responsibilities so that I could enjoy my break and return refreshed.

Last week students in the Middle School during their Thrive classes have completed report reflections based on their Semester 1 Reports.

Students were encouraged to reflect on their achievements and focus on their learning habits and set some short-term and long-term goals for learning growth. Goals were centred around organisation, completing homework tasks on time and behaviours in the classroom.

A big congratulations to Jesse Harberger and the 3 x 3 Basket ball teams who recently competed in the state finals. The Junior girls achieved 3rd place and the Junior boys came in 5th place, a strong sign and preparation for the National Championships in Queensland later this year. Well done to all the team participants.

Similarly, our year 9 students have experienced and adventuring five-day city experience. Students were introduced to the complexities of team dynamics, deciding in teams how they can work together to undertake and learn from various activities and challenges.

This program allowed the students to explore and discover connections to the city environment, discover future careers and pathways, looks at Flora and Fauna at the city Zoo and parklands and foster a sense of social awareness through projects such has homelessness and the environment.

Thank you to Greg Baker, Ying Qin and staff who facilitated this amazing experience for our Year 9 students.

Silvana La Leggia
Middle School Leader

Year 7 visit to KIOSC

On Monday 17 July all Year 7 students visited KIOSC to participate in the ‘Water – from local to global’ activity. They had three sessions over the course of the day.

One was called ‘Smellbourne’ where they investigated how Melbourne’s waste water is transported from their houses to the treatment plant. They learnt about how the waste water was processed and some of the jobs people did at the treatment plant.

They also investigated how a countries economic situation was linked to the provision of clean water. They were given a certain amount of money to build a filtration system.

In the third activity they tested pH and nitrate levels of a sample of water from a local creek. They then used microscopes to identify and examine living things in the water sample.

The students were engaged enjoyed the day out.

Year 9 City Experience

What a busy couple of weeks the Year 9 students have had! The second week of term was dedicated to the City Experience, which provided them with an exciting trip into and around the city. For many of our students, this was their first time stepping foot in such a bustling environment. It was a truly eye-opening experience for them as they navigated through crowded streets, explored iconic landmarks, and immersed themselves in the vibrant culture that the city had to offer. Highlights were the tour of the MCG and Aquarium, The Melbourne Tunnel HQ, and Melbourne Zoo. This excursion not only broadened their horizons but also allowed them to develop important life skills such as independence, problem-solving, and adaptability. Overall, it was an unforgettable adventure that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on our Year 9 students.

Year 9 Willum Warrain

On Wednesday 26 July, students had the privilege of visiting the Willum Warrain Gathering Place, an Indigenous cultural space. This unique experience allowed them to immerse themselves in the rich traditions and customs of Indigenous people. The students were fortunate enough to learn about their culture, sample bush tucker and natural medicine, and even participate in traditional ceremonies. This firsthand encounter provided a profound understanding of the ancient cultures that have thrived for thousands of years. Overall, the students thoroughly enjoyed themselves while gaining invaluable knowledge about Indigenous heritage.

As we welcome our students to Term 3, we start to forward plan with them about their potential pathways for 2024.

This time of the year gives our students a chance to set goals and reflect on the subjects they enjoy completing at school and the subjects that are needed for them to have every opportunity to complete further education.

During the first five weeks of this term our senior school students will be involved in a range of career pathway activities. Some of these activities include:

• Year 10 Career Expo Excursion
• Year 10 Careers Week & Transition to VCE/VCE VM Assembly
• Career action plan documentation
• Year 11 into Year 12 Assembly
• Year 11 into Year 12 Information Night
• Year 10 into Year 11 Information Night
• Course selection
• Career Counselling (week five)

As part of our course counselling process and ensuring we are providing students with a clear pathway in senior school, we ask that parents make an appointment with a selected course counsellor on Thursday 10 July from 9:30am-6:30pm. You can make your appointment through the compass portal (same process as parent/teacher interviews) and click on a time that suits your availability. We recognise that these times may not suit and would like to provide you with an online meeting through Webex or a phone conversation. We believe that parent involvement is one of the key aspects to ensuring that every student is successful in the VCE/VCE VM.

Our Senior School Team would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our senior school students for successfully completing their semester one midyear exams. It was great to see students working hard, putting in their best efforts and demonstrating our school values and high expectations. Students will again be given the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding during our VCE practice exams and end of year 10 exams.

Laura Blackson
Acting Senior School Assistant Principal

Australian Synchrotron – VCE Physics

At the start of the week, our VCE Physics students visited the Australian Synchrotron, a major research facility and one of the Australia’s most significant pieces of science infrastructure. Students participated in three lab sessions including hands-on activities to comprehensively explore interaction of light and energy, nuclear physics and radioactivity.

Apart from the exciting lab sessions, students also attended a tour of the synchrotron where they obtain a deep understanding of how research using synchrotron benefits the society.

Year 10 Careers Expo and Swinburne Campus Tour

On Friday 14 July, our Year 10 cohort attend the Melbourne Careers expo in the Exhibition buildings. This huge event provided students with an opportunity to talk to training providers, industry representatives and participate in many virtual experiences. Students were both inspired and informed of the many possibilities awaiting them in the world of work.

In the afternoon students were given a tour of the Swinburne University of Technology Hawthorn campus. Here they were informed of the breadth of tertiary studies and shown the amazing technology available to them in the future.

This event was the prefect launching pad for our subject selection program in readiness for senior school.

Year 10 Work Experience

In the final week of Term 2, Year 10 students headed out for one week of work experience. We would like to send out a huge thank you to all the local industry and community services that provided amazing experiences for our students.

Year 12 Pathways Information Evening

This evening has been delayed a week to enable the VTAC system to open and information re applications to be released.

This will be delivered in Thrive classes to Year 12 students and will be presented online to Families at 6pm on Tuesday 1 August.

Pathways Information Session for Year 12 Families

Hosted by: Liz Rundle

Link: https://eduvic.webex.com/eduvic/j.php?MTID=m629769875428454bd499563403ee7520

Date: Tuesday 1 August  2023

Time: 6:00pm

Meeting number and Password: please login to Compass for these details

Agenda: mapping Student pathways; Tertiary application process, Apprenticeships, Work

Important Dates

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.

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.

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

Knox Retirement Village Performance

Congratulations to the instrumental music students who performed at Knox Retirement Village on Wednesday 26 July.

Music students all played a solo to the audience along with some ensemble pieces. They represented the school with pride and displayed respect to all community members. The Knox Retirement residents thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon of music and have welcomed us back again next year.

Well done to all.

Mr James and Mrs McAlister – Music Teachers

Any queries regarding the instrumental music program please email Nicole McAlister – nicole.mcalister@education.vic.gov.au

3 x 3 Basketball Victoria Secondary School State Championships

Well done to our students who qualified and participated in the 3×3 Secondary School State Basketball Championships this week.

3×3 is the latest basketball initiative which pits teams of three against one another in a half court setting.

Fairhills had teams in each section:

Monday 24 July: Junior (Year 7 & 8)
Wednesday 26 July: Intermediate (Year 9 & 10)
Friday 28 July: Senior (Year 11 & 12)

Our students showcased exceptional skills and determination throughout the competition. Their outstanding performance is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and teamwork. We are immensely proud of their achievements. They have not only represented our school with pride but have also demonstrated the true spirit of sportsmanship.

Congratulations to our Junior girls team who came third and Junior boys team who came fifth!

Book Requests

Is there a book you would like to read or see as part of our Library collection? Help make our collection better by giving your suggestions to Mrs Kirby. We are looking to buy new fiction, manga and non-fiction this term so please pass any requests on.

Chess Club

At recess and lunchtimes, a number of students regularly play Chess in the Resource Learning Hub.

Chess is one of the oldest board games ever and has been played and loved for centuries. Interest in Chess has skyrocketed, spurred on by people looking to play online during COVID lockdowns and the popularity of the book and Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit.

The Resource Leaning hub is lucky to have multiple chess boards, timing clocks and even some special and unique chess boards.

If you are interested in playing and learning more about Chess, drop in and challenge some of your fellow schoolmates.

We hope that everyone is keeping warm in this cold, blustery weather. There is no doubt that winter is well and truly upon us. Term 3, whilst cold, can be a really productive term. For those who are familiar with football, the 3rd quarter, sometimes called the premiership quarter, is known as such because it is believed that the efforts in this quarter are associated with increased chances of success overall. It’s a good term to dig deep and focus for the promise of positive outcomes.

In the Wellbeing space, this term is no different- we have a busy and exciting term ahead! We have several guest presentations booked in to support our students in the areas of healthy and supportive relationships, positive identity, positive coping and self care.

• Year 10’s will be visited by The Man Cave and the Reach Foundation with interactive and powerful all day programs on Friday 4 August.
• Year 10’s will also have a presentation by the Pat Cronin Foundation about the consequences of social violence.
• Project Rockit will be working with our Year 7 and 8’s around staying safe online.
• Our whole school wellbeing campaign in Term 3 is RUOk? Day which will include in class and lunch time activities to increase awareness and skills around helpful conversations.

The Wellbeing team are also really excited to be welcoming Kaye Walker, a Health Promotion Nurse, to the team for the remainder of the year. Kaye has extensive schools-based experience delivering health promotion activities and targeted interventions for students across all of the health domains including healthy nutrition, exercise, sleep and self care. We look forward to working with Kaye to promote healthy habits for life and learning.

Please also see information below for accessing wellbeing support and check out lots of local and online supports for families and young people in the Knox area.

Peta Cartwright | Student Wellbeing Coordinator

The Team

Reminder: Bridge Builders Retreat

We will be having an information session for any students interested in nominating to go on the Retreat on Tuesday 25 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

There is a lot happening this term – details below.

For registration:

Knox Youth Career Expo 2023 Tickets, Thu 24/08/2023 at 5:30 pm | Eventbrite

For registration:

Webinar Registration – Zoom

For registration:

One on One Support | To help you support your teenagers through a tough time. – ReachOut Parents

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

Clothing Support: Thread Together

We recently partnered with Thread Together to provide free and brand clothing for students in need. Thread Together collects brand new unsold clothing from all around the country, saving it from landfill. Thread Together believe that people in need deserve the dignity and choice of new clothing, without judgement. If your children need any help with clothing, please contact the Wellbeing team for further assistance.

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.

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.

Take part in our 50th Anniversary Celebrations

As part of this year’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations, the Year 11 Vocational Major students have been documenting some of the history of Fairhills High School. Students have been interviewing past past students and staff about their time at Fairhills

If you are interested in contributing, please use this link https://www.trybooking.com/CJDZB to book in a time. There is still slots available on Tuesday 1 August and Tuesday 8 August.

Thank you so much for your support.

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 6 October (evening) 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!