NewsBites - Term 2, Week 5, 2024

Now is the time to enrol for Year 7, 2026

The College will begin processing Year 7 enrolments for 2026 in Term 3.

While we give priority to current families of the College, we are unable to hold a spot for a student if we have not received an application form for them to join us.

If you have a member of the family who is currently in Year 5, please submit an application as a matter of urgency.

2024 Intergenerational Project: Buddy Search

We are looking for Senior (55+) buddies to work with our Year 7 students for our 2024 Intergenerational Project.

Our 'Creating Intergenerational Connections through Storytelling' project provides the opportunity for Year 7 students to work with buddies from older generations to learn about their life experiences, recollections and memories from years gone by.

If you or someone you know would be able to spend some time with our students once or twice per week during July and August, please let us know by completing the form below.

The feedback from the Year 7 students and their older buddies from the first two years of this project has been wonderful. 

Grandparents of students from all year levels are most welcome to participate, as are other local residents who may not have family connections at Faith.

Foundation Phase Learning and Assessment

In Foundation Phase, teachers are committed to meeting their students where they are at. We very much believe that this phase is a key juncture to support students to meet and develop important literacy and numeracy skills, as well as to develop and spark joy for learning that becomes increasingly challenging in nature. 

Our Project Based Learning (PBL) approach allows us to blend learning areas and assessment together in ways that authentically replicate real-world learning, where many skills and understandings are drawn upon. 

The Year 7 group have just embarked upon their Intergenerational Project, where students learn from community buddies, pairing skills like creative writing, interviewing, public-speaking, design skills and use of technology and, importantly, key interpersonal skills. 

If you know of an older adult in the community who might like to help us by visiting the College and working with our Foundation students, please consider inviting them to join this fantastic project. Click here to complete the form.

Of course, the different types of assessment, and blending of subjects can occasionally be tricky for students and families to navigate. Please refer to the assessment calendar, and touch base with Foundation Coaches or classroom teachers to clarify any expectations around assessment. The following items from our Leaner Policy are also essential for successful engagement in learning:

1. Attendance: Given that a great deal of learning occurs in class, and much is also hands-on, a minimum of 90% attendance is needed, and students must initiate contact with their teachers to check that they are appropriately caught up on learning if they miss a class. 
2. Engagement: Positive choices and engagement reflect commitment to learning and allow all learners (teachers and students) to work without disruption. 
3. Resources: After a term and a half, you would be surprised about how much equipment (pencil cases, laptop chargers) are in lost property, or left in lockers or at home. Time spent looking for resources, or having uncharged laptops, is not a productive way to spend learning time.
4. Assessment: Classwork, homework and assessment items should be completed as per the instruction given by the teacher. If you ever need clarity about these things, please reach out to the relevant teachers or Heads of Learning. Please apply for extensions in the instance of illness or misadventure or reach out early if your student is experiencing difficulty with set tasks. 

Every year, we look forward to showcasing the fantastic student work that occurs. Our students are producing some amazing work, so please join us at the end of the year for our Foundation Festival. 

Lisbeth Goldston
Head of Learning - Foundation Phase

Year 9 Flight Plans: Accelerated Pathways 
The External Exploration Showcase was very well attended last Wednesday by many of our students and their parents. The benefit of attending these events is that they help to understand the complex but exciting opportunity that is Exploration subject selection. In addition to the huge range of subjects on offer, there is also the prospect, in the second year of the Exploration Phase, to access subjects from the Graduate Phase. These range from certificate programs through to subjects such as Essential Maths. 

For those students who completed some of the traditional electives this year, they may have the opportunity to enrol in an equivalent General subject. For example, if a student completed Dance 1A and 1B, they may be eligible to enrol in General Dance in Year 10, effectively starting Year 11 Dance early. Students applying for these General subjects will need to demonstrate their ability to meet the demands of the writing component of the course. If you are interested in any of these accelerated pathways, please indicate these intentions on the flight plan. We will work through each student’s application on a case-by-case basis.

Assessment Season: No one’s favourite time of the year. 
As we come to the end of the term, we have our assessment pieces on the horizon. I urge you to engage with the Assessment Calendar that was emailed out on 21 April (the second one has the attachment). On the occasion that students require extensions, the application process can be accessed via Parent Lounge/Links/Curriculum/2024 Exploration Phase Extension Request Form. This semi-automated system allows us to keep track of requests and is preferable to email requests.

Lou Bruce
Head of Learning - Exploration Phase

As we hit the half-way mark of Term 2, our Graduate Phase students are feeling the pinch of Senior Studies. With assessments seemingly around every corner, now is a good time for students to prioritise their wellbeing by establishing regular study routines, minimising the external pressures of part-time jobs and seeking timely support from their teachers. 

This term, the Graduate Phase does not have a dedicated exam block. Instead, many exams are scheduled to run during regular school hours, with minimal impact to lessons. All details regarding these exams are communicated home via email, so it is vitally important that all families engage with these communications. 

Over the next couple of weeks, all Graduate Phase students will have a dedicated meeting with one of our Middle Leaders. These Academic Progress Meetings are designed as a follow-up on their SET Plan meeting, which was conducted at the end of Year 10. 

During these meetings, students will discuss their academic journey to date and evaluate their progress towards their set goals. Students have completed a form during Phase Coach this week in preparation for these meetings, and an email was sent home by Mrs Jen Gibb last week. As Phase Leaders, we are excited to roll out this new initiative which will provide timely support and guidance to our students.

I take this opportunity to also remind all families of our Student Extraordinary Leave Policy, and the strict QCAA regulations surrounding attendance and assessment submissions. I strongly encourage you all to avoid taking time off during term time. Missing just one day of lessons disadvantages students greatly, even if there is no assessment occurring on that day. I urge you to view each and every lesson as vitally important to your success in your subjects and make the most of every minute with your teacher.

While our Year 12 students might be feeling like their Senior Schooling years are dragging on, we are reminded that in just six months, they will be finished school forever. 

In Study this week, our Year 12 students enjoyed a presentation by UQ, where they discussed the logistics of moving out of home (either for work or study). Students learned about the various student accommodation options, renting processes, budgeting for household bills and Centrelink payments. 

Many students were interested in hearing about the numerous accommodation scholarships offered by tertiary institutions and were urged to apply for these as early as possible. Our Careers Counsellor, Ms Jo Robbins, is a guru at this, and I encourage all students who are thinking about moving away from home to study next year to talk with Ms Robbins about these opportunities. Many are open now, with some closing shortly. 

The next six months are going to fly by, and we look forward to sharing this journey with you!

Emma O'Shea
Head of Learning - Graduate Phase

Interhouse Cross Country Carnival Age Champions

Congratulations to the following Age Champions from our Cross Country Carnival which took place earlier this term. The medals were presented at this week's formal assembly.

Girls

Boys