NewsBites - Term 2, Week 7, 2024

New Building Works for Faith

Dear Parents and Guardians

We are delighted to announce that the College will soon begin works on two important new building projects at Faith Lutheran College, Plainland.

The first project is a new Student Services and Administration building that will be located on the left as you first enter the College grounds from Faith Avenue. 

The second project is an additional car park for use by staff. This new car park will be located to the west of the Sports Centre, where staff currently park on the dirt and grass. 

Parents and guardians will continue to use the existing bitumen car park at the Sports Centre for parking.

We are fortunate that the State Government has agreed to provide funding to assist with the capital works projects.

Rohrig has been appointed as the builders of the project after a thorough tender process.

Construction will begin with temporary construction fencing to be erected from week commencing Monday 3 June, with construction set to begin from Monday 10 June.

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.

Reading in Foundation Phase

In Foundation Phase, the explicit instruction of Literacy is a core priority in the curriculum, with students participating in ‘Literacy’ and ‘English’ classes. As they continue to head towards Exploration and Graduate Phases, their key learning areas will continue to have more complex literacy demands, including the reading of academic and informational texts. Effective readers of informational texts continually draw upon a complex wealth of prior knowledge about the world and language, as well as their awareness of subject specific genres and vocabulary. Therefore, teachers employ many different teaching tools to develop skills in reading, but one way we can work together in this area, is to encourage reading for enjoyment at home and at school.

Choosing the Right Book:

A couple of barriers to reading for enjoyment might include interest and challenge.

Challenge: is the language too easy, or too challenging? One easy way to find out if the book or text is the right level of challenge is to see how accurately your child can read a section. If choosing a book at home, online, or from the local library, the following tips can be employed to help them.

• Count out 100 words in the book.
• If your child can read these 100 words with 5-10 errors (90-95% accuracy), then this book is an ideal level of challenge.

Interest: A common concern is that the books that are ‘interesting’, are inappropriate due to complexity (challenge of language), or content (ie. books that are aimed at older secondary students might be considered too violent). Our Information Hub officer, Jenna Eyres, would be happy to advise students, but our classrooms also contain an impressive range of age-appropriate books.

MultiLit has the following recommendations:

The Responsible Use of Phones at Faith Lutheran College
At Faith Lutheran College, we recognise the integral role smartphones play in our daily lives. While other schools have banned phones, we believe in teaching responsible use, acknowledging their benefits such as easy communication and access to information. However, we must address the potential distractions they can cause in the classroom to maintain an optimal learning environment.

Understanding the Impact
Smartphones can be disruptive during class time if not used responsibly. Notifications, text messages, and social media updates can easily divert students' attention away from lessons, affecting not only individual learning but also the entire class. To ensure that students remain focused and engaged, teachers guide the responsible use of phones by instructing students to have the phones silent and out of sight when not required. If phones are being used in class for a specific purpose, this is under the instruction and with the permission of the teacher. 

Role of Parents
Parents play a crucial role in supporting our efforts to minimise distractions. One way to help is by avoiding texting or calling your children during class hours. We understand urgent matters arise, but we kindly request that non-emergency communication be limited to break times. Urgent messages can be delivered to students via a phone call to Student Services.

Break Times for Communication
Our school schedule includes two breaks during which students can check their phones and respond to messages with a teacher's permission:

First Break: 10.15am to 10.50am
Second Break: 12.40pm to 1pm

We encourage parents to reach out to their children during these designated times to ensure that students can focus on their studies without unnecessary interruptions.

Setting Expectations
To reinforce responsible phone use, teachers and Phase Leaders often discuss these guidelines with students and explain the importance of minimising distractions. We ask for your support in reinforcing these expectations at home. Here are a few tips to help:

1. Discuss the Policy: Talk to your child about why it's important to keep their phone on silent and out of sight during class.
2. Set an Example: Model responsible phone use by avoiding unnecessary calls and texts during school hours.
3. Use Break Times Wisely: Encourage your child to check their phone and respond to messages during the designated break times with the permission of a teacher.
4. Being aware of their phone usage: Actively monitor and have open discussions about what their phone is being used for and for how long in terms of their usage of social media and other apps. 

By working together, we can create a more focused and productive learning environment for our students. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us teach responsible phone usage, ensuring our classrooms remain places of learning and growth.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Heads of Wellbeing for the appropriate phase. Together, we can make a significant difference in our students' educational experience.

James Hallas
Head of Wellbeing - Exploration Phase

Academic progress meetings 
This week, we began our academic progress meetings with Graduate Phase students. These individual meetings focus on discussing each student’s post-school pathways, academic progress, study habits, and any prerequisites for their desired future courses or careers. These valuable discussions provide tailored guidance and support, ensuring that each student is well-prepared for life beyond school. We look forward to continuing these meetings and helping our students achieve their goals.

2025 Senior Jersey and Polo 
We are delighted to share that, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our Senior Jersey Student Committee, the Senior Leadership Team have approved both a Senior Jersey and a Senior Polo shirt for purchase for our 2025 Senior cohort. We were very impressed with how the Student Committee worked collaboratively with a strong student voice to ensure both a jersey and a polo were options to purchase for the 2025 graduating cohort. The committee was also successful with their proposal to personalise their jerseys with a nickname if they choose. The 2025 Senior Jersey and Polo are now available for purchase here: Faith Lutheran College Plainland - Leavers - Dynasty Team Store AU 

Orders must be placed by 14 June – no exceptions!

Pulse Educator Impact: Prioritising Student Wellbeing
In this fast-paced world, we recognise the importance of ensuring our students' mental, social, and physical wellbeing. The school utilises Pulse Educator Impact, a fantastic initiative that encourages students to reflect on their overall wellbeing through 60-second check-ins.

During each check-in, students are asked five randomised evidence-based questions from the ARACY framework, starting with a simple yet crucial question, "How are you feeling today?" These check-ins not only help students gain insight into their own emotions but also allow them to express gratitude to a teacher or peer, fostering positive connections within our school community.

Celebrating Participation: The Pulse Check-In Challenge
To further motivate students to participate in the Pulse Check-In, each fortnight we celebrate the Graduate coach class with the highest number of fortnightly wellbeing and gratitude check-ins. The winning class is rewarded with their choice of a delicious treat, such as hot chips, fruit platter, or chips and lollies. It's fantastic to witness such high engagement as our students embrace this opportunity for self-reflection and emotional wellbeing.

We are proud of the progress and initiatives being undertaken in the Graduate Phase, all of which contribute to a supportive and enriching environment for our students. Whether it's through academic guidance, personalised Senior apparel, or our wellbeing programs, we remain committed to awakening potential and empowering learners for purposeful lives through Christ. Together, we strive to create a community where every student can thrive and achieve their full potential.

Emma Saal and Josh Searchfield
Heads of Wellbeing - Graduate Phase