NewsBites - Term 3, Week 4, 2025

Pathways with Purpose: Supporting Students Across the Journey

At Faith, we believe every learner is on a unique path — one shaped by their strengths, aspirations, and the purpose God has placed within them. Across the College, students are actively reflecting, planning, and preparing for what comes next.

In the senior years, Year 12 students are completing their final internal assessments and preparing for the upcoming mock exams — an important step toward external assessment. Many are also finalising Vocational Education and Training (VET) certificates, building skills and qualifications that support diverse post-school pathways. It’s a time of focus, determination, and support, and we are proud of how our seniors are finishing strong.

Meanwhile, Year 10 students have recently taken part in their SET Plan conversations, identifying future goals and considering how subject choices align with their next steps. These personalised discussions with College leaders ensure every student is guided intentionally as they move toward the Graduate Phase.

In the middle years, Year 8 and Year 9 students are engaging in Flight Plan conversations — an initiative designed to help them explore their identity as learners and begin thinking about future possibilities. These conversations help shape meaningful subject choices and build confidence in decision-making.

Subject selection across the College is now in full swing, grounded in individualised guidance and the belief that every student deserves to feel known, supported, and hopeful about their future.

Yours in Christ,
Jen Gibb
Director of Teaching and Learning

Flight Plan Meetings – Foundation (8) & Exploration Phases (9)

Flight Plan Meetings for our Foundation Phase (Year 8) and Exploration Phase (Year 9) students will be held on Thursday 14 August, (Week 5) in the Info Hub.

These important meetings provide an opportunity for students, families and staff to come together to discuss progress, goals and future pathways.

• Bookings close Monday 11 August

Families can make appointments via Parent Lounge.

We look forward to seeing you there!

In Foundation Phase, we are continuing to use strategies from The Resilience Project within our Foundation Coach sessions. Students are currently exploring the concept of emotional literacy - the ability to recognise, understand, and express emotions in healthy ways, helping students build strong relationships and make thoughtful decisions.

Developing emotional literacy is especially important during the high school years, as students face new challenges socially, emotionally, and academically. When students can name and manage their emotions, they are more likely to stay calm under pressure, work well with others, and bounce back from setbacks. It also supports positive mental health, better classroom behaviour, and stronger communication skills; both at school and at home.

Additionally, teachers have been currently unpacking the work of Dr Shyam Barr, an expert in self-regulation within education. While the The Resilience Project focuses on Gratitude, Empathy, and Mindfulness, helping students stay calm and positive, Dr Barr’s work teaches students to plan, check in with themselves, and reflect on how they’re going. Together, these approaches support our goal of helping students become more resilient, independent, and ready to face life’s challenges.

We are specifically working towards working with strategies focused on the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which is the space between what a student can do on their own and what they can achieve with guidance.

In our Foundation classrooms (Years 7 & 8), this might look like a student learning to write a structured paragraph or manage their homework schedule. Teachers support them with sentence starters, checklists, or guided questions. Over time, students are encouraged to take more ownership, gradually needing less help as their confidence and skills grow.

At home, you can support the ZPD by talking through challenges with your child rather than solving them for them. Ask questions like, “What do you think your next step is?” or “How could you approach this differently?” This gentle support encourages independent thinking, problem-solving, and resilience.

Beck Smith
Head of Wellbeing - Foundation 7

Embracing the Journey: Making the Most of Your Opportunities

The start of a new semester is the perfect time to reflect on your goals and plan for the future. Here at Faith, we believe in providing a wide range of opportunities to help you discover your passions and build a strong foundation for your future. We encourage every student to make the most of these chances, both inside and outside the classroom.

One of the most important opportunities is just around the corner: Flight Plans on Thursday 14 August. These one-on-one meetings with your Phase Coach are designed to help you explore your interests and make informed decisions about the courses you'll take next year. 

This is not just a time to select subjects; it’s a valuable chance to have a conversation about your aspirations and to map out a pathway that aligns with them. As you prepare for your meeting, we strongly encourage you to talk to those around you. 

Seek out your teachers to learn more about the content of specific courses. Chat with older students about their experiences and what they've enjoyed. Don't forget to talk to your friends about their interests, you might discover something new together. These conversations are crucial for helping you find the best courses to suit your unique strengths and goals.

We're incredibly proud of the diverse and engaging courses we offer this semester, and it's been fantastic to see so many of you embracing the new challenges. We've heard wonderful stories of students in Detective Investigations thinking critically and growing their active listening skills as they take witness statements. 

It's also been great to hear that Rocket Science has truly taken off (pun intended!) as students apply their knowledge in exciting, hands-on ways. Meanwhile, in Mathematics 2B, students are developing their problem-solving skills by investigating the impacts of route recalculations on delivery drivers. 

We hope you'll continue to talk to each other about all the new learning and experiences you're having. There's so much on offer in the Exploration Phase, and we want to see you make the most of every opportunity.

We're excited to see what this term brings and look forward to seeing each of you take flight in your learning journey!

Kind regards,

Sam Loxley
Head of Learning - Exploration Phase