NewsBites - Term 4, Week 4, 2024
Update from the Principal
Year 12 can see the finish line!
Our Year 12 students are currently sitting the external exams, an important milestone in their high school journey.
As a College community, we extend our best wishes and encouragement during this important time.
We believe in their abilities and trust in the preparation they've done to reach this point.
To our parents and caregivers, we express our deepest appreciation for your unwavering support and dedication throughout the years.
To our teaching staff who have helped our students reach this point – thank you for your hard work.
Together, we are confident our students will achieve great things as they take this next step in their journey.
Happy World Teachers’ Day!
Today, on World Teachers’ Day, I'd like to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude and admiration for the staff at Faith Lutheran College Plainland.
While this day is traditionally a celebration of teachers, I believe it is an opportunity to honour all of us who work together to make Faith Lutheran College a place where potential is awakened, and learners are empowered for purposeful lives through Christ.
Whether teaching in the classroom, driving our students safely to school, providing support in administration, or maintaining our campus, each member of our staff is part of our incredible mission.
That mission is alive in the way our staff lead by example, extend kindness, go above and beyond, and approach their work with purpose and passion.
Each member of our team contributes to a bigger picture, one that helps our students to discover who they are, develop their gifts, and find their place in the world.
I want to offer my sincerest thanks for the extraordinary work our staff do.
It is noticed, it is valued, and it is deeply appreciated.
Relay for Life
On Friday 11 October, we celebrated Faith’s 25th anniversary with the Relay for Life.
This was a wonderful event that brought our community together and raised more than $11,000 for cancer research. An incredible achievement!
Congratulations to the student project team, led by Jacob Sippel, and guided by teachers Aaron Teeling and Phil Harm, for their excellent work in bringing this important event to life.
Below you will find photos from throughout the day and the remembrance ceremony that took place during the evening.
Yours in Christ,
Doug Braiden
College Principal
2025 Fees, Payment Options, and Important Updates
While we still have some time left in 2024 (although it is whizzing past incredibly fast), we want to keep you informed about a few key items to help you plan for the remainder of this year and the transition to 2025.
2025 Fees and Payment Flexibility
In 2025, there will be an increase in school fees to ensure we continue to provide quality education and services. Information on this was sent out last week by the Chair of College Council. To help manage these changes, Faith Lutheran College is continuing its partnership with Edstart, offering flexible payment options to make things easier:
- Pay weekly, fortnightly, monthly, termly, or annually on a schedule that works for you.
- Choose your preferred payment day.
- Spread payments over the year to reduce pressure on family budgets.
- Pay via direct debit, credit/debit card, or BPay.
- Adjust your repayments whenever needed—there are no extra fees for using Edstart Plus.
2025 Bus Routes and Stops
We need all families that plan on using our bus service to complete the bus route and stop form being sent via email in early November. Submitting this form on time ensures we can finalise routes and stops efficiently. Please keep an eye out for the email and respond by the due date to avoid disruptions to your child's travel arrangements.
Tuckshop and Uniform Ordering with My School Connect
You can make the most of My School Connect to simplify your tuckshop and uniform orders for the rest of 2024 and beyond. Use the app to:
- Pre-order tuckshop items, including drinks, and skip the lunchtime queues.
- Order uniform pieces in advance and manage payments seamlessly.
Holiday Uniform Shop Hours Coming Soon
We know many families are already thinking ahead to 2025, so keep an eye out for updates about the uniform shop’s holiday hours—we’ll send out information shortly to help you prepare for next year.
We appreciate your attention to these updates as we finish 2024 strong and begin planning for the year ahead. Please reach out to our friendly Business Office staff if you require more information.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Faith Lutheran College!
Jenny Doyle
Business Manager
PROJECT: BUSINESS BOSS
Group 1 Key learnings
In collaboration with The Smith Family, our charity initiative focuses on supporting school-aged children living in poverty by addressing a critical issue: the loss of school property. We aim to ensure that children have their essential belongings, such as books and stationery, readily available, which can significantly impact their education.
Our unique order system utilises QR codes around the school, allowing students to submit requests to purchase a bag tag. Once the request is made, we come to collect payment and begin crafting the requested products.
Importantly, 75% of our earnings will be donated directly to The Smith Family, amplifying our impact. Throughout our journey in Business Boss, our team has developed valuable lifelong skills.
Hailey Stark demonstrated commitment and dedication to product development, ensuring we meet our goals effectively.
Meanwhile, Hailey Muller honoured her productivity and time management skills, gaining greater responsibility in handling finances.
Sherriden Shulz contributed significantly, acquiring experience in business management and advertising, which is crucial for our cause.
Together, we are helping children maintain their school property and fostering growth and responsibility within our team. By empowering ourselves, we are better equipped to make a meaningful difference in the lives of these children, reinforcing the importance of education and support in their journey.
Group 2 Key Learnings
Mental Health Keychains: The State of Mind program provides education and ongoing support to grassroots clubs to help reduce the stigma around mental illness and encourage those who need help to reach out.
Why is mental health an issue to Rugby Players? Mental health is a significant issue for rugby players due to the high levels of physical and mental stress they experience. The intense pressure to perform, the risk of injuries, and the fear of not meeting expectations can lead to anxiety, depression, or burnout.
How will these keychains be beneficial? Christian motivational quote keychains will offer daily encouragement, serving as constant reminders of faith, hope, and strength. They inspire positivity, uplift spirits, and reinforce spiritual values before a game because a player can see it on their bags.
What did we learn?
Tayla: "I learnt that there will be a huge number of barriers when planning a prototype, and you must always be prepared to change style of products. This method is part of the PPRR strategy (prevention, preparedness, response, recovery)."
Cody: "I learnt that once you have a prototype you can ask your target market what they would like to be better and work on the product to make it better."
Free Parent Webinar: Helping Your Child Manage Their Time
We’re excited to announce that Elevate Education will be hosting a free webinar for our parents on time management on Wednesday 30 October.
Elevate works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you’ll learn how you can help support your child at home by reinforcing the skills they’re learning at school.
Sign up for the session below to learn how you can help your child to stay focused and prioritise revision when it matters most.
Live Parent Webinar: How You Can Help Your Child Manage Their Time
Wednesday 30 October 6.30-7.30pm (AEDT)
Click here to register for free
Here’s what Elevate will be covering on the night:
✅ Aligning expectations on homework with your child
✅ Helping your child balance their schoolwork and social life
✅ Setting up a weekly planner tool with your child
We hope to see you there!
Our Year 7 Foundation students have been working away within their PBL unit, Water in the World. Within this unit, students learn about filtration methods and embark on a project to help the communities of Tanna Island.
The unit provides opportunities where students investigate the water situation in Vanuatu. To help support this, students attended an excursion with SEQ Water at Lake Wivenhoe.
The experience highlighted the importance of supporting development in understanding of water distribution, availability, quality, and conservation.
Students had the best time completing water observations and testing, replication of the water treatment process, and a tour of the Spillway Common Platform.
Year 7 student, Isaac Varley, reflected about his experience on the excursion. He writes:
I believe the water in the world excursion was a fantastic way to learn about water purification in real life. It was much more engaging and fun thanks to the hands-on activities and life experience. I believe it was a great experience day for all to really understand more about our water in the world subject. Overall, I would highly recommend this in the future for the next generation of Year 7s.
We have many exciting times coming up in Foundation Phase, but none other than our Foundation Festival on Friday 29 November. For Foundation families, please be on the lookout for communication regarding attendance at this milestone event for our students.
Beck Smith
Head of Learning - Foundation Phase
Spotlight on the Classroom: Dance Anatomy
This week we thought we would explore one of our cross-curricular subjects to see what is happening in the classroom.
Dance Anatomy is not a subject offered anywhere else, so many of us may be unfamiliar with it.
Like all cross-curricular subjects, it combines various subject areas. Specifically, the course combines the Arts with Health and Physical Science.
Students have become familiar with the anatomy of the body and the interconnectedness of various parts and the role they play in movement. This knowledge became particularly relevant when students were introduced to their task of developing a dance lesson for a person with a disability or injury.
To better understand and investigate a client’s condition, an osteopath was brought in to help students learn about disabilities. They emphasised the ways that dance movement can assist clients in addressing their physical, emotional, and social needs.
Last term, students attended a workshop at the Queensland Ballet to learn about the role dance can play in enriching lives, especially for those with disabilities. Armed with enthusiasm and practical ideas, students have developed a lesson and are preparing to present it to others.
Dance Anatomy is not solely a dance class; it challenges students to understand how the elements of dance can be utilised by everyone in the community and the role dance can play in improving the health and well-being of others. Nice work by all involved!
Project Spotlight: Cooking and Sewing for a Cause
Like our cross-curricular subjects, projects may not be familiar to everyone. Each Wednesday, for two lessons, students work on an area of interest in a project designed to serve others. Cooking and Sewing for a Cause is an excellent example of this.
Each week, a group of students gathers to sew hygiene bags for the Laidley Community Centre. These bags are then filled with toiletry items for people in need. Of course, these items could be placed in a generic plastic bag, however, students have worked to individually personalise each bag using techniques including hand embroidery and hand painted artworks. Subsequently, the thoughtfulness that these bags represent, adds dignity to the gesture.
In the kitchen, students have been preparing a range of savory meals, including spaghetti bolognese, curried sausages, quiche, and vegetables. The meals are nutritious and a convenient addition to the services offered by the Laidley Community Centre.
This support is a lifeline for those in need in our local community. It is another way we empower our students to help others who might be struggling. Interestingly, the Laidley Community Centre’s motto is to empower the community, which aligns perfectly with our vision.
Graphics Calculators for Maths Methods and Specialist Maths
This is a hot tip for any Year 10 students moving into Methods or Specialist Maths next year. You will need a Casio graphics calculator next year and there are a number of Graduate students who might be interested in selling those. Now is the time to arrange this purchase of second hand calculators. They range in price from $160 to $200
Lou Bruce
Head of Learning - Exploration Phase
Celebrating Our Seniors and Welcoming Future Leaders
We are incredibly proud of our senior students for their hard work and dedication during their external exams. With the first week of exams now behind them, it has been inspiring to see their positive attitudes and steadfast commitment. We are confident their efforts will lead to great success.
As we wrap up this chapter, we are excited to turn our attention to some key upcoming events. We look forward to Presentation Evening, the Retreat at Wet 'n Wild, and the highly anticipated Valedictory ceremony, where we will officially farewell our graduating Year 12 students. At Retreat, we have some exciting surprises planned, including a special presentation from our Year 11 students, marking the start of a new tradition we hope to continue for years to come. These events are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the dedication and perseverance our Year 12s have shown throughout their school journey.
In addition to these events, we are thrilled to announce that our Year 12 students have raised an impressive $5,203.47 for the Year 12 Legacy fund. We can’t wait to share more about how this legacy money will be used, so stay tuned for an exciting announcement.
A special highlight this year has been the Wall of Well Wishes in the chill-out space, an initiative created by our Year 11 students. This thoughtful display is filled with messages of luck and encouragement from both the Year 11s and senior teachers, offering words of support as our Year 12s tackle their external exams. This gesture reflects the strong sense of community and connection between our students, reminding us of the kindness and camaraderie that define our school culture.
Looking ahead, we are also excited to welcome our current Year 10 students into the Graduate Phase with several meaningful events in Week 9:
- Burning Ceremony and BBQ: This symbolic event marks the transition from the Exploration Phase and offers students a moment for reflection as they prepare for the next stage of their education. A BBQ for students and their families will follow, providing a chance to foster connections and community spirit.
- Welcome to Graduate Phase Session: This session will give students an insight into the expectations of the Graduate Phase, helping them prepare for the journey ahead and the opportunities awaiting them.
- Leadership and Connection Camp: The Year 10s will embark on a camp that focuses on leadership and building strong connections, setting the tone for their Graduate Phase journey.
Year 11 Art Students Visit GOMA and QAG
In other exciting news, on Friday 4 October, our Year 11 Visual Art students had the incredible opportunity to visit the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) in Brisbane. This excursion allowed students to immerse themselves in a variety of inspiring exhibitions, including Suburban Sublime and Prism: Light, Colour, Form.
One of the highlights for the group was exploring the stunning works of Iris van Herpen in the exhibition Sculpting the Senses. Students were captivated by the intricate, sculptural pieces and how modern technologies and techniques were masterfully employed to reflect themes of nature and the environment in an abstract and contemporary way. This exposure to contemporary art will greatly inform their upcoming assessment tasks and creative projects that they have started this week.
While an unexpected closure of QAG due to a water issue was a minor hiccup, our Year 11s took it in stride. They returned to school and used the time to workshop their learnings and ideas, sketching and brainstorming in an impromptu art lesson. It was a fantastic opportunity for reflection and growth, and we look forward to seeing how this experience shapes their creative journeys moving forward.
These upcoming events and recent experiences promise to be a meaningful time for reflection, celebration, and growth as we honour our graduates and prepare to welcome the next group of leaders into the Graduate Phase.
Emma Saal and Josh Searchfield
Heads of Wellbeing - Graduate Phase