Welcome to edition 4 of Term 2

As we near the end of term I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of our community who have stayed focussed on teaching and learning across the entirety of the term.

Our Semester 2 timetable commenced today with all students heading into their classes, eager to learn and engage with their teachers.

We have now completed all semester exams and results are showing on Compass.

We have been able to identify areas for additional focus for our young people and these have been included on the reports that will be available for parents to view on Friday afternoon.

Term 3 is already shaping up to be busy with the commencement of course counselling for the 2025 academic year and our VCE information evening on July 18^th.

This information evening is for parents of student entering Year 11in 2025 and those parents whose students are entering Year 10 in 2025 who have been invited to access VCE early.

It will be an excellent opportunity to ask questions and discuss appropriate pathways for your child so if you are one of the aforementioned parents,  I urge you to find time in your calendar to attend.

Early in Term 3, we will also be releasing our recommendations for year 10 maths choices to our Year 9 students so that they may make informed decisions about which maths level is most appropriate to them so please look out for this in your email.

As we move into the holidays it is timely to remind of our school uniform expectations so that students and families are able to purchase new items before the commencement of term 3 on July 15^th.

A reminder that the school uniform shop has an online presence that can be located at the following link: Victoria Schoolwear – best for less uniforms

As we have mentioned earlier, our uniform contract is due to be renewed next year so we are now looking to make adjustments to the uniform in readiness.

Any changes made to the uniform will be incremental with Year 7s as early adopters.

The existing students will be able to run down their current uniform over the next 2 years.

Some questions that have been raised are as follows:

Would we like to redesign our colour scheme and design?

How can we ensure all items are gender neutral and fit all body types well?

Can we ensure the uniform remains at a reasonable price point?

Our goal is to ensure all uniform items stay very similar to the current items with adjustments made to fit and material to ensure we can accommodate all body shapes.

We will of course keep the community informed as we progress through the procurement process.

This week we have our Basketball Marathon planned for Thursday evening into Friday.

There will be no scheduled classes for Years 10, 11 and 12 on Friday of this week.

This will allow our overnighters to go home to sleep, confident they are not missing out on any learning.

In addition, the large number of staff who have volunteered their time can also go home and rest.

Finally, I wish everyone a safe and relaxing break.

I am keen to ensure all our community has a good rest to return refreshed and ready to go for Term 3.

Nicky Buckingham

College Co-Principal

STEAM Academy

Steam Academy Lanterns

For the past few weeks, the Steam Academy class have spent their mornings designing and manufacturing wooden lanterns.

The students used Adobe Illustrator to trace patterns, after which they then used the laser cutter to transfer their unique designs onto wood panels.

After that they made simple circuits to put into the lanterns, using the soldering iron to put them together.

Once that was done, the lanterns’ wooden pieces were glued together using PVA glue.

Many of the students had never used a laser-cutter or a soldering iron before, so this was a fun and educational project from them to undertake.

Every student learnt how to use essential tools and skills that will help them with Steam projects in the future.

Emma C

Year 10

 

Year 7 Enrichment Program – Monash University BioEyes+ Program

Recently, a selected group of year 7 enrichment students participated in a 2-hour workshop with Jenny from Monash University through the BioEYES+ program.

This is a program offered to our high ability students as part of the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series (VCES).

Our year 7 students were able to zoom in and observe the developmental cycle of a zebra fish from embryo to larvae under a microscope.

We also learnt about how different animal models are used to support Biomedical research.

We developed hypotheses about the genetic traits passed on from a wildtype (pigment) and nacre (no-pigment) fish, observed the models under a microscope and practiced using Punnett squares to inform our conclusions.

Science is a core subject at the College and from year 7 to 12 there are frequent opportunities to develop and refine key science skills in preparation for VCE and beyond.

Our year 7 students were engaged and curious, and we are excited to explore more opportunities to enrich learning across their time at FHC.

Emily Dillon

Leading Teacher – Excellence and Equity

 

Congratulations to Staff Member,Terry Cantwell, on the publication of his new book “Art for Peace”

Art For Peace by Mark Street & Terry Cantwell

The Graham F Smith Peace Foundation was established in 1989 to continue the life work of activist and educator Graham F Smith. His dedication to the egalitarian principles of democracy, peace, and the dignity of labour was the inspiration for the Peace Foundation that bears his name. Its success has been profound. The Graham F Smith Peace Foundation has had a huge impact on the Australian art scene. Those involved range from legal luminary Julian Burnside and poster artists Peter Drew and Tom Civil, to the international film director Sophie Hyde and leading Aboriginal education specialist Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney. The Peace Foundation has also supported the local South Australian community and education sectors as well as the world-famous Adelaide Fringe Festival. This book explores the story of the Peace Foundation, the artists it has helped, and the lasting impact its work has had on Australian public life.

Congratulations to Staff Member, Florence Blanchot, Who Currently Has An Art Exhibition At Louis Joel Gallery

On from June 8th – 27th

Louis Joel Arts & Community Centre

Address: 5 Sargood St, Altona VIC 3018

Sports News

Our last weeks of sport for Term 2 has been action-packed and filled with exciting matches and outstanding performances from all students across a variety of sports.

Our Intermediate teams gave their best efforts in AFL, netball, soccer, and badminton with some very close games throughout the day as well as our Year 8 AFL, badminton, and Year 7 netball.

We also had some senior students assist with coaching on their days which was a positive addition to the team to help support our junior students!

A special mention to our Year 8 Netball team who placed third on their division day and the students who participated in our cross-country division day with most students progressing to the next round with record times – congratulations!

As always, we are very proud of all students giving it a go and putting their best foot forward to represent the school to a high standard.

Bridget Mimmo

Sports Coordinator

Community Notices