A Fortnight at Fahan - Term 4, 26 November 2021

Acting Principal's Report

Time seems to have marched on very quickly in the last fortnight and after a very busy couple of weeks we find ourselves on the cusp of school holidays.  

At the end of this term, we farewell Mrs Meg McTaggart who has so capably taught in our Junior School. We thank her for her time at Fahan and wish her all the very best in her future endeavours. We are also farewelling Miss Gemma Wright, who has been our outstanding trainee in Outdoor Education and Sport this year. We are confident that Gemma's future will be very bright!  Senior School teacher, Mr John Williamson, will be taking a year of long service leave in 2022 and we know that he will fill this time quickly with his many and varied interests. We look forward to welcoming Miss Anna Williamson who will be teaching in the Humanities department during John's leave.  In the Junior School, we welcome Mrs Nicole Bury who will be teaching Year 3. Nicole has taught at Hutchins for many years and is looking forward to teaching our girls. 

In other staff news, Mrs Tania Gath will be taking long service leave in Term 1 and her position will be capably filled by Ms Kim Menadue, who many of our students are already familiar with.   

Whilst we are waiting to see what the situation will look like for COVID-19 in Tasmania after the borders open on 15 December, we are very conscious that we would like to be able to increase parental access into our School and that this is important to our community. We are planning very carefully to ensure that any risks are well managed in order for this to happen. An update will be provided to families prior to the commencement of Term 1, 2022. 

The last few days will be exciting for all our students across both Junior and Senior Schools. There will be several opportunities for us to celebrate together the achievements of your girls in 2021.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support this term. I have very much appreciated everyone’s kind words and deeds in what has been such a busy time. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and New Year and a fabulous holiday break. 

Best wishes
Meg Lawson

Learning About Bikes

On Friday 19 November, Year 5 students participated in a Bike Education session with our Outdoor Education staff. We split into two groups based on our bike skills, with one group going to the tennis courts and the other group to the oval. We started by checking our bikes with ABC and D.  A for air in the tyre, B for brakes, C for the chain, and D for the drop test. After that, we did a lap of the oval while the other group were learning how to ride with confidence. After the lap we started to do some U-turns around cones.  It got tighter and more challenging every time. We also spent some time riding up and down hills and had the option of trying some little jumps. Lots of people took on the challenge of doing the steeper hill and most of us got soaked! Some of the people that were in the tennis courts came to join the oval with a few final jumps and laps. 

The tennis court group focused on the basics of how to ride a bike and gain balance. Once established they rode around the tennis court getting faster and more adventurous as they gained courage. Overall, it was great and we all really enjoyed it.   

Ruby S said that she enjoyed going down the hills and jumping on the ledge. She really loved riding the bikes. 

Maya loved it and said she cannot wait until next year to do it all again! 

Bailey said she loved riding on the tennis courts with Lauren because they were going really fast and it felt like they had freedom.  

Eloise said she really loved riding down and up hills and getting soaked, she had a wonderful time. She also loved the little jump and wants to do it again. 

We would like to thank Jayde and Jessie for running the session and making it so much fun!

By Eloise and Maya

Learning About Drama

For the last three weeks, Years 3 and 4 have had Drama classes with Ms Best. We have been making postcards with our body and making our own movements with eight count beats. We love doing Drama with Ms Best!

Here are some of our thoughts about Drama:

I think it's fun because we get to try different things and make up dances.  Maddy Horne

I like that we do something new every time and you get to work with different friends.  Bianca Lampkin-Smith

We learn so many different things each week.  Gertie Bradford

I like how you get to move around a lot instead of sitting and listening.  Maggie Davies

I like all of the games we play and making skits.  Olivia Robertson

I like how in Drama we work with everyone not just the people that you always play with.  Rosie Briggs

By Gertie Bradford and Rosie Briggs

Learning About Fishing

On Thursday 25 November, the Year 4 'fishergirls' braved the howling wind and driving rain and participated heartedly and happily in the “Take a kid fishing” programme at Marieville Esplanade (near the Hutchins Rowing Sheds).  

After a fortifying barbeque lunch, superbly cooked by Mrs Rothery and Mr Allanby, the girls baited their fishing lines.

Fishcare kindly provided the gear and, together with the parents, gave some expert tuition on the finer points of angling.  Special thanks go to the parents for their much appreciated assistance. 

On the last cast of the day, a fine specimen of a flathead was caught and, in Rex Hunt tradition, it was 'kissed and released'.  The girls were caught 'hook, line and sinker' on fishing. 

Mr David Hodgman

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Learning About French and Drama

Les arts dramatiques … en français!

This term, the French and Drama teachers collaborated to produce short plays with the Year 6 classes.  The students began by blocking and rehearsing in English and then incorporated the French scripts. They had to learn to sing a song and create appropriate costumes for their characters. The plays, Un kilomètre à pied (One Kilometre on Foot) and Vive le temps d’hiver (Long Live the Winter Weather), take place during a school excursion to a castle and in Santa’s workshop. 

The task of planning, rehearsing and polishing their performances required co-operation and creativity, not to mention communicating in another language!  Here are some students’ reflections on the process:

I enjoyed working with people I normally wouldn’t work with and learning my lines.  Sophie Bradfield

I found it really interesting and more difficult because you had to memorise both the staging and French.  Ollie McDonald

It was a really fantastic learning experience to be able to have a conversation in French. It has helped a lot with my progress.  Ula Lagden

French and Drama are both very different subjects and I found it great fun combining them. It was like an experiment, and I really enjoyed it.  Molly Cheek

I loved doing the French plays and I think it was a great way to intertwine French and Drama. There were challenges at times but we all helped each other and had a great time acting.  Sarah Berner

I enjoyed learning how to sing Christmas songs in French!  Rachel Stanelos

We hope you enjoy a small sample of the students' singing below!

Ms Holly Lutzow and Ms Christine Best

Learning About Canoeing on the Huon

The weather was kind for both Year 6 canoeing groups on the Huon River. We had three of us in each canoe and tried our best to navigate our way around floating tree limbs and stationary trees on the foreshore. We soon got the hang of communicating with each other by the end of the session. Finishing off with a quick dip in the cool, fresh water, we then had some lunch before heading off to our last gymnastics session.

I really enjoyed going for a swim at the end of canoeing and the teamwork that canoeing involved.  Molly 

I really enjoyed splashing Jessie and being able to turn the canoe!  Sasha 

I liked the challenge of connecting all the boats into one big boat.  Charlotte W 

I really enjoyed playing games.  Sarah   

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Learning About Reading in the TM Library

Each year, families are invited to purchase books from Scholastic Book Club online. Every order generates points and this week we were delighted to order over $600 worth of new books for our Library. Many of these books and series will replace worn copies. Any copies that are removed from the TM Library, but still in good condition, are sent to Library Aid International who redistribute books to communities in need. Thank you to Year 4 students, Sahaja and Caroline, who have helped sort and deliver Book Club orders to classrooms. 

Thank you, also, to everyone who has purchased a book this year! 

 Mrs Denman & Mrs Cole 

Learning About Outdoor Adventure Skills

Over the past two weeks, the Years 9/10 Outdoor Adventure Skills class has been participating in water-based activities. Last week the class went down to the Blowhole at Blackmans Bay and did some coasteering (coastal traversing) around the coast between Blackmans Bay and Boronia Beach.  This is a fun and safe way to explore features not accessible by foot. The girls jumped off the cliffs at the blowhole and explored a cave. Coasteering is a great activity to stimulate the body and mind, evoking a mix of fear and excitement.

This week the class went snorkelling at the southern end of Kingston Beach, hoping to spot a leafy sea dragon.  There was plenty of sea life and it was a lovely way to finish the semester.

Dr Alison Manson

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Learning About Maths Camp!

Year 10 Mathematics Extended students faced many challenges throughout 2021.  They completed the content of both Year 10 Mathematics and Mathematics Methods Foundation courses, sat both Mid-Year Examination and End of Year Examination (each task 3 hours long) and learnt to work fully independently.  

It has been an amazing journey for the girls and when the suggestion of a Mathematics Camp came along, we decided it was time to take our learning outside the classroom. 

Jeu de Cheval Hobart Horseplay welcomed the idea and offered to organise time on a one to one basis for each student, to learn how to groom, tack and safely ride their horse on a short lead excursion. Jeu de Cheval also facilitated a workshop with Dr Michael Cromer (PhD in String Theory) who introduced continued fractions as an approximation of irrational numbers. Later, Emma Thompson, under the instruction of Lizzie Donovan, gave a demonstration of her equestrian skills following a list of set scenarios. The students’ task was to describe the motion in terms of displacement, velocity and acceleration.  

The whole day was a success, with the girls truly reflecting the values of our School and a pleasure to teach. Their willingness to engage and take on a few more challenges through each one of the activities, their positive attitude and beautiful manners, all contributed to make this event a wonderful experience. The team at Jeu de Cheval was awesome with the girls. They made the whole experience educational, safe and fun. Thank you to our amazing outdoor educator, Jayde Steer, and Senior School teacher, Ms Isabeau Sloan, who made the excursion possible. Last, but not least, a big thank you to the team at Hobart Horseplay and their calm and beautiful horses.  

Mrs Virginie von Savageri 

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Learning About the Fahan Home Scientist Challenge

This year, a group of Years 7 and 8 students opted to complete the Fahan Home Scientist Challenge. This is a brand new challenge at Fahan. Through Terms 1 to 4, the students have conducted their own work at home to complete as many of the 25 challenges as possible.

The challenges ranged from relatively simple to quite complex, and have included making honeycomb, creating a ‘naked’ egg, dissecting a flower, investigating the best method to prevent apples from browning, growing and cooking vegetables, creating a water filter, making a teabag rocket and making a spectrometer. All of the challenges have involved the students learning about the science behind each concept, and documenting their learning. In all, seven students took part in the challenge, with the following results:

Outstanding Achievement Awards: Ella Baird and Jaden Goodey

Achievement Awards: Chloe Groom, Hannah Sheen, Pia Abberton, Tiger Somerville, Alice Bergman

The students were awarded certificates and showbags with science-themed prizes as a reward for their dedication to extend their learning throughout the year. Thanks also to the students’ families who helped make their extended learning possible. Congratulations to all!

I found out that the bubbles in the honeycomb are caused because the heat causes the bicarb soda to break down, and release carbon dioxide, which gets trapped inside the sugary honeycomb and therefore causes the bubbles to form.  Alice Bergman

For my final water filter experiment I put a cloth down first, then the charcoal I used before, then sand, gravel, and lastly water. In conclusion, the more filtrating the layers that are used, the less amount of dirt comes out in the water.  Ella Baird

Ms Felicity Jacobs

Spirit in the Junior School

On Tuesday 23 November, Year 6 hosted a thank you lunch to celebrate the wonderful teachers we have had over the years in Junior School. 

In order to prepare for the lunch, we started by deciding on working groups and what each group needed to do. There were cooking, logistics, marketing and decorating groups.  

The decorating group decided on a tropical theme. The first cooking group made pulled pork sliders, veggie sliders and salad boxes for the main meal. The second cooking group made caramel slices and cookies for dessert and thank you boxes.  

At the beginning of the luncheon, we paraded our recycled art dresses we made and designed in Art. 

I enjoyed the whole process and the opportunity to learn about how organisational skills make an event run smoother.  Mieke  

Learning how to be efficient in the kichen was important for time management. I was lucky that I could taste test our cooking.  Zoe M  

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Spirit - Q&A with Student Services Co-ordinator and Teacher, Sharon Johns

What made you choose your career?

I always thought I would like to be a teacher.  Then in Year 9, I was taught English and Indonesian by a wonderful teacher called Ms Sculthorpe.  I believe she was the aunt of Nunami who attended Fahan about ten years ago.  Ms Sculthorpe convinced me that teaching was a rewarding career- and she was right.

Of what are you most proud?

I have taught in various educational settings across the course of my career- in schools in small and large mining towns, in an Orthodox Jewish school, in a school for Deaf and Hearing-Impaired students, and at Fahan.  I am most proud of the fact that I have always put the needs of the students and my teaching colleagues above all else.

What do you enjoy most about working at Fahan?

I love working at Fahan and there are many reasons why I feel this way.  Mostly however, I constantly impressed by the students I am so fortunate to teach.  

How would you describe yourself in one sentence?

I believe that knowledge is power, and I am a caring and compassionate teacher who seeks to empower my students.

Spirit of Touch Football

This week our two Years 7 and 8 Touch football teams played against each other in the finals at Wentworth Park, Bellerive. The girls performed at the best level we have seen all season. Some skilful teamwork and manoeuvres resulted in some spectacular touchdowns being scored. I congratulate Year 7/8 Navy on their win, both the teams for their participation in such a short season and their dedication to training.  Thank you to Ken Steele and Mark Cocker for coaching the teams and to parents who transported the girls to and from Bellerive on some tight time schedules.

Mrs Natasha Lambert

Spirit - Junior School Sport

JSSATIS Athletics

Results Summary:  (full copy posted on the sports noticeboard)

Jemima Geappen – 1^st Year 5 High Jump (rec), 1^st Year 5 400m, 2^nd Year 5 100m (overall), 3^rd Year 5 Vortex, 1^st Year 5 Long Jump

Aviya Lincolne- Lomax – 2^nd Year 6 400m, 3^rd Year 6 200m (overall)

Felicity Morgan – 3^rd Year 5 200m (overall)

Lucy Stoneman – 3^rd Year 5 100m (overall)

Evie Essex – 2^nd Year 4 200m (overall), 3^rd Year 4 800m

Ollie McDonald – 2^nd Year 6 Vortex

RELAYS:

Year 3 - 4^th
Year 4 - 4^th
Year 5A - 3^rd
Year 5B - 4^th
Year 6A - 5^th
Year 6B – 7^th

Infant Sports Day

The K-2 Infant Sports Day was held on Wednesday 24 November.  It is a big day for the girls with many excited faces. The girls enthusiastically participated in their events, which concluded with the most colourful and fashionable ‘Late for School’ race I have witnessed.

It was also fantastic to see so many parents at the event supporting the girls and I thank staff for assisting on the day.

Lastly, well done to my Year 6 helpers.  These girls had recently competed for Fahan at the JSSATIS Carnival and embraced the challenge of being responsible for the different activities their younger peers participated in.  Not an easy task, but one they will certainly learn from.

Term 4 Sports

This week sees the final round of games for Term 4 sports.  This term would have to have been one of the wettest in recent memory, I think we have had more cancellations in Term 4 than across the other three terms together.

A big thank you to our Term 4 coaches across Cricket, Teeball and Touch Football, who had to endure a bit of a stop/start roster.

As we wind up, I would like to thank all those across the year who have supported the Junior Sports program.  We continue to field many teams throughout the year but this would not be possible without the support of parents and staff, who take up the roles of coaches and managers.  The girls do not have to play a sport, so any participation is voluntary and it is plain to see that the environment provided by our School Community makes participation enjoyable enough that the girls seek to be involved and return from year to year.

Hopefully, these sporting experiences may lead to girls seeking more involvement in sport, falling in love with an activity such that they seek to join a club and have that sport as part of their life for many years to come.

Mr Tim Dale
Junior Sport Co-ordinator
dalet@fahan.tas.edu.au

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Spirit - Senior School Sport

Tennis

Congratulations to all teams for a fantastic term of Tennis. All rosters have finished and it was great to see the teams improve throughout the term.  Thank you to Mr Ken Allanby for coaching all the teams and to all the team managers.

Touch Football

Touch Football rosters have all finished. Congratulations to all our teams and thank you to Ken Steele, Mark Cocker, Sam Monks and Mrs Lambert who coached and managed these teams. 

Volleyball

On Thursday 18 and Friday 19 November, a number of students from Years 7 – 10 participated in the Secondary Schools Beach Volleyball Schools Cup at Kingston Beach. It was a fantastic competition with some of our girls successfully making the finals. Congratulations to all who participated.

Sailing

This term Fahan has had one team entered in the after school racing program run on Tuesday nights. The team has had a mixture of wins and losses with some exciting racing. The girls will be looking forward to coming back next year to compete in the Term 1 roster.

An EdSmart notice about the 2022 sailing camp has been issued.

Rowing

Best wishes to the U13, U14 and U15 rowers who will compete in the Junior Quad Scull Sprint Regatta on Saturday 4 December at New Norfolk. This will be the first time ever that the U13s will race, so we look forward to seeing them on the water and wish them all the best.

Best wishes to all Fahan rowers for the Schools Regatta 1 on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 December at Lake Barrington. All our rowers have been training hard and it is always wonderful to see the orange boats and oars on the Derwent River in the early morning.

Term 1 2022 Sports

In Term 1 2022, the sports offered in the Senior School will be:

• Soccer – Years 7 & 8 and Years 9 & 10
• Basketball - 1^st and 2^nd Grade
• Tennis - 1^st and 2^nd Grade
• Sailing
• Rowing – continued from 2021

The participation and enthusiasm for sport at Fahan is commendable and I look forward to beginning the year with the commitment and team spirit that Fahan girls show. If any parents are able to help manage or coach teams, please contact me at bankssmithj@fahan.tas.edu.au.

Mrs Jo Banks-Smith
Senior Sport Co-ordinator
bankssmithj@fahan.tas.edu.au
0428 031 012

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Community - Term 4 in the Senior School

As we hit the home stretch, heading into the holidays, it’s a great time to reflect on all the success of Term 4.  Special mention to our Senior girls who have finished off the year in style, approaching their TCE external exams with poise and focus! It was fabulous to see so many girls taking up the opportunity to meet with their teachers leading into the exams and feedback from the exam supervisors was very positive.

I thoroughly enjoyed the TCE Art Exhibition. I am always blown away by what the students are able to achieve and this year was no different. With the exhibition set up in the TM Hall, we did not have a chance to gather for our usual regular assembly, so when we finally did come together, it was a huge celebration of the learning that has been happening in the School. Many awards were presented to our students in a variety of areas including the ICAS Test results, Australian Mathematics Competition and the Japanese Speech Competition. We learnt about the Year 10 Mathematics Camp organised by Mrs von Savageri, and saw some incredible photos from the recent Outdoor Adventure Skills abseiling excursion to the Blackmans Bay Blow Hole! We were also treated to a short performance by Mr Williamson performing a song, written by Ms Forward, alerting the girls to the items currently remaining in lost property, all to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas! Fabulous!

As always at Fahan, it has been a busy but thoroughly exciting term and I wish all our families to have the most joyous and peaceful break.

Community - Nateby News

We recently had a special Christmas dinner with current boarders and staff. We managed to find a date to celebrate in amongst Sarah and Chloe’s final exams. Once again, Birgitta Browning and Maria Marino outdid themselves with decorations and food – thank you! Our Secret Santa provided lots of laughs and some very thoughtful (and very funny) gifts were given.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the team of terrific tutors who have supported our boarders this year. Maddie Goss, Meg Mosenthal, Alice Riseley and Brooke Huxley have all genuinely loved being part of the Fahan boarding community and I can’t thank them enough for the warmth and dedication they have brought to their roles.

Ms Fiona Short

Community - P&F Update

Dear Parents and Carers,

On behalf of the Parents and Friends' Association, I would like to thank all of you for your generosity, willingness to assist and incredible community spirit this year. We have one event left on the P&F calendar - our movie night special screening of Disney's newest movie release, “Encanto" at Hobart's Village Cinemas. There are only 11 seats left! Book your tickets here. 

I wish all the Fahan Community a wonderful holiday break and look forward to many opportunities to connect in 2022.

Cheers,

Catherine Matterson
President, P&F Association

pandf@fahan.tas.edu.au.

Community - Lady Gowrie Vacation Care Program

The program is open from 8:00am to 6:00pm, catering for children from 4 to 12 years of age. 
4 year old children must be enrolled in Kindergarten in 2022 to use this program.

Community Notices

Fahan School Bus Service

For more information on the Fahan Bus Service, please click here.