A Fortnight at Fahan - Term 3, 19 August 2022
-
Principal's Report
-
Open Morning for Prospective Parents
-
Learning about Young Tassie Scientists
-
Learning about Chemical Science
-
Learning about Explanations
-
Learning about Sustainability
-
Learning about the Recipe for Success
-
Learning about Making Predictions
-
Learning about Science Week
-
Learning about Leadership
-
Spirit of Arts Week
-
Spirit - Junior School Sport
-
Spirit - Senior School Sport
-
22/23 Rowing Season - Important Dates
-
Community - Fahan School Twilight Fair
-
Community - French Exchange Student
-
Community - Tokyo Jogakkan Students
-
Community - Grandparents' Day
-
Community - Final Days to Visit Alex Pitt's Exhibition
-
Community - Helen Wright Art Exhibition
-
Community - Celebrating Connections between Pre Kinder and After School Care Children
-
Community - Uniform Update
-
Community - Has Anything Changed?
-
Community - Student Absence
-
Community Notices
Principal's Report
In the last fortnight we have lost one of our treasured alumni, Judith Durham AO. Judith attended Fahan from 1950 until 1955, when she was in Years 2 to 7. As many of you will know, Judith was an internationally renowned singer, rising to fame as the lead singer of The Seekers. So many of her songs became well-loved favourites and she was seen by many as a trailblazer for Australian female vocalists. Judith loved Fahan and was generous in giving her time, visiting our campus on numerous occasions and speaking to a Fahan audience. In 2012 she delivered the Travers Morphett Lecture and in 2013 she was awarded the high honour of receiving the Gerdy Jevtic Medal. We are indeed honoured to be able to call Judith an alumna.
This week has been Science and Arts Week. There have been many highlights, including today’s Lip Sync Battle, but one of the standouts was Senior School House Music. This involves the three Houses performing a song each, under the direction of the House Chair. They also perform an ensemble piece with a smaller number of singers. The quality of every performance was outstanding and our judge, John X, had a very difficult time judging them.
We have also enjoyed the company of five students and two teachers from the Jogakkan School in Tokyo, with whom we have had regular exchanges for many years. It has been lovely to welcome them into our School and share this valuable cultural exchange. I would like to thank the families who hosted these students, I know they had a wonderful week.
Best wishes
Meg Lawson
Open Morning for Prospective Parents
As current parents and carers, you are our best ambassadors and we appreciate your positive word of mouth in sharing your experiences at Fahan School.
If you know of any families with school-aged girls we encourage you to let them know about our Open Morning on Friday 9 September. This event has been tailored for families who do not have children enrolled at Fahan and will include a full tour of our stunning campus, as well as presentations by our Principal, Meg Lawson, and key staff.
You can direct friends and colleagues to our website for more information:
https://www.fahan.tas.edu.au/events/fahan-school-open-morning
Learning about Young Tassie Scientists
We were fortunate to have three scientists Alana, Eve and Serah from UTAS visit us to help celebrate Science Week with Years 3-6.
Alana De Luca is a Zoologist and studies Tasmanian Devils. Eve Poland is a Chemist and enjoys making potions. Serah Kalpakavadi is a Medical Doctor turned Stroke Researcher (Medical Scientist).
Alana spoke about the similarities between the Tassie Devil, the rat, ape, T-Rex and the wombat. She also discussed the Devil facial tumour and to be careful on the roads at night when wildlife are about.
Eve had a concoction of poly plastics and showed us how show business uses colour and poly to make wounds, bruises and bite marks look realistic. It did look gross.
Serah spoke about how passionate she was about science from a young age and that we use science every day. She made us wonder why she was in the classroom and not working as a Medical Doctor. It was a few years later that she wanted to learn about how to help solve the mystery of strokes. Serah enjoys researching and learns a lot about other things on the way.
Everyone enjoyed the 20-minute presentation from each scientist as we rotated around the classrooms. By Essie Burke and Alexandra Smith
It was good, I learnt a lot. Mischa Modrovich Year 3
The scientists were very passionate and made the experience fun. Eloise Perrott Year 6S
It was fun and really interested me. Abbie Beaumont Year 5
Learning about Chemical Science
On Wednesday, the Year 4 students, as part of a Chemical Science Unit for Science Week, looked at the observable properties of materials to explain how objects and materials can be used. In this lesson the students were provided with hands-on, shared experiences of the absorbency of materials when they conducted a fair test about absorbency. They looked at whether four materials of cotton, plastic, tissues and towels, leaked, soaked or repelled water when droplets of water were applied.
Students were also provided with hands-on experiences of the elasticity of materials when they conducted a fair test about elasticity. They looked at whether four materials bounced, namely a marble, cricket ball, hand ball and soccer ball and how much they bounced. One student dropped the balls from the same height and at the same speed. The other student filmed the balls being dropped to measure the bounce height.
Mr David Hodgman
Absorption Experiment
It was interesting to look at the absorption of different materials. Madison Horne
It was very fun and I would love to be a scientist. Saige Scott
Science is interesting and exciting and we enjoyed checking our results against our predictions. Molly Sowell
Elasticity Ball experiment
I loved testing out which balls bounced more and which ones bounced less. I want to be a scientist when I grow up. Catherine Bell
I loved the filming and testing the elasticity and measuring the ball bounces. Tully Edwards
Learning about Explanations
This term, 5D have been writing explanations. An explanation is a writing genre that is used to explain step by step ways of doing things. Everyone chose a different topic, e.g., how to triple jump, make jam donuts, how volcanoes erupt and how to do a backflip and a front handspring.
By Milla Gorringe
Below is the explanation checklist.
General statement - introducing the topic or process being explained.
For example, a jam donut is thought to be hard to make but I have the simplest recipe for you. Making a donut is an essential skill and you will love it. By Grace Lincolne-Lomax
Information - the most important bit for an explanation.
For example, volcanoes erupting. Volcanoes erupt when all the magma builds up and causes pressure then explodes from the mouth of the volcanoes. By Isla Pringle-Jones
Explanation - write in order how and why something works or occurs.
For example, how to do a backflip. First you need to put your hair up, so you don’t slip on it.
Secondly you need to stand up straight, get some bounce and transition into a backbend.
Thirdly, you need to bring your arms and legs to your chin, so you are in a tuck position.
Fourth you need to tilt your head back and release your arms and legs back to the floor. Keep practicing. By Charlotte Bradfield
Conclusion - gives a final explanation of the topic provided.
For example, once you have mastered a handstand into backbend, you can try to flick your legs over into a wall sit position. No gymnast has ever succeeded first try, so if you keep practicing, you will master this simple skill.
Now you can show off to your friends that you know how to do a front handspring. By Oliva Grubb
Thank you for reading about the format of explanations.
By Milla Gorringe, Grace Lincolne-Lomax, Isla Pringle-Jones, Charlotte Bradfield and Olivia Grubb
Learning about Sustainability
On Tuesday, Year 6 went on an excursion to the Mount Nelson Sustainability Centre. It was a rainy day, but most of us had a good coat to keep the rain off. We were introduced to Jenny, who worked with us for the whole day. To start off, we had to make a name tag out of a gum leaf, so she would know our names. Then Jenny talked to us about how the Indigenous people of Tasmania used to hunt. We were allowed to touch and feel some animal skins. We learnt how the Indigenous people used the whole animal, not just the meat. After that, we went outside to a fire pit. Jenny taught us how the Indigenous people used charcoal to draw and cover their bodies. We had to go out and explore the bush to find our own little sticks to turn to charcoal. We then put the sticks into a can and placed them in the fire. Apparently, they would be ready in a couple of hours when the can stopped steaming. After recess we worked in groups and collected a bag that contained a magnifying glass, pencils, clipboard, a poo flip and a tree flip. We went off into the bush to find and classify as many things as we could. We tried some bush tucker - which surprised many!
We trekked up into the bush and found a clearing. Jenny and the teachers told us to go on our own and record everything we saw, felt, and smelt. Evie wrote the following poem which we will send to Jenny.
I see many bushes and rocks scattered all around
I see lots of sticks and bark lying on the ground
I hear many bird noises of calling cockatoos
They like to have a go at trees and sneak a bit of food
I see lots of puddles that are like lots of little seas
I hear rain falling as the droplets patter down
The tiny drops of liquid make very little sound
I see many things now water, trees and nature
We are very lucky to have visited the sustainability centre
By Evie Imberger
After lunch we split into two groups with one group making a waterproof shelter out of sticks. The other group had to make a fire with flints, which proved very difficult. Then we swapped activities. While our group was waiting for the bus, Jenny showed us the spiny leaf insects and we were able to hold them. One flew away and it was tricky to find it as it was camouflaged.
What a great day we had outdoors learning about the Indigenous people of Tasmania and the natural bush.
By Essie Burke and Alexandra Smith
Learning about the Recipe for Success
Last Thursday, Year 7 students took part in a ‘Recipe for Success’ workshop run by Burn Bright facilitators, Michaela and Layton. The Burn Bright program encourages students to build a sense of connectedness with their peers and the wider school community. The students spent their day:
- Undertaking a series of team building challenges
- Building positive friendships
- Working with others
- Learning to communicate effectively and responsibly – online and offline
- Exploring peer influence and positive decision-making
- Celebrating diversity and encouraging appreciation of differences
- Goal setting
- Identifying passions and strengths
The students in 7O used a ‘Thinking Routine’ to explore which parts of Burn Bright they most connected with, and which parts extended or challenged their thinking.
I connected with the story telling activity because you could see how the information can be easily lost.
I liked the pasta challenge where we had to build a tower with only 20 pieces of pasta and a marshmallow we had to put on top.
I liked the thumbs up thumbs down activity because it helped me understand other people’s opinions.
Discussing our hobbies extended my thinking about what things I actually like to do.
I enjoyed the story-telling activity. It showed that stories can, and will, change as they get told by other people.
I liked the dance-off because I think it was a good ice-breaker to stop any tension in the room.
I like the thumbs up/thumbs down activity because it helped me understand the perspectives of other people.
The dance-off was really fun and exciting and so great to watch!
I liked knowing other people’s perspectives in some of the activities.
It extended my thinking when we had to put our hands up when our eyes were closed and Layton asked us questions.
I liked the pasta building because it was fun to connect and work with different people.
I liked drawing pictures of what we want in a friend, because it made me think about what values I want in a friend.
The Year 7 students finished the day thinking about what a good friend looks like. They also reflected on the kind of friend they would like to be. It was a very rewarding day and a wonderful opportunity for the whole Year 7 cohort to work together. Our School Vision is to ‘enlighten, inspire and ignite young minds and hearts’. Burn Bright aligns beautifully with this statement, both in name and in the program that was delivered to our girls.
Year 7 Pastoral Care Teachers
Learning about Making Predictions
Year 8 students have been very busy this term already, preparing for the Probability Fair. This is the main fundraiser for their chosen charity, WildCare Tasmania. The preparation runs for four weeks and includes designing and creating a game.
My favourite part is the discussions based around 'How much should someone pay to have a go at your game?'. Students must work out their theoretical probabilities and run experiments on their game to predict the chance of someone winning. They then need to decide on their prizes (amount and value), budget the event and make that final decision and answer the above question.
The price to have a go must be well thought through, so that students who are playing the game feel that they have a fair chance to win the presented prizes and decide to spend their money. This is a reflective exercise where students understand the value of thinking and amending, running new trials and making a final decision. Many discussions with sound arguments are presented within the group, and the result is an amazing, enjoyable experience. Students get the opportunity to feel 'What being well prepared for a task' is like. Preparation, commitment to the task and the ability to reflect and improve being key to their success.
The event was a hit and raised over $500 for WildCare.
Congratulation to all students for rising to the challenge and giving it their best.
Mrs Virginie von Savageri
Learning about Science Week
Science and Arts Week have been combined this year, so this past week has been really busy! On Wednesday, the Years 5-9 students gathered in the TM Hall for a special livestreamed Science presentation from Perform Education. The presentation was given by actors, and they delivered three skits all around the theme of ‘Glass: More than meets the eye’ which is the theme for Science Week this year.
The students learnt many interesting facts in a fun and engaging way, such as glass is infinitely recyclable, and what gorilla glass is. The Years 10-12 students gathered in year levels to play a Kahoot! on the topic of glass. Each was hotly contested, and the winners given a delicious prize at the end.
The senior staff had a morning tea on Monday with glass-themed coconut cupcakes, topped with shards of ‘glass’.
On Friday, Year 4 and Year 7 students attended the annual Festival of Bright Ideas at Princes Wharf. They were free to wander around the amazing collection of activities and exhibits, including interacting with robots, building your own circuit, testing your knowledge of bugs, creating the perfect paper plane, meeting farm animals, how glass is used in the science labs and building a transmission tower from spaghetti. The students won lots of prizes including rocks, slinkies, lollies and pens.
Ms Felicity Jacobs
It was so much fun and we hope to go again next year! Eliza and Mieka
I learnt how satellites are made - they have lots of parts like shields, a battery and a comms machine. Aliera
I learnt that there are only 4,500 blue whales left in the wild. Sophie B
The Year 10s have been busy creating comic strips to show the life cycle of a star. Alice Hardy created an incredibly beautiful drawing which is too good not to share with the Fahan community!
Hannah Sciberras also wrote a beautiful poem below.
Ode to the Universe
To the universe I write an ode,
For the vastness and the Earth, which is our abode.
For the stars, the moons, and nebulas too,
Time, space and me and you.
How could it be endless but still expanding,
Are we alone in this place, it’s beyond all understanding.
When the sun runs out of hydrogen, are we gone for good?
Or will we have caused our own downfall before the sun could?
It’s all a lot for our brains to take in,
We’ll never fully understand things beyond our own skin,
But I can say for sure that the universe is great,
Andromeda to the Milky Way, Earth to Bass Strait.
by Hannah Sciberras
Learning about Leadership
From 6-10 July, Year 11 students, Roxanne Padas and Mia Reardon were given the opportunity to attend Burn Bright’s National Leadership Camp in Arcadia, Sydney. Burn Bright is a social enterprise, not-for-profit organisation, that encourages, challenges, and develops students through tailored experiential leadership and wellbeing programs. Roxanne and Mia applied to attend the camp after Burn Bright spent the day running a program at Fahan with their year group in 2020.
National Leadership Camp was run for students in Years 9-12 who were nominated by their School or community that had values of a leader.
We were split into different ‘tribes’, similar to Houses at School with three mentors in each tribe who worked or volunteered for Burn Bright. These tribes became our family for the rest of the camp. Students all around Australia came to this camp, and I made many strong relationships with these other students. The theme this year for the camp was ‘Entrada’, the Spanish word meaning “An expedition into Unexplored Territory”. We learned about the values of a leader such as Values, Service, Grit, and Vision. Each day of camp we focused on one of the four values.
We welcomed guest speakers into the camp including; Trent Maxwell (commonly known as Lifeguard Maxi from Bondi Rescue), Layton Fraser from Burn Bright, Nathan Strempel (Sports Presenter/Corporate MC/Speaker), Robyn Moore (Voice Actor/Public Speaker, commonly known as the voice of ‘Blinky Bill’), Hannah Darlington (Cricket player for the NSW Breakers and Sydney Thunder as the current captain).
We learnt that everyone can be a leader and we all have different values that make us a good leader. Everyone at the camp had a sense of belonging in their own way, and we created a space where everyone could open up and become vulnerable to people who related to us.
I felt very inspired by this camp to initiate more of my leadership skills throughout the Fahan Community. I definitely grew as a person and became a lot more confident in myself, and would recommend this experience to anyone. I made many lifelong friendships with other students as well as my mentors.
I am so grateful to Fahan for giving me the opportunity to attend NLC 2022 and I am looking forward to bringing this knowledge into the community. Mia Reardon
The key memories I have taken away from the camp include the game show and Olympics competitions. Each tribe competed against the others for the best Lego structure, the most correct quiz answers and the best charades. All while donning tribe colours and costume, we also got to participate in a range of outdoor activities such as tug-of-war, skipping, hula hoops and minefields – the team spirit was so high that no-one even minded the mud we were covered in by the end! One of my personal favourite elements were the tribe dance routines, chants, banners, costumes and even short films we created to boost morale and chance of winning!
While early starts are not everyone’s cup of tea, even being woken up at 6am for a surprise bootcamp activity before breakfast was worth every second, and I believe that everyone was able to develop higher resilience from it.
However, despite the endless fun activities we got to participate in, there was also designated tribal time, in which our mentors supported us through some of the more challenging questions and elements of being a leader. This encouraged us to open up, and to learn more about ourselves and each other that we might not have the chance to in a school environment. This valuable time enabled us to strengthen the fast friendships we made and will maintain.
The time spent at NLC was highly beneficial, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in challenging themselves and gaining lifelong leadership skills, as well as having the chance to make lasting friendships. Roxanne Padas
Spirit of Arts Week
Congratulations to Arts Chair, Megan Viljoen, who did an outstsanding job coordinating and hosting a sensational Arts Week for 2022!
First on the list of events was House Music. After weeks of dedicated rehearsals, our Fahan Gym transformed into a concert stage and acoustics were in overdrive for the annual House Music competition. House Chairs selected songs to the theme of ‘Sia’ for Years 7-12 students for the House Music Choir competition. All performances were outstanding with Freycinet taking out the House Music Choir competition and Fenton winning the House Music Ensemble.
Special guest adjudicator, John X, was blown away with the phenomenal performances, diction and amazing professionalism from all students. He commended the confidence and strength of each ensemble, evident in the dynamics of the live music. Congratulations to all students and House Chairs for their incredible performances.
Later in the week, Fahan's Got Talent was followed by Lip Sync Battles on Friday which was the perfect end to a very creative week of showcasing the Arts at Fahan. There were some very entertaining performances from across the Senior School and a special guest performance by staff!
Spirit - Junior School Sport
Junior Basketball
An EdSmart has been sent to parents regarding some games which require an earlier departure from School. The remaining grames are listed below. Generally, this would be for a 3:10pm pick up.
Round 3 - Years 3/4 Fahan Blue v MCC Navy @ Uni 3.30pm
Round 6 - Years 5/6 Fahan White v MCC Gold @ Uni 3.30pm
Importantly, if you intend to take advantage of this earlier departure option, please email your daughter's class teacher by 10:00am on the day of the game, to ensure they have time to see the communication. For safety reasons, girls are to be collected at the drop off/pick up area at the front of the School.
Additionally, afternoon tea will be provided for the girls in Round 5 and Round 8, where there are three games scheduled at Fahan.
Junior Athletics
Below are the dates for the upcoming Carnivals.
Junior House Athletics
When: Thursday 22 September
Time: 10:30am to 2:45pm
Where: Domain Athletics Centre
JSSATIS Athletics
When: Thursday 10 November
Time: 10:00am to 2:45pm
Where: Domain Athletics Centre
Lastly, congratulations to Poppy Davies in Year 5 who recently competed at the Victorian Swimming Championships in Melbourne, and by all accounts acquitted herself very well. Well done, Poppy!
Mr Tim Dale
Junior Sport Co-ordinator
dalet@fahan.tas.edu.au
Spirit - Senior School Sport
SSATIS Athletics Carnival
The Southern SATIS Athletics Carnival will be held on Tuesday 6 September at the Domain Athletics Centre. The team and training schedule is available on the Athletics/Senior Sport page on the Tree.
Following the SSATIS Carnival, a team of a reduced number will be selected for the SATIS Carnival to be held at St Leonard’s Athletics Centre, Launceston, on Saturday 17 September. The team will be selected based on performances at the Southern Carnival.
Cross Country
Best wishes to Charlotte McNeill, Charlotte Jones and Annabelle Fry who will travel to South Australia to represent Tasmania in the 2022 Australian Cross Country Championships.
Hobart Marathon
The Hobart Marathon is on Sunday 25 September. This is the first time this event has been held and the course looks great!
There is a marathon (42.2km), half marathon (21.1km), a 10km event and a 5km event. You can choose from:
- Hobart Airport Marathon - 17 years or older on race day
- Half Marathon Run - 14 years or older on race day
- 10km Run - 11 years or older on race day
- 5km Run - 7 years or older on race day
- 5km Walk - 7 years or older on race day
- Variety Tasmania 2km Mini Marathon - Any age
It would be great to see Fahan students participating. If you are thinking of entering, or would like a challenge, this is the event to enter! All the information is on their website at hobartmarathon.com.au. When registering, make sure you join the Fahan team as there are prizes to be won for the School and you will also receive a 10% discount.
Rowing
There is a Fahan Rowing Working Bee on Saturday 27 August at the Sandy Bay Rowing Club from 9:00am - 11:00am. It would be wonderful to see as many rowing families there as possible. The Working Bee will be a wonderful way to get together before the rowing season begins and it will also mean our rowers can get on to the water in boats with oars that are fully equipped and ready to go. Some key dates for Rowing are listed in the article below.
Mrs Jo Banks-Smith
Senior Sport Co-ordinator
bankssmithj@fahan.tas.edu.au
0428 031 012
22/23 Rowing Season - Important Dates
Clothed Safety Swim (for new rowers)
Thursday 1 September, Collegiate Pool 1:30-1:45pm
(bus will transport rowers from School at 1:00pm)
Introduction to Rowing
Sandy Bay Rowing Club, Marieville Esp.
Saturday 3 September, 8:00-10:00am
Rowing Capsize Drills
Hobart Aquatic Centre
Saturday 1 October, 8:00-10:00am
Junior Sculling Skills Camp and Regatta (U13 and U14 only)
Lake Barrington
Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 November
Schools Regatta 1
Lake Barrington
Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November
Southern Junior Quad Regatta (U13-U15)
New Norfolk
Saturday 3 December
Schools Regatta 2
Lake Barrington
Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December
Junior Rowing Camp (U13-U15)
New Norfolk
Saturday 28 (U13-U15) and Sunday 29 January (U14-U15)
Rowing Coaches
Fahan Rowing is looking for expressions of interest from experienced and enthusiastic Rowing Coaches, for our junior age groups.
It would be ideal if you have:
- Experience as a participant in rowing
- Rowing coaching experience
- At least level one rowing coaching qualifications or the intention to obtain
- Current motorboat licence or intention to obtain
- Current Working with Vulnerable Persons certification
Please email Director of Rowing, Stephen Lambert, to express your interest at lamberts2@fahan.tas.edu.au
Supporting Fahan Parent Businesses
Fahan Rowing occassionally requires work done by qualified professionals/businesses and we would be very interested in supporting any of our families with such business, for example:
- welding
- trailer, mechanical and marine repairs/servicing
- Gelcoat repairs and spray painting
- outboard maintenance
If you would like your business included in this registry, please forward your contact details and relevant information to lamberts2@fahan.tas.edu.au
Mr Steve Lambert Mrs Jo Banks-Smith Mrs Sophie Baxter
Director of Rowing Senior Rowing Coordinator Junior Rowing Coordinator
Community - Fahan School Twilight Fair
Your School Needs You!
As of today, we are precisely six weeks away from the Fahan Twilight Fair for 2022 that will take place on the last day of term, Friday 30 September. The Fair Committee has worked hard to bring you something new, along with the return of a few tried and true fundraisers. We don't wish to give away too much, but we would like to inform you of some of the stalls and events in the hope that you will all assist us to raise money by donating items that can be sold.
By way of food, there will be a barbecue, calamari, hot chips, sushi, curries and tacos. For drinks there will be smoothies, soft drinks, coffees, teas, hot chocolate, wines and local beers. For treats, we will have cakes, chocolate, ice creams, lollies and fairy floss.
There will also be lucky dip stalls for both kids and adults, as well as an op-shop stall. For kids only, there will be a stall for having hair and faces made up (okay, maybe they'll allow the odd brave dad to have a go!).
In addition to the above, we also have the much-loved Chocolate Wheel. The more prize items we have to give away, the more fun the wheel promises to be and the more money we can raise for our School. So please, look in the pantry, the basement, the attic, the wardrobe, or the garden shed for something you never got around to using.
If you are able to donate toward any of the following, we would love to hear from you. We can also use disposables such as packaging, cutlery, cups and glasses, plates and napkins, not to mention condiments and the like.
- Items for the Chocolate Wheel
- Items for the Adult Lucky Dip (eg wine etc)
- Plants for the plant stall
- Cakes and sweets for the cake stall
- Second hand clothes and books for the Op Shop Stall
Please contact sabina
If, instead, you feel you can assist by offering your time on the day, this would also be enormously appreciated. There will be a number of fun activities that parents and family members might wish to be involved with - it doesn't have to be for the duration of the Fair, as we will take what you can give.
One last thing. The best support you can offer is to just attend the Fair, so please put off the holiday plans by one more day if you can. We promise that we are doing everything to make it perfect. Except promising that it won't rain. We can't do that.
Mr John Padas
Fair Coordinator
Community - French Exchange Student
Hello ! My name is Victoire Weil. I am a French exchange student in grade 10. I arrived at the beginning of the last holidays, I was here for more than 6 weeks. I loved this experience. Tassie is a beautiful place, with many cute animals, really different from my city in Toulouse, France. The school is really different too from the school in France, for example, I don’t have uniform, my timetable is different every days. I do so many things, I saw the kangaroo, wombat, wallabies, I walked by the sea, I hiked in beautiful place, saw waterfall, visited Hobart, it was so cool! I discovered a new culture and new amazing people. I loved talking about the differences, the culture and I tried to improve my English. I hope to have the chance to come back to Tasmania !!
Community - Tokyo Jogakkan Students
This week five Fahan families have had the pleasure of hosting five Tokyo Jogakkan girls. It has been an action-packed fun week! From visiting Bonorong, braving the cold of kunanyi/Mount Wellington, going to the Salamanca Markets and visiting Mona, we have all had a unique yet memorable time. The Japanese students have had a full and varied schedule. They have spent time with the Year 9 Japanese class, visited the Aboriginal Cultural Centre with Year 6, toured the Hobart Museum and have participated in a ‘gastronomic’ cultural exchange with the host students where we cooked ANZAC biscuits and Japanese Yakisoba.
Overall, it is safe to say we have all had an amazing and full-on experience!
Personally, I have really enjoyed getting to know Haruka, learning about her life in Tokyo and sharing so many good times. Tiger Somerville
I enjoyed Bonorong Wildlife Park the most. We saw Tasmanian Devils and fed them. It was so cool! I also enjoyed classes at Fahan and talking with the Fahan students. It is hard to talk in English, but I want to improve my English skills and make a lot of friends on this trip. Haruka Minami
I’ve never been to Tasmania; I was so excited. Tasmania is rich in nature, so I was surprised! This holidays, I went to Bonorong with my host family and I fed the kangaroos. I also saw Richmond Bridge. It was so beautiful. I had a good time. I took Japanese classes at Fahan School. The TJK students did a presentation about our school and Japanese culture. We taught Japanese to the Fahan students, and they taught us English so that was very beneficial. Thank you for your warm welcome, Fahan School! Mio Izumoto
Community - Grandparents' Day
Grandparents and special friends are warmly invited to visit Fahan Junior School for this wonderful occasion. An Assembly will be followed by morning tea and classrooms visits.
Tuesday 27 September 2022
9:30am – 10:50am
Fahan School TM Hall
We have had a wonderful response already from grandparents and look forward to welcoming then on campus. Your daughter will receive copies of the invitation in her diary next week and this is the link to RSVP .
Bus Service and Parking for Grandparents’ Day
No parking will be available in the Fahan School main car park. To ease congestion at the School, a complimentary bus service will operate from Nutgrove Beach to the School. Fahan buses will pick up passengers from the Sandy Bay Sailing Club car park off Long Point Rd.
Collection times will be 9:00am, 9:05am and 9:10am, and buses will be on a return loop after the event.
We look forward to welcoming grandparents to the School.
Community - Final Days to Visit Alex Pitt's Exhibition
This is the last weekend to visit the exhibition at Handmark Gallery, Alex Pitt; On the Island. The Gallery is open 7 days from 10:00am - 4:00pm.
Community - Helen Wright Art Exhibition
Fahan School Artist in Residence, Helen Wright, is exhibiting at the Bett Gallery called Water[shed]. Helen's husband, David Keeling (former Fahan teacher and Gerdy Jevtic Medal recipient), is also in the exhibition. Below is a photo of Helen's work on display in the Gallery which runs from 6-27 August.
Artist’s statement:
Eyes to the wind (of change)
Birds sense change. Their survival depends on their instinct for it. There is a change in the wind for Lake Pedder. No longer a drowned landscape in our memory or imagination. The pink quartz sandy beach and the blue water, a habitat uncovered for everyone to wonder why such a natural marvel was ever drowned in the first place. Helen Wright
Community - Celebrating Connections between Pre Kinder and After School Care Children
Our After School Care program at Fahan is unique in that it is combined with our Pre-Kinder program where the older children enter our space after their school day has ended.
Our Pre-Kinder children look forward to this time each day with eagerness and have formed very strong relationships with the older children. Many children have siblings within the school, and this helps create a sense of belonging to a wonderfully rich community and culture.
We focus very strongly on our children’s voice and in our After School Care program the children are invited to contribute to their own programming board, using coloured pens and sticky notes.
It is wonderful to see the children approach this activity with a keen sense of ownership, discuss their ideas with each other and contribute to the development of their writing and spelling skills. They also engage in conversations about the day of the week, the date of the month and about how to spell some of their words.
Genuine collaboration between all age groups is evident as the children negotiate play spaces, take turns, and share their ideas and interests. The girls often extend the learning that has captured their interest from their school day and will ask for resources to support their ideas. This might include music, books and/or the option to do further investigation using computers and other resources.
We often see play and learning scenarios that have started in our After School Care environment repeated during the week with our Pre-Kinder children. They might extend upon an initial interaction with the older children and develop their own theme from this. This adds yet another layer to the scaffolding of learning that we value so much in our program.'
Lisa, Kelly, Moya and Vivienne
Lady Gowrie Fahan Education and Care Team
Community - Uniform Update
Changeover from Winter to Summer Uniform from Term 4
A reminder that in Term 4 we change over to Summer uniform. The Uniform Shop will be closed over the school holidays so please ensure you make any purchases prior to the end of term. The cut-off date for orders to be collected before the end of term is 4:00pm Wednesday 28 September.
Uniform items can be ordered online through the Flexischools website. You can also download the Flexischools App for Apple or Android. If your daughter is in the Junior School, any items purchased will be delivered to the classroom. If your daughter is in the Senior School, uniform items will be available for her to collect from the table in Reception. Please allow two days for the processing of your order. If a uniform fitting is required, appointments with the can be made during term time between 1:30pm-3:00pm by emailing uniformshop@fahan.tas.edu.au.
NEW! Formal Shorts available from 2023
We will be adding the option of shorts as part of the formal Summer uniform for Years 1 to 12 from Term 1, 2023.
Please register your interest in an email to uniformshop@fahan.tas.edu.au, including the name and year group of your child, if you would like to express your interest in purchasing shorts for 2023. These are a special order item so we are gauging interest to ensure we order appropriate stock.
Clothing Pool
Fahan is now accepting clean, current uniform items in good condition for sale in the Clothing Pool. Items can be left at the School Office and must be accompanied by a completed Clothing Pool form, available from the School Office or on the website.
Community - Has Anything Changed?
Please ensure you notify us of any change to your address, email, phone numbers or emergency contacts. To update your details, please email fahanschool@fahan.tas.edu.au
Community - Student Absence
Notification of student absence as a result of illness should be emailed to absence@fahan.tas.edu.au, advised by telephone on 6225 1064 or submitted through the Fahan App.
You are reminded that if foreseen absences are unavoidable, such as holidays during term time, a Request for Absence form should be submitted to the School.
Community Notices
Free Parent and Unpaid Carer Autism Workshops
Autism Tasmania Autistic Community - Autism Tasmania provide a range of informational workshops for parents and carers of Autistic children of all ages. These sessions aim to give encouragement and trustworthy information so that parents and carers can support their children to grow into confident and empowered adults. A confirmed diagnosis of autism is not needed.
For further information regarding workshops and how to register click here.
Fahan School Uniform Purchases
Fahan School uniform items can be ordered through the Flexischools website or App (Apple of Google). If a uniform fitting is required, please email Mrs Birgitta Browning at uniformshop@fahan.tas.edu.au
Canteen online orders are taken before school through the Flexischools website or App. A variety of foods are offered and healthy, nutritional choices are encouraged. Parents can also load money onto a student's ID card through the Flexischools App so that students from Year 3 may use their student card to purchase items from the canteen.
Fahan School Bus Service
For more information on the Fahan Bus Service, please click here.