Fahan School eNewsletter

Principal's Report

I strongly believe a sense of community is crucial to creating a positive and successful learning environment. Our School Community is made up of students, parents, alumni and staff, and each of these groups plays an important role in creating a welcoming and supportive atmosphere, fostering a sense of connection which is essential to us all.

Over the past fortnight, we have had two events highlighting the importance of community involvement. The first was the P&F welcome event for families, Sunset at the Barn, where parents had the opportunity to meet with each other and staff in an informal setting. This was a lovely evening attended by over 250 people.

The second event was our Alumni Reunion Weekend, where former students returned to the School to reconnect with their peers. This event provides a unique opportunity for alumni to see how the School has evolved and grown over time and celebrate their shared experiences and memories. This is always a joyous event and confirms for me that our School creates deep and strong bonds that last a lifetime.

In addition, House events are also an important part of building a sense of community among our students. The recent House Dance competition was a huge success, with Years 9 and 10 students from each House coming together to celebrate and showcase their talents on the stage. These events allow students to further develop friendships, work collaboratively, and build a sense of pride and belonging within their respective Houses.

By fostering a sense of community among all members of our School, we can create a supportive and collaborative environment where everyone can thrive.

Best wishes
Meg Lawson

Learning about Sustainability in Pre-Kinder

This year, we Pre-Kinder educators set ourselves a challenge to reduce paper usage within our program. We noticed the children using multiple sheets of paper and we wanted to encourage them to slow down and put more thought and time into their art and place a higher value on the paper they use. This began with discussions with the children about reducing our footprint through sustainable and thoughtful practices, introducing paper options such as whiteboards, blackboards and more ephemeral art options including recycled art opportunities using repurposed paper and cardboard as well as paper making activities.

They have been involved with the process of paper making and are seeing the time and effort that goes into it. We are only able to produce a small number of sheets per week as it takes time to dry out.

This is allowing the children to see firs-thand why paper is so precious and linking this to discussions about our precious trees and our role as active and informed caretakers of our planet.

The children are now being much more considerate in their painting and artwork and are exploring with texture, colour and shape in a much broader sense. We continue to look for creative ways to extend this theme embedding sustainable practices firmly into our program.

This links beautifully to our daily adventures at the rivulet garden where the children have been collecting seeds from the Blackwood trees and are growing them to give back to the environment.

Kind regards

Lisa, Kelly, Vivienne and Moya
Pre-Kinder Educators

During the recent Swim and Survive sessions, Years 1 and 2 had a great time learning new skills, improving their swimming strokes and gaining a deeper understanding of water safety.

Learning to swim is one of life’s most important skills. Not only does it have physical benefits, but also develops skills of organisation, resilience and gross motor skills.

We would like to thank Mr Tim Dale for his organisation of the program, enabling our students to not only learn in the pool, but also have lots of fun!

Mrs Sophie Baxter and Mrs Sarah Parsons

On Thursday 9 March, Year 4 went to the science lab and conducted an experiment on absorbency. We used different materials and tested if they repelled water, soaked the water or if the water leaked. The materials we used were silk or satin, tissue and a plastic bag, along with a rubber band, a pipette and a cup.

Firstly, we grabbed our materials and put on our lab coats. We were all very excited! Secondly, we put the plastic bag over the top of the cup and secured it in place with the rubber band before dropping 20 drops of water from the pipette to see if it repelled, soaked or leaked. The plastic bag repelled the water.

Next, we repeated the steps with the silk/satin. We had mixed results, where some leaked at 10 - 15 drops and some soaked up all the water.

Lastly was the tissue. Most of ours leaked at 1 - 10 drops of water. One of ours lasted 20 drops!

We had lots of fun doing this experiment.

By Sienna Marino and Mahveen Mudasir

Learning about Design and Technology in Year 6

In Design and Technology, we have been investigating food and fibres and how they are produced in managed environments, using sustainable practices. We discussed both natural and man-made fibres which led us to testing our felting abilities using alpaca wool. This involved lots of water, detergent and patience. We had over 40 felt mats in the classroom. Some properties of wool are insulation, dust mite free, antistatic, fire retardant and is a renewable resource.

Felting wasn’t that difficult if you concentrated. Even the Kinders had a go!

Don’t roll the felt too thin otherwise it breaks. It’s comforting to know that we can purchase items that are renewable and sustainable. Eliza

There are many different types of fibres that are sustainable such as pineapple fibre, silk, bamboo and wool. Although some use high amounts of energy to produce, they all have a use today. Poppy T

By Claire and Lucie

Learning about History

March is Women’s History Month. To celebrate, all the Year 7 students have been researching the history of Fahan which was founded by two women with very progressive ideas about education.

The girls are currently creating timelines of Fahan and documenting interesting events that have happened since the School was opened by Miss Travers and Miss Morphett in 1935.

On Monday, both classes spent time in the School Archives researching information to include on their timelines. Some students also enjoyed dressing up in old Fahan uniforms! The students have been encouraged to think about the sources they could use for their research. As well as visiting the Archives, they know they can read books and magazines, look on the School website, and ask questions of people who went to Fahan. A lot of information has also been discovered on different plaques that are located around the School.

We have been developing both our literacy and numeracy skills which are two of the Australian Curriculum’s ‘General Capabilities’. Our literacy skills have included locating, collecting and organising information and data from primary and secondary sources. Our numeracy skills have included chronologically sequencing the history of the School and constructing a timeline using a time scale.

Ms Fiona Short

Year 6 experienced their last House Swimming Carnival in the Junior School; this was quite a milestone for us. We all felt excited to be a leader to the Year 3s who were at their first Carnival. We enjoyed having the program and showing the younger students what races they were in. We also loved the free time that we had and the leaders thoroughly enjoyed their roles.

I really enjoyed being a leader, it was fun. Milla

I really enjoyed the free play we had in the middle of the Carnival. Deeksha

I really enjoyed doing the 50-metre races for the last time in the Junior School. Caroline

By Harper and Audrey

Last week our Year 7 and Year 10 students had a wonderful opportunity to spend a day with Burn Bright, a social enterprise, not-for-profit organisation, that encourages, challenges, and develops students through tailored experiential leadership and wellbeing programs.

The Year 7 program, 'Recipe for Success', provided students with a toolkit to help them build a sense of identity, support new friendships, and enhance self-efficacy to improve resilience.

Throughout the day, the Year 7s undertook a series of team building challenges and activities from being put out of their comfort zone in a dance off to learning strategies to bounce back from challenges. Other highlights included how to communicate effectively and responsibly – online and offline and celebrating diversity and encouraging appreciation of differences.

The Year 10 program, ‘Altitude’, was designed to build upon the skills and talents the students develop throughout the Lumina 9 program. The course encourages students to explore their daily practices, continue self-reflection, and discuss ways they can be the best version of themselves.

During their session, Year 10 students learned about the importance of surrounding themselves with the right people, exploring values, undertaking GRIT activities (learning tactics on how to bounce back from obstacles, detours and challenges that arise in life) and the art of being dynamic.

Thank you Burn Bright for such an inspiring workshop for our Year 7s and Year 10s!

OAS and TASC Outdoor Education 2

Over the past few weeks, students have been developing their skills in various water-based activities including water safety, snorkelling, coasteering and surfing. All these skills are aimed to increase their understanding of the water-based activities available to them in the Hobart region and have the confidence and skills to pursue these activities further in their own time.

The classes have also been researching marine life in the Derwent River and looking at ways to preserve the environment by leaving no trace with all these activities.

Ms Stacey Maley

Spirit - Junior School Sport

Junior Soccer

We have now progressed to Week 3 of the JSSATIS soccer roster. The Fahan teams have been competing strongly, and I would again like to thank the coaches/managers for the roles they have undertaken.

A reminder that we are still training in sandshoes whilst the grounds are firm but girls can still where shin pads if they/parents wish. Shin pads are compulsory for games, boots (if grounds are not wet) and mouth guard optional.

Junior House Swimming

This Carnival was conducted last Wednesday at the Clarence Pool. It was fantastic that so many parents were able to attend and support the girls, contributing to the cheering and excitement of the competitors. It's heartening to witness the diversity of experiences on a day like this. On the one hand, there are girls who relish swimming, having honed their skills through regular practice and perhaps even taking it more seriously. There are also girls who find swimming daunting, but it's equally gratifying to watch them conquer their fears. This is always reflected in the sign ups of the Year 3 girls who, after participating in the Carnival, turn up en masse for the 20m races, resulting in two or three extra races being added to each event!

The House points have been calculated and the House Trophy was presented in Assembly today.

FRANKLIN: 1285
FREYCINET: 1012
FENTON: 780

Congratulations Franklin! But watch out, Freycinet is catching up!

JSSATIS Swimming

The JSSATIS Swimming Carnival is on the horizon. An Edsmart has gone out to those girls involved in the Interschool squad, with a list of training times leading into the event. The trialling process will occur at the first training and the girls involved have been provided with the relevant information. Once this process is completed, the girls will receive a program with their events.

When: Monday 27 March
Where: Hobart Aquatic Centre
Time: 10:00am to 2:00pm

Mr Tim Dale
Junior Sport Coordinator
dalet@fahan.tas.edu.au

Fahan Inter-House Athletics Carnival

The Fahan Inter-House Athletics Carnival was held on Tuesday 28 February at the Domain Athletics Centre. Congratulations to everyone for their efforts. This year we saw our greatest participation rates across all events and the Fahan spirit of 'having a go' was clearly evident. Along with increased participation, there were excellent results with three records being broken. Congratulations to the following athletes for setting new records:

Nell Terry – Under 16 100m (12.8secs)
Jemima Geappen – U13 High Jump (1.55m)
Charlotte Cutrale – Under 16 Triple Jump (10.2m)

It was a perfect day for athletics and everyone ran, jumped and threw with a smile on their face!

The winning House and age group champions will be announced on Monday 20 March.

Thank you to all staff, students, volunteers and parents who helped out on the day. The contribution from everyone to make the Carnival a success was a demonstration of the teamwork, spirit and camaraderie that we have at Fahan.

The SSATIS Athletics Carnival will be held on Thursday 24 September at the Domain Athletics Centre. The SATIS Athletics Carnival will be held on Tuesday 4 April at St Leonard’s Athletic Centre in Launceston.

Best wishes to all rowers competing in the Tasmanian All Schools Rowing Championships on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 March at Lake Barrington.

The Head of the River will be held the following weekend on Saturday 18 March and will be the final regatta for the Fahan Rowing team for the 2022/2023 season. We know that this is the culmination of many, many hours of training and hard work and we look forward to hearing the results.

I would like to mention the Year 12 girls from the Open squad who will row for Fahan for the last time - Lilly Evans-Gregg, Evie Banks-Smith, Molly Crosby, Julia Benyon, Olivia Sampson, Annabelle Fry and Charlotte Jones who have dedicated many hours to Fahan Rowing. They should all be very proud of their efforts and I commend them on their commitment, focus and motivation throughout their time rowing for Fahan. They will leave with a firm group of friends who have shared their rowing journey.

At Fahan, we are very fortunate to have committed and passionate coaches and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them. Not only do rowing coaches give a huge amount of their time to coach, they also become mentors, counsellors and friends to the girls they work with. To Chris Parnham, Sam Manson, Andrew Wirtz, Jasmine Campbell-Jones, Sasha Gregg, John Withers, Sophie Baxter and Sara Gates-Matthews - THANK YOU for all you do.

Thank you also to Steve Lambert who does a wonderful job as the Director of Fahan Rowing and to all the volunteers who do a variety of tasks to ensure the smooth running of this program.

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

Community - Junior School P&F Class Representatives

At Fahan we are very fortunate to have a strong community with committed parents who give their time and support in many ways. I would like to acknowledge the parents who have volunteered to be Class Representatives for the Parents and Friends’ Association. We appreciate their help to co-ordinate parent involvement, provide a link between parents, teachers and the P&F, and, importantly, welcoming new families to their class groups.

The representatives for 2023 are:

Kindergarten: Melanie Butcher and Sarah Hendrie

Prep: Victoria Marchant and Anelda Lotter

Year 1: Karina Doyle and Michelle Smith (Year 1)

Year 2: Emma-Kate Reynolds

Year 3: Anna Chui and Samantha Tennick

Year 4: Claire Crowell

Year 5: Shelley Lampkin and Tamieka Page, Fiona Gourlay

Year 6: Kath Bradfield

The Junior School staff thank you for your time and look forward to connecting with you throughout the year.

Mrs Tania Gath
Head of Junior School

Community - Sunset at the Barn

Last Friday evening, over 250 members of the Fahan Community including parents, students and staff, came together recently for the P&F welcome event, Sunset at the Barn. Our hard-working P&F Committee and their incredible group of volunteers put on a fantastic event for all families on the Fahan oval, with our older students providing entertainment for the younger children and helping serve food to the crowds.

Thank you to everyone who came along and created a beautiful community atmosphere at Fahan!

On the weekend of 18-19 March, many of Fahan’s Year 11 and 12 students will be walking, running and skipping around the Athletics track at the Domain to raise funds for the Cancer Council.

The annual Relay for Life is a great way for our School to support cancer research and get a bit of exercise at the same time! It is also a way to celebrate cancer survivors and remember loved ones lost to cancer. All funds raised stay in Tasmania to reduce the impact and incidence of cancer across all communities and age groups and provide support for those on a cancer journey.

We have a fundraising goal of $3,500. If you would like to donate to our School team, visit this website https://www.relayforlife.org.au/fundraisers/Fahan2023 and click on the ‘donate’ button at the top. Our team is called ‘Fahan 2023’.

Thanks for your support!

Year 11 and 12 Students

Community - Lady Gowrie Vacation Care Program

Please click on the link below to view the Lady Gowrie Vacation Care Program for the upcoming school holidays.

LG_Vacation_Care_Fahan_Autumn_2023.pdf

Community - Join the Fahan Hobart Marathon Team!

Join the School team!

DISTANCES – 2km, 5km run or walk, 10km, 21.1km, 42.2km

TEAM NAME – FAHAN SCHOOL

15% OFF DISCOUNT CODE - RSTHMF23

WHEN/WHERE – Sunday 2 April PW1 (Hobart waterfront)

Students, staff and the wider School Community can join and use the code!

REGISTER - https://hobartmarathon.com.au/

Community - Libraries Tasmania - Tasmania Reads Week

Celebrate books, reading and storytelling

Between 5–11 March, libraries, schools, business and communities across the state will be celebrating Tasmania Reads Week and you can too.

Join in with the events already planned, host your own event, like, follow, and share Libraries Tasmania content on social media, or simply curl up with a good book and enjoy some quiet reading time.

Community - Academic and Principal's Scholarships

Fahan School is pleased to provide Academic and Principal’s Scholarships for entry into Years 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 in 2024, with Year 7 available to enrolled Fahan students only.

Fahan School’s Scholarships are designed to recognise high achievers and provide opportunities to girls and young women who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend the School. We seek students who are academically well-rounded and who embody the School values of Learning, Spirit and Community.

All Scholarship applicants are required to sit the Edutest scholarship examination at 9:00am on Saturday 6 May 2023. Scholarship Applications close on Friday 28 April 2023.

Further information is available on our website here.

Community - French Film Festival

The French Film Festival runs from 9-19 March at the State Cinema with a nightly 6:00pm French film.

Children’s films are shown at 3:30pm on weekends, with films suitable for the whole family such as:

Belle & Sebastien: Next Generation (PG) - 18 March at 3:30pm. Some Year 8 students may have seen the prequel in class last year.

Ride Above (PG) - 19 March at 3:30pm

The following link provides previews and screening information:

https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/schedule/hobart

Community - Easter Egg Hunt

Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens Easter Egg Hunt

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 completed and returned to the School.

Community Notices

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.

Flexischools Website

Fahan School Bus Service

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

A Fortnight at Fahan - Term 1, 10 March 2023

Principal's Report

Learning about Sustainability in Pre-Kinder

Learning about Swim and Survive

Learning about Chemical Science in Year 4