A Fortnight at Fahan - Term 2, 31 May 2024

Principal's Report

This week is National Reconciliation Week, the theme of which is Now more than ever. It is an important way for all of us to be reminded that we all have a part in understanding the perspectives of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and learning about their rich histories and cultures. Throughout the School, classes have been engaged in activities that provide opportunities to consider how we can take action, both individually and as a community, to commit to reconciliation. At Fahan, we have been collaborating with our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) working group to develop our whole School Plan for reconciliation. While we already do much at Fahan to honour and teach an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, it is good for us to be able to draw together the threads of our activities into one Plan and ensure that our actions are documented. We are committed to providing our students with quality learning opportunities with reconciliation in mind.

Today, some staff, including myself, and six students attended the annual National Reconciliation Week Breakfast held at MyState Bank Arena. It was a privilege to be able to share this experience with our students and listen to passionate speakers who are committed to moving forward with reconciliation.

I am pleased to be able to announce the appointment of our new Coordinator of Humanities, Mrs Susan Stokes. Susan will commence at Fahan at the beginning of Term 3 and comes to us from Launceston Church Grammar School. Susan is relocating with her family to Hobart and is very much looking forward to all we have to offer in the south of the state. She has also spent many years teaching in independent schools in Sydney. Susan is a highly experienced educator and a passionate advocate for the Humanities and we look forward to welcoming her to the Fahan Community.

Best wishes,

Meg Lawson

Expressions of Interest for Before School Care

Several of our younger students are arriving at School before or around 8:00am.  Please be aware that student supervision begins in the Junior School at 8:15am.

If this is an issue for your family, we have discussed the option of providing before school care. Lady Gowrie is seeking interest from parents who would use this program. Depending on adequate numbers, Lady Gowrie would initially start with a program that operates between 8:00-8:30am. If this service is of interest to your family, please email me at gatht@fahan.tas.edu.au.

Tania Gath
Head of Junior School

Learning about Music in Pre-Kinder

To extend on the children’s interest in music and rhyme, we have commenced fortnightly music lessons with Fahan Msic teacher, Ms Wheatley.

Last Wednesday, Pre-Kinder children walked down to the TM Hall with excitement and anticipation waiting to be inspired by the music lesson. Ms Wheatley adds movement and teamwork, cooperation and turn-taking opportunities for the children.

The children showed great engagement and were immersed in the music. Music has a therapeutic effect and provides the opportunity for free expression and natural flow of emotions.

We will continue to support the children’s development and explore their possibilities.

Lisa, Vivienne, Moya, Hattie and  Heena

Learning about National Reconciliation Week in the Junior School

Kindergarten and Prep students spent time on Country on Tuesday as part of National Reconciliation Week.  We shared our Acknowledgement of Country in the bush at the Waterworks Reserve followed by a  story, Our Dreaming, by Gunai woman, Kirli Saunders, and Bigambul man, Dub Leffler.

Kirli talks about  Gunyunggalaung /The Dreaming (gun - nyung - ga - lung) and  ngununggula/ to walk together and work together (nah - gun - ah - goo -  lah).

After our shared story we worked together to create ephemeral art, mark making in the path and documenting our learning and understanding of the story.  We are looking forward to our next visit to this sacred space. 

https://storyboxlibrary.com.au/stories/our-dreaming

Mrs Rebecca Wiggins

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Learning about Oak Lodge

This week, our Year 1 class spent a beautiful autumn morning in Richmond. We enjoyed morning tea in the park and took advantage of having the entire grassed area to ourselves, kicking the ball and running around together.

We then met our lovely hosts, Val and Michelle, at Oak Lodge. This wonderful home was initially constructed in the 1800s, but has been carefully restored to reflect daily life in the mid 1900s. We spent time learning about transport, home life, school experience and even visiting the doctor, in the 1950s. There were many curious questions from the students and they were particularly intrigued by ‘the cane’, which was found in the school room.

Our visit sparked many interesting discussions about the past and how things have changed or stayed the same over time. We are all enthusiastic to keep investigating the topic further this term as part of our history unit.

Mrs Sarah Parsons

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Learning about Digital Technology

In Digital Technology, the Year 2 students having been learning some basic computational skills such as working out steps and decisions required to solve simple problems. In this activity, they instructed a robotic toy, namely a Bee Bot, to navigate around a maze.  The students were introduced to simple programming while consolidating concepts such as using positional language, sequencing events and ideas, and estimating and measuring.

Mr David Hodgman

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Learning about Heat in Science

In Year 3, we are learning about ‘Heat’ in Science. We have been learning about different sources of heat, heat transfer and how it can cause predictable changes. We have learnt the difference between reversible and irreversible (permanent) changes. For example, melting chocolate is a reversible change, whereas putting bread into the toaster and making it into toast is an irreversible (permanent) change.

On Wednesday morning, Sophie from Year 12 came to our class. In small groups, we melted chocolate in the microwave (an electrical heat source), therefore changing it from a solid to a liquid, poured the runny chocolate into moulds, and then popped our moulds into the fridge to cool/harden. We discussed how we could keep doing this over and over again. But…… we didn’t, because instead we ATE them!

Science is so much fun!

Mrs Nicole Bury

Learning about Cubic Metres

The Year 4 mathematicians, working in groups of four, constructed a cubic meter using rolled-up newspapers and a generous amount of tape. These hollow structures had dimensions of one meter in length, one meter in width, and one meter in height. The rolled newspapers formed the edges of the box, resulting in a total volume of 1 m³.  One of the main aims of the activity was for the students to visualise the amount of space occupied by a cubic metre.

Mr David Hodgman

Learning about Aboriginal History and Culture

Year 5 have been immersing themselves in Aboriginal History and Culture as well as the outdoors. The students spent time learning about the life of Truganini and the importance of National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week before they walked up the Truganini Track as part of their Outdoor Education program.

The morning walk was fabulous, with wonderful opportunities to learn about the local flora and fauna (especially the leeches) as the students climbed up to the Mt Nelson Signal Station. Completing the walk enabled the group to make relevant connections to the beautiful country in our community.

Mrs Susan Wright

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Learning about National Reconciliation Week in Year 7

Reconciliation Week

In History and Geography, we have been learning about the deep time history of Australia and what formed the continent that we now live on. This week was Reconciliation Week, and our teacher decided to tie in what we’d been previously learning with some culturally significant moments in history.

Reconciliation Week starts the day after Sorry Day and it is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements. Reconciliation Week is always set between the dates of 27 May to 3 June. These dates hold great significance as the day that the referendum was successfully passed through the government, and the High Court Mabo decision.  By Chloe East

Sorry Day

Sorry Day is on 26 May. It gives Australia the chance to remember and honor the Stolen Generation. The Stolen Generation is where the English decided to take many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their mothers and homes. They forbid them to speak any of their special language. They taught them how to speak English. They dressed them up in clothes that they weren’t used to. This affected not only the children but the children’s families. 

Sorry Day started in 1998 by a union of Australian community groups. In 2008, the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, issued an apology, accepting that Indigenous people were mistreated by the Australian government. 

Last year, my family and I went and saw a documentary called The Last Daughter at The Hutchins School. The Last Daughter was based on a true story from Brenda Matthews (Auntie Brenda). Auntie Brenda came to the night and talked about her story. The story was extremely moving and heart-breaking, but it was good to be aware of how heart-breaking this Stolen Generation period was.  By Harper Imberger

1967 Referendum

On 27 May 1967, after 10 years of campaigning, Australians voted to remove references in the Australian Constitution that were discriminative against Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal people. The referendum was held and supported by many people, but it was a very controversial topic. In the end, the result was Yes after nearly 91 per cent of Australians voted to amend the Constitution.

This change meant that Aboriginal people would be counted as part of the population and acknowledged as equal citizens, and that the Commonwealth would be able to make laws on their behalf.  By Olivia Mainwaring

Mabo Day

Last week in History and Geography, we learnt about the Torres Strait. We watched an incredibly interesting documentary about the Torres Strait Islands, and then moved on to a research task about a topic of interest for us – we felt this was especially relevant with Reconciliation Week coming up. My original focus was overall history, but Eddie Mabo and the famous Eddie Mabo Case captured my interest.

Eddie Koiki Mabo was born on The Island of Mer or ‘Murray Island’ in the Torres Strait in 1936. When he turned 18, he left the Torres Strait and moved to Queensland, where he started a family and became a groundskeeper at James Cook University.

During this time, Eddie discovered through a discussion that the land of Murray Island did not belong to his family or ancestors. This was because Captain Cook had declared Australia ‘terra nullius’ or ‘land belonging to no-one’, which gave ownership of the land over to the Australian government. Eddie’s ancestors had been on this land for hundreds of generations, and this wasn’t fair. He talked to his friends, Reverend David Passi, Sam Passi, James Rice and Celuia Mapo Sale, about it, and they agreed; this was not right, and they weren’t the kind of people to sit back and wait for others to make a change. So it was then that Eddie and his friends challenged the Queensland government in court.

The finalisation took ten years, but, in the end, the judge decided in their favour: the land now belonged to the Torres Strait Islander peoples who lived there, and they agreed that ‘terra nullius’ was not true. This decision opened opportunities for other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to rightfully claim their land rights. It was also deemed so important that the day it was decided – 3 June – was made Mabo Day. Though Eddie did not live to hear the court’s decision, his legacy lives on through the many celebrations on Mabo Day of culture, place and belonging.

Throughout his lifetime, Eddie Mabo fought for land rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities who lost ownership of sacred land when Captain Cook declared Australia ‘terra nullius’. He was determined to be a change maker and continues to change the lives of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities today.  By Mia Stoklosa

Learning about Recycling Waste Water

Last week, the Year 8 Science classes had a special presentation from Tim Cubit and Fran Smith from TasWater, as part of our studies of mixtures in Science.

Both of our guests spoke  about the topic of how Tassie treats its water to ensure it is safe to drink. They also discussed how we could treat our sewage to turn it into drinkable water. We learnt that many places throughout the world already recycle their sewage into drinking water, including London and Singapore!

Fran taught us about the processes that are used to separate the ‘not so nice’ parts in the sewage mixture from the water. It was a very informative presentation, and we were very grateful to be able to hear from experts in the field. We were also super grateful that we don’t even have to think about whether our water is safe to drink, thanks to amazing people like Tim and Fran.

Dr Mel East and Ms Felicity Jacobs

I learnt that in 200-300 years Tassie will likely run out of fresh water. Ruby Williamson

I learnt that Tassie has 13,500 gigalitres of stored water which is 27 times more than Sydney Harbour. Islay Smith

The speakers spoke so clearly and in a way that we could really understand. Ava McIndoe

I enjoyed learning about how TasWater keeps water safe and healthy to drink. Grace Colleluori

I learnt that humans have really impacted the natural water cycle. Some of us were lucky enough to receive a free drink bottle. Eve McLean

Learning about Working with Children

NATURE PLAY

The Working with Children students have been investigating play, learning and the importance of connecting with nature. The students were given the task of planning an activity to run with the Prep children. The Year 11 and 12 students had to think about how they would get to know the Prep children they were working with, what kind of activity they would run, and what materials they would need. They also had to consider some of the safety issues when children are learning outdoors.

The students planned Scavenger Hunts, collages, sculptures and more! They ran their activities on Thursday 23 May which was Outdoor Classroom Day, a global movement designed to make time outdoors a part of every child’s day.

We have also been learning about the role of documentation in early childhood education and the importance of recording the voice of the child. Please enjoy these reflections from the students – both young and old!

Ms Fiona Short
Working with Children teacher

It was so fun. I made a fish.  Olivia was fun to play with.  Olivia (Prep)

I had so much fun playing with Olivia. She was so funny and made me laugh! We found a game we played together so well. I am glad she had fun!

Olivia (Year 11)

I collected some nice leaves and I made out of them a cucumber! I live on the same street as Julie.  Sylvie (Prep)

Being partnered with Sylvie, who I had already met, allowed us to build a stronger connection -I even found out that she is my neighbour!  

Julie (Year 12)

I liked doing a treasure hunt with Alex. We had fun with Juliette. We throwed leaves on her!  Dottie (Prep)

It was so fun doing the Scavenger Hunt with Alex and Dottie. I loved jumping in the leaves! Juliette (Year 12)

Well, I was running down the hill and I spotted a pinecone. I was running down the hill so fast my buddy (Sophie) couldn’t even catch up with me! Elodie (Prep)

Elodie loved doing the Scavenger Hunt and told me how hard and easy some things were. Her energy, confidence and social skills were very exciting to explore. I hope to do more activities like this soon! Sophie (Year 12)

I liked making the letters of our names and we made them out of leaves and flowers. We made letters for Rosie, me and Felix.  Willow (Prep)

It was great playing with Willow and Rosie. I really liked getting to know them. It made me think back to when I was young and cared about different things. Felix (Year 11)

I liked playing with Sophie and I liked playing the game. Delilah was with me, we were cooking dinners for Sophie – and we put her on fire! 

Heidi (Prep)

We were playing a cooking game where you make stuff and I made a cake with leaves and pine-bark and Heidi made spaghetti!  Delilah (Prep)

I loved playing with Delilah and Heidi. It was fun to see how they used their imaginations. Sophie (Year 11)

We found a big fat leaf and it was red and we made a fish out of it. Ruby found a tiny little leaf on the way home. It was so small.  Natalia (Prep)

Natalia was joyful and outgoing. We bonded over princesses, our favourite colours and the shape of leaves. Ruby (Year 11)

We made myself out of sticks, leaves, dirt and flowers and rocks. We made me and Betsy.  Georgia (Prep)

It was really great to work with Georgia. We had a great deal of fun making stick portraits. The whole activity was enjoyable!  Betsy (Year 11)

This Prep class is full of funny, amazing girls who love to play with the older students! Olivia (Year 12)

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Spirit of National Simultaneous Storytime

On Wednesday 22 May, Pre-Kinder to Year 2 students celebrated National Simultaneous Storytime. Now in its 24th successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the curriculum. The book selected for this year’s storytime was Bowerbird Blues, written and illustrated by Aura Parker.  

Head of Junior School, Mrs Tania Gath, presented a fabulous reading of Bowerbird Blues. Afterwards, the students enjoyed various activities including building and decorating their own bowers, making bowerbirds from clay, and sketching and collaging bowerbirds.  

Mrs Meg Denman and Ms Sue Cole 

I loved seeing everyone from Year 1to Year 2, and the Prep students. Hannah 

I liked wearing my blue Elsa crown. Chloe  

I liked all the blue things like the ribbons that I wore in my hair. Esther

I liked making the bower with blue papers. I used brown paper that had little holes which I could thread the grasses through. Eleanor S 

I loved playing with my sister in the big tower. Echo 

 I liked going on the swings with my friend. Constance

I drew criss-crosses with the chalk. Penny  

I loved seeing everyone's blue clothing. Mila 

I loved Mrs Gath reading us the bowerbird story. Frankie G

I liked making a clay bowerbird and a bower out of dried grasses and string. Florence 

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Spirit of ArtRage

This month we took Art students from Years 9-12 to visit the ArtRage exhibition at the Long Gallery in Salamanca Place. ArtRage is an initiative of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) in Launceston.

We had three students from Visual Art 3 and Art Studio Practice 3 selected in the touring exhibition last year, Sophie Bury, Coco Butler, and Zara Pape. 

Each year, the exhibition tours from Launceston to Devonport and then Hobart. It is a snapshot of work produced across the state by Visual Art students and Art Studio Practice students in Years 11 and 12. It was great to see the variety of work on show.

Congratulations to the three Fahan Students who were selected for the exhibition. 

Ms Alex Pitt

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Spirit of the Science and Engineering Challenge

On 16 May, the YearS 9/10 Science Enrichment class, and a few Year 10 Science students, went to the University of Tasmania to participate in the Science and Engineering Challenge.

We competed against multiple schools, including Taroona High School and Mt Carmel. As a class, we were divided into colour groups. Throughout the day we completed different challenges at stations around a large room. The activities challenged our creativity and were extremely fun. Some of them included building a bridge, fish farming, providing electricity for a city, and building an earthquake-proof tower. We ended the day with a fantastic bridge building presentation which some of the year 10s participated in, and overall, we came 5th out of 7 schools. This was such an interesting and competitive challenge for us to participate in, and we are so grateful we were given this opportunity.  

By Sophie Bradfield and Ava Mignanelli 

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Spirit - Junior School Sport

Gymnastics

Congratulations to Klara Koch (Year 5) who competed in the National Tumbling Championships on the Gold Coast last week. Klara did an amazing job and placed 21^st out of 36 participants. In her first routine, Klara scored an 18, and in her second routine she scored a 19. Fantastic effort, Klara!

Years 3-6 House Cross Country Carnival

Congratulations to all the students who displayed wonderul Fahan spirit at the Junior School House Cross Country held on Thursday 30 May.  Results are being collated and will be announced in the next newsletter.   

Cross Country

The JSSATIS Cross Country will be held on Wednesday 12 June, with the first race starting at 12:00pm.  Girls will be informed of the initial team for the JSSATIS event. The trialling process will occur after the first training and I will communicate with all involved the logistics of this process.

Trainings for the JSSATIS team, and any girls who would like to run at Symmons Plains, will take place on Friday at lunchtimes, run by Hannah Sheen (Year 11) on the oval. Thank you, Hannah, for volunteering your time to help our younger runners in the School!

Mrs Katy Stewart
Junior Sport Coordinator
stewartk@fahan.tas.edu.au

Spirit - Senior School Sport

Cross Country

Congratulations to the Fahan Cross Country Team who competed in the SSATIS Cross Country at Soldiers Memorial Oval, Queens Domain, on Wednesday 22 May. It was a wonderful day with sunshine and mild conditions. The course is always challenging, with a long hill in the last half of the race, but every Fahan competitor ran their best and showed great determination. Everyone should be enormously proud of their efforts.

Congratulations to the following girls who were placed in the top 10 in their age group:

Under 13

Milla Gorringe – 8th 

Under 14

Lucy Meikle – 3^rd

Under 15

Ava Mignanelli - 7^th
Grace Buchanan – 9^th

Under 16

Pia Abberton – 2^nd

Open

Hannah Sheen – 8^th
Prue Clarke - 10^th

Fahan came 2^nd in the Aggregate Girls Shield. The Under 13s were 2nd in their pennant and the Under 15s were 3^rd.  Fahan also placed 3^rd in the Senior Shield and 3^rd in the Junior Shield. These are terrific results!

A team has been selected for the Tasmanian All Schools Cross Country which will be held at Symmons Plains on Thursday 13 June. We wish them all the best.

City to Casino Fun Run

Congratulations to all the Fahan runners who competed in the City to Casino Fun Run on Sunday 26 May. Fahan had runners in all the distances, and everyone should be commended on their efforts with many personal best times run. The true commitment was evident as it was a very chilly start!

Well done to the rowers as well who were busy cooking and selling egg and bacon rolls and coffee at the end of the race!

Basketball

On Friday 24 May, Captain of the JackJumpers, Clint Steindl, led our Years 7 – 10 students in a basketball clinic during their PE lessons and at lunchtime. With his expertise and passion, Clint helped develop skills, teamwork and confidence for the upcoming basketball rosters in Term 3. Our students thoroughly enjoyed this, and a big thank you goes to Clint!

Term 2 Sports Captains

Congratulations to the following Year 12 students who have been elected as Sports Captains for Term 2 1^st Grade sports:

Emily Bushby – Hockey

Sophie Bury – Australian Rules Football

Prue Clarke – Cross Country

Winter Sports Day

Winter Sports Day will be held on Wednesday 3 July. This is always a day filled with fierce Inter House Competition. All Senior School students take part in a variety of sports and games throughout the day, including Volleyball, Australian Rules Football, Flags, Dodgeball, Run the Gauntlet, Netball, Diamond Cricket and Mountain Bike Riding. The annual Students v Staff Soccer game will be held at lunchtime. This is always an exciting game and this year the students will be looking for a win after the Staff team have won for the past three years! The Tug of War at the end of the day is also a much anticipated event.

Term 3 Sport

Sports offered in Term 3 are –

• Basketball - Years 9 and 10, Years 7 and 8
• Aussie Rules Football - Years 9/10
• Badminton - Years 11 and 12
• Soccer 1^st and 2^nd Grade
• Netball 1^st and 2^nd Grade

An EdSmart will be sent to all Senior School students to sign up for Term 3 sport.

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

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Community - Land of Light Exhibition

Our Years 9 and 10 Art class recently visited the Land of Light exhibition by Lloyd Rees.

The three rooms were filled with his artworks made in the 1900s. His works were familiar places to us as they were set in Tasmania. Oil and watercolours on canvas were used to create pastel and dark colours. Some pieces were gloomier and darker while some were subtle and gestural. It was amazing to see such a successful artist with paintings set in Tasmania.

By Zara Bury

Community - Year 12 Fundraising Raffle

Are you ready for the ultimate game night experience?  You could win one of two corporate boxes for you and 7 friends at the Tasmania JackJumpers first home game of the 2024/2025 season, with third prize being a new 2024/2025 team signed jersey. 

Tickets are $100 each and there are only 460 tickets available. 

All proceeds will be donated to the Year 12 chosen charities, Variety Freya Fund and Care for Africa Foundation.

Don't miss out - buy your tickets today! 

Uniform Shop Reminder

Uniform items can be ordered online through the Flexischools website. You can also download the Flexischools App for  Apple or Android. 

All uniform orders placed via the Flexischools App will be delivered to Reception for Senior School orders and to the classrooms for Junior School orders on Tuesdays and Thursdays during term time. Please allow two days notice for delivery of orders placed before 4:00pm (three days for orders placed after 4:00pm).

If a uniform fitting is required, appointments can be made during term time by emailing uniformshop@fahan.tas.edu.au. 

Student Absence, Late Arrival or Early Departure

Notification of student absence for any reason, including illness, late arrival or early departure, should be submitted through the Fahan App, emailed to absence@fahan.tas.edu.au or advised by telephone on 6225 1064 or. Requests for planned absence (eg sporting events, family events, etc) are now also advised through the App and are no longer required to be submitted on the Request for Absence form.

Please do not email notifications of absence directly to teachers.

Community Notices

Fahan School Bus Service

For more information on the Fahan Bus Service, please click here or email buses@fahan.tas.edu.au

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