Fahan School eNewsletter

Principal's Report

Yesterday we were honoured to welcome Flight Lieutenant Emily Renshaw (Class of 2013), a third-generation Fahan alumna and Royal Australian Air Force pilot, to deliver the Travers Morphett Lecture after she was awarded the prestigious Gerdy Jevtic Medal. Emily’s journey from Fahan to the skies as a pilot has been filled with challenges, achievements and invaluable lessons. She was generous in sharing her experiences and advice.

Emily's message to our students was clear: embrace opportunities and involve yourself in various activities. She emphasised that stepping out of their comfort zones is not just a way to grow and learn, but a necessity. She highlighted the importance of following one’s dreams, even if they seem challenging or unconventional, and reminded us that passion drives success. Emily shared her experiences with failure and resilience, teaching us to view failures as opportunities for growth and self-improvement, and to be kind to ourselves during tough times.

Emily spoke about the value of seeking out and learning from mentors, whose lessons in kindness, resilience, and hard work can be invaluable. She also emphasised the importance of advocating for positive changes, even when it is difficult. She reminded us that significant changes start with individual actions and influence, and that we all have a responsibility to make the world a better place.

Emily urged our students to be brave and bold, to take paths less travelled, and to back themselves and their values, even when it is challenging. She reminded us all of the importance of kindness and compassion in our actions and decisions, and to always look out for our friends and teammates. Defining ourselves by our actions rather than just our achievements was another key message, as was the importance of continuous learning and growth throughout life.

Emily also encouraged our students to be grateful for the support they receive and to strive to give back when they can. Emily’s journey is a testament to the strength of character and the power of the education and values instilled here at Fahan. In my discussions with students after the Lecture, it seems that Emily definitely hit a chord with many. She made her journey seem like a goal they could also reach.

I sincerely thank Emily for delivering such a wonderful lecture and congratulate her on being awarded the 2024 Gerdy Jevtic Medal.

Staffing update:

Ms Lara Wojcik will be leaving us in mid-next term to take up a position teaching Japanese at The Friends’ School. Lara has made a valuable contribution to our Japanese program, and I know a highlight for our students was her attendance on the trip to Japan last year. We wish Lara all the very best with her new position.

Best wishes,

Meg Lawson

Learning in Pre-Kinder

Community connection continues to be a focus in our Pre-Kinder program, helping to give our children a strong sense of belonging to the local community and extending on the children’s learning with multiple opportunities.

We visited Dr Stewart this week to support the children’s emerging interest in science. Dr Stewart provided an experience that involved mixing oil and food colouring together and then dropping a fizzing tablet into the mix.
The children watched as bubbles began to form and these remained suspended in the solution, floating around. These sorts of experiments support the children’s ongoing interest and keenness in action and reaction.

Lisa, Vivienne, Moya, Hattie and Heena

Learning about Mushrooms in Prep

Inspired by discoveries at the Waterworks Reserve, Prep students have been growing different types of mushrooms in the classroom. They have delighted in learning what conditions help them thrive, why they are important in the bush, and why certain types are healthy to eat.

Prep students have also been amazed by the diversity and beauty of fungi. Students were excited to create little miniature mushroom fairy gardens in teacups. You might have seen these on the Solstice Lantern Walk!

Ms Kim Menadue

In Year 2 Maths, we have been looking at shapes and different types of lines.

We went to the gym to find some of the different types of lines, and we had to label the lines we could identify and also play the game of 'find-the-right-line'. Some of the lines we had to find were curved, parallel and perpendicular lines.

We also made shapes with our bodies and played a game of Pacman following the lines on the floor.

In the classroom we have created shapes using pipe cleaners and straws. We challenged our friends to guess the shape that we were describing, and we had to write down the number of corners, sides and what types of lines made up different shapes. We also picked shapes out of a box and compared with our partner's shape, figuring out what was the same and what was different.

On our classroom doors we used shapes made of paper to create cities.

On the iPads, we used the App, Geoboards, to create different lines and shapes and created pictures as well.

By Year 2

In Year 3, we have been learning about fractions in Maths. We have learnt that fractions are equal parts of a whole. We loved making our own Fractions Posters, where we chose a fraction and made a colourful poster to demonstrate our understanding of that fraction – for example, the symbol we use for it, what other fractions it is equivalent to, where we might see/use it in our everyday lives, what it looks like on a number line, and so on.

Fabulous work, everyone!

Mrs Nicole Bury

Learning about Cutebot Pro in Year 5

In Year 5 on Thursday mornings, we have DDT with Mrs Dalton and Mr Wood in the Tech Hub. DDT stands for Digital Design and Technology. We all really enjoy going down to the Hub because we can see some of the classrooms we will be in when we are in Year 7.

In these lessons we have been learning about micro bits and Smart Cutebot Pro’s. These are little robots that connect to your computer so you can download your programming, you can also program it to change the colour of its lights and add sounds. Due to the Years 11 and 12 exams, last week we had to do the lesson in our classroom and the breakout space, which is in front of the Years 5/6 classrooms. We got to program the robots further, making them move around drink bottles and other items. Although sometimes it was tricky to make it work, once we got the hang of it, we all really enjoyed it. Maybe we could become programmers for NASA, thanks to DDT. Thank you to Mrs Dalton and Mr Wood for teaching us how to program the Cutebots!

By Bonnie Pullinger and Charlotte Crowell, Year 5D.

Learning about Debating in the Junior School

The five Junior School Debating teams have had an amazing season. They are a credit to their team and School. Each fortnight they have planned and prepared debates, giving up their recess and lunch breaks to support team members and ensure that they are prepared.

Below are a number of comments from the debaters:

At the start it was stressful and I was procrastinating. Now I have my debate ready three days before the real thing. It has been a challenge but I succeeded! – Juliet

It was really nerve-racking at the start but now I’m starting to get the hang of it. Debating is fun and exciting. I’m so glad that I signed up. – Claire

I have really enjoyed Years 5/6 Debating. As I debated last year, this year I was able to improve my techniques. I am looking forward to the possibility of Senior School Debating. – Freya

I loved Debating and it was a great experience for me. – Eleanor

At first I thought it would be very scary but when I debated, I loved it, especially rebuttals. -Esther C

I really enjoyed Debating, even though I thought I was going to faint in my first debate. – Scarlett

This term was so good! Debating has made me far more confident at public speaking. It was my first time, but everything went well. – Esther M

I think it was fun to learn about Debating. – Willow

It was so much fun to learn how to debate and I think it would be a great idea for everyone to have the debating experience. – Sofia M

It was a great experience to learn how to be rational but persuasive at the same time. – Carla

I thought it was fun to do Debating and it was really nerve-racking at the start. But if you get used to it, it’s really enjoyable. – Zoey

This has been a wonderful experience and I feel like I have greatly improved since last year. It has helped me with my public speaking and I look forward to the opportunities it will provide in the future. – Maddy

Even though I haven’t been able to debate this term, I have learnt many things that I didn’t know before. – Rosie

Through my term of Debating I found the more you debate, the less stress you have while you are organising your debate. – Saige

I found the Debating season to be a great experience, and it definitely encouraged me to think outside the box for some of the topics. – Mahveen

I learnt so much and it was a joy to experience. I love Debating and cannot wait for next year. – Emmaline

At the start I was really nervous, but now I am very confident about public speaking. – Amelie

Debating is definitely a life skill, it helps you develop public speaking skills and makes you think differently about a topic. – Leila

Debating is a good skill and you will know how to do it when you’re older and you can teach other people. - Ava

Mrs Susan Wright

Learning about Sustainability in Years 5/6

Students in the Years 5/6 Sustainability class invented their own items from recycled items after scouring the School bins. After giving the items a good clean, these young eco-warriors crafted an array of interesting items, from decorative pieces to practical gadgets. Their innovative projects showcased not only their artistic talents, but also highlighted the importance of recycling and reusing materials.

Mrs Ingrid Heather

Frankie, Bonnie C and I made a sustainable water dispenser from using a straw, water bottle and cardboard. We cut the cardboard as a cover for the drink bottle, cut a hole and stuck the straw in, then hot glued it in place. It works when you squeeze the bottle and air pushes the liquid out from the straw. As soon as you stop squeezing the bottle the liquid stops. Engineering our product was fun. Chloe Geason

Learning about the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

On 18 June, the Year 7s went on an excursion to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. We went there to find out more information about a personal interest project that we have been working on in class. There were many topics available for us to choose from for our research. Some people chose megafauna, shells, traditional dancing and singing, landmarks, a biography of Fanny Cochrane Smith, and other areas that have been a part of Australia’s history.

When we arrived at the museum, we sat in a circle on the floor as Ms Short showed us some interesting artefacts that the museum had put in a teacher's backpack with cards of information. We passed around items like a kelp basket, shells and ochre rocks. Once we had all learnt interesting things about these items, we went off to where our interest was displayed at the museum. Even if it wasn’t our interest display, we still found out new and fascinating information about many displays.

On this excursion we saw a lot of new things. We enjoyed looking at the cultural artefacts that the First Nations people of Australia used when things like what we use nowadays didn’t exist. We also saw a lot of other things like shell necklaces, mutton bird oil and different animals. We also learnt a lot about cultural ceremonies and the singing and dancing that was used and is still used to pass down stories from the past.

Overall, we really enjoyed learning about the deep-time history of Australia and hope we can do something like this again.

By Niamh Hunter and Charlotte Bradfield

In preparation for the Year 9 Fahan 4 Life Entrepreneur unit, we welcomed two local entrepreneurs as guest speakers: Rose Flynn from Snugglebuds and Rachel Vasicek from Francesca Jewellery.

Their presentations detailed the importance of finding your passion and being intrinsically motivated; meaning striving for something you find enjoyable for its immanent satisfaction rather than for external reward or recognition. They spoke openly about perseverance and the setbacks they encountered, such as forgotten insurance, and how they viewed these failures as learnings and opportunities for growth.

This echoes the messages we have been given in Fahan 4 Life around knowing and playing to your strengths, thinking big, hoping (with a plan) and making a difference for others.

Rachel from Francesca shared their personal business statement: “Success means nothing unless you are giving back”, which is their mantra for finding ways to put the community at the forefront of what they do and supporting charity.

We would like to thank Rose and Rachel for their time and for sharing their invaluable knowledge and experiences with us.

By Sarah Berner

I really enjoyed learning about Rose and Rachel’s journey in creating a successful business. It was very interesting to hear how they overcame challenges and persevered to follow their dreams. Ava

I liked the business stories that Rose shared; she is very inspiring. Holly

I enjoyed learning about how they followed their dreams, even when problems occurred, and saw them as learning experiences. Alice

I enjoyed learning about their entrepreneurial businesses and how they got there. I also enjoyed the little gifts the owner of Snugglebuds gave to us. Eliza

I enjoyed learning about the cash flow quadrant and found Rose’s different businesses very interesting. Grace

I liked learning about how they built their businesses and I really like the Snugglebuds socks we were given, they are really comfy! Holly

Rachel's story was really inspiring and shows how much effort goes into running a business and becoming an entrepreneur. Mieke

Music, Movement, Arts and Loose Parts!

On Wednesday morning, the Working with Children students visited the Lady Gowrie Pre-Kinder, to meet the very youngest members of our Fahan community.

The students were given the task of working together to plan an arts-based activity for a small group of 3 and 4 year-old children. They had to think about an age-appropriate activity, plan what materials they would need, and decide how they would engage the children.

Sophie B and Juliette sang Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes, did the Hokey-Pokey, and even took song requests! Olivia B and Betsy danced up a storm, while Ruby and Sophie T prepared a painting station for the children. Felix, Julie and Olivia F engaged in ‘loose parts play’ and supported the children to make a variety of sculptures, including trees and towers.

The Working with Children students ran their activity four times, as the Pre-Kinder groups rotated around the room. This gave them the opportunity to refine the implementation of their activities, as they built on their skills of interacting with the children and engaging them in their learning.

We would like to thank the wonderful children and educators at Lady Gowrie (particularly Lisa and Heena) for welcoming us so warmly. This opportunity allowed the Working with Children students to have a very authentic and rewarding practical experience.

Ms Fiona Short

On Tuesday 25 June, Kindergarten to Year 2 students and their families enjoyed a lantern walk.

We met on the Boarders Flat after collecting our lanterns from Nateby. We then shared our Acknowledgement of Country before heading off to explore the different displays and installations with our families.

We saw the tropical jungle inside the Art room, there were colourful birds created by Kinder, lots of green trees, sand and bright flowers.

The Preps had created a fairy tunnel, with toadstools, fairies, fungi, flowers and plants all lit up by some sparkly fairy lights. There were twisting vines and twinkling mirrors.

Projected onto the brick wall was Mrs Parsons’ slideshow showing our excursion to Earthenry Flower Farm.

In Kinder, there were clay Gruffalos, silhouettes and hands we had made in the sandpit, and there were lanterns in trees too.

In the staffroom window, there was a display showing our drawings of rosellas and the bird itself (in a box)!

Outside Years 1 and 2 there were stars hanging in the tree and in the windows that had been created in various ways. There was also a mural showing the changes in a tree over the seasons created by the Gardening Vertical Group. There were some starry night paintings on the Year 1 door and a city nightscape on the Year 2 doors.

Year 6 dressed up some skeletons who appeared to be enjoying reading!

Many of us ended up at the firepit where we heard some bagpipes, before we headed home.

Written by Year 2

During Semester 1, the Fahan School Performance Club has been running as a co-curricular activity for students in Years 7-11. The students have rehearsed several times a week to develop a production called In the Mix, a remix of scenes, songs and dances from their favourite musical and plays.

This week, the group performed three incredible shows to varied audiences and showcased a wide range of talent from the very first scene of Welcome to Hawkins from the musical Stranger Sings! By Jonathan Hogue to the dance sequence in We go Together from the musical Grease. In addition to the musical pieces, audiences were treated to excerpts from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wild to contemporary scenes from In Cahoots by Melissa Reeves. Ten scenes and musical pieces were carefully woven throughout with integrated special effects to produce an outstanding production. A huge round of applause goes to the dedication and creativity of Fahan Drama teacher and director, Christine Best, and everyone involved in this artistic endeavour!

Over the past two weeks, OAS students embarked on a day excursion to Sand River, as part of their Outdoor Adventure Class, focusing on developing their rock-climbing skills. In preparation for this trip, the students have been honing their climbing abilities over the last three weeks by visiting a bouldering gym and an indoor climbing facility.

Rock climbing, particularly in an outdoor environment, is a team effort. The students are learning the critical importance of clear communication, trust and collaboration. Each climber depends on their belaying partner for safety, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie within the group. These teamwork skills are not only crucial for climbing but also applicable to various aspects of life.

To wrap up the term, we organised a hot chocolate challenge to help students develop their culinary skills using a Trangia stove.

Mrs Stacey Maley

On Thursday 27 June, the prestigious Gerdy Jevtic Medal for 2024 was presented to Fahan Alumna, Flight Lieutenant Emily Renshaw, Class of 2013. Emily is a Pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor in the Royal Australian Air Force, recently celebrating 10 years of service and is currently serving overseas in New Zealand on exchange with the New Zealand Defence Force.

Emily addressed Fahan senior students in Years 7-12, in addition to a number of former students, parents and teachers. Emily spoke about how she drew inspiration from her mother and former teachers, emphasising traits such as kindness, resilience, work ethic, and boldness, while stressing the importance of living boldly, following one's dreams, and maintaining kindness and compassion. She encouraged our students to be brave, embrace learning from both successes and failures, and to fight for their beliefs while supporting their peers. Emily also talked about the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone to embrace opportunities and pursue dreams.

I really enjoyed listening to Emily speak about how “you have to be your own best friend.” When your best friend is experiencing self-doubt, you try to uplift and encourage them. Therefore, when you’re doubting yourself, you need to be your own best friend in that situation. Ivy Dickson

This year’s TM Lecture stood out to me. Lieutenant Emily Renshaw delivered an inspiring speech, maintaining constant engagement with the audience. The values she spoke about were not only relevant to aspiring Air Force pilots but to everyone in the room. Her achievements in her short time in the Royal Australian Air Force are remarkable, including becoming the first Australian female to achieve Aircraft Captaincy on the C-27J Spartan. Ava McGlone

Later in the program, the Pride of Fahan Alumni Award was presented by Fahan School Alumni Association Co-President, Fiona Pringle-Jones, to Year 11 student, Nina McLean. This Award provides Nina with $2,500 to assist her achieve her dream of travelling to Italy to play inline hockey for Australia in August. Congratulations, Nina and we wish you all the very best!

All Schools Cross Country

Last Tuesday, 42 students participated in the All Schools Cross Country at Symmons Plains. Despite the cold weather, the sun was shining, providing perfect running conditions. The course included challenging hills and many rabbit holes. It was fantastic to see all the girls put in their best effort and finish with big smiles.

Special congratulations go to Maggie Davies and Violet Geappen for finishing in the top 20 of their age group. Many thanks to Mrs Susan Wright and Mrs Nic Bury for accompanying the girls on the bus trip.

Interschool Cross Country

The Interschool Cross Country was held last Thursday, and the weather on the backup day turned out to be worse than the original date. The conditions were far from ideal, with heavy rain and very cold temperatures. Despite this, it was fantastic to see all the Fahan girls give it their best effort and run their hearts out. Congratulations to Sophie Boyes (3rd), Violet Geappen (1st), and Maggie Davies (3rd) for finishing in the top three for their year group.

Netball

This week marked the final games for the Years 3/4 and 5/6 netball rosters. It has been a joy to watch all the teams throughout the term and witness their improvement. Well done to everyone who played netball this term and represented Fahan with positive sportsmanship on the court! A big thank you to all the volunteer coaches and managers for their dedication and support.

Hockey

On Saturday, the final hockey games of the season will be played. We had three hockey teams across Years 1-6. A special thank you goes to the Year 4 students for stepping up to help the Years 5/6 team when they were low on numbers. Thank you to the coaches and managers for their dedication and support throughout the season.

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

Hockey

Congratulations to the 2^nd Grade Hockey Team for winning the SSATIS Grand Final on Monday 24 June. This team was undefeated all season and played a tough game in the final against The Friends’ School. Thank you to Mrs Buchanan for coaching this team and giving them such an enjoyable term of hockey.

The 1^st Grade hockey team has also completed their season. Thanks to Anna Wilson for coaching and Sarah Bushby for managing this team.

Badminton

On Friday 28 June there will be four Fahan teams playing in the Southern Badminton Finals at STBA. The Year 7 White, Year 8A, Year 9 Fahan 1 and Year 10 teams have all made the grand final for their competition. We wish them the very best and look forward to hearing the results.

Congratulations to all the other teams for their efforts throughout the season. This year there has been a significant increase in the number of badminton players at Fahan which was great to see. Thank you Mrs Chartrain, Ms Anderson and Mrs Buchanan for coaching these teams on a Friday lunchtime. Thanks also goes to the parents who managed the teams at games.

Winter Sports Day

Winter Sports Day will be held on Wednesday 3 July.

Team lists are on the Tree on the Senior Sport Page. We are looking forward to an exciting day with plenty of inter-House rivalry and spirit!

As always, the annual Staff v Students soccer game will be an exciting part of the day. This is always very competitive, and the students will be doing their best to get a win after staff have taken the crown for the past 3 years!

Inter House Swimming Carnival

The Inter House Swimming Carnival will take place in week 2 of Term 3 on Thursday 1 August at The Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre from 9:30am to 3:00pm. All students from Year 7 to Year 12 are to attend the Carnival and are expected to swim in an event. Anyone unable to swim on the day due to injury or sickness is to email or send a letter from their parents to myself and their Pastoral Care Teacher.

An EdSmart notice will be sent shortly and the sign up form for the Carnival will emailed to all students.

Swimming training will begin in week 3. Training sessions will be at the Collegiate Pool and the times and dates for these will be finalised soon.

SSATIS Swimming Carnival – Thursday 29 August at DKHAC

SATIS Swimming Carnival – Wednesday 18 September at DKHAC

Term 3 Sport

Term 3 sport sign ups have now closed, and teams are currently being finalised. All games and matches begin in week 2 of Term 3. Rosters and team lists will be on the Tree on the Senior Sport page shortly.

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

Office Hours During Holidays

The School Office will be closed from Monday 8 - Friday 12 July and will reopen on Monday 15 July from 9:00am - 3:30pm. The Office will also be closed on Monday 22 July.

Expression 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

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!

Get in quick and get your raffle tickets here!

Community - New Fahan Rowing Fundraiser

We are very excited to launch our latest fundraising project for Fahan Rowing. We hope our amazing community can assist the School's Rowing program in realising its highest priority needs. With our community's help we aim to purchase a new four/quad and up to a half dozen new single boats. While our older boats are still safe and comfortable, they have seen better racing days. We would greatly appreciate community support to help us acquire these new boats, especially as the School plans to race at the Nationals next year at Lake Barrington, an exciting event for us on home turf.

Donations can be made through the School's fundraising partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.

Please show your support and click here https://asf.org.au/projects/fahan-school/new-fahan-boats-202425 to donate today!

Yours sincerely,

Steve Lambert
Director of Rowing

Community - Fahan School Fair Donations!

The Parents & Friends Association have planning well underway for our School Fair to be held on 18 October 2024 and we're excited to showcase our School to the Community.

We are calling on the generosity of our School Community for donations to assist us in this important fundraising event.

Class Group Stalls

Our class reps have been fantastic in their enthusiasm in formulating plans for their stalls and many are busily working to secure donations that will enable them to produce some amazing items for sale and result in a successful fundraising effort for the School.

Plant Stall - Call for Grandparent Helpers

We are hoping to continue with the very popular Plant Stall again this year and are calling for some keen grandparents who are willing to work at the stall in short stints. The P&F is happy to facilitate the collection of donations between now and the Fair (look out for an EdSmart request!) but it would be fantastic if your daughter's grandparents would be willing to help out. We are likely to need 6-8 grandparents happy to do 30 minute stints. Please contact me at pandf@fahan.tas.edu.au if you can help.

Donations

From the start of Term 3 we will be seeking donations of the following items:

Donations of bottled wine
Donations of plants, seedlings, small trees for the Plant Stall
Donations of prizes for the Chocolate Wheel

We will be sending out an EdSmart notice with instructions on how you can donate and would appreciate your support.

Michael O'Connor
President
P&F Association

Community - Lady Gowrie Vacation Care

Registrations for Vacation Care are now open.

LG_Vacation_Care_Fahan_Winter_2024.pdf

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.