Fahan School eNewsletter

Principal's Report

Last week, Fahan was proud to be named in the top 100 independent schools in the nation and achieved second place in Tasmania. This recognition reflects the dedication of our students, staff, and families working together, and affirms our commitment to providing excellent education while maintaining the supportive values of Learning, Spirit and Community that define our School.

Today I had the great pleasure of attending the presentation ceremony for the Whitlam Institute 'What Matters' writing competition. I am pleased to announce that Emma Schoeman has achieved remarkable success, not only winning the Year 9/10 category of this highly competitive competition, but she also claimed the state prize. This double achievement showcases Emma’s exceptional writing talent. Emma has been invited to travel to Sydney to participate in the national presentation ceremony, where she will join other outstanding young writers from across Australia.

As we celebrate these achievements, we also want to ensure our students continue to thrive both academically and socially. All parents/carers of students in Years 7-10 are invited to attend an important parent information session on Tuesday evening, 12 August. We are pleased to welcome psychologist Lisa Ford from The Resilience Co, who will present on "Navigating Friendship and Mean Behaviour", which is a topic that addresses one of the most significant challenges facing adolescents today. Ms Ford will provide practical strategies and insights to help parents support their children through the complex social dynamics of the teenage years.

This session promises to be both informative and empowering, offering evidence-based approaches to help your child build resilience, develop healthy relationships, and navigate challenging social situations with confidence. We strongly encourage all eligible parents to attend this valuable session. Lisa has presented to staff in the Junior and Senior Schools earlier in the year and will run some sessions with students in Years 7 and 8.

Best wishes,

Meg Lawson

Learning about Art in Kindergarten

In Kindergarten, the children have created the most magical self-portraits as part of our portrait series. We worked with Ms Maroney in Hedgelands to design, draw and collage large format portraits. Long lashes, bright eyes and bold colours have made for the perfect pieces of Art.

Mrs Rebecca Wiggins

Earlier this week, Prep students visited the Waterworks Reserve as part of their regular Forest School program. Amidst the usual exploring, play, and adventure in the beautiful surroundings, there was also time to extend their inquiry learning about materials.

Students participated in a nature walk and collected objects to sort into two groups: those that were man-made and those that were natural.

Back in the classroom, students were introduced to the scientific process and set up an experiment to investigate which objects break down the fastest - natural or man-made.

Ms Kim Menadue

This week is Dental Health Week and as a part of this, Year 2 had some special tooth fairies visit us from the Moonah Dental Centre to talk about mouth and tooth health.

We learned some new things and had some good reminders about things we already knew. We found out why keeping a healthy mouth is so important. We practiced removing plaque, we dressed up as dentists and were decorated like a tooth fairy!

On Wednesday 6 August, Year 3 students had a fun excursion to Rock It, the indoor climbing centre in the city.

The aim of this excursion was to provide students with the opportunity to use their fundamental movement skills in challenging and adventurous activities. The venue provided a controlled environment for students to step out of their comfort zones and extend themselves. It was also a wonderful opportunity for team building and developing an awareness of the importance of supporting each other when facing new challenges.

Fabulous teamwork, everyone!

Mrs Nicole Bury

In Term 3, the Year 4 classroom has been buzzing with excitement using the brand-new KaiBots.

The KaiBots are small programmable robots that respond to code written by the students. These friendly little robots helped bring coding and creativity to life!

The coders practiced making the bots:

Move forward, backward, turn and even dance.
Light up with different colours and paired these to emotions.
Beep and interact with their surroundings; and
Some students even created obstacle courses and timed races—turning logic into fun!

We felt like trial-blazers as we were the first school in Australia to borrow the KaiBot Kit from the CSER Lending Library.

Mr David Hodgman
Digital Technology Teacher

Learning about Spelling in Year 5

Each morning in Year 5, the students have Spelling Mastery time.

The girls are split into two groups across the Year 5 cohort and participate in learning important spelling rules. We then complete reading fluency tasks which incorporate our Spelling Mastery spelling words for the week. We read independently, together, with a partner and as a choral group. The students also answer comprehension questions relating to the text they have been reading. The text could be a narrative, information text or readers theatre, for example.

The girls are working hard to improve their prosody of speech during this time.

Below are a few pictures of the girls during our partnered reading time.

Mrs Ursula Dalton

Learning in a Writer's Workshop in Year 6

Year 6 students were thrilled to take part in a dynamic writer’s workshop led by Fahan alumna, Arianne James (Class of 2014).

From the moment the session began, the room buzzed with creativity as students wrote with intensity and enthusiasm, inspired by Arianne’s passion and storytelling expertise. The incursion not only sparked their imaginations but also offered a glimpse into the world of professional writing.

I really enjoyed how the teacher guided us through exercises without muting any of our creativity or imagination. Carla Hutchinson

Learning about Wastewater in Year 8 Science

In Week 1 this term, both Year 8 classes took a trip to Self’s Point. What is Self’s Point, I hear you wondering? It’s an area out near Cornelian Bay where TasWater have their Wastewater Treatment Plant. Why on earth did we want to go there? We have been learning about Mixtures in Science and the methods that scientists can use to separate parts of a mixture. The wastewater that we all generate in our homes, schools and businesses is a mixture, and TasWater works hard to separate the waste parts from the water part, so that we can re-use the water. We visited a number of different parts of the treatment plant, from (more to come!)

“I enjoyed the Tas Water sewage tour because it was fascinating to see how science is applied in real-world water treatment, especially when explained by smart and innovative women with Bachelor of Science degrees. Their expertise and clear communication made the complex process easy to understand and engaging.” (Audrey Cox)

“One thing I learnt during the tour at Tas Water was just how many sewerage treatment plants there are in Tasmania - over 100! There are also 50 water treatment plants. I really enjoyed learning about different people's jobs within Tas Water”. (Mia Stoklosa)

Ms Felicity Jacobs

On the final day of Term 2, as part of the Physical Education ‘making active choices’ unit, all Year 10s travelled to My State Bank Arena to experience Ice Skating at the Shiver pop-up. All students thoroughly enjoyed the session and not only learnt new techniques but also had fun with their peers.

We were lucky to have some very experienced skaters who facilitated the session. They showed us some of their incredible skills and also taught us some tricks to try ourselves, some with the help of the skate assists.

We learnt that skating is hard work (many of us fell over) and is a great way to be active.

By Mieke Atkinson and Margot Bradford

On Wednesday 6 August, Kindergarten children proudly celebrated National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day - a day dedicated to recognising the strength, culture, and future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

This year’s theme, “Little Footsteps, Big Future,” celebrates the journey of children growing strong in culture, guided by community and connection to Country.

We were thrilled to meet our hosts from Leprena who put together a fabulous day, which included a Welcome to Country, cultural dancing, and shared lunch, bringing everyone together in celebration and learning.

SNAICC, the National Voice for our Children shares:

“Children’s Day is an opportunity for all Australians to show their support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and learn about the impact that culture, family and community play in their lives.”

We are proud to walk alongside our children as they grow with strength, identity and purpose.

Mrs Meg Denman

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is held every year on 4 August. It is an opportunity for all Australians to show their support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and learn about the impact that culture, family and community play in the life of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child.

The 2025 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day theme Little Footsteps, Big Future honours the journeys children take as they grow.

5W students spent time on Monday 4 August writing poetry based on their knowledge and understandings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture.

Mrs Susan Wright

The Stolen Generation - By Bobbie, Arya and Claudia

Taken from their land,
Losing all they know.

Traditions washed away,
Culture lost in the waves.

They thought that they were right,
But they only caused a fight.

Families ripped apart,
Left with only broken hearts.

They ended so many stories,
And left them with no glory.

They heard the cries
But they just spit lies.

We hope they understand
All the damage they did to the culture and the land.

Truganini - By Scarlett, Dorothy, Lucy and Phoebe

We acknowledge Truganini's background and the struggles she went through.

We realise that Truganini requested to be buried in a particular location, but they didn't listen to what she wanted. Truganini's wishes should have been respected.

We hope in the future it will be like today, where the Aboriginal people get the respect they should have had a long time ago.

We know that some of our history is wrong, but now Australians have changed and we now show respect for all people no matter how they look or where they come from.

We Watch - By Iris

We watch our beautiful land burn to a crisp
By the people in power.

They think they are right
By taking our rights.

They made us fight for our food, family and freedom.

They say they'll make peace,
But we watch everything torn piece by piece.

Friends turn to enemies as they slowly drift away
And we're the ones who will pay.

Our land has been scarred for years and years to come.

Some memories have been lost,
Some have yet to be forgotten.

We try to reconnect with our elders,
But the distance is just too far.

We try with all our might
But we can't fight the years of loneliness.

But when we see the light, we will reach for the stars.

Connection to Country - By Edith

The harmony of the sounds of nature is peaceful. The warm earth beneath my feet makes me happy.

This is my connection to the land

The perfect balance of aromas belongs here.
Water from the creek makes a good feeling come to me.

This is my connection to the waterways

Big birds fly in the clear skies overhead.
The shining stars lead me to my home at dark.

This is my connection to the skies

My family wraps me in their warmth as we walk across our country together.
The dry earth beneath my feet, the quiet sloshing of the water in the creek, the clear skies that put me to sleep.

This is my connection to my country

The Way We Hope - By Arabella

We hear the children call as the elders walk along.

Calls from birds can be heard in the distance.

The children splash and play in the creek,

While the elders seek the future for them, that lies deep.

The elders hope it will be safe and kind,

But they suspect it will all end up left behind.

Oh, how they wonder how to fix it, the tough ways of the world. The wind blows as the elder's drift away to the dream time. The world is tough and scary, but they won't stop trying.

Spirit of The Great Book Swap

This week, Kinder to Year 2 students hosted The Great Book Swap.

The Great Book Swap is a fantastic way to celebrate the joy of reading while learning more about Indigenous languages and cultures. It also supports a great cause - raising funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, which helps provide books and literacy resources to remote Indigenous communities.

Each student was invited to bring in a book in good condition that they were happy to donate. Students then made a gold coin donation and had the opportunity to choose a “new” book from the collection of donated books.

It was wonderful to come together to share stories, support literacy, and celebrate the power of books!

Mrs Meg Denman

It has become somewhat of a tradition in Year 1 to celebrate 100 days of school with a party!

As a class, we routinely add an icy pole stick to a jar each day, which quickly becomes sorted into tens and ones. This gives us a daily opportunity to discuss place value and to witness how much faster our counting becomes when we group numbers together.

Our special party day consisted of games, dancing, counting, estimating, wearing crowns, singing karaoke and many other fun-filled activities. We even enjoyed a big slice of ‘100 Cake’.

We are all interested to discover how many more days we have left in the school year and will be continuing the count until the very last day!

Mrs Sarah Parsons

Our Year 6 students had a wonderful week with our visitors from Tokyo Jogakkan, one of our sister schools in Japan.

From dressing up in beautiful kimonos and sipping matcha at a traditional tea ceremony, to mastering Japanese calligraphy and playing games together - our students got a true taste of Japanese culture.

Meanwhile, our Tokyo guests embraced Australian life by cooking local recipes, meeting native wildlife at Bonorong Wildlife Park and enjoying the scenery on a bushwalk through the Alum Cliffs.

It was a fabulous week of friendship, learning, and cultural exchange.

Last Thursday we had the Year 7 Friendship Fair. This event involved the Year 7 students investigating an important issue related to friendship which was identified through a survey that each student completed. They then had to work collaboratively to find a way to creatively share their understandings with others, in this case their audience was the Year 5 and 6 students.

The Year 7s explored the concepts of belonging, inclusion and celebrating diversity. The topics they investigated included dealing with unkind online behaviour, alternatives to talking behind people’s backs and how to respond when jokes go too far. Some of the activities at the Friendship Fair included boardgames, posters, brochures, short movies, online quizzes, game shows and even some physical challenges!

Congratulations to the Year 7s for their fantastic work and thank you to the Years 5 and 6 students for being such eager participants in the 2025 Friendship Fair.

I thought it was good to be able to work with different people. Abi

I liked that everyone got to work together and be creative. Eve

It was really cool to see how all the stalls were so different. Even thought they were all about friendship, they were all very different. Essie

I think the Year 5 and Year 6 students really liked how interactive the Friendship Fair was. Millie

Ms Fiona Short

A group of dedicated students of French participated in the annual Concours de l’Alliance Française at the end of Term 2. Competing against students from other Tasmanian schools, our students crafted posters, recited poetry, tested their comprehension, and conversed with the judges. (The categories vary according to each age group.)

Here are the excellent results earned by our students, thanks to their hard work and diligent preparation:

Year 5/6 Poster:
Equal 3^rd Prize - Ella O’Connor

Year 5/6 Poetry:
1^st Prize - Mahveen Mudasir
Honorable Mention - Claudia Garrott, Carla Hutchinson
Hors Concours Prize - Amélie Théron

Year 7 Poetry:
2^nd Prize - Viky Haslemova
Honorable Mention - Rose Page

Year 8 Poetry:
2^nd Prize - Caroline Senkbeil
Honorable Mention - Charlotte Bradfield, Deeksha Dharmapuri

Year 9 Poetry:
Honorable Mention - Grace Costelloe

Year 9 Reading Comprehension:
Honorable Mention - Myla Philp, Lauren Stanelos

Year 10/Level 2 Poetry:
1^st Prize - Tiger Somerville
Honorable Mention - Charlotte Greenaway

Year 10/Level 2 Conversation:
Equal 1^st Prize - Sarah Berner
Honorable Mention - Charlotte Greenaway, Caidynce McLaughlin, Lilie von Savageri

Level 3 Poetry:
Hors Concours Prize - Pia Abberton
Honorable Mention - Kate Edwards

Level 3 Aural Comprehension:
Hors Concours Honorable Mention - Pia Abberton

Ms Holly Lutzow

Les montagnes de France

The Years 5 and 6 classes learnt about the mountain ranges of France in their French lessons last term. Students looked at where Les Alpes, Les Pyrénées, Le Massif Central, Le Jura, Les Vosges and La Corse are situated on the map, and how the highest peak in Europe – Mont Blanc – is in France. They discovered that young mountains are tall and pointy while old mountains are shorter and rounder on top due to erosion caused by wind and water. Students selected and researched a French mountain or mountain range and created posters for the Concours de l’Alliance Française. Below are some examples of their work.

Ms Holly Lutzow

Spirit of Arts Week

Arts Week in the Senior School was a celebration of artistic expression, showcasing our students' creativity, talent, and imagination.

Led by Year 12 Arts Chair, Nina McLean, with the support of Ms Alex Pitt, Mrs Camm, Ms Christine Best, the week offered a vibrant program for all. Students took part in a wide range of activities, from hands-on ceramics workshops and colourful chalk art displays to musical performances.

A standout was the annual House Dance competition, where Fenton, Franklin and Freycinet took to the stage with energy and creativity. Each House delivered a unique student-choreographed routine inspired by this year’s theme of Spirit, with Freycinet taking out the win.

The week concluded on a high with some Lip Sync performances, an art-themed Kahoot! quiz and a high-energy round of Just Dance led by the Year 12 students.

Arts Week 2025 was a wonderful celebration of the arts at Fahan. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making it such a memorable week.

Basketball
The JSSATIS basketball rosters commenced on Thursday 31 July, with eight teams proudly representing Fahan across Years 3–6. The girls played their first games last week and, by all accounts, everyone performed brilliantly – with plenty of goals scored!

A huge thank you goes to all our wonderful volunteers who are coaching and managing the teams. Your support makes these opportunities possible.

Good luck to all players for the rest of the season. I am looking forward to seeing all the teams in action over the coming weeks.

Reminders:

Years 3/4 basketball teams train on Mondays at lunchtime
Years 5/6 basketball teams train on Tuesdays at lunchtime

Students are encouraged to bring sports shoes to wear if they are in formal uniform.
If your child is unable to play in a game, please let their coach, team manager, or myself know so we can ensure there are enough players each week.

Please also remember to check Clipboard before each game for any roster updates or cancellations.

Junior House Athletics Carnival
Our Junior House Athletics Carnival will be held in Week 7 on Thursday 4 September. Events will begin at 10:30am and conclude around 2:30pm. Parents and families are welcome to come along and cheer on the girls. A program, including event times, will be shared closer to the day.

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

Spirit - Senior School Sport

Term 3 Sport
Term 3 Sports have begun and Fahan has teams competing in rosters for Basketball, Hockey, Netball, Badminton, Soccer, and Swimming. We wish our teams the best for the season. Thank you to all coaches and team managers.

Inter House Swimming Carnival
The Inter-House Swimming Carnival was held at The Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre on Tuesday 28 July. It was an exciting day with plenty of House spirit. Congratulations to Franklin for winning the House Swimming Cup.

Congratulations also to the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Swimming Champions.

Junior Champion - Maggie Davies

Junior Runner-Up - Sasha Miles

Intermediate Champion - Poppy Davies

Intermediate Runner-Up - Islay Smith

Senior Champion - Ella Baird

Senior Runner-Up - Mairin Fryer

The SSATIS Swimming Carnival will be held on Thursday 28 August at The Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre, from 10:00am – 2:45pm. The training schedule is on the Senior Sport page on the Tree.

Rowing
A reminder that the Rowing Information Evening will be held on Wednesday 13 August in the TM Hall from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. This information evening is for parents and students who are interested in Rowing in the 2025/2026 Rowing season.

Bowls
On Monday 27 July, eight Fahan students visited the Sandy Bay Bowls Club to celebrate 180 years of bowls in Australia. The students took part in a series of modified games and received expert coaching from Rebecca van Asch, a long-standing member of the national team. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and we look forward to returning to continue developing our skills on the green.

Tasmanian Representation
Congratulations to the following students who have recently represented Tasmania in their respective sports:

Rosie Nation – Hockey

Sadie Hardcastle – Netball

Pia Abberton – Cross Country

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

Melanie Milbourne, who is working on her 100^th romance novel, came to work with our English Studio 3 class, sharing her expertise as a published writer, her tips and tricks, as well as regaling us with wonderful stories of inspiration and practice.

We were delighted to learn of her craft and we look forward to sharing again with her as we edit and polish our folios.

Mrs Susan Stokes

Community - Variety Monster Book Fair

Variety, the Childrens' Charity, supports kids who are sick, disadvantaged or living with disability. They aim to help every child exceed their full potential no matter their background. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and to dream, and Variety helps when others can’t.

With lots of charity events, funding and grants, Variety works to give every Australian child a fair go. The annual Variety Monster Book Fair is one of Variety’s biggest events, where thousands of pre-loved books, CDs, DVDs and games are on offer for an amazing bargain.

The Variety Monster Book Fair returned to PW1 this year on the 5th and 6th of July to share literacy and the joy of reading to every child. The day was full of fun activities and welcomed 7,000 visitors through the doors.

We, at Fahan School, had the opportunity to help prepare for the event this year as part of our Lumina 9 program. We spent a day unpacking pallets of donated books and sorting them onto tables. Just sorting the books with friends unlocked so many childhood memories, and knowing other children will get to have the joy and treasured memories of reading these books made the experience so special. It was an amazing reminder of how just a book can have such an important and shaping place in your heart.

By Year 9 Students

Community - Long Serving Staff Celebration

During the first week of Term 3, we celebrated some of our long-serving staff, acknowledging the valuable contributions they have each made to the Fahan School Community over the years.

Congratulations to Meg Lawson, Anna Forward and Holly Lutzow, each celebrating 20 years of service, and Ken Allanby, who celebrated 10 years. It was a wonderful way to begin Term 3.

Community - Nateby Club Games Day

Nateby Club members and friends came together in Long View for the annual Games Day. Surrounded by great company, guests enjoyed a relaxed morning of cards, Scrabble, Mahjong, and bridge over cups of tea and sparkling wine, with plenty of conversation and friendly rivalry.

A fundraising raffle featuring beautifully curated Tasmanian hampers added to the excitement, and everyone reconnected over a delicious lunch prepared by the Nateby Club Committee. It was a wonderful event enjoyed by all.

Three weeks to go until our major fundraising event of the year!

A huge amount of work has gone in to making our Après Ski Dinner a night to remember.

Included in the night’s activities are:

Live auction including Queensland accommodation, a romantic getaway with 4WD hire and e-bikes, a Chef’s dinner cooked in your home (or in someone else’s home), a term's School fees and very special wine for the serious wine lover
Silent auction with our Class Hampers, original art pieces, boat tours, handcrafted leathergoods and many other prizes
The Balloon Game where everyone wins a prize
Our “Wine Pull” with alcoholic and non-alcoholic options
Live DJ to shake off that post-ski chill

You can even purchase your table decorations!

We have a few more tickets available and sales will close on Friday 15 August 2025.

So don’t miss out! See you on the slopes!

RSVP now and secure your spot: Fahan Parents and Friends Après Ski Dinner

Kind regards,

Fiona Pringle-Jones
P&F President
pandf@fahan.tas.edu.au

Community - Support our Year 12 Charities and be in the Running to WIN A CAR!!!

We are excited to announce the launch of the 2025 Year 12 Fundraising Raffle.

Thanks to the generous support of Co-Op Toyota Hobart, one lucky winner will take home a brand new 2025 Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport Hatch Hybrid – valued at over $37,000.

Stylish, safe and fuel-efficient, this compact hatchback is packed with advanced features and Toyota’s renowned reliability.

The prize includes:

A brand new 2025 Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport Hatch Hybrid in Silver Pearl
Genuine Toyota accessories: Clear Bonnet Protector, Boot Liner and Headlamp Covers
Toyota Roadside Assistance
All on-road costs, including 12 months Tasmanian registration and stamp duty
April 2025 compliance
Five years capped-price servicing
Backed by Toyota’s five-year warranty (conditions apply)

Tickets are $100 each – and there are only 550 are available!

Every ticket sold helps us raise funds for our two chosen charities:

The Variety Freya Fund, founded by Fahan teacher John Williamson in memory of his daughter, Freya, provides respite care and support for families of children with profound disabilities or illnesses. The Beacon Foundation, based in Hobart, empowers young Australians by connecting them with real-world education, career experiences and mentoring.

This is your chance to support two incredible causes and be in the running to win a fantastic prize.

Tickets are selling fast. Don’t miss out – click here to buy your ticket today!

Kind regards,

Hannah, Tess and Estella on behalf of the entire Year 12 cohort

Community - Help Us Spread the Word - Open Morning Tuesday 20 August

If you know someone who may be considering Fahan for their daughter - now or in the future - we warmly invite them to attend our upcoming Open Morning on Wednesday 20 August, from 9:00am to 10:30am.

As so many of our new families come to Fahan after recommendations from our wonderful parent community, we would really appreciate your help by sharing this information with friends and family who may be considering their daughter's schooling options.

This is a fantastic opportunity for prospective families to tour our unique Kindergarten to Year 12 campus, meet our Principal, Meg Lawson, and hear how we support each girl to thrive.

Even a simple mention in conversation can spark curiosity - your recommendation means more than any advertisement.

If you know someone who may be interested, please pass on the event link and encourage them to register:
fahan.tas.edu.au/events/fahan-school-open-morning

Please note: This event is for families who do not currently have daughters enrolled at Fahan. Orientation events for current families will be held later in the year.

2026 Term Dates

2026_Term_Dates.pdf

Student Absence

A reminder that notification of student absence for any reason, including illness, late arrival, early departure, or planned absence (e.g. sporting events, family events, etc) should be submitted through the Fahan App, emailed to absence@fahan.tas.edu.au, or advised by telephone on 6225 1064.

The Fahan School App can be downloaded from the appropriate android or Apple App store.

Please do not email notification of absence directly to teachers.