2016
PRESENTING FAIRHOLME
Look how far we have come, but how far can we go? attributed to John Maclean
Contents
From the Chairman
04
From the Principal
06
Christian Education 08 Junior Schools 10
04 Chairman
Junior School Arts
12
06
Junior School Sport
14
Dr Linda Evans
Middle School
16
Senior School
18
10
Teaching and Learning
20
Junior School
Boarding
22
Distinctive Curriculum Offerings & Co-Curricular Activities
16 Middle School
The Arts
24
Business
26
English
27
Health, Sport and Physical Education
28
Home Economics
31
20
Humanities
32
OP Results
Information Technology
33
Languages
34
Library & Information Services
36
Mathematics
37
Science
38
44
VET
39
A Fairholme Story
Careers 40 Pastoral Care
42
Service
43
A Fairholme Story
44
18 Senior School
43 Service
From the Chairman MR IAN ANDERSEN, CHAIRMAN
It’s 99 years since Fairholme College commenced operations on its current site at Wirra Wirra Street, 108 years since our beginnings as Spreydon College, and in that time over 10,000 students have benefited from attending this great College. Why does Fairholme exist? It exists because we believe we can provide the very best learning environment for our students; and because we can provide the very best in teaching practices. The ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, once said, ‘If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if you think in terms of ten years, plant trees; but if you think in terms of 100 years, teach the people’. One years on, the noble calling to teach is alive and well at Fairholme. It is evident in our ever- improving teaching practices, the fact that we are at the forefront of curriculum changes, and that we aim to provide the best and widest possible subject selection for a school of our size. As a Board, our key task is to ensure that Fairholme continues to provide the very best education possible for our students. It is interesting to reflect on our history as a way of informing our plans for the future. We acknowledge the significance of Fairholme’s precious culture, built upon the best aspects of a strong Christian community – we are a College of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland - as well as our Values: Christ-Centred Faith, Collaboration,
4
Enjoyment, Seeking Excellence, and Respect.
their positive support of me and for their commitment to the College.
These factors keep us grounded when we consider what the future might hold; something that the Board and Senior Staff did early this year. Our facilitator that day, futurist Stephen Gould, reminded us that ‘the future is now, not somewhere tomorrow – the decisions that we make right now are creating the future for Fairholme’.
The membership of the Board of Directors changes regularly and this happened again this year. We welcomed the Right Reverend Phil Campbell to his twelve-month term on the Board as the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland. We also welcomed Ms Alaina Macdonald who replaced the Reverend Graeme Morris when he retired from the Board in June. We thank Rev Morris for his exemplary and dedicated service to the College as a member of the Board of Directors for 21 years, since 1995.
We asked ourselves these questions: what is our capacity to deliver cutting edge content on-line? How flexible is our pedagogy? Does Fairholme only exist at Wirra Wirra Street? How can we indiviualise our curriculum? What we know is that we need to be prepared, to be at the forefront, to initiate change, but also to have the ability and openess to react rapidly to changes that are thrust upon us. We look forward to celebrating 100 years at Fairholme next year. It will be exciting to be involved in the events planned for 2017, such as the P&F Ball, the Official Assembly to mark 100 years as Fairholme, the Art Exhibition. The opportunities to connect with Fairholme in 2017 are endless. It is important to recognise the contribution the Fairholme College Board of Directors makes to this College, and I acknowledge the exceptional service provided by the Board throughout this year. I thank them for
The Board approved the 2017 Budget at its November meeting and is very mindful of the many, often competing, needs, including the ongoing financial difficulties confronting many of our families, as well as the level of funding from Government sources. The 2017 Budget provides for a 3.0 per cent increase in tuition fees; a 2.5 per cent increase in boarding fees, with the capital levy to increase by 3.0 per cent. Fairholme is about people - students, staff, parents and friends - the extended Fairholme Family. Our greatest legacy is the impact we have on each other and the lives of those around us. I trust you will immerse yourself in our celebrations, as we mark 100 Years since Fairholme commenced operations on the Wirra Wirra Street site.
Projects in 2016 ‘If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if you think in terms of ten years, plant trees; but if you think in terms of 100 years, teach the people’. Board House improvements - refurbishment of Nancy Shaw Dormitory at a cost of almost $1.3 million Repairs and refurbishment of the Swimming Pool – new deck surface, painting new starting blocks and replacement of windows Reconfiguration, extension and refurbishment of the HolmeStore Construction of a new fence along the Dudley Street boundary Major upgrade works to the Principal’s residence, including construction of a new garage, fencing and entrance Provision of new Middle School Administration Reception, Offices and Meeting Room Construction of a new office in the Gym Foyer for Aquatic Centre Staff.
5
From the Principal As we stand on the brink of 100 years of Fairholme College at the Fairholme site, it is appropriate to celebrate a century of education but also important to give consideration to the future: the paradox of simultaneously looking forward and looking back. One can look back nostalgically at the simplicity of education in the early 20th century, and yearn for the ‘perfect past’: such a pleasant indulgence. Alternatively, we can sigh deeply when pondering the complexities inherent in a twenty-first century, technology-rich world of too much choice. Or, importantly, we can hold fast to the values that are timeless and use these as our anchor as we consider a future for which the only certainty is its uncertainty.
having been inculcated during her time as a student: hard work, respect and perseverance. These guiding principles are just as relevant for a twenty-first century life. Wander around Fairholme classrooms on any given day and there is evidence of these very principles in action and in abundance. Whilst it is easy and appropriate to be excited by Raspberry Pi computers; interactive whiteboards; Youtube clips or girls exploring the internet on their laptops or iPads, it is as important that they understand and can enact hard work, respect and perseverance. After all, technology is a tool; its effectiveness in facilitating or supporting learning relies upon human interaction. Technology can be used for advancement in learning or as a platform for positive social interaction – it always comes back to the skills and intent of the user and where respect for self and others fits within that equation.
Listen to Jean le Broc, also on the brink of turning 100 years of age in 2017, and possibly Fairholme’s oldest old girl, speak with passion about her time at Fairholme, and one is struck by the fundamental principles she identifies as
Thus the words of Fairholme’s second principal, Miss Nancy Jobson are still apt today – ‘This is my ideal for you girls of Fairholme, that every one of you should regard her character as a pearl of great price … that you should
DR LINDA EVANS
6
willingly face difficulty, hardship and sacrifice’ (1920). Respect, perseverance and hard work continue to be the underpinning elements for achievement, whether in spheres of the academic, cultural, service or sport. Yet we must be mindful too that whilst values and principles underpin our daily practice, our approach, our curriculum design and our lesson pedagogy cannot simply be more of what we had, when we went to school. We must prepare our school leavers for their world, not ours (Hattie, 2016, p. 21). Most jobs that our daughters will pursue don’t exist yet. They will live a lot, lot longer than us. Their learning also involves a capacity to unlearn and relearn because their world is, and will be, increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (Chan, 2013). It is a world that Fairholme’s forebears could simply not predict, as they stood on the homestead veranda and absorbed the beautiful surrounds. Toowoomba at that time was a city of 22,000 people, its transport included horse-drawn carriages, and 1160 of its men and 35 of its women were involved in the First World War: a somewhat incongruous juxtaposition when considering today’s Toowoomba.
‘And now the school is housed at Fairholme … with a bright future before it’ (1917)
Flash forward to 2016. Education affords us choice. It also makes us responsible to affect positive change. To be curious. To take roads less travelled and to not be afraid of failure. As we well know, life is so much more that the Snapchat fad; being a participant on every social networking site or engaged in an obsession with the lives of celebrities. Whilst women continue to earn less than 10% of the world’s wealth, and education is not accessible to so many of our female peers, now is the time to make a difference. Let us not reach too readily for easy success, or a blue ribbon for participation, or be drawn to the vice of entitlement, and let us never lower the bar on our expectations to do our best and be our best selves. Let us tread humbly when we do so, not reaching too quickly for extrinsic rewards, accolades and titles. Invariably, in the whirl and opportunities of an unpredictable future which seems to be coming too quickly, and in the wrong order, we must hold fast to our values, sending out graduating students with the ability to work hard, persevere and to be respectful in their interactions: it’s as difficult and as simple as that. May the next century at Fairholme, one founded upon its Christian faith, hold fast to a bright future, albeit one that our forebears, standing on the Homestead veranda in 1917, could never have imagined.
Look how far we have come, but how far can we go?
attributed to John Maclean
REFERENCES Chan, E. (2013). ‘Future of Education’ Australian Heads of Independent Schools Shared Futures Conference. Melbourne 30 September – 2 October 2013. Maclean, J. and Tabb, M. (2016). ‘How Far Can You Go?’ Simon & Schuster Australia. Moore, J. (1992). FAIRHOLME – ‘The First Seventy-Five Years’ Harrison Printing Co. Pty. Ltd. Toowoomba
7
Christian Education
CATHERINE BUTLER, HEAD OF MINISTRY AND MISSION
Almighty God, in whom we move and live and have our being, make this school as a field which the Lord has blessed, that whatsoever things are true, pure, lovely, and of good report, may here forever flourish and abound. Preserve in it an unblemished name, enlarge it with wider usefulness, and exalt it in the love and reverence of all its members as an instrument of Your Glory; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
It has been a full year. Whilst trying to get to know the Fairholme school culture, I have sought to encourage us all to give thanks for the signposts of God’s presence among us and to see the work of his Spirit in our community. As we remain rooted in Christ, it is my hope that we continually learn and re-learn the art of inhaling daily of the breadth and depth and richness of God’s love for humanity, so that we may gently exhale that love in the school community – a fragrant aroma – and encourage, I hope, a curious wondering in those who are yet to taste and see God’s goodness. We have had Chapel services for Middle School and Senior School students on a weekly, rotational basis. The Boarders attended local churches for roughly half the Sundays in a term, and Boarder Chapel took place on campus for the other half of the term. Junior School students had Chapel and Christian
8
Education classes once a week. Although the Middle and Senior School students had a short devotion at Assembly once a week, their Christian Education classes occurred fortnightly. Our Christian Education classes in the Junior School and Middle School cover Christian content, predominantly, laying the foundation before we branch off into broader issues of World Religions and Worldview formation as students move towards Year 12.
of our formal times together.
Whilst there is this formal structure in when and how we invite people to be a part of acknowledging God in our midst and worshipping him as head of all that we do, such moments are the full stops at the end of our sentences; the times when, I hope, we take a breath to re-focus our gaze, ready for the next thought. However, there are lovely commas along the way – colons, full stops, semi-colons, parentheses – that interrupt the narrative and suggest that the process of spiritual formation is happening in the hearts of girls outside
And so I ask, as we move into 2017 and the celebration of 100 years at Fairholme, that you remember us in your prayers. As the scripture says, ‘With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ Matthew 19:26 (AMP)
This year, we have been especially blessed by the official presence of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland in the school, through Reverend Stuart Hoadley. Stuart has been a source of wisdom in the role of Honorary Chaplain and he gave a simple but poignant gospel presentation at both the College Easter Assembly and Christmas Carols Service.
9
Fairholme Junior
ERIN TONSCHECK, HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL
In my first year as Head of Fairholme Junior, I have been amazed at the engagement of the girls in all aspects of their learning and co-curricular opportunities. The respect and genuine care that permeates the classrooms and beyond, provides a platform for the students to both respect others, and always endeavour to succeed.
‘Striving for Excellence, one of the five core values of Fairholme, is at the heart of all that we do, and it was especially evident in our academic achievements, our sporting pursuits and our cultural performances this year.’ 10
Academically, the integration of Digital and Design Technologies into rich tasks has enabled the Year 6 girls to engage with coding and robotics in a meaningful way. We look forward to expanding our technologies program further into the Prep to Year 3 classrooms.
Continued success within the sporting arena is evidenced with Fairholme Junior victorious in percentage point competitions at Andrews Cup events. Our girls also continue to achieve great success at local, regional, state and national level competitors.
The Year 5 girls were placed 1st in Queensland in the 2016 National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), and one of our Year 3 girls achieved the highest score in Queensland within her ICAS Mathematics test.
We’ve enjoyed numerous cultural, and performing arts opportunities with Chorale performances, lunchtime concerts and Eisteddfod competitions. We have much to celebrate within the unique learning environment that is Fairholme Junior.
These great successes are built on exceptional teaching and learning opportunities across all classrooms from Kindergarten upwards. Our Kindergarten program continues to receive accolades with a rating of exceeding the National Quality Standard. We have much to celebrate.
NAPLAN RESULTS JUNIOR SCHOOL
Year 3 NAPLAN Results 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
Fairholme
State
National
Year 5 NAPLAN Results 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
Fairholme
NAPLAN Year 3 Fairholme held the best results in the region
State
National
NAPLAN Year 5 Fairholme held the best results in Queensland
‘These great successes are built on exceptional teaching’
11
Junior School Arts
BELINDA ELDRIDGE, CO-ORDINATOR OF JUNIOR SCHOOL ARTS
‘Whether you excel at Sport or Music or Academics, there is a place for every student in the Performing Arts world at Fairholme Junior.’
Our first major event for the year was the Junior School Musical at the start of Term 2; Mr Big and the Alien Invasion. Our successful show was set in the year 2030, when jails no longer exist and criminals are sent off to Mars in a spaceship to serve their time. In Term 2 we welcomed Footsteps Dance Company back to Fairholme Junior, and they led us through many fantastic dances as we explored moving to music and many different styles of dance steps. A highlight in this year’s performance program came at the end of Term 2 as our Chorale girls participated in the Sing Out Choral Festival at the Empire Theatre, where we sang together with 500 children from 15 schools. Our instrumental program has flourished this year, especially with the introduction of the Fives at Band F@B Program where girls from the Year 4 Band Program elected to continue in a small group in Year 5. This has enabled our Junior Band to grow and the resulting sound has been fantastic! Once again, we have run a series of Lunchtime Concerts each term, where students who learn musical instruments have been given the opportunity to perform. The year finished with the Christmas musical for Kindy to Year 3; A Miracle in Town! Our young performers delighted the audience with their charming rendition of the Christmas story.
12
QUEENSLAND EISTEDDFOD RESULTS 1st Place
Junior String Orchestra
String ‘A’ Grade Ensemble – Primary School
1st Place
String Ensemble
Small String Ensemble – Primary School
2nd Place
Junior School Chorale
A Grade Primary School Choir
2nd Place
F@B5 Brass Group
Small Instrumental Ensemble – Primary School
2nd
Year 5 String Quartet
String Trio/Quartet – Primary School
3rd Place
Fairholme Junior Band
Small Concert Band – Primary School
HC
Junior School Chorale
Spiritual – Primary School Choir
HC
Year 6 String Trio
String Trio/Quartet – Primary School
13
Junior School Sport LEE-ANN GRANTHAM, CO-ORDINATOR OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT
‘Fairholme Junior Sport offers a wide range of sports and activities for the girls and involvement, and participation rates are excellent in Interhouse activities. The girls from Prep through to Year 6 are involved in these activities and the Kindy students also participate but no points are awarded at this level.’ SPORTING OPPORTUNITIES These include Interhouse competitions in swimming, cross country, athletics and gymnastics. Tennis and aquathon are optional and the Interhouse junior swimming knockout tournament is by invitation. Students can participate in Local Interschool Carnivals in swimming, athletics and cross country and Andrews Cup sporting competitions in swimming, athletics, cross country, tennis, touch, track and field, netball, softball, gymnastics, as well as an invitational Andrews Cup basketball carnival. Zone and Regional Sports include swimming, athletics and cross country, as well as hockey, basketball, tennis, cricket, netball, softball, touch, aquathon, AFL, orienteering and girls’ soccer. Interschool Friday Sport for Year 5 and 6 students is through the Toowoomba Primary Sports Association. Year 4 students participate in a friendly competition with The Glennie School Junior Years and Toowoomba Anglican College and Preparatory School at least three times a term in touch, netball and softball. FAIRHOLME CLUBS AND ASSOCIATION Our involvement is in the following sports: swimming, track and field, cross country, netball, touch and basketball. ANDREWS CUP The Andrews Cup competition provides an avenue for development and training in several sports after school on Wednesdays, including touch, tennis, netball, softball, track and field and cross country. Additional out of school hours training opportunities are provided in swimming, cross country, basketball and gymnastics. Over 75% of all Year 4-6 students were involved in one or more
14
Andrews Cup carnivals in 2016. Over 60% of Year 5 and 6 students attended three or more of these carnivals. HPE AND AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES During scheduled HPE lessons and After-School Activities delivered by Development Officers from various clubs such as hockey, soccer, basketball, cricket and AFL and Development squads in a variety of sports, further skill development is encouraged. AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES Term 1 Net-Set-Go Netball for Prep – Year 3 students Term 3 Auskick: six-week program; Aussie Hoops: six-week program Term 4 Net-Set-Go Netball for Prep – Year 3 students In2cricket Basketball: Mountaineer player Krystal Watson, coached the Friday night basketball team. Hot Shots Tennis: for students in Years 1 – 3 on a Wednesday afternoon in preparation for the Brisbane International Schools challenge. SPECIALIST CLASSES Term 1 Intensive Learn to Swim: two-week Intensive Learn to Swim classes for all students from Prep to Year 3 were conducted by our own Aquatics Swim School staff. Orienteering: Sporting Schools grant Mrs Felicity Crosato was engaged through Sporting Schools, to deliver a unit on Orienteering for students in Years 4 – 6. Term 2
HIGHLIGHTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Thirty Junior School students represented the Range Zone in various sports. Eleven girls from Fairholme Junior were members of Darling Downs teams, as well as one State representation in two sports. (Some of these girls represented in more than one sport.)
Hockey: a representative from Toowoomba Hockey Association delivered a five-week unit for students in Year 4 and Year 5. Athletics: Throws – Grahame Pitt and Lara Nielsen worked with students in Years 4 – 6. Term 3 Gymnastics: Sporting Schools grant Allstar Gymnastics Club conducted the gymnastics unit for students from Kindy through to Year 6, both at school and at the Allstar venue. Fairholme continues to foster strong links with the Allstar Gymnastics Club that provided coaching sessions and coaches to assist with preparation for the Andrews Cup Gymnastics competition. Basketball: Coach Despena Dickerson conducted sessions in Basketball for students in Year 2 and Year 3. Term 4 Cricket: Miss Anna Paton and Mr Callum Duncan, Development Officers from Qld Cricket, made two class visits to Years 3 and 4 and a further two class visits to Year 4 and 6 students. Survival Swimming: LTS staff from our own Aquatics Swim School assisted with the delivery of these sessions and were in the water for Prep and Year 1 sessions. DEVELOPMENT SQUADS and QLD ALL SCHOOLS COMPETITIONS Athletics: An Athletics development squad, under the coaching of Mr John Sessarago, continues to flourish. Swimming: The FAST swimming club continues to develop a squad of high achievers at both State and local levels. Cross Country: Many students attended the Qld Primary All Schools Individual Cross Country competition. Touch: A team participated in the 2016 South West Region Primary Touch competition and the Queensland Primary All Schools Touch competition.
ZONE AND REGIONAL REPRESENTATION These tables indicate the number of Junior School students involved at each level. Swimming Zone
Darling Downs
9 Representatives 3 Representatives
Athletics Zone
10 Representatives
Darling Downs
3 Representatives
State
1 Representative (AWD)
6 Representatives
Netball Zone
Darling Downs
2 Representatives
Orienteering Darling Downs
1 Representative
Basketball Zone
Darling Downs
1 Representative 1 Representative
Cross Country Zone
4 Representatives
Darling Downs
2 Representatives (AWD)
State
1 Representative (AWD)
15
Middle School
JAYE ROSS, HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
2016 has been a very successful year in the Middle School. We had the pleasure of welcoming our new girls into Yr 7 in January and they quickly settled in to the busy and full pace of life at Fairholme. Our Middle School girls have achieved outstanding results in their Academic Learning, Sporting achievements and Cultural participation. Fairholme girls have, once again, achieved well above State and National averages in all areas of the NAPLAN test. Thank you to the girls for their hard work and to the teachers for their preparation of the students for this testing.
Co-Curricular Opportunities • Debating: Three Year 7 teams, three Year 8 teams and two Year 9 teams. One of our Year 8 teams was the Grand Champion team of Year 8 QDU Debating and one of our Yr 9 students was named Junior Debater of the Year. • Maths Team Challenge: One of our Year 7 and Year 8 teams reached the Regional Final of this competition. • Year 7 and 8s competed in Maths Olympiad. • Middle school girls competed in Chess competitions. • Choirs, bands and Ensembles. • Public speaking: Year 7 Competition.
Service Opportunities
Inclusive Activities
Service is an important aspect of Fairholme Middle School. The following highlights demonstrate the work of the girls in this area:
It is important for Middle School girls to feel they belong to a community. We have offered the following activities to help foster this feeling for every girl:
• Middle School Sponsor child through Compassion; Various fundraising activities throughout the year such as Bake Sales, selling Boost drinks and Crackerjack chips, competitions such as Middle School has Talent and Masterchef.
• Year level camps in Term 1
• Year 9 Eco Trip to North Queensland; students learn about this fragile habitat and how they can support it.
• Socials, both dancing and sporting activities, with St Mary’s and Toowoomba Grammar School.
• Middle School Box of Chocolates concert: raising money for The Arts at Fairholme.
• Book Week Dress Up Day
• Middle School buddies; supporting our new students
16
• yLead team building activities for Year 7 and Year 9 • Insight Day for Year 8 building selfesteem and self-belief • Father and Daughter games
NAPLAN RESULTS MIDDLE SCHOOL
Year 7 NAPLAN Results Numeracy Writing Grammar/Punctuation Spelling Reading 440
460
480
National
500
520
State
540
560
580
600
Fairholme
Year 9 NAPLAN Results Numeracy Writing Grammar/Punctuation Spelling Reading 480
500
520
National
540
560
State
580
600
620
640
660
Fairholme
Year 7 girls
Year 9 girls
‘Fairholme girls
recorded the
recorded
have, once again,
highest overall
the highest
achieved well
NAPLAN results
NAPLAN results
above State and
in the region
in the region
National averages’
17
Senior School
CATRINA SHARP, HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL,DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
‘Senior schooling is a unique phase of learning in which the girls grapple with a broadening sense of the world – and their place in it, while sharpening their skills and negotiating their pathway’. Naturally, perspective ebbs and flows for the girls in the Senior School, as our girls focus simultaneously on what is unfolding in their Fairholme life and what may lie ahead in a yet-to-be-discovered world. It is a privilege to witness the girls’ emerging awareness of their own potential as their independence flourishes. The Senior School is a living example of rich learning and service. So dynamic is this area of the College, that the following offers a mere glimpse of its richness through just a few moments-intime. QATSIF Success Two girls were acknowledged as 2017/2018 scholarship recipients from the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation. Outspoken! Outstanding! Our future in mooting circles is strong! Several Fairholme teams competed in contests facilitated by Bond University and the University of Southern Queensland. Fairholme was 2016 Queensland Debating Unions' School of the Year for Debating in this region, with many champion teams and Junior and Senior Debaters of the Year. Several girls once again contested the United Nations Evatt Trophy - the nation's longest running battle of debating and diplomacy. Boarders & Borders In addition to our Boarders who travel to live and learn at Fairholme, we welcomed girls from Germany, France, Switzerland and Japan, for a time. We are grateful for the way our international friends
18
enriched our community and welcomed our girls into their families and schools. Leading True to the 'Be in the Mix' theme, the Senior Leaders served and led eight areas of College life - Communications; Environment; Junior School; Middle School; Pastoral Care; Restorative Practice; Teaching & Learning, Technology and Wellness. Specialists The Year 10 Specialist Elective Curriculum cemented itself quickly as a positive focus for the girls as they explored industries of interest and secured vocational qualifications. Service Learning The Interact Club continued to lead student service activities; the Year 10 local service studies strengthened, and both TRAMS Homework Outreach and Rosies Friends on the Street were introduced to our program. Young Scholars Again in 2016, girls were selected to participate in the University of Queensland's Young Scholars' Program Knockout The College's success in the State Knockout Athletics Competition meant another trip to the National contest, in Canberra. Special Arts The Get SmART program included a workshop series over several weeks, which enabled girls to focus on one aspect of The Arts while continuing with Interhouse contests for choir, dance, and the individual /small group Arts competition.
Teaching and Learning
STEWART PEACOCK, HEAD OF TEACHING AND LEARNING Did you know that in 2015 Fairholme achieved the second highest OP 1 – 5 results in our region? We were listed as one of Queensland’s leading OP schools ranked in 30th position out of a total of 835 school across the state. What a benchmark to start the year. Fairholme College is of is now part of the ‘Blue Group’ that is produced annually. ‘We
are one of only 19 Queensland schools, and the only school on the Darling Downs, who have met the criteria of achieving over 90% OP 1-15 for three years in succession’ Fairholme shows no trend of a declining number of OP eligible students over this period. Our NAPLAN results were outstanding; Year 5 students topped the State while Years 3, 7 and 9 achieved the highest results on average in the Darling Downs region.
20
A major educational initiative is currently being advanced in Queensland, namely the review of Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance. Fairholme is at the forefront of this initiative, having being selected as one of the trail schools in Queensland. Additionally, Fairholme teachers are well advanced in preparing Fairholme students for the new senior schooling system through proactive engagement consultations and devoting considerable resources and effort to careful planning for the new system. Current Year 8 students will now be the first to experience the new system as Year 11s in 2019 and the first to graduate as Year 12s in 2020. Fairholme College was selected by The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to participate in a trial test involving Year 12 students in February 2016. The test contained multiple-choice items similar to the items in two of the QCS Tests. Feedback from ACER on the performance of each student on the verbal (humanities/ social studies) and quantitative items (mathematics/science), and their position relative to that of students from other participating schools was both invaluable
and encouraging. A rigorous QCS preparation program commenced on the first school day in January. Using data from practice tests, our teachers were able to target areas of need. Fortnightly Friday QCS Breakfast workshops were independently organised and run by the Year 12 students. Year 12 student Clara Lee’s 2016 QCS Writing Task will be published in the 2017 Retrospective as an exemplar to all future Year 12 students; quite an achievement for a student for whom English is a second language. Clara is one of the 27, 000 OP eligible students who sat the state-wide 2016 QCS Test in September this year. Individual QCS Results were impressive; almost 30% of our students achieved an ‘A’ standard. The Alternative Pathways program continues to go from strength to strength. Through systematic, oneon-one conversations with all Senior students, from the initial SET planning in Year 10 through to Year 12, the College
OP Results 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
94% 81% 61%
30%
54%
Road trip. The day included tours of the Queensland University of Technology (Kelvin Grove), Southbank TAFE and the University of Queensland (St Lucia). For those travelling to the Gold Coast, Gold Coast TAFE was followed by a tour of Griffith University and then Bond University. In Boarding, University students and newly qualified teachers fulfilled the role of tutors, covering all subject areas; their availability is unique to the Senior students.
21%
1-5 OP
1-10 OP
Fairholme College
1-15 OP
State-Wide Results Female
College Performance from 2011 - 2016
The ‘Robotics Club’ led by Mr Whittle and Ms Timmer has continued to inspire and sow the seeds of innovation among our youngest Middle School students. Each Thursday the girls had the opportunity to build and program robots using the Lego Mindstorm EV3kits. The addition of two new subjects to the Fairholme Curriculum in 2016, Agricultural Science and Legal Studies were highly successful and added to the wide range of subject choices on offer at the College.
40 30 20 10 0
2011
2012
2013
QCS Result A in %
2014
2015
2016
OP Result 1-5 in %
QCS Results 40%
34%
35% 30%
28%
28%
36.80%
Our teachers, as well as our students, are learners.
28.10%
25% 20%
19.40%
15.80%
15%
10%
10% 5% 0%
A
Academic Assemblies in February and August saw the presentation of over 250 Certificates of Academic Excellence to students for Semester 2 2015 and Semester 1 2016, respectively. This indicates that more than onequarter of our girls are achieving impressive results. The evidence is furthered littered with examples throughout 2016, from our successes in the University of New South Wales Academic competitions to the ever-increasing number of university scholarships secured.
B Fairholme College
C
D
State-Wide Results Female
has been able to track student progress across a three-year timeline, which lends advice towards meaningful career/ tertiary pathways.
‘The culture among Fairholme teachers has always been one of learning from each other; collaborative practice among teachers across all levels and faculties at Fairholme is part of our fabric.’ Much of our professional learning in 2016 has been unpacking methodologies to enhance a learning environment which focuses on independence, interdependence and self-motivation in every classroom.
The number of students undertaking Vocational Education and Training or VET Programs, now immersed within the Year 10 academic program, increased to 100. Many were involved in Traineeships with local employers that will result in employment after the completion of their formal education. Year 10 Work Experience Week this year showcased potential architects, solicitors, operatic divas, surgeons, researchers, lawyers, aircraft mechanics, bankers and even zookeepers. As a part of our ongoing support of students considering Tertiary study pathways, in June all Year 11 students travelled to either Brisbane or the Gold Coast on our annual University
21
Boarding
MARGUERITE DUNNE, HEAD OF BOARDING
Friendships, a sense of belonging and a shared commitment to the College values of Christ-centred faith, collaboration, enjoyment, seeking excellence, and respect made the Fairholme College Boarding House a very special place to be in 2016. Aged from 11 to 18 years, the boarding students constituted approximately a third of the student body in the Middle School and almost half of the Senior School. The girls who hail from diverse backgrounds, from rural and remote areas to metropolitan centres in Australia and from overseas, have taken advantage of the rich and wide range of educational resources and opportunities that are enjoyed by Fairholme students. They have embraced the fullness of life and learning, and there is no better example of the renowned Fairholme College spirit than that found within the walls of the Boarding House. The connections made across year levels, and the care and concern that the girls have experienced themselves from staff and students, or have given to others, are the valued extras that Boarding at Fairholme provides.
22
The enhancement of a culture of genuine pastoral care has occurred in 2016, through specialised staffing, professional learning, and planned programs and opportunities to better relationships with and amongst students, staff, parents and the wider community. The vertical structure of the Boarding House, where all age groups are found across the various floors, created an environment that fosters friendship and support amongst all the girls. New Boarder Program This included sessions on Management of homesickness, Stress and Relaxation techniques and Problem Solving. City Family Program Daygirls meet with Boarders for a sleepover in the Assembly Hall. The Boarder Parents’ Support Group Regular meetings were held in 2016. Current Boarder Parents become ambassadors to assist new Boarder families. Connecting with Boarder Families Leadership Team and Staff travelled through towns across Queensland and New South Wales to meet with parents
thinking about sending their daughters to Boarding School. Across the year, Boarding and Academic Staff travelled to North Queensland, Western Queensland and Northern New South Wales regions to meet with new students for 2017. In September, the Boarding House welcomed new 2017 Boarders and their families for the College Orientation Program.
‘Aged from 11 to 18 years, the boarding students constituted approximately a third of the student body in the Middle School and almost half of the Senior School.’
HIGHLIGHTS Big Sister Program Year 12 Boarders being a mentor for a ‘little sister’, ensured that new Boarders experienced a warm and welcoming transition into their new environment. Refurbishment of Nancy Shaw Girls returned to bright, vibrant and purpose-built living spaces that cater for the study and lifestyle needs of teenage girls. College co-curricular program Sporting Fitness Cultural Activities Excursions Socials Boarder Committees - chaired by the Head Boarder and Boarder Prefects ‘Global awareness’ dinner Fairholme Boarders Book Clubs ‘Q-C-Yes’ student mentoring study sessions Serving the Community World Vision Sponsor Child St Vincent’s Hospital Volunteer Program Girls Night-In Biggest Afternoon Tea for The Cancer Council Fundraisers for the Mizpah Orphanage and the Cambodia Tour Shave for a Cure
23
The Arts
KAREN HAYWARD, HEAD OF THE ARTS
The Arts Department at Fairholme College has continued to develop and flourish in 2016, with outstanding achievements, fantastic performance opportunities and creative experiences that have fostered student learning, development and enjoyment. With no fewer than 12 concerts included in this year’s Kaleidoscope Concert Series, 24 different Co-curricular options that encompassed all Arts Disciplines, and the new Get smART Arts Festival electives, students have been offered myriad Arts experiences.
Co-curricular Offerings DANCE Dance Collective (Open to all students in Years 7 – 12) Dance Troupe (Auditioned Group – open to students in Years 7 – 12. DRAMA Vignettes Middle School Creativity Group (7 -9) Senior Drama Ensemble (10 – 12) MUSIC College Choir (7 – 12) Middle School Chamber Choir (Auditioned 7 – 9) Senior School Chamber Choir (Auditioned 10 – 12) Symphony Orchestra Symphonic Wind Band Stage Band Brass Ensemble Chamber Strings String Quartet Flute Ensemble Saxophone Ensemble Clarinet Ensemble Guitar Ensemble VISUAL ART Nokie Middle School Art Group (7 – 9) Eikon Senior School Art Group (10 – 12) Arts Muster 2016 OTHER ARTS AREAS Sound & Lighting Crew QDU Regional Debating Competition Teams Rostrum Public Speaking Kaleidoscope Concert Series Annual Get smART Arts Festival Annual Interhouse Choral and Dance Competitions Choral competition won by Cameron House Dance competition won by Black House Annual Interhouse Cultural Trophy presented to Cameron House
24
‘There is a new emphasis in twentyfirst century education on the need for creativity and imagination – for learning to wonder about as well as to wonder at.’
Achievements in 2016 DANCE TROUPE Queensland Eisteddfod JAZZ 2nd Place; HIP HOP 3rd Place Kingaroy Eisteddfod Hip Hop Open Section 4th place Lockyer District Dance Festival Senior Dance Showcase ‘Spotlight’ Outstanding Contribution to the promotion of The Arts at Fairholme College to the Wider Community Award DRAMA Senior Drama Showcase ‘Sylph or Savage’ Barbara Sisley Award for Speech & Drama awarded to Sienna Davis for achieving the Highest Mark in Queensland for her Grade 4 AMEB Exam. Queensland Theatre Company’s Scene Project – Senior Drama Ensemble MUSIC Ha Rin Clara Lee A.Mus.A in Piano Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium’s State Honours Ensemble Program: Abbey Faulkner (Voice Soprano), Isabel Fitton (Cello), Alex Grimmett (Euphonium), Georgia Hayward (Voice Soprano), Stephanie Millar (Voice Soprano) and Lindy Roos (Voice Alto) Gondwana Voices National Choral Program: Anna Roche-Kelly and Lindy Roos QUEENSLAND EISTEDDFOD INSTRUMENTAL RESULTS FC Symphony Orchestra 1st Place FC Chamber Strings 2nd place FC Senior String Quartet 2nd Place FC Senior Flute Ensemble 1st Place FC Symphonic Wind Ensemble 2nd Place FC Stage Band 1st Place FC MS Flute Ensemble 3rd Place VISUAL ART University of Southern Queensland ‘Future Visions’ Awards Major Award Winners Grace Lofting (Packers’ Prize) Georgia Hayward (1st Prize Overall) 24 Fairholme College Students’ works were selected as finalists in Toowoomba Art Society ‘Chronicle Junior Art Expo’ Awards Fairholme College awarded the Dornbusch Partners Schools’ Encouragement Award for the school with the most acceptances (16 works) Briana Dascombe (Year 11) Australian Decorative & Fine Arts Society Runner-Up Award Hannah Currie (Year 10) Sue Englart Runner-Up Award for Open Print-making New York University’s Steinhart Summer Intensive Art Program: Isabella Grant (Year 11) CREATIVE GENERATION EXCELLENCE AWARDS IN VISUAL ART Georgia Hayward’s ‘Unknown Possibilities’ (awarded the Oxlades Art Supplies DDSWQ Regional Encouragement Award), Grace Lofting’s ‘Primary Emotions’, Jiawhye Phoon’s ‘Memories of War’ and Hannah Scovell’s ‘Face of Destruction’ DEBATING / PUBLIC SPEAKING Queensland Debating Union DD Regional Competition: Fairholme Champion School Trophy Junior Debater of the Year: Anah Chung Senior Debater of the Year: Georgia Hayward Year 8, Year 9 and Senior teams Grand Final Debating team Champions SWQ Rostrum Public Speaking Competition: Mindy Petersen (Year 9)
25
Business and Technology
KATRINA MAHER, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT - BUSINESS
The study of Business develops knowledge, understanding, and skills that will inform and encourage students to participate in, and contribute to, the financial world. Students are our future workers, savers, voters, consumers, producers and investors and they need to be financially literate to make informed decisions.
Senior Business subjects: Economics and Accounting. Students examined some Key Economic Foundations, including scarcity, needs, wants, costs and benefits. In the Accounting component, students acquired a knowledge and understanding of the legal aspects of setting up various forms of business ownerships.
Accounting in Year 12 provides the opportunity for students to develop a template in Excel for Budgeting purposes, to ascertain if they will be able to afford to purchase a car or house, as well as navigating the effective use of the accounting program MYOB.
Other activities included: • Attending annual economic update address by a senior economist from the Reserve Bank of Australia • Guest speaker from St. Vincent de Paul Society
Year 11 students had the opportunity to undertake Legal Studies, of which there is immediate relevance in their lives. Students investigated areas of Criminal and Civil Law and delved into the often grey area of the laws surrounding Doping in Sport. Economics students studied units of work that explored and applied theories to current political, social and economic issues present within Australia on a daily basis. This was furthered through studies of growing income and wealth inequality in Australia, the 2016 federal budget and macroeconomic management, Australia’s position in international trade and the emergence of free trade and, finally, the impacts of globalisation on Australia and the effectiveness of organisations such as G20 in addressing global issues.
Academic Achievement
YR 12 Accounting SA 30% VHA 45%
HA 25%
‘Students are our future workers, savers, voters, consumers, producers and investors and they need to be financially literate to make informed decisions.’
YR 11 Accounting SA 27%
VHA 47%
HA 26%
VHA = Very High Achievement HA = High Achievement Year 10 students who studied Commerce this year were introduced aspects of
26
SA = Sound Achievement LA = Low Achievement
English ROHAN DAVIS, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT - ENGLISH
Academic Achievements
The tide is changing There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.
William Shakespeare
You would almost think Shakespeare had friends in ACARA or the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Alas though, the affairs of Education in Australia, Queensland and Fairholme College are probably a little out of Shakespeare’s scope or interest, yet we English tragics, desperate for affirmation, like to draw parallels between our experience and the wit and wisdom of the bard. There is indeed a tide in the affairs of education (wo/men), and we believe we have turned our ship around, set our sail and are looking forward to charting our course. The reintroduction of external assessment will have a revitalising effect on curriculum and pedagogy, as we revise assessment and explore the advantages of fewer but better quality assessment instruments. Year 11 successfully trialled external assessment this year and the experience was both instructive and challenging for the students and the teachers involved. Nonetheless, this and other opportunities I have pursued through the QCAA will ensure that we are well prepared to embrace future fortunes.
120
111
103
100 80 60 40 20 0
68
67
61
44
38
2831
23
13
12 00
00
Year 12
Year 11 VHA
9
00
Year 10 HA
43
2831 9
SA
17
10
00
Year 9 LA
VLA
78
71
68
19 16 00
00
Year 8
Year 7
Total
Queensland Debating Union Grand Finalists Year 8 Kaitlin Topalov Rani Brennan Madeleine Randall Laura Craft
Year 9 Lucinda Carey Olivia Durkin Phoebe Long-Heslop Molly Rouse Anah Chung
Senior Emily Wilson Zazi Brennan Georgia Hayward Beth Foley
Runners Up Year 9 Eve Wilkes Kate Moule Maggie Grigg Lucy O’Connor
Patrice Brosnan Laura Craft Zoe Crooke Charlotte Kath Phoebe Meyer Elks Georgie Scouller
UNSW English Competition Distinctions Jasmine Collison Louisa Finlayson Ellie Randall Lily Pagalis-Jackson Chelsea Palmer Tessa Pruim
United Nations Evatt Trophy Competition – State Stephanie Millar Grace Elliott Zazi Brennan Lala Grogan QCS Writing Task Exemplar Clara Lee
27
Health, Sport and Physical Education TONY TREGASKIS, HEAD OF SPORT AND ACTIVITIES
‘Renowned as the premier Girls’ sporting school on the Darling Downs, Fairholme College set the scene for another outstanding year of achievements in Sport. 2016 was filled with sensational team and individual results’.
Road Runners Meet, State All Schools
Term 4 B Grade Premiers
It must be acknowledged that our girls participate in a multiplicity of sports outside the range offered by School Sport and they have also achieved significant results. The data provided is for School Sport only. AFL Darling Downs Youth Cup Finalists Years 10-12 12 Darling Downs Representatives 2 Queensland Representative – Grace Elliott and Zoe Webster BASKETBALL 1 Association Teams 3 Friday Night Teams – Yr7/8 Team second TSSS Term 1 Friday Night Grand Final 3 Darling Downs 13-19yrs Representatives and 2 Darling Downs 12yrs Representatives CHESS Teams and individuals competing at Toowoomba schools tournament. CRICKET 7 Darling Downs Representatives CROSS COUNTRY Interhouse Carnival: Champions – Black Toowoomba Secondary School Sport Champions Trophies – 13, 15, 17 and 19yrs Events participated in - St Aidan’s Invitational Cross Country, St Hilda’s Invitational Cross Country, Toowoomba Grammar Relay Meet, Toowoomba
28
Individual Championships 13 Darling Downs Representatives 2 Queensland Representatives – Chloe Randall and Celeste Pratt Medals - Darling Downs – 2 x Gold, 2 x Silver, 1 x Bronze, Queensland – 2 x Gold, Nationals – 1 x Gold, 1 x Silver Peak to Park Annual Charity Fun Run – over 100 Fairholme family participants EQUESTRIAN Convenors of Fairholme IQ Show Jumping, Pittsworth Scots/PCG Weekend 12 Regional Competitors 10 Darling Downs Representatives 7 Queensland Representatives – Lauren Bougoure, Amelia Doering, Alicia Freeman, Meg Gillan (Qld Captain), Rebecca Gillan, Bree Robertson and Amilia Schooley FOOTBALL 1 Association Team – School Club Link with Willowburn Football Club FUTSAL 2 Association Teams 2 SWQ Futsal Teams. U13 team 2nd. 3 Interschool Teams.
HOCKEY 1 Association Team – School Club link with Norths Hockey Club 4 Darling Downs Representatives 2 Queensland Representatives – Selena McIntyre and Tatum Stewart DD Schools Cup - Winners Queensland All Schools Cup – 6th Division 1 NETBALL 28 Association Teams – Saturday & Wednesday nights – 10 Association Teams Grand Finalists in respective divisions, 7 Teams Premiers Junior Vicki Wilson Cup Competition – Regional Division 1 and 2 Winners Senior Vicki Wilson Team – Regional Runners Up; Queensland Top 16 Laura Geitz Shield Competition – Regional Champions 7 Darling Downs Representatives ORIENTEERING 4 Darling Downs Representatives Fairholme tied 1st at Queensland Schools Interschool Competition 3 Queensland Reps– Rani Brennan, Zazi Brennan and Jessica Rogers
pictured: (left to right) Gemma Etheridge, Emilee Cherry, Dominique Du Toit
Pierre de Coubertin Award 2016
Awarded by Queensland Olympic Council for outstanding sporting achievements, commendable, sporting behaviour and exemplary leadership to: Natalie Webster
Highlights and Achievements
Intermediate Knockout Athletics Team finished 3rd at State Championships in Brisbane in October and was invited to National finals in Canberra in December, 2016. Toowoomba Secondary School Sport ‘Double Crown’. We retained our Swimming and Cross Country titles; unfortunately the Athletics titles were abandoned due to poor weather. In February 2016 the Fairholme Equestrian team was announced Interschool Queensland Equestrian Team of the Year 2015
Additional News
Past students Gemma Etheridge and Emilee Cherry represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics, while Dominique Du Toit was a travelling reserve for the Gold medal winning team. Fairholme Friends of Sport successfully ran the FOS Social & FOS Aquathon. Term 4 Interhouse Sporting Competition – Touch, Netball, Football and Volleyball Champions: Black
29
RUGBY LEAGUE 1 Darling Downs Representative SOFTBALL 1 Association Player 1 Darling Downs Representative- Ms Gierke (Official) Queensland Representative – Ms Gierke (Official) Queensland Golden Glove convenor – Ms Gierke Golden Glove Cup SWIMMING Interhouse Carnival Champions – Stephens Toowoomba Secondary School Sport Winners for 15th successive year Trophies – Aggregate, 13s, 19s & Relays 16 Darling Downs Representatives Medals – Darling Downs – 9 x Gold, 8 x Silver, 9 x Bronze. Senior, Middle and Junior School Swimming Tournaments Moreton Bay College and Clayfield College Swim Meets TENNIS Knowles Cup Tournament Sacre Coeur Tournament, Toowoomba – Winners Overall, C Grade, Year 7/8 and Year 9/10 3 Darling Downs Representatives Queensland Secondary School Cup – Regional Champions Fairholme Open Tournament
30
TOUCH 5 Association Teams – A Grade Premiers 7 Summer Touch Teams 6 Darling Downs Representatives 1 Queensland Representative Queensland All Schools Tournament – 5 teams - Open 1 and U15 1’s Quarter Finalists SWQ Tournament – 5 teams – Open 1 Winners All Hallows’ Tournament – 5 teams – Open 1 Semi Finalists, U15 2’s Plate Winners TRACK AND FIELD Interhouse Champions – Black Toowoomba Secondary School Sport – washed out 32 Darling Downs Representatives 4 Queensland Representatives – Ellie Bowyer, Samantha Lenton, Bella McLoughlin and Natalie Webster (1319yrs) and 1 Queensland Representative 12yrs – Chloe Randall Medals – Darling Downs – 27 x Gold, 19 x Silver, 10 Bronze, Queensland – 6 x Gold, 5 x Silver, 4 x Bronze. Intermediate Knockout Athletics Team finishes 3rd & qualifies for Nationals Fairholme Athletics Club TRIATHLON 8 Darling Downs Representatives and 1 Aquathlon Representative Triathlon Club and Training introduced at Fairholme
VOLLEYBALL 3 Association Teams Queensland Schools Cup Darling Downs Schools Cup WATER POLO 2 Association Teams 3 Darling Downs Representatives Chris Stumkat Shield Winners Fairholme College host venue for State Championships and DD team training TOOWOOMBA SECONDARY SCHOOL SPORT Term 1 Summer Competition 18 Teams entered 4 Premier Teams, 1 x 3rd Term 2 Winter Competition 12 Teams entered 1 Premier Team 2 x 2nd, 1 x 3rd
Home Economics HIGHLIGHTS ‘Fairholme continues to hold the status of the largest Home Economics cohort in the region, maintaining its reputation as a significant institution for the study of Home Economics.’ ‘I’ve never come across a school that openly encourages students from all over the region to participate in a show, where really every one is a winner. All of these designers have had a chance to put their hard work on show. And in the process, they’ve learnt how important it is for Australia to have a sustainable Fashion Industry.’ – Julie Tengdahl, owner of fashion label, Tengdahl. To have a Queensland Designer who has not only survived an incredibly tough industry, but remained successful, describe Fairholme College as innovative and unique is all the encouragement we need to continue Fairholme Fashion Week. This year Queensland Designers Julie Tengdahl (of Tengdahl label), Pia Du Pradal (who designs for Dame Quentin Bryce), Claire Greenhill (of Rowen Couture) and Alexander Kennedy judged student fashion from across the region.
Year 11 Food and Nutrition Fashion and Textiles Brisbane Fashion Excursion Fairholme Fashion Week Year 10 Increased number of students in Home Economics subjects Food Technology Fashion and Technology Fairholme Fashion Week Designs Fashion Excursions Year 9 Individual products developed through design challenges Food Technology Year 8 Design and production of everyday products that enhanced wellbeing Food technology Year 7 Textiles and Design More than 70 students designed patterns and created items Discussions surrounding the importance of sustainable fashion Food technology
Year 12 Results 1
Cotton Australia once again came on board to sponsor the ‘Home Grown’ event, which encouraged students to understand that behind every garment is a cotton farmer. Textiles is just one unit of Fairholme’s Home Economics course, which continues to thrive as a subject. The specialist teachers and state of the art facilities and program, ensure that students are able to hone their interest and skills to a level that prepares them for careers within the fast-paced and ever-evolving Food and Fashion industries.
12
26
VHA
HA
Sound
31
Humanities
KIM SCUDAMORE, HEAD OF HUMANITIES (ACTING)
‘Post-truth (adjective): relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.’ We live in an information rich society, with the internet and social media at our fingertips, yet paradoxically, it seems that we are becoming increasingly knowledge poor. Testament to this is the recent announcement by Oxford Dictionaries that their ‘Word of the Year’ for 2016 is ‘post-truth’. This concept acknowledges that in our informationsaturated world, there are now myriad conflicting versions of ‘truth’ that can act to shape our beliefs – that we can, to an extent, define our own version of reality. Thus, we are particularly susceptible to misinformation if we do not have the critical capacity to evaluate the wealth of ‘facts’ that we encounter on a daily basis. So how can we equip students to navigate a ‘post-truth’ world? The key, as elucidated by US economist and academic, Timothy Taylor, is perhaps as simple and as complex as ‘knowing enough to ask more meaningful questions.’ Whether it is in Year 11 Ancient History, where we explore both democracy and demagoguery, in Year 8 Humanities, as we examine patterns of migration, in Senior Modern History, where students ponder the nature of dictatorship, or as our Geographers contemplate questions of sustainability, Fairholme’s Humanities students are always engaging in critical inquiry.
‘It is this sort of thinking, both analytical and reflective, objective and empathetic, that builds a foundation for students to form their own judgements about the world in which they live.’
Highlights Handscape Enrichment Day and Gab Fest (Year 7 English and Humanities) Place and Liveability Local Community Study (Year 7 Humanities) ‘Fightin’ the Kaiser’ World War 1 Performance (Year 9 Humanities) ‘Follow the Crowd’ program in Brisbane CBD (Year 9 Humanities)
Academic Results 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
‘I Was Only Nineteen’ Vietnam War Performance (Year 10 Humanities) Nerang River Managing Catchments Study (Year 11 Geography) Fortitude Valley Sustaining Communities Study (Year 12 Geography) Toowoomba Escarpment Sustaining Biodiversity Study (Year 12 Geography)
VHA %
32
HA %
SA %
Information and Communication Technology
CHAU CHUC, HEAD OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Academic Results 20 15
‘75%
10 5 0
Total Students Completing the Subject
VHA Year 10
The senior ITS course was improved this year to include 3D Modelling, Graphic Design, Multimedia and Web Design. The units of study are approached from the perspective of project management, problem solving techniques, client relationships and social and ethical issues. The Year 10 ‘Information Technology Studies’ was rewritten in 2015 to support students seeking learning experiences in computer literacy that are relevant to current lifestyles and career aspirations. It has enjoyed strong interest and healthy enrolments. Students completed units of work in Operating Systems, Graphic Design, Animation, Programming Methodologies, Video Production, Cyber Safety and Online Communications, 3D Modelling and Web Authoring. The deployment of our Blackboard system (elearning platform) is progressing on schedule and the core subject areas (Maths, English and Science) are leading the way in usage. Our laptop program has matured and is under constant review. It is still the best option to meet the learning needs of students and the cost to parents. All new laptops (E3350) in 2016 have touch screens with toughened glass, rubberised edges, solid-state hard drives and batteries that lasts up to 15 hours for general academic use.
HA Year 11
SA
LA
of Year 12s who completed the course achieved a VHA.’
Year 12
The Fairholme College IT Services team has the skill set to engineer and administer all IT systems in-house, to reduce the cost of ownership and provide timely support to students, staff and parents. Listed below are some facts and figures for the technically minded.
• 68 network switches (1G or 10G capable) • 8 fibre links (10G capable) • 114 dual radio, ‘AC’ wireless access points + 4 quad radio, ‘AC’ arrays • 200/200 mbps ethernet internet connection through fibre.
Email and Internet Traffic: • Average number of emails sent and received (per month): 168,000 • Average number of blocked incoming emails - spam or infected (per month): 23,000 • Average volume of internet download (per month): 6.1TB
Software infrastructure includes: • Unified Login • Reach Boarding • Blackboard • Windows 7 and 8 Professional (64 bit) • Windows 10 Education (64 bit) • Office 2013 Professional Plus • Office 365 • Adobe CS 6 Master Collection • Windows Server 2012 R2 • Exchange 2016 • System Centre Endpoint Protection • Hyper-V (server virtualisation) • SysAid (helpdesk software) • Synergetic (school management software) • Sonar Blue Reef (Internet Management Platform)
Helpdesk Services: • Average number of helpdesk jobs per month : 1000 • Average number of battery swap-andgo services per month: 1,260 • Average laptop services per month: 224 Hardware Infrastructure includes: • 1 Video Conferencing system (Polycom) • 869 laptops and desktops • 32 iPads (Junior School project) • 80 Data Projectors • 28 interactive whiteboards • 73TB network storage • 86 printers • 6 scanners • 1 Bookedge Scanner • 9 physical servers • 24 virtual servers
ITS Award Recipients: 2016 Year 12 ITS Laura Bath
33
Languages
JODY FRIEND, HEAD OF LOTE, HEAD OF BLACK HOUSE
Highlights Bastille Day Celebration – A themed lunch for students dressed in French inspired costumes Octoberfest for Teens – A fun day celebrating German culture with students in Brisbane Taiko Drumming Performance for Junior School and Middle School students of Japanese
French Academic Results 25 20 15 10
French trip to New Caledonia in September
5
French puppet show for Yr 7 and Yr 8 students in October (‘Cendrillon’)
0
Yr 12 French Immersion workshops in Easter holidays
Year 7
Year 10 Japanese Dinner – students prepared and ate traditional dishes Professional Learning All language teachers have been involved in POLT, incorporating new ideas to promote independence, interdependence and motivation within students.
Year 10 B
C
Year 11
Year 12
D
Japanese Academic Results 25 20 15 10 5 0
Jody Friend appointed to the Expert Writing Team for the new Japanese Syllabus being developed by QCAA; member of the Flexible Curriculum Delivery Working Group established by QCAA.
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9 A
An Van Cauwenberge represented the College at ISQ training on National Curriculum Fairholme Language teachers have extensive experience with Panels. We have one member on a State Panel, a District Panel Chair and a District Panel member.
Year 9 A
Fairholme families hosted visiting exchange students from Japan, France and Germany. A number of our girls then went on Exchange Programs to France, Germany and Japan 4 students from Joshi Seigakuin, Tokyo, enrolled at the College for Term 3
Year 8
Year 10
B
C
Year 11
Year 12
D
German Academic Results 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9 A
34
Year 10 B
C
D
Year 11
Year 12
‘As Australia embraces a global future, we face a growing skills shortfall: the ability to understand and operate in languages and cultures other than our own. Young people need to develop their linguistic abilities so that we can redress this situation. Being monolingual is just not good enough, especially in a developed nation such as ours. To be competitive, we need to be able to speak more than one language.’
Library and Information Services
MELANIE HASALL, HEAD OF LIBRARY & INFORMATION SERVICES
‘The more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the smarter you grow. The smarter you grow, the stronger your voice, when speaking your mind or making your choice!’
Adaptation of a quote by Dr Seuss.
Both the physical and online libraries are vibrant learning places that provide a nurturing environment challenging students to become confident and respectful contributors within our global society. In 2017, the Library and Information Service Department enhanced Fairholme’s reading and learning culture by providing a range of learning activities, services and resources.
Accelerated Reader This year, the number of AR quizzes completed increased by 1,700 from last year. Accelerated Reading Number of quizzes Number of words read Year 3 4,452 16,469,949 Year 4 1,063 20,418,906 Year 5 1,312 23,000,444 Year 6 353 10,271,462 Total 7,180 70,160,761
Items in Library Catalogues Total 53,540
eAudiobooks available from BorrowBox Total 398
29,950 Items in total borrowed in the FJL 2,738
333
New items in 2016 Total 3,705
9,411 Items in total borrowed in the TLC
727
252 329 Total number of items borrowed
Print items borrowed by students
Print items borrowed by students 28,890 26,152
Print items borrowed by staff & others eBooks borrowed by students & staff eAudiobooks borrowed by students & staff
36
Print items borrowed by staff & others 3,948
4,882
eBooks borrowed by students & staff eAudiobooks borrowed by students & staff
Mathematics
WENDY ANDERSSON, HEAD OF MATHEMATICS
Academic Results 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
11 Maths 11 Maths 11 Maths 11 Pre-Voc 12 Maths 12 Maths 12 Maths 12 Pre-Voc A B C Maths A B C Maths VHA
Recognising the importance of the skills learnt in Mathematics for active participation in society, the Mathematics Department endeavours to cater for the needs of all students. Students are offered opportunities to participate in a number of extra - curricular activities which are interesting and challenging. They may also seek support in Maths Help sessions which are offered twice a week in the Mathematics Department and at the Learning Enhancement Centre. Darling Downs Mathematics Teams Challenge The Year 7/8 Teams were placed 8th and 19th in a field of 23 teams. The Year 10 team ranked 5th out of 24 teams and the Year 12 team ranked 7th out of 22 teams. DET &QAMT Year 8 Quiz Six of our Year 8 girls competed in the annual Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers (QAMT) Quiz.
HA
SA
LA
229 students in Years 8, 10, 11, 12 participated in the ICAS Mathematics Competition. 6 students were awarded Distinctions, 40 were awarded Credits and 28 were awarded Merits. TDMTA One-Day Workshop for Talented Mathematics Students An opportunity for students across Years 7-11 to work with like-minded students from other schools on Mathematics concepts which are not part of the normal school curriculum. Fairholme had a record number of students attending this year.
‘Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas’
– Albert Einstein
2016 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools: Mathematics
37
Science
FRAN BRAZIER, HEAD OF SCIENCE Middle Science Results
‘ 75% of students in the classrooms now, will work in a Science and Technology related field in their lifetime.’
60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Year 7
Year 8 VHA %
Year 9 HA %
SA %
Year 10
LA %
Senior Science Results 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
11 11 Biology 11 Agriculture Chemistry VHA %
The Fairholme Agricultural Science program commenced this year for Year 11 students, through three fields of study: Plant Science, Animal Science and Agribusiness. A course of study in Agriculture can establish a basis for further education and employment in the fields of agriculture, agronomy, food technology, horticulture, aquaculture, veterinary science, equine science, biotechnology, environmental management, business, marketing and agricultural education, research and development. A Robotics extra-curricular opportunity was developed for Year 7 students, to foster interest and skills in robotics and computer coding. This project was in response to the Australian Government Department of Education and Training’s ‘Restoring the focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in schools initiative’. Our aim is to immerse the students in the engineering design process that incorporates innovative, analytical and critical thinking, to solve problems in collaborative teams. The Science Department’s focus is to develop and
38
11 Physics 12 Biology HA %
SA %
12 Chemistry
12 Physics
LA %
consolidate the skills necessary to achieve success in STEM related subjects and careers. • 2016 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools Science Competition; Fairholme College recorded 5 Distinction, 34 Credit, and 18 Merit Certificates. • Fairholme College was awarded 6 Certificates of Distinction and 3 Certificates of Credit in the Royal Australian Chemical Institute’s Chemistry Competition. • Maggie Grigg and Charlotte Thelander achieved a ‘Highly Commended’ in the University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize. • Year 7 student, Bridie Willaton was selected in the top 10 for the Queensland Museum Natural Leaders Program. • Ha Rin (Clara) Lee was selected to attend the National Youth Science Forum in Canberra; Abby Love was selected to attend the 2017 National Youth Science Forum.
Learning experiences beyond the classroom • Year 7 - Domobotics Workshop – robot building and programming session • Year 8 Questacon Smart Skills Workshop – Focusing on the Engineering Design Process • Year 8 Science Excursion to the old Toowoomba Basalt Quarry to develop a proposal for the rehabilitation of the site • Three-day Year 11 Biology Camp at Hastings Point in Northern NSW studying rocky shore, beach, and mangrove ecosystems • Year 11 Agricultural Science excursions to a Local Dairy, Cotton farm and the Dalby Cotton Gin • UQ Gatton Regional Careers Fair for interested Year 10 -12 students • 26 Year 10 girls participated in the University of Southern Queensland Regional Science and Engineering Challenge • Year 7 students, Madeleine McDonald Smith, Meg Davies and Annabelle McKenzie and Year 9 student, Zahli Bahnisch were selected to attend the four-day STEM Horizons for High Achievers program, run by the Department of Education and Training, Griffith University, Nathan Campus. Activities were designed to be ‘hands on’ and provide opportunities to actively engage in higher order thinking and problem solving. • Year 11 Student Amber McMasters has been given the opportunity to participate in the SPARQ-ed Immersion program on melanoma therapy research, organised by the University of Queensland.
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET)
ARLIE HOLLINDALE, CO-ORDINATOR OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
2016 has seen a dynamic shift in the Alternate Pathway programs offered through the Pathway Centre, through the implementation of the Year 10 Specialist Elective program. This program was offered to the whole Year 10 cohort and we have seen a positive and enthusiastic response from our girls and parents. Year 11 and 12 students were also able to access this program. The program offered additional scope of subject choices and acted as a ‘taster’ toward Pathway planning and subject selection. It supported the study and completion of qualifications and other programs by the end of Year 10, which contribute to, and assist with, Tertiary entrance through the Selection Rank system, gaining Qld Certificate of Education (QCE) points and assisting with employment advantages through developing job skills and volunteer workplace experience within industry and the community. Gaining a nationally-recognised qualification can be advantageous when developing a Resume and applying for Scholarship and Residential College applications, in addition to leading to higher education or further study in Years 11/12.
The Specialist Elective program offered Certificate III and IV qualifications in the areas of Justice Studies, Health Services, Allied Health, Fitness, Hospitality Early Education and Education Support, as well as Certificate II and III qualifications offered through TAFE South West in the following areas; Design Fundamentals, Beauty, Retail Make up and Skin Care. The program supported School-based Traineeships in the areas of Agriculture, Business, Companion Animals, Education Support and Hospitality in 2016. There is also a program for those Year 10 students who show a long-term commitment to sport or instrumental music, singing, speech and drama or dance, either practically and/or theoretically, at a level higher than Grade 4 Australian Music Examination Board (AMEB) or Trinity College, London (or equivalent). The Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award can also be completed through the Specialist Elective program. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme is internationally recognised for young people that challenges students to demonstrate a sustained contribution toward improving and developing themselves in Skill, Service and Physical Recreation. Commerce was also part of this program in 2016.
‘In 2016, 65% of the Year 10 cohort completed a Certificate II, III or IV qualification, 14% participated in the Duke of Edinburgh award, 11% studied Commerce and 10% chose the Music/Sport elective.’
‘67 students from Year 11 and 12 also studied through the Specialist Elective program in 2016.’
39
Careers
LAURA ANDERSON, COLLEGE PSYCHOLOGIST AND SPECIALIST CAREERS ADVISOR
Dr Linda Evans’s 2016 Presenting Fairholme Speech, which included the story of John MacLean and his battle to overcome a major disability from a road accident to succeed in sports that many people would never consider even attempting, really stuck a cord with me. This successful outcome was largely due a comment by his father about remembering to look at how far we have come when we are faced with major challenges, rather than focus all of our attention on what lies ahead of us. The story reminded me of the importance of reviewing our progress and remembering to celebrate what we have already achieved which, in essence, should empower us to forge ahead with our plans. We may need to change directions with unexpected outcomes but we should always celebrate all aspects of the journey – including the times when things did not go well – because sometimes the brick walls we encounter are the most wonderfully disguised opportunities, which really do develop our character and fortitude. With this in mind, it is my hope that each student who enters the Pathway Centre at Fairholme is not only educated about the world of opportunities
40
available to her but is also educated in how she can become an independent young adult prepared for all that life has to offer her, knowing how to navigate life when things change direction unexpectedly and she encounters her own personal brick walls. This, to me, is why Career Development Education is so important. Career Development is much more than learning about how to access further study; it is about learning who we are, how we operate in the world we live in, what our strengths are, what we may need to improve and, ultimately, what work will give us a sense of value and pride in ourselves. It is not just about study pathways, income and employment, it is also about working hard, financial management and employability. Career Development does not cease when students leave Fairholme; in many ways it just begins. We are confident that the support offered to the students in the Pathway Centre at Fairholme College prepares them well for an exciting, challenging and above all rewarding life, personally and professionally. Pathway Centre Services: Career exploration, resume and cover letter development, work
experience, tertiary studies exploration, Tertiary Studies Road-trip and Career Engagement Day for Year 11s, information on scholarships, accommodation and much more. Furthering her Education: UMAT preparation study group, University of Southern Queensland Headstart and Mooting Competition, CQU Start Uni Now, Go Griffith Go Health, Bond University Mooting Competition, University of Queensland Young Scholars Program.
‘It is my hope that each student who enters the Pathway Centre at Fairholme is not only educated about the world of opportunities available to her but is also educated in how she can become an independent young adult prepared for all that life has to offer her’.
Summary Year 12 Applicants by Field of Education for FAIRHOLME COLLEGE Produced by QTAC on: Thursday 01 Dec 2016
Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies (e.g. Land, Parks & Wildlife) Pref 1 = 5 All Prefs = 31 Architecture and Building (e.g. Urban & Regional Planning, Interior Design) Pref 1 = 1 All Prefs = 9 Creative Arts (e.g. Music, Graphic Design, Communication & Media Studies) Pref 1 = 11 All Prefs = 60 Education (e.g. Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary) Pref 1 = 12 All Prefs = 70 Engineering (e.g Chemical, Automotive, Civil, Aerospace, Biomedical, Surveying) Pref 1 = 2 All Prefs = 10 Food, Hospitality and Personal Services (e.g. Beauty Therapy) Pref 1 = 0 All Prefs = 1 Health (e.g Pharmacy, Veterinary Science, Naturopathy, Speech Pathology) Pref 1 = 29 All Prefs = 158 Information Technology (e.g Computer Science, Programming) Pref 1 = 0 All Prefs = 5 Management and Commerce (e.g. Hospitality Management, Banking & Finance) Pref 1 = 13 All Prefs = 70 Natural and Physical Sciences (e.g. Mathematics, Physics, Laboratory Technology) Pref 1 = 8, All Prefs = 47, Offers = 0 Accept = 0 Society and Culture (e.g. Law, Economics, Psychology, Sport & Recreation) Pref 1 = 30 All Prefs = 166
41
Pastoral Care
JODY FRIEND, HEAD OF LOTE, HEAD OF BLACK HOUSE
Pastoral care is not merely a complementary practice; it is policy and practices fully integrated throughout the teaching and learning and structural organisation of a school to effectively meet the personal, social (wellbeing) and academic needs of students and staff.
– ACER Teacher Magazine
Pastoral Care at Fairholme sits at the heart of this nurturing, Christian community. Our dynamic approach to pastoral care encourages meaningful connections and nurtures identity for individuals, Pastoral Care Groups, Houses and the College community. All staff members are care givers and support our girls collaboratively to create safe learning and living environments. A deliberate and considered approach to this care is led collaboratively by The Wellness Team – a staff group whose expertise spans emotional, academic, health, boarding and spiritual care. All girls are members of a Pastoral Care Group and meet with their PCG teacher daily, in PCG time, College Assembly, Chapel or House Meetings. Additionally, groups initiate activities to celebrate together, serve the community or to simply enjoy time together as a little family group. Our multi-faceted system promotes inclusivity and finds foundation in a restorative approach to managing relationships.
Pastoral Care Concerns
PCG Teacher
Head of House
Student Welfare Team
Counsellor Head of Middle School
Head of Boarding Head of Senior School
Each House has a Student Pastoral nurturing in the House.
42
Chaplain
Service
CATRINA SHARP, HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL, DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
To honour our College's Vision and Values, we serve. Service involves learning about one's self and others, and it means being gracious, selfless and hardworking. Fairholme values service and provides opportunities for the girls to engage in service learning so that they may be sensitive and mindful contributors within any community to which they belong. The College Interact Club Board, headed by President and Prefect for Service, Georgia Hayward, led many service activities which raised awareness and gathered valuable funds to support a variety of worthy organisations. The Club supported these groups: Queensland Medical Research Institute; Drought Angels; Red Cross; Indigenous Literacy Foundation; the Year Ten Life Skills service project; Rosies Friends on the Street and The Base Services; and our three international sponsor children. The Leukaemia Foundation received over $30000, raised by 23 Senior Leaders.
‘Service involves learning about the one’s self and others, and it means being gracious, selfless and hardworking.’ Sharing with many New groups supported through fundraising activities in 2016 included the Share the Dignity campaign, Buy a Bale drought support, Monty's Foundation and The Depression Support Network Toowoomba. New Outreach Two new programs evolved in 2016 – TRAMS Homework Program and Rosies Friends on the Street. Mrs Ross initiated the weekly homework help sessions, at Darling Heights State School, with young students supported by the Toowoomba Refugee and Migrant Support. Head Day Girl, Alice O'Connor, instigated the College's involvement in Rosies outreach, cooking breakfast for patrons once a month.
Ongoing Support for our Local Friends All Year 11 girls were involved in two Mornings of Service, taking the opportunity to help a variety of local groups. In September, a group of Year 11 girls supported young disabled children over the four days of the annual Sony Foundation Camp. Service Trips The Eco Discovery Trip to the Whitsunday Islands enabled Year 11 girls to support a cleaner and safer physical environment for the animals who call the Islands home. The annual Cambodia Discovery Tour saw our Year 11 travellers build two houses for local families.
43
A Fairholme Story
BETTINA KOBELT (SENIOR 2016)
I started at Fairholme in Grade 9, in 2013, and I was one of only two girls at the start of that year. I had flown in from Darwin, in the Northern Territory, after pleading with my Mum to send me away to Boarding School. Since I was 10 years old, I had always wanted to be a Boarder. I clearly remember, without Mum’s knowledge, requesting all these prospectuses from all over Australia – Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland. They all started arriving in the post, and Mum brought them to me and said, ‘Bettina - what is this?’ I think she was confused as to why I wanted to go. She told me, ‘You’re not going to Victoria or New South Wales - it’s too far away. You can go somewhere in Queensland.’ And then my Grandparents moved to Toowoomba, and Fairholme stood out as the best choice. It took me a little while to settle into my new life at Fairholme, for both School and Boarding, but I made friends quickly, and I loved the study and extra-curricular available to me. All of a sudden three years had passed, and I found myself preparing for my Formal, where all of my family would come together. It was the first time our entire family was going to be together, and I’d organised family photos. The day before Mum was diagnosed with acute Leukaemia. I think Mum’s battle became personal for my fellow classmates at the annual Senior Shave for a Cure. Four of us, including myself, shaved our heads. Mine was to support Mum, to say thanks to the amazing Leukaemia Foundation. But all these classmates also felt that connection.
44
We raised more money than any other fundraising group in South West Queensland, and sent a cheque totalling $30,879.33 to the Leukaemia Foundation. Only months later, Mum lost her battle against Leukaemia. I think a couple of days after I flew home I got this massive package from the Boarding House. It was full of notes and cards from all these girls. It was the first of many supportive gestures from the Fairholme community. When I got back, my teachers were so understanding. I was really concerned in the midst of my grief; I had fallen behind in my studies, after begging Mum to spend all this money on Boarding School. The teachers just made me realise I would get through it, and actually encouraged me to stop and grieve. I think Fairholme is blessed to have the teachers that they have. In November 2016, before I had even graduated at Fairholme, I received a Collegiate Scholarship with Bond. I am now studying Law. I feel all that pleading to be sent to Boarding School was worth it. Not just for the success in my studies, but also for the life-long friendships I’ve formed, and the inspirational teachers I’ve had the pleasure of learning from.
45
Fairholme College Toowoomba
Proudly a College of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland Wirra Wirra Street PO Box 688 Toowoomba Q 4350 W www.fairholme.qld.edu.au T 07 4688 4688 ABN: 16 917 099 053 Registered Provider (Queensland): Fairholme College Toowoomba CRICOS Provider Code: 00651J