NewsBites - Term 1, Week 6, 2024

Dear Faith community,

I extend my heartfelt thanks to parents and caregivers of Foundation Phase Year 7 students for participating in our recent Foundation Phase Survey. 

We developed this survey to ensure that our newest cohort of students and their families are being provided with the highest level of support during their transition to Faith.

Your feedback is invaluable to us, and it's truly affirming to receive such positive responses about your experiences and satisfaction with Faith Lutheran College.

One of the highlights of the survey results was the Net Promoter Score (NPS) generated by our Year 7 parents. This is a measurement of the likelihood of recommending Faith to a friend or College. A Net Promoter Score of 50 is considered to be excellent - our NPS from this survey was 62.5.

This is testament to the strong sense of community and support within our College. 

This positive feedback reinforces our commitment to providing a nurturing and effective learning environment for our students. 

Some key highlights from the data include:

• A commendable 88.75% of respondents described their child's overall experience in the initial weeks of Year 7 as positive or somewhat positive, indicating a successful start to their educational journey at Faith.
• An impressive 97.5% of respondents indicated that they were satisfied with the College's communication, underscoring our effective engagement strategies.
• Approximately 86.25% of students appeared happy or very happy in their first few weeks at Faith, showcasing positive emotional wellbeing and successful adjustment to the new environment.
• The majority, 97.5% of responses, affirmed that parents are aware of whom to contact for queries, highlighting our clear and accessible communication channels.
• A significant majority of students are engaged in extracurricular activities, emphasising the diverse and inclusive nature of our program offerings.

It's encouraging to see our efforts recognised, and we are inspired by your trust and confidence in us. 

Your constructive suggestions are equally appreciated, providing us with clear directions for future improvements, and we will continue to work towards improving our social integration programs, academic support, communication strategies and opportunities for parent engagement. 

Let us continue to work together, building on this foundation of trust and positivity, to create the best possible learning environment for our students.

Yours in Christ,

Doug Braiden 
College Principal 

Preparing for Success: A Guide to the Upcoming Assessment Period

As we approach the upcoming assessment period, it's essential to focus not only on the immediate academic challenges but also on the broader strategies that contribute to our overall success and wellbeing. As the Director of Teaching and Learning, I want to emphasise the importance of a balanced approach to this critical time, encompassing dedicated study, healthy living and meaningful connections.

The cornerstone of assessment preparation is effective revision. This involves not just re-reading notes but actively engaging with the material through practice questions, discussions and teaching concepts to others. Setting a realistic revision schedule that breaks down subjects into manageable sections can help ensure thorough preparation without overwhelming yourself.

Allocating specific times of the day for focused study can significantly enhance your ability to retain information. Choose periods when you are most alert and minimise distractions to create an environment conducive to concentration. Remember, quality often trumps quantity when it comes to study time.

Never underestimate the power of a good night's sleep, especially during times of intense study. Sleep is crucial for memory consolidation and can significantly impact your ability to learn and perform. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to ensure your brain and body are well-rested and ready for the challenges ahead.

Eating a balanced diet and staying hydrated can greatly affect your energy levels and concentration. Opt for nutritious meals and snacks that provide sustained energy, and avoid excessive caffeine or sugar, which can lead to energy crashes. Keeping a water bottle at your study desk is a good reminder to stay hydrated.

Regular physical activity is a fantastic stress reliever and can improve both your mood and brain function. Whether it's a brisk walk, a jog or a gym session, find an activity you enjoy and make it a part of your daily routine. Exercise can also be a great way to break up study sessions and rejuvenate your mind.

While studying is important, so is maintaining your social connections. Spending quality time with family and friends can provide emotional support, reduce stress, and offer a much-needed break from the demands of revision. Balancing study with social activities can help keep you motivated and prevent burnout.

As we gear up for the assessments, remember that your best effort is what counts. Embrace a holistic approach to your preparation, taking care of your mind, body and spirit. By incorporating dedicated study, sufficient rest, proper nutrition, regular exercise and social time into your routine, you're setting yourself up for success not only in the upcoming assessments but in all future endeavours.

Jen Gibb 
Director of Teaching and Learning 

The first couple of weeks of Wednesday Projects have been and gone. Several impressive projects are underway, with all initiatives grounded in a design thinking approach. I encourage all families to discuss with their child(ren) the projects they are involved in, including the community problem they aim to address throughout the semester.

A fundamental principle of Wednesday Projects at Faith is ‘heart, head, and hand’—with some even adding ‘habit’ as the fourth element of this guiding principle. This signifies our desire for all projects to begin with a focus on ‘heart,’ where students, through guided empathy research, identify and deeply understand specific community problems. Subsequently, students utilise their ‘head’ to devise sustainable solutions to these problems. Finally, they shift their focus to the ‘hand’ element, where students then implement their solutions to address the community issue.

A crucial aspect woven through the entire design process of all Wednesday Projects is a focus on ‘authentication.’ Project groups are required to engage both internal and external stakeholders about the steps students plan to take to address the identified problem. 

This semester, we hope to involve parents/carers in this significant phase. Families will be asked to critique and/or contribute to their child’s project group as they address their identified problem. More details about this parent/carer engagement opportunity will be communicated to all families through the Phase Newsletters towards the end of the term. 

We hope that the majority of families can provide input regarding their child’s Wednesday Project, even if it is simply engaging with them to learn about the design thinking process that each student and their co-learners in their relevant project are undertaking.

Yours in Christ,

Tyson Kenny
Deputy Principal

Year 12 Legacy Fundraiser - Easter Raffle

LIVIN

In Week 5, Mick from LIVIN spoke to the Exploration and Graduate Phases about mental health education. LIVIN is a non-profit organisation, determined to spread the word of their vision to the world which is, “It ain’t weak to speak!” Mick shared personal stories from his own struggles in life to deliver this engaging and powerful message.

LIVIN’s mission is:

• To proactively lead and deliver mental health education in schools around the country.
• Promote positive mental health and wellbeing for people through early education and awareness programs.
• Connect with people through innovative means.
• Create a brand led movement that people can relate to and build an enduring relationship with.
• Increase help seeking behaviours
• Create LIVIN communities around Australia who lead and champion our vision.

If you would like any further information about LIVIN or if you would like to donate to this wonderful cause you can visit their website (www.livin.org). LIVIN’s merchandise can also be purchased through this website.

Get Back to School Ready with the School Student Broadband Initiative!

Children who can access online learning at home as part of their education are more likely to engage in classroom activities.

With broadband internet access your family will be able to access fast internet at home, which supports children to build their digital skills, learn how to safely use the internet and participate in a world that is more dependent on digital technology.

With the recent program extension there is now more time to sign up for the School Student Broadband Initiative, with the new school year starting - this is a great time sign up for this offer or refer a family:

For any new families signing up now, this offer means free internet until 31 December 2025.

For families who have already connected with SSBI, their free internet will automatically be rolled over until 31 December 2025.

Check your eligibility for free nbn broadband until the end of 2025 now: Contact the National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610 (Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm AEDT) or by visiting www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet.

The Exploration Phase is pumping with over 50 courses on offer this semester alone! Here are some testimonials from teachers of our courses so far.

Visual Art
My Art class is pumping. They have been exploring a number of abstract art movements such as Cubism, Expressionism and Surrealism, through classroom experiments, activities and an excursion to GOMA and QAG at Southbank. The full class of 28 is creating some amazing practical work and engaging in really thoughtful and creative conversations around what the focus of their work will be this semester.   

Reid Dobson

English Elective 2A: Narratives in the Dark
Students in English Elective 2A are exploring the inquiry process of ‘what makes a monster’ and focusing on how different authors have developed this within creative writing. We have had amazing in-depth conversations about morality and ethics, as well as the fact that someone who didn’t put any quotation marks in their writing could earn up to $16 million dollars in sales! It has been a unit full of collaboration on story-writing, engaging with our new friend, Writer’s Toolbox, and overall having fun in creatively engaging with stories about monsters. 

Beck Smith

E-Sports
This term in esports, students have been actively engaged in utilising design thinking strategies and business theory to craft a proposal for the College's Senior Leadership, advocating for a dedicated E-sports room. They have diligently gathered data from various sources, including insights from Mr Braiden himself, to understand the challenges associated with establishing such a facility and to devise innovative solutions that mitigate risks and enhance the proposal's success potential. Additionally, students have delved into the history of video games, with a particular focus on the Atari 2600's profound impact on the industry following the commercial disappointment of E.T. the video game. As part of their learning journey, students had the opportunity to play this iconic game, with some even mastering it. Moreover, students have embraced the challenge of achieving high scores in the original NES Tetris, showcasing their gaming skills and competitive spirit.

Josh Searchfield

Maths 1A and Science 1A
My course “Pure Maths” is running in Semester 2 however, I am teaching Maths 1A and Science 1A. So far, the students are transitioning well from Math Pathways to a more portfolio style of assessment with regular topic tests each fortnight.

In Science 1A we did a practical lesson which modelled half-life of a radioactive substance which involved m and m's - the students loved that!

Nicole McNeilly

CO2 Drag Racing
My students in ‘CO2 Drag Racing’ have:

• completed a research project (poster) about an engineering innovation in drag racers
• completed their OnGuard workshop safety training
• got Inventor (CAD software) installed on their laptops
• done some concept sketches for their dragsters
• started designing their dragsters using Inventor
• are just starting to 3D print some components (wheels) for their dragsters
• learned about balanced and unbalanced forces and Newton’s first law of motion

We have already done so much however the real fun part, which is actually building and painting and testing racing our dragsters is still to come!

Ian Thompson

Show me the Money
Students are learning how to invest and become financially independent! We’ve learned to understand risk, reward, savings rates, inflation and how investing in real estate, cryptocurrency and shares work. Our class is currently completing a challenge to conduct a bill audit to save their families as much money on their recurring expenses as possible. So far, students have looked at how to save on groceries, insurances, electricity and other household bills. With a class goal of saving our families $1000 per month, students are putting their skills to the test! In two weeks’ time, our ShareMarket Schools Game will be kicking off. This is an opportunity for our class to practice their short-term investing skills in a simulation game that tracks against the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). Students are developing their investing strategies in their syndicates. This is a national competition with prizes for the top investors in each state.

Tammika Zischke

Mindfit
Students are investigating how to use wellness frameworks to thrive during their teenager years and have reflected on where their wellness is currently sitting based on the PERMAH (Positive Psychology) framework. Students have also linked how low levels of PERMAH can compound to lead to larger health issues that require accessing primary and secondary health services. We’ve experimented with a range of community activities that promote aspects of the PERMAH such as martial arts, watercolour painting, pilates, playing guitar, dance class and meditation. Next, we’ll be investigating how geographical location affects access to community resources, and how redesigning community spaces can promote wellness.

Tammika Zischke

James Hallas
Head of Wellbeing - Exploration Phase