2020 Fairholme Annual Report

Fairholme College 2020 ANNUAL REPORT Based on 2019 Data

Introducing Fairholme College Fairholme College offers a diverse range of high-quality, contemporary educational experiences within a Christian community. It is a College of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland. Founded in 1908, the College moved to the current site in 1917; it is situated on the Range escarpment in Toowoomba on the Darling Downs.

Vision | Fairholme – a nurturing Christian school, committed to developing a vibrant learning community; one that challenges students to become confident and respectful contributors within our global society.

Values | Christ-Centred Faith – Collaboration – Enjoyment – Respect – Seeking Excellence CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDENT BODY Fairholme College enjoys a vibrant and varied student body. The large, dynamic boarding community contributes invaluably to the unique nature of our College community.

Boarding students come primarily from Queensland and New South Wales; however, we have girls from a great diversity of regional centres throughout Australia. While small in number, our international students further enrich our student community. The College is proud of its indigenous students; there were twelve students enrolled during this reporting period.

YEAR LEVELS OFFERED Fairholme College offers programs from Kindergarten to Year 12. The Boarding community consists of girls from Year 5 to 12.

CO-EDUCATIONAL/SINGLE-SEX The Fairholme College Kindergarten is co-educational. Prep to Year 12 offers a girls-only education.

SCHOOL SECTOR Fairholme College is an independent day and boarding school.

TOTAL ENROLMENT, INCLUDING KINDERGARTEN School

Day Students

Boarders

Junior School

240

1

Middle School

245

79

Senior School

265

95

750

175

SCHOOL FUNDING BROKEN DOWN BY FUNDING SOURCE Refer to the My School website for detailed information regarding income; specifics regarding various funding sources is available at myschool.edu.au

Contact Person for Further Information Regarding this Report Mrs Fleur Koch Assistant to the Business Office 07 4688 4688 info@fairholme.qld.edu.au

Contents From the Chairman

02

From the Principal

04

Christian Education 08

Junior School 10

Published by Fairholme College Editor: Marita Ramia Layout & Design: Sandra van der Stelt Advertising Enquiries Communications Office T 4688 2341 Fairholme College Toowoomba Proudly a College of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland Wirra Wirra Street PO Box 688 Toowoomba Q 4350 T 07 4688 4688 E info@fairholme.qld.edu.au W www.fairholme.qld.edu.au ABN: 16 917 099 053 Registered Provider (Queensland): Fairholme College Toowoomba CRICOS Provider Code: 03726D

04

Junior School Arts

12

Junior School Sport

14

Middle School

16

11

Senior School

18

Teaching and Learning

20

Junior School NAPLAN RESULTS

Boarding

23

17

The Arts

26

Middle School NAPLAN RESULTS

Business

30

Careers

32

18

English

34

Senior School

Sports and Activities

35

Home Economics

38

21

Humanities

39

OP/QCS Results

Information Technology

40

Languages

41

23

Mathematics

42

Boarding

Greta Centre

43

Greta Junior

Science

44

26

45

The Arts

Service

47

Pastoral Care

49

VET

50

Information Technology Services

53

Dr Linda Evans

From the Chairman MR IAN ANDERSEN, CHAIRMAN

I am pleased to present the Board of Directors’ Annual Report.

Schools like Fairholme College play a much more dynamic role in society than they ever have before. While there is often discussion about whether we might actually need schools in their current form in the future, given such issues as the digital revolution, it is my view that schools currently provide a much greater sense of community, including support and services, than was previously the case ̶ and that this is likely to increase into the future.

I do not believe that a move to mostly online learning in school-age years will provide the best all-round education. Significant aspects of the education process are about developing social skills, ethical and moral perceptions, tolerance, discipline, time management, and caring for one another and the world – importantly, in Fairholme’s case and in today’s society, all in the context of

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seeking to know, understand, grow and strengthen our Christ-centred Faith. That is what we do now and will continue into the future.

reviewed existing services. They then designed the Plan which includes staging options for future projects and cost estimates.

In a nutshell, schools are one of the most important social organisations this country has – which is why the Board of Directors saw the need for and determined to develop a new Master Plan this year to cater for our future physical needs.

I am pleased to say we have a comprehensive Master Plan, robust in its methodology, exciting in its conception and inherent possibilities.

Over the life of this Plan (which could be 25 years or more) almost every building will be impacted in some way.

The Master Plan provides a framework to redevelop, reinvigorate or reinvent our College Campus. It was developed by our consultants, m3 Architecture, over the last 12 months.

To remind you briefly of the process undertaken, m3 gathered information about our Site and Current Buildings, Strategic Plan, Stakeholders, Heritage, Uniform and Colours, House Structure and Names, and Demographics. They conducted a town meeting attended by many stakeholders, students, staff, parents and community members to gain input into the Plan. They also engaged with the Board, Staff, and others across all facets of College life to understand characteristics such as class sizes, classroom needs, timetabling limitations, vehicular movements, parking needs, pedestrian movements, disability access and other needs.

M3 Architects carried out a full site survey to understand the topography and its impacts and limitations, sought town planning advice and

The Master Plan provides for increased green space through the enhancement of the green spine that runs through the College campus from the Main Front Gates through to Fairholme Street, as well as creating a new green spine running north-south through the College. It innovatively meets access needs through the use of circular paths and other means to obviate the need for expensive infrastructure such as multiple lifts.

The Plan provides a structured framework for the College to proceed with its implementation in three initial stages: Stage 1 will allow the College to build capacity and repurpose spaces; Stages 2 and 3 allow for the demolition of old facilities and the construction of totally new ones – all while the College continues to operate on-site.

These three stages come at considerable cost and will happen over a number of years, depending on the College’s ability to fund the

Picture: Fairholme College Master Plan

projects. We encourage contributions to the Fairholme Foundation Building Fund as we prepare for the implementation of Stage 1, which is tentatively scheduled to commence construction in 2021.

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I must acknowledge the exceptional service provided by the Fairholme Board of Directors throughout this year. Their positive support and commitment are to be applauded – Board membership is a significant act of dedication and service and I am grateful for their interest in, and support of, the College.

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a major refurbishment of the Principal’s Residence creation of new offices for the Assistant Heads of Houses in the Middle School installation of new playground facilities for Fairholme Junior ongoing upgrade and replacement of IT equipment furniture, fittings, plant and equipment replacements.

Board stability is also a very positive attribute for any organisation to have and there were no changes to the Board make-up this year, other than to welcome the Right Reverend Dr Phil Strong to his year-long term as Moderator of The Presbyterian Church of Queensland. We also thank the outgoing Moderator, the Right Reverend Mike O’Connor, for his year of service.

The Board approved the 2020 Budget at its November meeting. The Board continues to be very cognizant of the many competing factors in developing the budget each year including the realities of daily life, the ongoing financial difficulties confronting many of our families, as well as the need to continue to improve our facilities and provide the very best education for our students. With this in mind, the 2019 Budget provides for a 2.5 per cent increase in Tuition Fees; a 1.5 per cent increase in Boarding Fees, and the Capital Levy will increase by 3.0 per cent.

In 2019, the College spent almost $1 million on improvements to our facilities and infrastructure. Projects approved and completed included:

I believe it is important that we reflect on each year as it passes, in order to celebrate our successes, learn from our mistakes, and to reminisce. I

encourage you to do just that; after all Fairholme is about us all, students, staff, parents and friends - the extended Fairholme Family.

To conclude – the College continues to be well placed to meet challenges and opportunities as they present themselves.

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Can One Person Make A Difference?

DR LINDA EVANS, PRINCIPAL

As 2015 London bombing survivor, author and speaker Gillian Hicks reminds us, ‘right now someone, somewhere is feeling the effects of something you have said or done.’

Each one of us can and does make a difference. The person beside us can change our life and we can change theirs.

In a gentle way you [too] can shake the world

(Mahatma Gandhi)

Yet, we tend to think that to make a difference we must undertake a large Greta Thunberg action. Whilst one small voice can have a big impact, as Greta has made evident, it can be the unrehearsed, unrewarded actions that matter most. I am mindful of this as I reflect upon the 2019 school year, one which can be measured by NAPLAN scores, OP results, sporting successes and cultural highlights … or by the cumulative effect of the little things that are imbued in the

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school’s culture and make this a school ‘that the Lord has blessed’.

This is not to diminish the tangible achievements of 2019 that have been significant for Fairholme as a whole and for many, many individuals. Awards and rewards, attainments and accomplishments deserve acknowledgement but they do not, and cannot, take the place of the cumulative effect of small acts done with great heart, or small acts done over and over again with great determination and commitment.

These acts make a difference of note.

And therein is the great paradox of presentation evenings and awards nights ̶ that reinforcement of achievement through extrinsic validation might lead us to think that this matters more than that which is done selflessly and that which is not acknowledged in a public sense.

I think not. Whilst achievement of a goal that is celebrated with a wider audience provides reinforcement, so

too does that which is intrinsically motivated. Recent Fairholme graduate and Olympic gold medallist, Emilee Cherry (2010) spoke at the Byron Breakfast in October. Emilee was asked to share the best moment of celebration after winning an Olympic gold medal. She replied, ‘It was going across to my family in the stands and hugging them’ – because, in her words, what mattered were those who had walked with her all the way – her parents – for her lifetime.

That’s what made a difference to her.

In a clichéd sense it was the journey, rather than the outcome that bore the greatest reward. This is not to deny the impact of a gold medal but what mattered most, in that moment, was the celebration of effort, tenacity and perseverance over a long period of time. It is often the tough times and the hard work that reap the greatest reward – eventually.

It is no surprise that Emilee, one of the greatest Rugby 7s players in the

Emilee Cherry pictured centre at training with Rugby7s girls

world, recently ran water for, and advice to, the U15 Fairholme Rugby 7s team. Following this, it was Emilee who thanked John Sessarago for the opportunity to do so. Little things done with great humility can make the biggest difference. The acts of humility that sometimes seem so small, are often the big moments in our own lives, and in those of others.

These can be the turning points, these actions make a difference.

Yet, humility wasn’t awarded a prize at our Annual Presentation Evening – wasn’t in the program, didn’t walk across the stage – because small moments such as these are far more important than that. They are big life moments and they live with us and within us, they make a difference to us, they define us and they evoke perspective.

Novelist, Jerzy Kosinski, once wrote, ‘the principles of true art are not to portray, but to evoke’. This year, Dan Elborne, 29, a Toowoomba artist, evoked in me a renewed horror of what occurred in Auschwitz, Poland,

during the second world war. Despite having twice visited this monolith to man’s inhumanity, it was Dan’s work, Deathgate, that shook me to a new perspective. It took Elborne three years, four months and twentyfour days to create this ceramic representation in a direct time parallel with the mass killings that occurred at Auschwitz. Each week he fashioned 10,000 of these pieces, every one stamped individually with his thumbprint: 1.1 million pieces – one for each life lost – and another 200,000 pieces to commemorate those who survived. Yet, when asked at a forum earlier this year if one person can make a difference, Dan was slow to respond to the question: humble, almost embarrassed. His motivation for the piece came from deep within – a need to make sense of that time in history – and even at completion he felt that it was not enough, would never be enough.

At what point did Dan’s art work ‘make a difference’? Was it his first hand-crafted piece, or the last?

Would 10,000 have sufficed or did

it need to be 1.3 million pieces? It doesn’t matter. Because the critical question we should ask of ourselves, is not, ‘can one person make a difference.’ It needs to be, ‘what difference do I want to make?’ Can you work in a field that makes a difference, even if your impact is not revered, celebrated or public: think of the janitor at NASA – a man with a broom in his hand who, when asked

by President Kennedy what his job was, answered, ‘I’m helping put a man on the moon.’

We don’t have to dedicate years of our life to the pursuit of an art work … although some will. We don’t have confront world leaders … although some will. But each of us makes a difference, daily. A simple act of kindness, words of appreciation, and choosing the humble path or modelling tenacity, perseverance and commitment ̶ these are actions of character, and they can and do make a difference. These repeated actions, the mindset that says, ‘I choose to do this because it’s hard, not because it’s easy’ propels the Fairholme

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Pictures supplied by Dan Elborne culture and provides the intrinsic motivation to make a difference.

Whilst there is no unified theoretical opinion about the quantifiable effects of intrinsic motivation (Sullivan, 2009, p. 271), there is no doubt that it can be linked to high achievement when students are deeply engaged in the learning process and find success through mastery, challenge and perseverance – whatever the field.

Similarly, acts of service where no acknowledgement is sought out, bear their own rewards. In gentle ways, ways that may or may not be visible

to others, we can elicit change within ourselves and others and, in so doing, we can shake the world.

After a year of outstanding, tangible and quantifiable achievements within our community it is important to remember the intangibles too, and, that as just one person, you can and do make a difference. Right now someone, somewhere, is feeling the effects of something you have said or done. What is the difference that you want to make? In a gentle way – you [too] can shake the world.

REFERENCE Sullivan, L. (2009). ‘Intrinsic motivation’. In The SAGE glossary of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (p. 271). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781412972024.n1366

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Christian Education

MS CATH BUTLER, HEAD OF MINISTRY AND MISSION

During 2019, I had the opportunity to attend a two-day conference for Chaplains, Principals and Board Members of Presbyterian Church Schools in New Zealand. The Theme was ‘Keeping our Faith’ – a particularly relevant theme in our increasingly secular society.

According to what was presented at the conference, about 33% of New Zealanders claim to follow the Christian Faith compared to our 52% in Australia (Abs.gov.au, 2019). I came away from the conference with three questions.

Firstly, what does it mean for Fairholme to be a ‘school of the Presbyterian Church’?

Hamish Galloway, a Presbyterian minister in New Zealand offers some ideas about what it means to retain authentic faith within our fabric as Presbyterian schools. He maintains that our Scottish Presbyterian

Heritage offers the school and the students a story that we can be proud of and find ourselves within. It’s a story that has lived and upholds (1) a strong work ethic, (2) a participatory organisational structure, (3) the Word of God as central to a rigorous, intelligent, robust faith that we can hold firm, and (4) that faith in Christ is good and provides a foundation to experiencing deep purpose and meaning in life. It’s these things that, though not exhaustive, are part of the Presbyterian-ism that we can be proud of and do strive to model and promote through all that we do at Fairholme.

And so, the second question I came away from the conference with was: How do we as an organisation express commitment to the [Presbyterian] Christian Faith?

We are committed to the expression of authentic faith and we have done this throughout 2019 relationally and in a variety of formal ways.

The Year 12 Committee for Student Ministry and Prefect for Student Ministry upheld the Christian faith to their peers and used the verbs Thankful, Hopeful, Resilient, Inspired, Valued and Empowered as themes in the Chapel Services that they led in Terms 2 and 3.

Jenny Sutton continued to run the Boarder Bible Studies all year.

Additionally, either Jenny or I conducted Boarder Chapels and Devotions most Sundays in the term.

Family Worship Services were run three times throughout the year with Community Carols in Term 4.

Additionally, we continued to engage in the teaching of Christian Education across P-12 and promoted a variety of service opportunities. These are the main ways we explicitly engaged girls with our authentic commitment to growing and expressing faith.

Lastly, how do we promote Christian faith and engage students with the beauty of the Gospel in a world that views Christian Faith as outdated, irrelevant, and intolerant? Throughout 2019, we sought to create a culture of curiosity, interest in, and perhaps even affection for, the Gospel.

In Christian Education, the Year 12 students enjoyed learning through the Apha Youth Series. Year 11 investigated the reliability of the Bible, the historicity of Jesus, and considered the different attributes or characteristics of God as described in the Bible. Year 10 students surveyed a variety of world religions throughout the year. Year 9 considered the basic teachings of the Bible through a unit called ‘This is the Gospel’.

Year 8 students learned about the life of Jesus and Year 7 engaged in a comprehensive survey of the consistent story of the Bible.

As in previous years, the Junior School

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CE lessons were taught ably by Mrs Rebecca Scott and followed the CEP Connect cycle.

Additionally, in my work throughout the school, I aimed to promote Christian faith as an underpinning for good wellbeing, as a motivator for entering into the story of others (of being present as an act of service), and upheld to the girls that the Christian faith provides Meaning and Purpose (and identity) for humanity.

Throughout all these reflections and wonderings, I’m continually inspired

by Titus 3:4-8: 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

God is kind, loving, present, saving, merciful, generous, gracious, and powerful (being able to offer eternal life). It is this God, who offers us salvation because of his generous work, renewing us continually by His Spirit.

As we begin a new decade in 2020, may we maintain faithfulness to God in all things.

SOURCE:

Abs.gov.au. (2019). 2071.0 - Census of Population and Housing: Reflecting Australia - Stories from the Census, 2016. [online] Available at: https://www. abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/ by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20 Features~Religion%20Data%20 Summary~70 [Accessed 4 Dec. 2019].

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2019 Fairholme College Results FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

The culture of the College is one which invites conversation with families. Parents are welcome to discuss situations with relevant members of staff, as appropriate. Specifically, information evenings etc. allow parents the opportunity to be updated on student programs and to seek clarification and discuss matters accordingly. Parent/Teacher/Student interviews, held regularly across the College, offer a further avenue for discussion and collaborative planning.

Specifically, each year Year 6, 9 and 12 girl and their families are offered the opportunity to complete a survey; this is done in Semester Two each year. Questions provide the chance to indicate satisfaction, and provide specific feedback, in all areas of College life.

Key sample indicators from family responses from Year 12 families and students are provided below. The following elements of College life received indicators from parents well into the ‘very high satisfaction’ category – this band holds a benchmark of 80%.

Academic Program, Boarding, Communication, Community Engagement, Facilities & Resources, Loyalty, Management & Leadership, Service Opportunities, the Sport Program, Pastoral Care, and The Arts.

Over 80% of parents rated their overall satisfaction with their daughter’s experience at Fairholme College as ‘very high’.

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Fairholme Junior

MRS ERIN TONSCHECK, HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL It is always wonderful to pause and reflect on the school year that has concluded.

We’ve much to be grateful for and much to celebrate. Whilst we cannot know what the year ahead will hold, we are optimistic that the care and commitment displayed by our current students, families and staff will surely provide another range of wonderful experiences and opportunities for our children.

In 2019, we continued to celebrate alongside our many athletes and performing artists.

I marvel at their dedication and their will to strive to improve and achieve, through collaborative and individual practice.

The support of their parents and teachers is so very important to

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each child, and assists them to move forward positively through times of success and failure.

We also enjoy many and varied academic opportunities. Debating, Creative Thinking, Chess Club, OptiMINDS, Digital Technology Clubs and a plethora of in-class learning experiences continue to provide challenge and opportunity for the girls to develop their knowledge, understanding and application across so many academic pursuits.

As we look to 2020 with much anticipation, I am grateful for the continued commitment to our Pastoral Care program. The support of our girls’ social and emotional wellbeing continues to be at the very forefront of each planned experience and interaction. Our successes are achieved through very genuine

and meaningful relationships and connections between children, staff, parents and the wider community.

It is upon this platform that we continually seek to develop our children’s own resilience, self-belief, curiosity and gratitude.

I am grateful for the year that was, and look forward with optimism to the one ahead of us here at Fairholme Junior.

Junior School NAPLAN RESULTS

Year 3

2019 MEAN SCORE Comparison

37+31.2+31.7 37+31.3+31.7 35+32.1+33 35.6+31.8+3235.8+31.1+33 432.3

504

423.1

463

418.7

446

439.8

481

408.1

450

425.2

412.2

410

430.5

397.4

Reading

Writing

Spelling

Grammar/Punctuation

Numeracy

Year 5

2019 MEAN SCORE Comparison

35+33+3235.5+31.8+32 35+32+33 36+32+ 35+32+33 506

548

473.9

517

500.7

537

499.1

495.8

551

525

501.7

463.3

494.2

495.7

490.9

Reading

Writing

Spelling

Grammar/Punctuation

Numeracy

Fairholme

State

National

529+496.7+502.5 11

Junior School Arts

MRS BELINDA ELDRIDGE, CO-ORDINATOR OF JUNIOR SCHOOL ARTS MUSICAL The Mystery of Foxglove Manor, this year’s Junior School Musical, featured every girl from Years 1 to 6. Set in an English village, our musical told the story of a manor house in a restaurant competition. We were entertained

by Rabbits and Gardeners in the vegetable garden, Chefs and Hotel Staff in the Manor, French Artists and other Guests from all over the world, jealous Villagers and Police.

A very delicious croquembouche mysteriously disappeared and thankfully reappeared just in time for the judging of the competition. The girls danced, sang and showed their dramatic flair as they performed their show for their parents and friends.

INSTRUMENTAL AND CHORAL The Years 4 – 6 Junior School Chorale has had a lovely year of singing, with highlights including the eisteddfod in May and a twilight concert in September. Additionally, a choir for girls in Years 1 - 3, The Tartan Trebles, formed for the first part of the year and also entered the eisteddfod.

Instrumentally, we have continued to enjoy the amazing growth of our young musicians through the Year 2 String Program, Year 3 StEP String Ensemble Program, Year 4 Band Program, Year 5 and 6 F@B Band Program, the Junior String Orchestra,

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Junior Band and Fusion Band, which is an extension group for members of Junior Band.

A particular highlight for our young musicians was the String Out Festival held in June at the Empire Theatre, attended by the members of the Junior String Orchestra. It was the 20th anniversary of the festival organised by Mr Rod Egerton. The guest conductor this year was Ms Andrea Messenger.

Many wonderful results were achieved at the Toowoomba Eisteddfod.

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.

CLASSROOM MUSIC, DANCE, DRAMA Our girls have enjoyed classroom music, class choirs, dance and drama throughout the year, with Mrs Belinda Eldridge teaching Music, Mrs Brigid Baker teaching Dance and Mrs Katrina Bailey teaching Drama in Terms 2, 3 and 4. We were delighted to have the assistance of Dr Linda Evans and Ms Cath Butler in Term 1, as we prepared for our Junior School Musical.

PERFORMANCES Each year we enjoy watching professional performances. This year we were entertained by Sean Choolburra, Indigenous performer, and the Kindy to Year 3 students attended Possum Magic at the Empire Theatre.

Term 4 gave our Kindy to Year 3 students the opportunity to prepare and perform their Christmas Musical, Superstar, on our Assembly Hall Stage, to a receptive and encouraging audience. Thank you, parents.

Queensland Eisteddfod Results 2rd Place

Fusion Band Primary Instrumental Ensemble

3rd Place

Junior String Orchestra Primary String A Grade Ensemble

3rd Place

String Ensemble Small String Ensemble – Primary School

3rd Place

The Tartan Trebles Prep to Year 4 B Grade Junior Choir

HC

Junior School Chorale Primary School Spiritual Song

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Junior School Sport MRS 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.

SPORTING OPPORTUNITIES Our Junior School girls have many opportunities to train, compete and enjoy all the positive effects of being involved in fitness and team activities.

Interhouse competition abounds at Fairholme Junior with Swimming, Cross Country, Athletics and Gymnastic Carnivals as well as Tennis and Aquathon being optional opportunities.

The girls also compete across a range of local, Range Zone and Darling Downs Regional events.

Interschool Friday Sport for Years 5 and 6 occurs through the Toowoomba Primary Sports Association. Year 4 students compete in a friendly competition with The Glennie School Junior Years and the Toowoomba Anglican School at least three times a term in Touch, Netball and Cricket.

ANDREWS CUP The Andrews Cup competition continues to provide another avenue for the after-school training and development of team sports including touch football, tennis, netball, cricket, track and field and cross country.

Concerted effort is given to ensure that all have the opportunity to build and refine their skills and we are grateful for the support of Junior School Staff and College employed coaches who support our girls.

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ASSOCIATION SPORTS, DEVELOPMENT SQUADS and QLD ALL SCHOOL COMPETITIONS Athletics: An athletics development squad, under the coaching of Mr John Sessarago and specialist junior coach, Miss Kirsten Murry, and Senior Athletics Captain, Lilli Anderson, continues to flourish.

Swimming: The FAST swimming club, under Mr Dave Negus, Miss Hayley Wolff and Mrs Judy Dickinson, continues to develop a squad of juniors who have achieved highly in local club competitions. The girls have also represented their regions at both club and school levels.

Cross Country: Mrs Katie Davidson, Mrs Kirsten Kelly and Mrs Lee-Ann Grantham assisted with preparing the girls for cross country. Some Junior School students attended the Qld Primary All Schools Individual Cross Country Event earlier in the year.

Netball: The Andrews Cup team played in the inaugural Jill Stockley Highfields Netball Schools Challenge and won this event.

Touch: A Team participated in the All Hallows Carnival, 2019 South-West Region Primary Touch competition and

the Qld Primary All School Touch competition. Thank you to Mrs Craig Collins and Ms Sami Farquharson for their coaching expertise.

Saturday Netball: This has been a feature on the sporting landscape at Fairholme Junior for over 20 years.

Club Basketball: Introduced in 2019, with one club team, results in the Andrew Cup were profound this year.

Club Touch: Introduced in 2019 with one club team playing each Friday night in Term 4 and Term 1. It is anticipated that this, too, will have a positive impact on a range of other competitions, including a range of other competitions, including Andrews Cup Touch carnivals.

The breadth and depth of sporting opportunities supported by dedicated parents, staff and students ensure continued growth of the health and fitness of the Junior School girls.

Congratulations on a great 2019!

ZONE AND REGIONAL REPRESENTATION

The tables indicate the number of Junior School students involved at each level. Brackets indicate Middle School students.

ZONE AND REGIONAL REPRESENTATION

The tables indicate the number of Junior School students involved at each level. Brackets indicate Middle School students.

Swimming Zone Darling Downs State

Representatives 13 (3) 1 (1) (1)

Athletics Zone Darling Downs State

11 (3) 4 (3) 2

Netball Zone Darling Downs

3 (1) 1 (1)

Touch Zone Darling Downs

2 2

Tennis Zone Darling Downs

Basketball Zone Darling Downs

1 1

Cricket Zone Darling Downs State

2 2 1

Cross Country Zone Darling Downs State

6 (2) 1 (1) (1)

Orienteering Zone 2 Darling Downs 2

Junior School Students Sport representation (brackets indicate Year 7 students)

3 1

Range Zone 43 (9) Darling Downs 15 (6) Queensland 3 (1)

Highlights and Achievements

Achievements are best displayed by the number of girls achieving selection in the zone and regional teams.

Forty-three Junior School students were members of Range Zone teams. In addition, there were also nine 12yrs representations from Middle School. Fifteen girls from the Junior School alone competed for Darling Downs teams, as well as three State representations in Track and Field and Cricket. Some girls represented in more than one sport.

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Middle School

MRS JAYE ROSS, HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

2019 has been a very positive year for the Middle School girls. In January, we welcomed 95 new Year 7 girls, our largest group so far, and they quickly became part of the Fairholme family. There have been many academic successes throughout the year as well as sporting successes and participation in The Arts. We are pleased to present the following highlights: ACADEMIC SUCCESS – NAPLAN Once again, Fairholme girls have achieved well above State and National averages in all areas of the NAPLAN test. The results are a result of the girls’ hard work and commitment to learning as well as the excellent teaching they receive at Fairholme.

CO-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES • Debating: Five Year 7 teams, two Year 8 teams and two Year 9 teams. Seven of these teams

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•

•

•

made it through to the Finals of the Queensland Debating Union competition Year 7/8 Maths Quiz: Two teams competed successfully and one team made it through to the Regional Final Robotics: Year 7 and Year 8 students enjoyed a specialist STEM subject throughout the year and also a lunchtime club The Arts attracted many girls to the wide range of opportunities available to them in Dance, Music, Drama and Visual Art Middle School Box of Chocolates Concert: an opportunity for Middle School girls to perform in front of an audience.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES Service to the Fairholme community or the wider community is important for Middle School girls. It helps them to develop an understanding of how they can contribute to society

through helping others. The following highlights demonstrate the work of the girls in this area: • Middle School girls have supported a number of charities, such as Cancer Council and RSPCA, through various fundraising activities as part of the Year 9 Business subject • High participation in Peak to Park Charity Fun Run • Face painting at a local nursing home (Tricare) Family Fete • Support for Hike for Homeless to help raise money for struggling Toowoomba families • Major support for Shave for a Cure fundraising activities • Great Stationery Race.

INCLUSIVE ACTIVITIES Middle School girls develop best when they feel valued, known and welcomed in their school community.

Fairholme Middle School fosters this through a variety of fun activities

designed to make every girl feel like she belongs. These activities are mostly organised by our Year 9 Leaders and their committees of Year 9 girls: • Year-level camps at the beginning of the year • yLead team building activities for Year 7 and Year 9 • Father and Daughter games afternoon to foster strong relationships between girls and their Dads

• • •

•

Socials and sporting afternoons with St Mary’s and Toowoomba Grammar School Yr 7 Day and Boarder Sleepover weekend Competitions including Book Week Dress Up Day and Treasure Hunt, Bible story drawings, Obstacle Course, Just Dance and Christmas Card making Lunchtime activities such as Trivia quizzes, Chalk Drawing,

Hand Ball, Pictionary, Middle School Dodge Ball, Treasure Hunts, Middle School Zumba, and Teddy Bear Picnic Middle School buddies: games such as the Easter Egg hunt and games and morning teas together.

•

Middle School NAPLAN RESULTS 2019 MEAN SCORE Comparison

Reading 616 616 570.3 570 612 Spelling 612 577.3 577 631 Grammar/Punctuation 631 570.3 570 599 599 Writing 533.5 533 Numeracy 611 611 584.5 584

Fairholme

Year 7

547 580 502 544 540 583 542 569 542 576

Year 9

576

542.5

569

542

583

540.1

544

502

580

547.2

State

529+496.7+ 17

Senior School

MS CATRINA SHARP, DEPUTY PRINCIPAL/HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

In a school, it is natural and understandable to be surrounded by teachers. Teachers are influential and aim to help everyone to become better individuals and be more effective in teams. Girls of the Senior School, so often this year, you have been teachers. You are vibrant young women who are open to learning, who uplift classmates and have the skills to stop and ponder what might be possible, and to chase that. All this makes an incredible difference to so many!

As the oldest girls in the College settle on pathways, explore and create opportunities, give thought to new ideas and perfect their passions, they are indeed enriching the lives of others. We all learn a great deal from the people around us. This year, the qualities of wonder, persistence and focus have been evident and influential. The fields of learning are difficult to fathom in a world where change has become a steady friend.

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To their credit, our girls are pushing change for themselves and others, in traditional fields and ones still unfolding. The fields of learning are difficult to fathom in a world where change has become a steady friend.

The following offers a mere glimpse of a dynamic year in the Senior School.

YOUNG SCHOLARS OF NOTE The University of Queensland Young Scholars Program invited a number Year 11 girls to explore their learning pathways at the end of 2019. Dabbling in areas not available in schools, the girls were challenged in their thinking and through new experiences.

In addition to the selection of three Year 11 girls to participate in the Canberra program of the National Youth Science Forum¸ 2018 participants Florence Beci and Maggie Grigg extended their work in this scheme, with Florence attending an international forum in London and

Maggie being selected and trained to mentor the 2019 participants!

A MUSICAL FEAST The Wedding Singer was a wonderful celebration of musical excellence for many girls in the Senior School. Our girls were impressive on stage, in the orchestra pit, and as technicians and crew members across the rehearsal and performance seasons. Polished and professional, the show was a stunning experience!

20-1-9: IT’S OUR TIME! Focused equally on individual passions and contributing well to the community, the Senior Leaders claimed, ‘In 20-1-9: it’s our time!’

With a clear and very encouraging focus on these themes, everyone was prompted to determine their best selves, to support each other, to be driven, to participate, to celebrate others and to care.

COMBINE | DEFINE | CLIMB | SHINE HOLME DAY in 2019 was a sensation, and a celebration in the very best sense. It stood as a brilliant indication of the cohort’s leadership: consistent, considered, inclusive and encouraging.

SERVICE LEARNING Our Year 12 Leadership Committees made significant contributions in 2019. Focused on their area of College life, impressive collaboration was demonstrated by the committees, under the guidance of staff mentors. Much of our vibrant events calendar was touched by these dedicated groups: Communication, Innovation, Junior School, Middle School, Ministry, Environment, Restorative Practice, Pastoral Care in each House, Wellness, and Teaching & Learning.

At the 2019 Year 11 Retreat, a new committee was launched ahead of 2020: the Culture Leadership Committee. This group has been tasked with celebrating and strengthening our College culture and, importantly, honouring the many rich cultures in our community.

FUTURE LEADERS Anah Chung and Zahli Bahnisch were recognised through the Future Leaders Awards Program for the important work they do in their communities. Both were recipients of Future Leader Future Justice Awards, being two of six students recognised nationally. Anah and Zahli are clearly focused on others, and they seek ways to strengthen opportunities to serve and care.

We also congratulate Briana Suey and Alannah Munn on their receipt of 2019 QATSIF Young Indigenous Leader Awards. How proud we were to acknowledge their significant and diverse contribution to our College community over time, as well as their consistent and positive influence.

SPORTING SENSATIONS In 2019, there was no shortage of determination and real sporting excellence. It was evident weekly, in training and Association competitions, and extended to Australian representation in the

international arena. Our girls have been impressive. Numerous Senior School girls worked hard towards team selection and committed themselves to strong individual and team performance. There have been personal bests, record-breaking team achievements, smiling girls atop many a dais, and new heights achieved, particularly in Athletics, Cricket and Hockey.

prepared for further study. Bond University, several residential Colleges and the University of Southern Queensland awarded scholarships and bursaries in the latter part of 2019. Further, we applaud our recipient of the IGLU Academic Excellence Scholarship and congratulate our two Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Foundation’s QCE Scholars.

SCHOLARLY EXCELLENCE A good number of girls received scholarships and bursaries as they

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Teaching and Learning

MR STEWART PEACOCK, HEAD OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Throughout 2019, curriculum in schools continued to be a ‘hot topic’ of debate at an international, national and state level. ‘Values education’, ‘educating for life’, ‘accountability’, ‘benchmarking’, ‘skills shortages’, ‘brain drains’ and ‘ATAR’ are all facets of education, debated in the media, that have direct consequences upon the schools that our children attend.

As a school of excellence, Fairholme’s mission is to ensure that we remain at the forefront of academic innovation, in the face of societal change, while also retaining the traditional virtues of academic rigour and scholarship and meeting the educational needs of all students.

Learning and achievement continues to be promoted as a top priority. We are proud of our enviable academic record; the achievement of Fairholme girls continues to be outstanding year after year, and the polished performance of our 2019 graduates was no exception. With a strong focus on each student’s academic growth, we routinely produce strong results in NAPLAN, and our Overall Positions (OPs) consistently rank in the top school achievers’ list in Queensland.

As a College, we don’t normally pay

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a lot of attention to league tables as published through the local media because learning is not about scores; it is so much more than that.

However, we cannot ignore what the data tells us, bearing testimony and recognising the dedicated work by our professional educators and the commitment, resilience and a continuous desire for excellence from each and every one of our girls across all year levels.

different systems and processes.

At Fairholme College, we have been engaged in the changes from the outset, ensuring robust and appropriate preparation of staff and students towards a system far more closely aligned with our state counterparts. Our Senior School teachers have involved themselves in the transition by completing the suggested QCAA academic learning and syllabus modules; applying for roles such as Assessors, Confirmers, External Examination Writers and Markers and attending monthly workshops and seminars. Additionally, we have appointed Dr Carole Hill (Head of Mathematics) as our own ‘inhouse’ QCE Co-ordinator. We have a high level of confidence and readiness as we move into the second year of this system.

QCAA RESPONSIBILITY Vicki Anderson Derek Cantle Chau Chuc Rohan Davis Alex Dixon Dorothy Erdelyi Jody Friend Sharon Gilbert Caitlin Greenhalgh The evidence is furthered littered with Alex Hall Karen Hayward examples throughout 2019, from our Katrina Maher successes in the University of New Cathy Mason South Wales Academic competitions Stewart Peacock to the ever-increasing number of Kim Scudamore Academic Achievement Certificates An van Cauwenberge awarded and to the university Ken Whittle scholarships secured. At Fairholme, our community experiences a genuine Natasha Williams love for learning; it is ingrained in our The new QCE system has been an fabric. opportunity to take a fresh look at every subject, and with that come PEDAGOGY new curriculum opportunities. The Undoubtedly, the move away from introduction of Literature, where the Overall Position (OP) to the new students engage in in-depth studies QCE system is the biggest and most of novels, plays, poetry, films and significant change to Queensland secondary schooling since the 1990s. other literary texts, has been highly successful. Likewise, the topics in And, of course, as with any change, Psychology are fascinating – the role there is a sense of apprehension of the brain, human consciousness about preparing our students for

3222U

91%

32%

1-5 OP

1 - 15 OP

82 91 W 54 74

1 - 10 OP

QCS Results A

33+12 34+26 27+36 6+23 33%

B

34%

74%

54.2%

C

27%

and sleep, emotion and motivation.

Additionally, the Applied offerings of Fashion and Information Technology have served as exciting creative outlets.

In the latter half of the year, the College released an updated and revised Assessment Policy. The framework, which is developed from the QCE and QCIA policy and procedures handbook, ensures that all assessment processes at Fairholme are in line with QCAA regulations and are recognised in all senior schools across Queensland. In addition, every senior student and teacher completed the QCAA Academic Integrity module.

82.9%

W

22.5%

D

6%

girls are choosing to continue with further qualifications in 2020 through VET while still remaining ATAR eligible in 2020; others are deciding that university is not for them and instead are opting to undertake training that will make them extremely employable in this skills-hungry nation and around the world.

ACADEMIC MILESTONES Fairholme College had stellar NAPLAN performances in 2019, where the College was ranked as the top school in Toowoomba and 27th overall in the State. We continue to analyse the whole range of results. The top range is, of course, examined critically in the media. However, it is often the middle The Vocational Education and Training and even the bottom ranges that tell you more about the College than area continues to grow rapidly, with simply just the top range. The middle 90 per cent of our Year 10 students undertaking one or more VET subjects range of students has performed or traineeships through the Specialist very well and has also achieved Elective program in 2019 that ranged outstanding results, with the majority of students performing in the upper from Agriculture to Allied Health and a huge array between. Many of these Bands.

100

Fairholme

100

State

An historic academic milestone was marked in September when our Year 12 students sat the final Queensland Core Skills Test, which becomes redundant from 2020. Following dedicated QCS preparation lessons on a weekly basis and a number of students workshops facilitated by the Teaching and Learning Technology Committee – comprised exclusively of Year 12 students – in the months leading up to the test, over the rigorous two days of examinations, our students were focused, prompt, well prepared and courteous in their dealings with staff and outside supervisors.

Congratulations to our entire Year 12 cohort for a strong finish to the academic school year. Above are two sets of data that reflect on their academic performance for 2019. You will discern strong relative results in both QCS and OP figures when compared to Queensland state data.

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As the academic year draws to a close, I would like to thank the students of Fairholme College, particularly our Year 12 students, for being a delight to work with this year. I would also like to thank the parents for being so supportive, particularly as we collectively navigate the transition to the new QCE. Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the high level of professionalism of the staff at Fairholme College and, in particular, to the Heads of Department who guide, encourage and organise their staff brilliantly and help make my job most enjoyable.

Irrespective of the ongoing transitions in 2020, at Fairholme our mandate will always be focused on providing compelling teaching, developing exciting courses and, above all, guiding our girls to be resilient, independent and hard working.

Outcomes for our Year 12 cohort 2019

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Number of students awarded a Senior Education Profile

82

Number of students awarded a Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement

0

Number of students who received an Overall Position (OP)

66

Number of students or are completing or completed a School-based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SAT)

10

Number of students awarded one or more Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications

65

Number of students awarded a Queensland Certificate of Education at the end of Year 12

82

Number of students awarded an International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD)

0%

Percentage of Year 12 students who received an OP1-15 or an IBD

91%

Percentage of Year 12 students who are completing or completed a SAT or were awarded one or more of the following: QCE, IBD, VET qualification

100%

Percentage of Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) applicants receiving a tertiary offer

95.9%

Boarding

MS MARGUERITE DUNNE, HEAD OF BOARDING

As one of the largest all-girl boarding schools in Australia, Fairholme College continues to be a leading education facility in the residential care of young women.

In 2019 there were many successes and highlights to be celebrated.

Ranging in age from ten to 19 years, the boarding students constituted approximately 30% of the student body in the Middle School and over 40% of the Senior School, with a small number of Junior School Boarders. The majority of Boarders came from country areas of Queensland and New South Wales, with smaller numbers from the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and the ACT and some from metropolitan areas and overseas countries.

At the start of the year the College welcomed over 40 new boarding students and families to our modern and vibrant ‘first class’ boarding facilities which include comfortable bedrooms with individual study areas, vanity units and ample cupboard spaces, and relaxing common areas with kitchenettes available on each floor; and a fully equipped Health Centre offering 24/7 medical care.

The vertical structure of the Boarding House, where all age groups are mixed across the various floors creates an environment that fosters friendship and support amongst all the girls. Learning to live in a community is a vital skill for life, and boarding at Fairholme offers the girls many opportunities for enrichment and enhancement. The boarding students form close, often lifelong, friendships with their fellow Boarders and develop values such as independence, tolerance and resilience.

2019 was a year full of many special moments and the Fairholme Boarders, with their endless spirit, were well represented across the breadth of College activities, and celebrated many successes in their academic, sporting and cultural endeavours. Of note were the outstanding academic results gained by the 2019 Year 12 boarding cohort, with over 70% receiving an OP 1- 10.

Study routines and supervised ‘Prep’ (homework) time throughout the week assisted the boarding students in their academic work and the availability of academic staff to help with study in the evenings supported the girls’ academic performance.

The Boarders attended Sunday Services at the College Chapel and at numerous local churches. The Boarding House Bible Study Groups (Junior, Middle and Senior) have continued under the guidance of the Assistant to the Boarding House – Pastoral Care.

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Various recreational sporting, cultural, art and craft activities and excursions were on offer for the girls to enjoy every weekend, including visits to Gold Coast theme parks, theatre performances, Brisbane NRL and AFL football games and various activities and socials with other boarding schools. The Boarders’ Morning Walk/ Run Group and the Boarders’ Morning Fitness Classes (through a partnership with Willows Health and Lifestyle Centre) continued in 2019, as did the City/Country Family program which included the Year 7 Boarder/ Daygirl Sleepover in the College Assembly Hall ̶ a highlight for the younger girls.

Throughout the year, the Boarders especially enjoyed their year-level ‘etiquette’ dinners that were held in the Homestead.

Several student committees operated in the Boarding House, giving girls an avenue to be proactively involved in positively contributing in many aspects of boarding life. The work of the committees (Boarder Representative, Pastoral Care, Service, Environment & Communications, and Recreation) led by the Head Boarder

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and the Boarder Prefects enhanced the caring and nurturing environment in the Boarding House. Studentdriven projects, such as the Boarders’ Identity Project and Year Level Service Project, saw each year level lead a week of various activities that acknowledged and celebrated the many strengths and characteristics of the Fairholme Boarders.

Extending the girls’ learning beyond the Boarding House, the Boarders supported numerous fund-raising activities, including the Cancer Council Biggest Afternoon Tea and the Leukaemia Foundation’s Shave for a Cure, as well as holding various themed dinners that raised money for several charities. The Boarders continued to sponsor their World Vision sponsor child in Africa. In April, continuing a long tradition, the Boarders attended the Anzac Day dawn and morning services at the Mothers’ Memorial in Toowoomba, displaying their Anzac spirit. The Fairholme Boarders celebrated Australian National Boarding Week by organising a fun run around the College, raising funds for Rural Aid.

The support and recognition given to younger girls by more senior Boarders is a significant contributor to a caring atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance in Fairholme College Boarding. Through the Big Sister Program all new younger Boarders had a Year 12 buddy who, from the first day, spent quality time with their ‘little sister’, assisting them through the process of settling in and adjusting to boarding life.

Members of the leadership team, boarding and academic staff visited many of our current, past and future families in their home towns throughout 2019, extending our sense of community beyond the College grounds. Another very successful Orientation Program was held at the end of Term 3. The Boarding House welcomed the new 2020 Boarders and their families to stay overnight in the Boarding House, building connections with staff and other families, and familiarising themselves with the routines in the College and the Boarding House, thus easing the way for the girls when they start at the College.

The experienced Boarding House staff continued to contribute to the success of boarding through their efforts in ensuring the wellbeing of the girls in their care. Developing and maintaining professional and effective relationships with students, staff and parents, they created a residence where students feel safe, secure and cared for Ěś making the boarding house a home for the Boarders and fostering an environment that promotes and encourages students to excel in all that they do.

In July, overseas Gap Students from the United Kingdom, Germany, America and Japan joined the boarding team in the roles of Floor Resident Assistants. During the year staff enhanced their practice through participation in numerous professional learning workshops, conferences and courses.

The Boarding House continues to be thankful for the valuable support provided by the Friends of Boarding Parent Group, particularly through their assistance at many College events and functions, acting as Parent Ambassadors and welcoming new families to the Fairholme community, providing delicious home-bake at carnivals and, of course, running another highly successful Cent Sale at the College Spring Fair.

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The Arts

MRS KAREN HAYWARD, HEAD OF THE ARTS

The arts are an intellectually engaging intersection of lateral thought and practice.

They interrogate the human experience and challenge our understandings by encouraging and provoking alternative ways of seeing, thinking and doing. They enable us to know and observe our world collectively and as individuals. They reveal a sense of who we are and might become as we make connections and new meaning of the world around us and our place in it.

(QCAA – The Arts Senior Syllabus 2019) The Arts at Fairholme College in 2019 offered students a plethora of intellectually engaging opportunities that have served to challenge, develop, extend and empower

26

students through rigorous academic programs and an array of exciting co-curricular opportunities, ultimately resulting in a year full of exciting and inspiring outcomes and impressive achievements.

DANCE Academic Results Dance is offered as an academic subject in Years 8 – 12. The Senior Dance course is a QCAA Boardregistered, OP-eligible, academically rigorous course of study.

This year, the Year 11 course has seen the introduction of the new QCAA ATAR-eligible Dance syllabus.

EVENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS • Contemporary Dance Choreography Workshop for Year 11 Dance with Jen Murray • Toowoomba Eisteddfod – solo performances • Excursion– Bangarra Dance Theatre • ‘Women of Strength’ Luncheon performance.

• ‘Heart of Australia’ Gala Dinner performance

• • •

Co-production The Wedding Singer – Specialist Dancers Spring Fair Fashion Parade performance Year 12 Dance Showcase

CO-CURRICULAR OFFERINGS • Dance Collective (Years 7 – 12) • Specialist Dancers (Auditioned Group) • Get SmART Arts Festival – Interhouse Dance Workshops and Competitions DRAMA Academic Results The study of Performance is offered to students in Year 7 and Drama is offered as an academic subject in Years 8 – 12. The Senior Dance course is a QCAA Board-registered, OP-eligible, academically rigorous course of study.

This year has seen the introduction of the new QCAA ATAR - eligible Drama syllabus in Year 11.

EVENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS • Excursion – Death of A Salesman – QPAC Brisbane (Years 10 – 12 Drama students)

•

• • • • •

Senior Drama Showcase ‘Firelight’ – combining Year 11 performance ‘Embers’ and Years 12 and 10 performance ‘Spontaneous Human Combustion’ Excursion – The Caucasian Chalk Circle – The Arts Theatre, Bris.

(Years 10 – 12 Drama students) Toowoomba Eisteddfod – Speech & Drama sections.

Fairholme College & TGS Coproduction The Wedding Singer – Empire Theatre Queensland Theatre Company – Scene Project (Years 9 – 10) performance of The Shot.

AMEB Examination – Awarded ‘A’ Result in Grade 7 Speech & Drama – Sophie Mossman (12)

CO-CURRICULAR OFFERINGS • Individual Tuition – Speech & Drama • Get SmART Arts Festival – Interhouse Drama Workshops and Competitions • Sound & Lighting Crew – students involved in this group provide invaluable sound and lighting technical support, backstage assistance and equipment set-up for many events, assemblies and performances throughout the year and are an integral part of The Arts Department.

MUSIC Academic Results Music is an academic subject in Years 7 – 12, with Music Extension being offered as an additional course of study for Year 12 students. The Senior Music course is a QCAA Boardregistered, OP-eligible, academically rigorous course of study.

• • •

Extension Music Recital, St David’s Church Middle School ‘A Box of Chocolates’ Concert.

Presenting Fairholme performances ‘November Nuances’ - Years 8 and 11 Performance / Extension Music Recital Community Carols and Thanksgiving Service

• This year has seen the introduction of the new QCAA ATAR - eligible Year 11 Music and the Music Extension syllabi. VOCAL MUSIC • Fairholme Singing Studio Recital EVENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS • State Honours Ensemble CHORAL MUSIC Program • Toowoomba Royal Agricultural • Toowoomba Eisteddfod Show – Senior Chamber Choir • ‘Women of Strength’ performance of the Australian Performance National Anthem • ‘Heart of Australia’ Performance • Annual Choral Music Camp – • Spring Fair Fashion Parade QCCC Brookfield Performance • ‘Extensions in Music’ Concert • Rutter Festival – St. Luke’s Church INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC • ANZAC Day Choir • Annual Instrumental Music Camp • Toowoomba Eisteddfod – Part 1 – QCCC Mt. Tamborine Middle School Vocal Ensemble • State Honours Ensemble - HC Program (Qld. Conservatorium Middle School Choir - Third of Music) • Founders’ Day Interhouse Choral • Kaleidoscope Concert Series – Competition • ‘Opening Night’ Concert • ‘Facets of Fairholme’ • ‘Pre-Eisteddfod’ Concert Performance • Middle School Lunchtime • Co-production Musical The Concerts Wedding Singer • Master Planning Community • Paul Morton Memorial Choral Forum Music Festival • Blue Care Garden Settlement • ‘Crème de la Crème’ Senior • Toowoomba Eisteddfod – Part 2

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• • • • • •

Sec. School Orchestra – Third String A Grade Ensemble – Second String B Grade Quartet – First Open Instrumental Ensemble – HC Concert Band B Grade - Third ‘Women of Strength’ Luncheon ‘Heart of Australia’ Gala Dinner Toowoomba Women’s Collective International Women’s Day Breakfast Independent Primary School Heads of Australia Conference Dinner Blush Breast Cancer Foundation Fundraiser Queensland Symphony Orchestra Prodigy Project – Eliza Kingston (9)

CO-CURRICULAR OFFERINGS CHORAL MUSIC • College Choir • Middle School Chamber Choir • Senior School Chamber Choir VOCAL MUSIC • Fairholme Singing Studio INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC • Symphony Orchestra • Symphonic Wind Band • Stage Band • Brass Ensemble • Chamber Strings • String Quartet • Flute Ensemble • Clarinet Ensemble • Guitar Ensemble

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OTHER • Individual Vocal, Instrumental, Music Theory and Music Technology Tuition • Get SmART Arts Festival – Interhouse Vocal and Instrumental Music Workshops and Competitions • Lunchtime Concerts for Middle and Junior Schools each term VISUAL ART Academic Results Visual Art is offered as an academic subject in Years 7 – 12. The Senior Visual Art course is a QCAA Boardregistered, OP-eligible, academic rigorous course of study.

This year, the introduction of the new QCAA ATAR – eligible Visual Art syllabus in Year 11.

EVENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS • Excursion – Meta Experience ‘Crates on Wheels’ initial workshop for Year 11 Art Students • USQ ‘Future Visions’ Art Awards: 13 Fairholme Finalists out of 54 selected. Winner of Overall Second Prize – Jessie Southwell (12) and Winner of USQ Artsworx McGregor Retreat Bursary – Isabella Joubert (12) • Toowoomba Art Society’s ‘Chronicle Junior Art Expo’: Fairholme awarded 2019 Schools’ Encouragement Award for most works selected. Kay

•

•

•

Pimm Runner-up Award for Opening Painting – Sarah Craft (10) and Sue Englart Runner-up Award for Open Printmaking – Imogen Mason (11) ‘Facets of Fairholme’ Art Exhibition: P&F Acquisitive Award & Mary Snow Memorial Award – Claudia Hiscox (12), Condon Charles Lawyers Open Art Prize – Zoe Hawker (12), P&F Most Promising Artist – Zara Bambling (11), SOFA Current Student Awards – Charlotte Finlay (11), Maddy Gordon (11) and Jessica Wehl (11) DD / SWQ Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Visual Art – Zoe Hawker (12), Claudia Hiscox (12), Jessie Southwell (12) and Eliza Walker (12) META EXPERIENCE DAY – Authentic Experience to underpin new Year 11 Syllabus Requirements – student engagement with hands-on workshops with professional Artists and rare collections at the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery

CO-CURRICULAR OFFERINGS • Nokie – Middle School Art Group • Eikon – Senior School Art Group • Get SmART Arts Festival – Year Level Visual Art Workshops

ARTS POCKETS & CERTIFICATES/ RECOGNITION OF SERVICE Congratulations to the following Year 11 and 12 Arts students who were presented with Pockets, acknowledging their outstanding contribution and significant commitment to one or more of The Arts co-curricular discipline areas throughout this year.

ALLEN Laura (12) | SILVER Pocket; Visual Art BAMBLING Zara (11) | SILVER Pocket; Visual Art, Debating BRADY Rowan (12) | FULL Pocket; Sound & Lighting CAREY Lucinda (12) | GOLD Pocket; Public Speaking CHUNG Anah (12) | GOLD Pocket; Choral Music, FULL Pocket; Instrumental Music, BLUE Pocket; Debating, GOLD Pocket; Public Speaking COGGAN Elyse (12) | BLUE Pocket; Drama COLLINS Breanna (11) | GOLD Pocket; Instrumental Music CROOKE Zoe (11) | SILVER Pocket, Instrumental Music, Debating

DAVIS Sienna (12) | FULL Pocket; Choral Music, BLUE Pocket; Drama, Debating, SILVER Pocket; Instrumental Music DURKIN Oliva (12) | FULL Pocket; Debating GOULDSON Georgia (12) | SILVER Pocket; Visual Art GRIGG Maggie (12) | BLUE Pocket; Public Speaking HAWKER Zoe (12) | GOLD Pocket; Visual Art HISCOX Claudia (12) | GOLD Pocket; Visual Art JOHNSON Emma (11) | GOLD Pocket; Choral Music, Drama JOHNSTON Ruth (11) | SILVER Pocket; Visual Art JOUBERT Bella (12) | SILVER Pocket; Visual Art KATH Charlotte (11) | BLUE Pocket, Instrumental Music, SILVER Pocket; Debating, Public Speaking KEHOE Natalie (11) | SILVER Pocket; Sound & Lighting MARSDEN Lilly (11) | GOLD Pocket; Choral Music MASON Evie (11) | GOLD Pocket; Debating

McGRAW Gabrielle (12) | GOLD Pocket; Sound & Lighting PERRIGNON Elizabeth (11) | SILVER Pocket; Drama ROSS Olivia (11) | GOLD Pocket, Choral Music, Dance, BLUE Pocket; Drama, SILVER Pocket; Instrumental Music ROUSE Molly (12) | GOLD Pocket; Debating, Public Speaking SAUNDERS Imogen (11) | GOLD Pocket; Dance SCOULLER Georgie (12) | GOLD Pocket; Debating SOROUR Tarryn (11) | GOLD Pocket; Dance, Debating SOUTHWELL Jessie (12) | GOLD Pocket; Visual Art TEAHAN Aisling (11) | GOLD Pocket; Dance, SILVER Pocket; Instrumental Music, Debating TOPALOV Kaitlin (12) | GOLD Pocket; Debating WALKER Eliza (12) | GOLD Pocket; Visual Art WRIGHT Katie (11) | GOLD Pocket; Dance, Drama

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Business

MRS KATRINA MAHER, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT – BUSINESS Business is very important in our everyday life and also in every walk of life. People study business for many reasons. Some are preparing to pursue careers in one of the major fields of business. Others want to become better-informed consumers by understanding their rights, and to avoid pre- and post-purchase problems. The Business course at Fairholme aims to equip students to enter the real world of consumerism.

The Year 9 Business course focuses on two key concepts: Financial Literacy and Enterprises and Ventures.

Resources from The Financial Basics Foundation are utilised in the Financial Literacy component to explore topics such as Income, Budgeting, Credit, Banking, Investing, Mobile Phones and Smart Online Shopping. The Enterprises and Ventures strand provided students with an opportunity to explore and develop their entrepreneurial skills.

In groups, each girl was involved in preparing, running and evaluating a venture. Profits were donated to various charities, with Drought Angels being the main recipient.

To assist with the selection of Senior subjects, Markets and Opportunities is designed for Year 10 students as an introduction to the three Business Senior subjects: Accounting, Economics and Legal Studies. The purpose of this course is provide a taster for students to make an informed decisions regarding subject selection for Years 11 and 12.

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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 in the near future, as well as the culmination of the majority of our practical topics, navigating the effective use of the computerised accounting program MYOB. The foundation skills and knowledge are gained through the study of Year 11 Accounting.

The Year 11 Accounting students completed Units 1 and 2, learning processes and practices for both service industries and trading industries. Students sat their first Summative piece of assessment of the ATAR system, which focused on the topic of managing resources, in particular non-current assets, for a trading business.

This year the Year 11 Economics students started the new QCE syllabus. Their studies began with the fundamentals of economics, including understanding the basic economic

problem and market forces using the supply and demand model. The next topic of Unit 1 was based around an investigative research report on economic flows using the five sector circular flow of income model. Unit 2 delved into the study of markets and efficiency and what happens when markets fail. This led to a study of inequality, on which a response to stimulus exam was based. Students then transitioned to Unit 3 for Term 4 where they studied international economics and the global economy.

The first internal assessment was a combination exam.

The Year 12 group successfully completed their studies of Economics in 2019. It was a whole-year focus on macroeconomic issues. In Term 1, students studied Income and Wealth Distribution; learning the importance of getting the balance right between individual and collective prosperity.

Next, students learnt about the objective-based management of the economy and wrote a report on an issue of their choice as analytical researchers. Following closely in

content was an exam focused on the federal budget, fiscal and monetary policy. Lastly, students studied International Economics and presented a multi-modal presentation on a contemporary issue, and then completed a persuasive essay on Trade and Globalisation.

needs of society and then how the resultant consequence is determined.

The second unit covered the topic of Civil Obligations, focusing on Contract Law and the Tort of Negligence. Law, governance and change was the focus of their first summative piece of assessment.

Legal Studies enables students to have confidence in approaching and accessing the legal system and provides them with a better appreciation of the relationship between legal and social issues.

There is immediate relevance of Legal Studies to students’ lives. Year 12 students analysed how the law deals with the issue of domestic violence, and the changing landscape of technology and the law, in addition to the often controversial topic of Human Rights and its relationship to International Law. The girls also had the opportunity to investigate a legal topic of their own choice.

Mooting is the oral presentation of a legal issue or problem against an opposing counsel and before a judge.

It is perhaps the closest experience that a student can have to appearing in court. The contest is decided by assessing the advocacy skills of the participants, rather than on the merits of the case.

In 2019, Year 11 students considered how criminal law attempts to balance the rights of individuals with the

her advocacy skills. This competition was held at the University. Year 11 students, Charlotte Kath, Evie Mason, Lexie Hohnke, Kaitlin Topalov, Elizabeth Perrignon and Eve Fenton, took advantage of the opportunity to develop their Mooting skills in the USQ competition. Kaitlin, Elizabeth and Eve progressed to the Semi-Final.

These girls were fortunate to have been mentored by USQ Lecturer, Dr Toni Chardon.

Mooting continues to be popular, with Fairholme College participating in two competitions. Two Year 12 teams mooted in the Bond University Competition. Team One consisted of Olivia Durkin, Molly Rouse and Anah Chung, whilst Sienna Davis, Lilli Anderson and Alissa Woods formed Team Two. Sienna’s performance culminated in her receiving a prestigious ‘Honourable Mention’ for

31

Careers

MRS LAURA ANDERSON, CAREERS ADVISOR

As our Year 12s celebrated the completion of their formal secondary education, Queensland formally said goodbye to the OP system and embarked on a the National ATAR system. Anyone who has been privileged enough to hear Dr Evans speak knows she is passionate about inspiring us all to finish well, and our 2019 graduands’ results certainly did that. So, thank you to our Year 12s; we are so very proud of your academic achievements and even more proud of the character, grit and care you displayed throughout your final year with us at Fairholme College. As our 2019 cohort embark on a world of ‘firsts’, we know they are well equipped to manage the rewards and challenges that they will encounter.

through their participation in the Year 11 Career Engagement Day. This year, they were also encouraged to develop an understanding of goal setting through vision boards to assist them with their long-term personal and career aspirations. As in previous years,` each Year 11 student participated in a mock interview — invaluable opportunity to assist with developing an understanding of industry and employability. Earlier this year our Year 11s also enjoyed a full day in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, visiting leading universities, to expand their knowledge of tertiary education and life as a university student.

Year 10s completed their Career Avenues profiling and Work Experience. Opportunities of this nature allow our Year 10s to develop As in previous years, the university an understanding of themselves

application results reflect the Seniors’ and the world of work, so they feel dedication and hard work, with all of prepared for their Senior Education. the students who applied receiving an Year 9 students were introduced to offer. This year, students also reflected the concept of career development in their knowledge of how to manage a the later part of Term 4. During this complex application process with care sessions, students completed the My

and diligence.

Future Finder activity and were also given information to help them begin They were also very good at seeking their exploration into their 2020 Work

clarification when they were unsure Experience Placement. about what their next step should be, which is indicative of them developing In 2019, the Senior students well-structured decision-making skills enjoyed the additional challenges and remaining focused and calm of participating in the University of under pressure.

Southern Queensland Headstart

Program, Central Queensland The major universities in Brisbane University SUN Program, UCAT continue to be the most popular preparation and the University tertiary choice, largely due to the of Queensland’s Young Scholars broad range of degrees available that Program. are not offered locally. The University of New England also continues to be a popular choice for students. The Health Sciences, Law and Psychology continue to be the most popular degrees. The number of applications to study degrees in Science, Maths and Education increased, compared to previous years.

Year 11s were offered an opportunity to prepare for their Senior year

32

TRENDS OF YEAR 12 APPLICANTS

BY FIELD OF STUDY

Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies All Preferences – 12 Students

Architecture and Building All Preferences – 6 Student

Creative Arts

All Preferences – 29 Students

Education

All Preferences – 47 Students

Engineering

All Preferences – 7 Students

Health

All Preferences – 104 Students

Information Technology All Preferences – 4 Students

Management and Commerce All Preferences – 43 Students

Natural and Physical Sciences All Preferences – 43 Students

Society and Culture

All Preferences – 118 Students

Post-School. Destination Information (available September 2020)

33

English MR ROHAN DAVIS, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT - ENGLISH Burning yet flourishing The closing months of 2019 have been overshadowed by the gloam of a hot apocalyptic summer. Smoke plumes have blighted our normally crisp blue skies, and fouled what should be pure mountain air. Homes and lives have been lost to fires that have launched unrelenting and unpredictable assaults in even the most unlikely and most unexpected corners of peace and tranquillity.

How does one make sense of an environment that wreaks havoc on our very sensibilities? Is there any comfort to be had in the thought,

The shortest of literary forays will reinforce the resolution that comes with the end of suffering and when harmony is restored. Our students From a spiritual perspective, this is of English and Literature have faced the trials of a new system in our hope – an ethos reinforced by our school moto, arden sed virens. the form of the QCE. While it has But the fiery trial brings no comfort not been deadly, there has been in the short term; it terrifies and plenty of fire and a little bit of smarts, and, as with The Crucible, stress; nevertheless, thus informed by the wisdom of our culture’s wits has the potential to unleash vengeance and turmoil. Yet in spite and writers, our students can look of the horrors, even in the dreadful forward to bright futures beyond the gloom and haze, and are state of Gilead and the dystopian society of Fahrenheit 451, the assured of a flourishing future. human spirit – phoenix-like – rises again and triumphs over adversity. as Benvolio promises in Romeo and Juliet, ‘that one fire burns out another’s burning.’

Academic Results

30.8+45.7+23.4I 10.8+56.7+32.4I 33.3+60.3+7.4I 21.6+54.2+24.2I 50+25+I 34+51+132I 54.4+36.5+9I 36.7+46+16.5I

Queensland Debating Union

SA 23.4%

Grand Final - Champions Year 12 Georgie Scouller Evie Mason Tarryn Sorour Kaitlin Topalov

HA 45.7%

Grand Finalists – Runners Up Year 12 Zarabella Bambling Zoe Crooke Charlotte Kath Ashling Teahan

SA 24.2%

SA 21.8%

HA 54.6%

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Year 8

SA 6.4%

VHA 20%

HA 56.8%

VHA 33.3%

Year 9

VHA 21.6%

HA 60.3%

SA 25%

Year 11

Year 10

Literature

HA 25%

HA 54.2%

LA 3.6%

Year 11

VHA 32.4%

VHA 30.8%

Year 7

Year 7 Elsie Traynor Molly Lutton Elizabeth Janetzki Ankita Sajjan Hannah Pocknee

SA 10.8%

SA 9%

VHA 54.5%

Year 12 Ext

HA 36.5%

SA 16.5%

Year 12

HA 46.8%

VHA 36.7%

VHA 50%

Sport and Activities

MR TONY TREGASKIS, HEAD OF SPORT AND ACTIVITIES Fairholme College set the scene for another outstanding year of achievements in Sport by, being named Sports Darling Downs Secondary School of the Year 2018. Fairholme is renowned as the premier girls’ sporting school on the Darling Downs, and 2019 was filled with sensational team and individual results. Considering the number of girls in the school (511), compared to other schools it certainly punches well above its weight. Remarkable results include: 112 girls selected for the Darling Downs region in 17 sports, 17 selected for Queensland and two representing Australia.

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 below is for School Sport only.

TEAM HIGHLIGHTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS • StreetSmarts Secondary School T20 Cricket – State Champions • Queensland All Schools Hockey Champions • Darling Downs Schools Hockey Champions • Senior Vicki Wilson Netball State Finals – Runners-up • Queensland All Schools Touch Football U15 – Runners-up.

• AFL Queensland Schools Cup semi-finalists in Queensland overall • National Schools Cup Touch Football U15 – 7th in Australia • Toowoomba Secondary School Sport ‘Triple Crown’. We retained our Cross Country and Athletics titles (27th consecutive year for Athletics) and regained Swimming title.

INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS • 112 Darling Downs, 17 Queensland and 2 Australian School Sport Representatives • Basketball, 2 Darling Downs Representatives • Cricket 3 Darling Downs Representatives • Cross Country 14 Darling Downs and 3 Queensland Representatives • Equestrian 5 Darling Downs and 4 Queensland Representatives • Football 2 Darling Downs Representatives • Golf 1 Darling Downs Representative • Hockey 7 Darling Downs 4 Queensland and 2 Australian Representatives - Briana Suey

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

and Tatum Stewart Life Saving 2 Darling Downs and 2 State Representatives Netball 6 Darling Downs Representatives Orienteering 3 Darling Downs and 2 Queensland Representatives Rugby League 5 Darling Downs Representatives Swimming 10 Darling Downs and 1 Queensland Representatives Tennis 1 Darling Downs Representative Touch 8 Darling Downs and 1 Queensland Representatives Track and Field Darling Downs Captains 2 Track and Field 27 Darling Downs and 2 Queensland Representatives Triathlon 8 Darling Downs Representatives Volleyball 3 Darling Downs Representatives Water Polo 4 Darling Downs Representatives Medals at Darling Downs Cross Country 1 Gold, 2 Silver (Individual) 5 Gold, 1 Silver (Team) Medals at Queensland Cross Country 1 Gold, 1 Silver (Individual) 1 Silver (Team) Medals at National Cross Country 1 Bronze (Individual) 2 Gold, 3 Silver (Team) Medals at Darling Downs Swimming 13 Gold, 10 Silver,12 Bronze Medals at Queensland Swimming 2 Silver, 3 Bronze Medal at National Swimming 1 Silver (Team)

• • • •

Medals at Darling Downs Track and Field Champions 27 Gold, 19 Silver and 17 Bronze Medals at Queensland Track and Field Championships 4 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze Medals at Queensland Life Saving 2 Silver (Team) Medals at Australian Pool Life Saving 1 Silver.

BREAKDOWN BY SPORT AFL • Darling Downs Schools Cup AFL Regional Champions Year 10-12, 3rd in Year 7-9 • Played in State Semi-Finals of the Schools Cup AFL. BASKETBALL • 3 Friday Night TSSS teams – Yr 7/8 and Yr 11/12 semi-finalists, Yr 9/10 Runners Up • U18 Darling Downs Armstrong Automotive Basketball Challenge Champions • Year 10 Darling Downs Armstrong Automotive Basketball Challenge Runners-up • Year 8 Darling Downs Armstrong Automotive Basketball Challenge semi-finalists • 2 (Open) Darling Downs 1319yrs Representatives.

CHESS • Teams and individuals competing at Toowoomba schools tournament.

CRICKET • StreetSmart Secondary Schools T20 Queensland Champions • 3 Darling Downs Representatives.

35

CROSS COUNTRY • Interhouse Carnival: Champions – Black • Toowoomba Secondary School Sport Champions and Champion Darling Downs School • Trophies – 5 out of 6 age groups: 3 Gold, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze • St Aidan’s Invitational Cross Country, St Hilda’s Invitational Cross Country, All Hallows Invitational Meet, Toowoomba Grammar Relay Meet, State All Schools Individual Championships, State All Schools Relay Championships • 14 Darling Downs Representatives • 3 Queensland Representatives – Chloe Randall, Celeste Pratt, Chelsea Gladwin • Medals - Darling Downs – 1 Gold, 2 Silver; Queensland – 1 Gold, 2 Silver; Nationals – 2 Gold, 3 Silver 1 Bronze • Queensland All Schools Cross Country – 1 Gold • Queensland All Schools Relay – 3 Bronze medals - U12, U13 and U15yrs.

EQUESTRIAN • Convenors of Fairholme IQ Show Jumping, Pittsworth • 5 Darling Downs Representatives • 4 Queensland Representatives – Phoebe Riordan, Bronte Rigney, Simone Sorenson and Elsie Traynor.

FOOTBALL • 1 Association Team – School Club • 2 Darling Downs Representatives

36

FUTSAL 2 Association Teams – Intermediate A Division Champions • 1 SWQ Futsal Team • 2 Interschool Teams • Term 4 Competition - Snr Runners-up, Year 8 Runners-up.

•

GOLF • 1 Darling Downs Representative.

HOCKEY • 1 Association Team – School Club link with North’s Hockey Club • 6 Darling Downs Representatives • 4 Queensland Representatives – Peppa Carter, Jazelle Carter, Briana Suey and Tatum Stewart • 2 Australian Representatives – Briana Suey and Tatum Stewart • Darling Downs Schools Cup Champions • Queensland All Schools Cup Champions.

LIFESAVING • Secondary School State Lifesaving Championships 4th overall, 2 Silver Medals.

NETBALL • 25 Association Teams – Saturday and Wednesday nights – 7 Association Teams and Grand Finalists in respective divisions, 3 Team Premiers • Senior Vicki Wilson 1 Team – Regional Champions, 2 Team 3rd • Senior Vicki Wilson Team 2nd in Queensland finals • Junior Vicki Wilson Team – Regional Champions

• • •

Junior Vicki WilsonTeam 13th in Queensland finals Laura Geitz Shield Competition – 2nd Overall 7 Darling Downs Representatives.

ORIENTEERING • 6 Darling Downs Representatives – 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze • 3rd place Champion School At Queensland Titles • 3 Queensland Representatives – Rani Brennan, Ella Rogers and Mali Brennan.

RUGBY LEAGUE • 2 Darling Downs Representatives RUGBY UNION 7s • Over 50 girls training and playing in U13, U15 and U18 • Scots PGC 7s U18 Champions • South West 7s Competition – U13 -5th, U15 – Champions, U18 – Champions.

SOFTBALL • Queensland Representative – Ms Gierke (Official) • Darling Downs Golden Glove convenor – Ms Gierke • Golden Glove Darling Downs Runners-up.

SWIMMING • Interhouse Carnival Champions – Cameron • Toowoomba Secondary School Sport Trophies – Overall Champion School, Age Champions 13s, 14s, 15s and 16s and 2nd in U19s; Relay Champions

• • • •

9 Darling Downs Representatives Medals – Darling Downs – 13 Gold, 10 Silver, 12 Bronze State Championships - 3 Silver, 2 Bronze National Championships – 1 Silver, 1 Bronze

TENNIS • Knowles Cup Tournament – Intermediate Team semi-finalists • Sacre Coeur Tournament • 2 Darling Downs Representatives • Queensland Secondary School Cup – Regional Champions, 7th in State.

TOUCH • 5 Association Teams – A Grade (Div 2) Runners-up, D Grade Champions • 5 Summer Touch Teams • 8 Darling Downs Representatives • 1 Queensland player – Demi Ashurst • Queensland All Schools Tournament – 3 teams; U13 top eight, U15 Runners-Up overall, Open - top-16 finish • National Schools Cup – 7th overall • SWQ Tournament – 4 teams – Open A 3rd, U13 Runners-up, U15 Team Champions • All Hallows’ Tournament – 4 teams – Open Championship semi-finalists, U15

Championship semi-finalists, U13 Shield Runners-Up, U12 Shield Winners.

•

TRACK AND FIELD Interhouse Champions – Powell Toowoomba Secondary School Sport – Champions for 27th consecutive year; 13yrs, 14yrs, 15yrs, 16yrs, 19yrs, Relay and Percentage trophies • 22 Darling Downs Representatives • 2 Darling Downs Captains • Medals – Darling Downs – 27 Gold, 19 Silver, 17 Bronze, Queensland – 4 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze • 1 Queensland Representatives – Layn Arnold • Intermediate Nitro (previous Knockout competition) Athletics Team finishes 5th at State Championships • Fairholme Athletics Club – 1 Qld Representative.

•

•

• •

TRIATHLON • 8 Darling Downs Representatives • Triathlon Club and Training at Fairholme; also includes students from other schools being involved in training.

•

Semester 2 TVA A2 competition 2nd place Semester 1 TVA A1 competition 3rd place Queensland Schools Cup participation in Senior (9th in State) and Intermediate (11th in State) Darling Downs Senior Schools Cup.

WATER POLO • 2 Association Teams • 3 Darling Downs Reps.

OLYMPIC CHANGE MAKER AWARD 2019 • Awarded by Queensland Olympic Council for outstanding sporting achievements, commendable, sporting behaviour and exemplary leadership: Lilli Anderson.

INTERHOUSE OVERALL CHAMPION HOUSE • Overall Champion House Cameron.

VOLLEYBALL • 4 Association Teams • 2 Darling Downs Representative

Fairholme Medal Tally Individual/Team Events Individual

Darling Downs

490+330+210 150+ 1000 50+30 50

Team 24

36

30

7 3

Individual 6 4 5

Queensland

70+1000 50+60 30+1000 80+50 20+301000 30+1000 60+20 Team

2 10

Australia

7

Individual 13 Team

2 6 1

37

Home Economics and Design Technologies, Food and Fibre MRS MANDI-JOY MEISE, HEAD OF SUBJECT HOME ECONOMICS AND DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES

‘Your closet and your kitchen can have a truly clean conscience’

(anonymous)

With Fairholme farewelling Home Economics as we know it and welcoming Design Technology Food and Fibre as part of the new Australian Curriculum, we appreciated and celebrated for the last time the curriculum theme of ‘living with a conscience’. Students investigated the realities of fast cheap fashion, including the social and environmental exploitation and displacement of many people by 2050. Year 12 Home Economics students were asked to make a difference by designing with a conscience, creating an ethical and sustainable ensemble. They were encouraged to define their personal style in the effort to ‘wear more, share more, and care more’.

Designing with a conscience required the students to look at timeless silhouettes that were made slowly and of a high quality, appreciating the significant impact that their design decision can make. The results were outstanding, with this year’s Year 12 HEC students constructing bespoke, ethically produced ensembles of an exceptionally high standard.

‘Fashion is part of the daily air and it changes all the time, with all the events. You can even see the

38

approaching of a revolution in clothes.

You can see and feel everything in clothes.’

(Diana Vreeland) This year, the emphasis within the classroom was to encourage students to start a revolution; a revolution in their thinking and designing. Making a collective shift in their approach to Design, with specific consideration for the human and environmental costs of the choices they make, students focused on designing with a conscience. They were encouraged to speak out against trending design approaches or trending applications, in an attempt to stop the adverse impact of poor design decisions.

Design at Fairholme encouraged an appreciation of the lost trades, craftsmanship and skills that stir up deep emotions of value and sole ownership. Design provided the students with a platform for individual expression, storytelling, collective action and common endeavour, in order to aim for a better-placed future.

Highlighting the theme, ‘living with a conscience’, bespoke local designers from Brisbane and Toowoomba – George Wu (George Wu Couture), Michelle Frain (Fraim of Mind) and Camilla-Jade (Pale Jade) – were invited to be part of this year’s Spring Fashion Parade.

These guest designers paid homage to timeless fashion, and included

‘styles, fabric and colours made by someone, who made the pattern, cut the fabric, sewed, steamed and physically touched every piece so that the final product is completely hand-made’ and bespoke. This year, the Design Awards drew inspiration from the 1990s, its quality fabrics and appreciation of well-made pieces. With the 2019 Design Awards seeing a record number of new entries and quality ensembles, all agreed that Fairholme’s support and encouragement of emerging designers within the school system has seen the successful development of design capability and appreciation.

Highlights Years 11 and 12 Brisbane Fashion Excursion QUT 360 Fashion Showcase George Wu Workshop Fairholme Fashion Week Design Awards Food and Nutrition Years 8 – 10 Individual design challenges and products developed Design Awards Food Technology Year 7 Design challenges around the fundamentals of Design Production of aesthetic cushion and functional apron Design Awards.

Academic Results

31+53+16I SA 16%

Year 12

HA 53%

VHA 31%

Humanities

MS KIM SCUDAMORE, HEAD OF HUMANITIES Highlights • • • • • • •

Let no one say the past is dead The past is all about us and within.

Indigenous poet, Oodgeroo Noonuccal

It was a year of transition for senior Humanities subjects as students in Year 12 completed the final year of the OP-system courses, built upon syllabuses from as early as 2004, and Year 11 students commenced new units of study based on QCE system syllabuses. Staff continued their professional learning in this area, focusing on enhancing expertise around the new Endorsement and Confirmation processes. Furthermore, a new initiative for Senior Geography students was the camp to North Stradbroke island, where students conducted field studies on mining rehabilitation sites.

In the Middle School, Humanities students continued to engage actively in a diverse range of learning experiences; tasks such as the Year 8 Investigative Report using green screens, and the Year 9 Virtual Museums, were designed to enhance technological literacy and 21st century skills.

Academic Results

Chorascape 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) ‘I Was Only Nineteen’ Vietnam War Performance (Year 10 Humanities) Brisbane Urban Study Field Trip (Year 11 Geography) North Stradbroke Land Transformations Study Camp (Year 11 Geography)

SA 13%

42+45+13I 19+46+35I 35+ I 15 + 50 32+54+14I Year 7

VHA 42%

Humanities

SA 35%

SA 15%

HA 45%

Year 8

SA 14%

VHA 32%

VHA 35%

VHA 19%

Year 11 Modern History

Humanities

SA 1%

HA 46%

26+ I 1 + 73 24+49+261I 33+50+17I 19+70+11I 42+42+16I Year 9

Humanities

HA 50%

LA SA 1% 26%

HA 54%

HA 73%

VHA 24%

Year 10

SA 17%

VHA 33%

Year 12

VHA 26%

Ancient History

Humanities

Year 11 Ancient History

LA 16%

HA 50%

Year 11

SA 42%

SA 11%

HA 49%

Geography

HA 42%

VHA 19%

Year 12 Modern History

HA 70%

39

Information Technology Faculty MR CHAU CHUC, HEAD OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

The Year 8 ‘Digital Technologies’ subject experienced strong interest in 2019. This course builds on the programming concepts and electronics from Year 7 Digital Technologies. The course aligns with ‘The Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies’ learning area. The Year 7 and Year 8 courses have been academically challenging as students are encouraged to explore, develop and apply skills in coding.

The Year 10 ‘Information Technology Studies’ included more coding than ever before. In 2019, students completed many units of work, including Coding and Electronics (4 units), Operating Systems, Graphic Design, Animation, Multimedia Production, 3D Modelling, Cyber Safety and Web Authoring.

The 2019 Year 12 ‘Information Technology Systems’ (ITS) students were the last cohort to complete the course. ITS has been replaced under the new QCE system in with the ‘Information and Communication Technology’ (ICT) course. The 2019 Year 11 ICT students were the first cohort to study the new ICT course.

The new ICT course was designed to allow students to develop general IT skills or prepare for the initial year of tertiary studies in IT, creative arts, multimedia, accounting, science, mathematics or other STEM-focused courses. Across business, industry, government, education and leisure sectors, rapidly changing ICT practices and protocols create corresponding vocational opportunities. To enable students to take advantage of these opportunities, this subject area will equip them with knowledge of current and emerging hardware and software combinations, an understanding of how to apply them in real-world contexts and the skills to use them to solve technical and/or creative problems.

40

To achieve this, the subject includes core knowledge, understanding and skills relating to hardware, software and ICT in society.

ITS Award Recipients: 2019 Year 12 ITS Gabrielle McCraw

The core is explored through elective contexts that provide the flexibility needed to accommodate new technology, and the wide range of interests and abilities of the students who study it. The electives in 2019/2020 include: • Graphic Design • Managing Data • Multimedia Production • 3D Modelling • The Science of Animation • Mechatronics.

The 2019 cohort in Year 12 Information Technology Systems again achieved excellent results. Of the 15 students completing the course, 12 received a VHA, 1 received an HA and two received SAs. Congratulations to the graduating students for their efforts and determination throughout the last two years.

Academic Results Digital Technologies (End Semester 2 Results)

35+58+7I 54+36+64I SA 6.3%

VHA 35.4%

Year 7

HA 58.3%

SA LA 6.1% 3.1%

HA 36.3%

Year 8

VHA 54.5%

Academic Results Information Technologies

45+37+9I 33+50+17I 77+8+15I LA 9.1% SA 9.1%

HA 36.4%

SA 16.7%

Year 11 (Cumulative Result for Whole Year)

HA 50%

Year 10 (End Semester

VHA 45.4%

2 Results)

SA 13.3%

VHA 33.3%

HA 6.6%

Year 12

(Post Verification)

VHA 80%

Languages

MRS JODY FRIEND, HEAD OF LOTE, HEAD OF BLACK HOUSE

HIGHLIGHTS The College took Language and Cultural Trips to Japan, Germany and New Caledonia during 2019, visiting many famous cities and sites, providing girls with opportunities to broaden their language and cultural understanding.

•

•

Bastille Day Celebration – The annual themed lunch for students dressed in Frenchinspired costumes.

Octoberfest for Teens – Girls travelled to Brisbane to enjoy a fun day celebrating German culture.

•

staff members participated in the first Endorsement event; as a lead endorser and endorser.

There have been great opportunities for students to develop their language skills through interacting with visiting and enrolled students from France, Germany, Canada, Switzerland and Japan.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING The implementation of the new senior syllabuses in 2019 meant that teachers were introducing new topics and assessment in Year 11 whilst completing the final year of the outgoing syllabus with the Year 12 classes. Teachers submitted their first two Internal Assessment items for Endorsement with QCAA, and two

As the District Panels and State Panels finished their duties, language teachers applied for, and were appointed to, roles for the Endorsement and Confirmation processes. Further training for Confirmation will be conducted in 2020.

Teachers have continued to work with colleagues from other local schools to develop assessment items and teaching resources to support the new syllabus documents.

Academic Results FRENCH Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12

2 10 24

33 24 330+ 240 +100+20 27 220 22 +110 11 270+ 13 90 9 +404+10 1 130+ 6 +10 1 50+6 120 30+3303+303 90+9 404+303

GERMAN Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12

25 150 15 +90 9 250+ 29 12 +404 290+ 120 60+6 303+20 32 20 32 40+4 10 1 30 3

JAPANESE

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12

21 120 12 +150 15 +30 3 210+ 15 110 11 +20 2 150+ 30+310 1 1 3 10+30+10 1 2 20+10 1 20 2

A

B

C

D 41

Mathematics

DR CAROLE HILL, HEAD OF MATHEMATICS 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 fun and challenging. They may also seek support in Maths Tutorial sessions which are offered weekly in the Mathematics Department in both Middle and Senior School.

The current text in use, Cambridge Essential Mathematics for the Australian Curriculum (along with the online support of Cambridge Go), provides students with valuable resources for Years 7-10. Students have been encouraged to use the online component to support classroom learning as extra exercises, revision or even just for the joy of completing maths games and activities!

Competition results and academic results follow.

Mali Brennan Janithya Dharmawardhane Isabella Doyle Chloe Ecroyd Sophia Finlay Holly Ford Eliza Paffey Julia Rathie Isabelle Watts The competition consists of two rounds. The first is a collaborative event where each team is given a set of 10 questions to solve as a group.

The second is a relay in which team members work in alternating pairs to solve as many problems as possible within a time limit. The questions are interesting and challenging and often require students to think beyond classroom learning. Our teams did well this year with one team coming in second in the region.

QAMT Year 7/8 Quiz A competition, especially for Year 7 and 8 students, the QAMT Quiz consists of sections which test students’ ability to do mental calculations and problem-solve, Darling Downs Mathematics Teams individually and as a part of team.

Challenge Nine of our girls competed this year.

The following girls from Year 8 were For Round 1 of the quiz, a large selected to participate in the Darling number of Toowoomba schools were Downs Mathematics Teams Challenge: present. One of our teams was placed Lilly Biernoff 3rd in the competition.

Well done to Janithya Darmawardhane, Chloe Ecroyd, Mali Brennan, Julie Rathie, Annabelle Rogan and Sophie Khan.

2019 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools: Mathematics This year, 18 students elected to participate in the ICAS Mathematics Competition. Five Distinctions were awarded to Ankita Sajjan, Rachel Yap, Mali Brennan, Chloe Ecroyd and Isabelle Watts.

TDMTA One-Day Workshop for Talented Mathematics Students This workshop was held on Friday 25 October. It was hosted by the Toowoomba and District Mathematics Teachers Association at USQ. The workshop was a hands-on opportunity for students across Years 7-11 to work with like-minded students from other schools on Mathematics concepts which are not part of their normal school curriculum. Nine students from Years 7 to 10 were accepted into the workshop. These were Tessa Beci, Mali Brennan, Haylee Crouch, Chloe Ecroyd, Marissa Miller, Ruby Newell, Gabrielle Pellow, Janithya Darmawardhane and Medhini Srinivas.

A B C D

Academic Results

42+ I 16 + 42 63+ I 18 + 19 67+ I 8 + 25 35+43+21+1 42+47+11 5+34+50+11 38+51+10 25+50+19+6 10+30+48+11 SA 17%

Year 10

HA 42%

SA 8%

SA 19%

Mathematical Methods

VHA 42%

HA 19%

Year 12 Maths C

VHA 63%

HA 25%

Year 11

Specialist Mathematics

VHA 67%

20+60+20 26+38+29+5 19+54+27 29+43+20+8 34+43+20+3 75+20 Year 7

Year 11 Essential Mathematics

42

Year 8

Year 11 General Maths

Year 9 General Maths

Year 11 Mathematical Methods

Year 9 Mathematical Methods

Year 12 Maths A

Year 10 Essential Mathematics

Year 11 General Maths

Year 12 Maths B

Year 12 Pre-Voc Maths

Greta Centre

MS LIBBY HOBSON, ACTING GRETA CENTRE CO-ORDINATOR

So what is a library in 2019? A library is, and should be, at the heart of any great and connected community. In our increasingly digital world, a crucial life skill is the ability to read. Another important skill is the ability to find useful and reliable information in an age of over-supply and ‘fake news’. A library can provide a space to study and complete assignments or a place to socialise and relax. A library should be all things to all people – a huge ask! In the Fairholme Greta Statham Library we provide hard-copy books that range from manga to picture books, classic novels to new releases, biographies to history textbooks. We also have subscriptions to a wide variety of databases for research and the Wheelers platform for audio and ebooks. We have board games and virtual games – even a driving and flight simulator.

Here are some highlights from 2019: • Book Spine Poetry • The creation of a new Area B ‘classroom’ for research • National Reconciliation Day and NAIDOC week displays • Book Week: Reading is my Secret Power • 2019 Back to the 90s Fashion Week.

Popular Reads: Our most popular reads this year in Fiction was Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon followed closely by Fault in Our Stars by John Green and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

The most popular Biography was Unmasked by Turia Pitt.

There was a 20 per cent increase in borrowings for eBooks/eAudiobooks from Wheelers in 2019, compared to 2018. The most borrowed eAudiobook was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling and the most borrowed eBook was The Martian by Andy Weir.

Pastoral Care Reading In 2018, Stephens House girls borrowed the most books, with 567 books borrowed. In 2019, Cameron House managed to eclipse that figure by borrowing 693 books. Middle Stephens 1 was the Pastoral Care Group that borrowed the most, by borrowing 150 books.

‘People who cannot understand each other cannot exchange ideas, cannot communicate. The simplest way to make sure we raise literate children is to teach them to read, and to show them that reading is a pleasurable activity.’

be made of Year 8 student Isabella Lewis who managed to read 45 books in this time-frame. Girls who completed the challenge, were awarded a certificate signed by the Premier at a Middle School Assembly.

Use of our subscription services EBSCO Database There were more than 2000 requests for full-text documents which were downloaded in 2019. The most popular search terms in EBSCO were: genetically modified crops; genetically modified food.

Clickview Almost 3000 videos were viewed in the last nine months.

I must conclude by thanking Ms Alison Scott for her work in the Senior Greta Centre in 2017 and 2018. Mr Derek Neil Gaiman Curnow must also be acknowledged for his stewardship of the Library in Premier’s Reading Challenge Term 1 of 2019 when Ms Scott moved The Middle School participated in The to Brisbane. The smooth running of 2019 Queensland Premier’s Reading the library in the Greta Centre can be Challenge, which requires students attributed to the experience of our to read 15 books in a period of three continuing staff, Ms Joanne Andrews months. This year we only had a few and Mrs Antoinette Porter. girls who managed to complete the challenge by reading a minimum of 15 books; however, special mention must

God | Respect | Enjoyment | Teamwork | Aspiration

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Greta Junior

MS PAM STAINS, HEAD OF GRETA JUNIOR The single greatest indicator of a child’s future success is reading for pleasure (OECD 2002). Research conducted by Billington (2015) found that reading for pleasure enhances empathy, understanding of self and the ability to understand others. It also found a link between people who read for pleasure and those who have strong emotional development.

Our vision and purpose for Greta Junior is simple; create a space and environment where reading for pleasure is celebrated. We hope to create a warm and inviting space for our girls to build, develop and be supported in their love of reading.

2019 Highlights: • National Simultaneous Story time where all student from Kindy – Year 2 enjoyed listening to Alpacas with Maracas • Author visit from local author and Fairholme Old Girl, Megan Carige • Book Week ‘Reading is my Super Power’

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• •

Book Week presentation from ‘Perform Education’ Scholastic Book Fair

Most Popular Picture Books Borrowed Kindy Rainbow Fish to the rescue Prep How the Grinch stole Christmas butterfly Year 1 Rodney loses it Year 2 Fancy Nancy splendiferous Christmas Year 3 Ninja bunny Year 4 Fancy Nancy splendiferous Christmas Year 5 Pig the pug Year 6 Pig the elf Top 10 borrowers in 2019 Serah Vimal Emily Cornford Rhea Sesai Gabrielle Montefiore

221 203 159 154

Richa Vimal Chanudi Dissanayake Grace Carrigan Emily McCormack Madeleine Brown Georgina Perrignon

148 132 124 120 119 118

The award-winning book Matilda from much-loved author, Roald Dahl, contains this classic line, which encapsulates the joy of reading:

‘The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.’

REFERENCES OECD (2002), Reading For Change: Performance and Engagement Across Countries, OECD Publishing, oecd.org.

Billington, J. (2015). Reading between the Lines: the Benefits of Reading for Pleasure, Quick reading, University of Liverpool

Science

MRS FRAN BRAZIER, HEAD OF SCIENCE

This year the implementation of the new QCAA Senior Curriculum in Year 11, including the new subject offering of Psychology. The Science Department staff were kept busy with professional learning for unit and assessment planning. Also, new assessment tasks were included in Year 9 and 10, to reflect those in the new senior syllabuses and that will help better prepare students for what lies ahead in Senior Science subjects.

This project was in response to the Australian Government’s Department of Education and Training ‘Restoring the focus on STEM (Science, • Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in schools initiative’.

The Science Department continues to utilise more Information and Communications Technology, specifically the MyFairholme Learning Management System platform, for the improved design and delivery of engaging learning across Science The inaugural Year 9 Camp to Hastings subjects and to enhance studentPoint Marine Environment Field Study teacher communications within these Centre took place in Term 1. This subjects. Also, the extensive use is • Science-based experience focused on made of data loggers that enable Rocky Shore, Mangrove and Coastal in-depth data analysis of student Dune ecosystems, their communities experiments. of interdependent organisms, abiotic components of the environment and As always, our aim is to immerse the human impact on these ecosystems. students in the Engineering Design Agricultural Science students Process that incorporates innovative, continued to propagate plants and analytical and critical thinking, to • produce excellent harvests at the ‘Ag solve problems in collaborative teams.

Plot’, culminating with their plant stall Seventy-five per cent of students at the College’s Spring Fair. in the classrooms now will work in a Science and Technology-related A Year 8 Robotics extra-curricular field in their lifetime. The Science opportunity continued again this year Department’s focus is to develop with Mr Whittle in Semester 1. The and consolidate the skills necessary Middle School Robotics Club initiative to achieve success in STEM-related focuses on: subjects and careers.

•

• • •

developing the interest and enjoyment of girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects teaching coding promoting innovative design and construction reinforcing the scientific process and collaboration.

Learning experiences beyond the classroom included: •

Year 8 Science Excursion to the Old Toowoomba Basalt Quarry in order to examine the • Toowoomba Regional Council’s Bridge Street Quarry Feasibility Study that outlines the proposed rehabilitation/redevelopment of

the site. This formed part of their assessment in the Earth Science unit.

SolarBuddy School Program. Year 9 Science students investigated whether small solar panels are a feasible option to help solve energy poverty. The project culminated in students providing SolarBuddy solar lights to students living in energy poverty throughout the South Pacific, South East Asia and Africa, to study after dusk.

Three-day Year 9 Camp at Hastings Point in Northern NSW. This gave the students the opportunity to practise field skills used in Senior Biology (e.g. data loggers, organism distribution patterns and field sketches).

Australian Federal Police Presentation ‘Science with a Twist’ for Year 10 students.

Crime Scene Lead Forensic Investigator (Fairholme Old Girl, Nikki Keighran, nee Deery, graduated 1998) discussed where a Science degree can take you, applying Science in Law enforcement, Women in Policing and AFP Operations Case Studies.

There was also a practical session that investigated the scientific processes behind Illicit Drug Seizure Examination.

Year 11 Agriculture, Biology and Psychology students attended the University of Queensland Statistics for Senior Science Lecture held at the College. This

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33+53+14 33+52+14+1 33+51+16 20+43+34+3 Junior Academic Results

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

A B C D

Senior Academic Results 11 Agricultural Science 11 Biology 11 Chemistry 11 Physics 11 Psychology

10 300 30 50 10 100+ +500 +100 21 +700 70 6 30+3210 +60 21 420 42 37+370 210+ 55 34 11 +110 550+ 340 26 610 61 13 +130 260+

18+53+29I 9+56+332I 4+39+57I 44+56I VHA 18%

SA 29%

Year 12

SA 33%

Agricultural Science

Year 12

Year 11 Biology students attended the ‘Experience Ecology Day’ presented by The University of Queensland at the Gatton Campus. This event gave students the opportunity to participate in activities based on mandatory field practicals in the new Senior Biology syllabus and practise using and analysing authentic data.

•

Year 11 Psychology students attended University of Southern Queensland Senior Psychology Lectures o Introduction to Psychology o Diagnosis and Treatment

of Abnormal Psychological

Disorders.

•

Year 11 Psychology Mandatory Practical on Emotional

Year 12

HA 39%

Chemistry

HA 56%

Year 12 Physics

VHA 44%

HA 56%

talked to researchers, debated impacts of science on our community and formed friendships with students from all over Australia. Rene Beci also experienced the International Youth Science Forum at the Imperial College London earlier in the year.

Responses and Visual Cues presented by Professor Jerry Tehan from the Psychology Department of the University of Southern Queensland.

presentation focused on dataanalysis techniques using Excel, required for the new senior science syllabuses.

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SA 57%

Biology

HA 53%

•

VHA 4%

LA VHA 2% 9%

Accolades/Competitions • Fairholme College was awarded two Certificates of Credit in the 2019 Royal Australian Chemical Institute’s Chemistry Competition: Laura Craft (11), and Jasmine Perrier (12).

•

Laura Craft, Zoe Crooke and Olivia Ross were selected by Rotary District interview, to attend the National Youth Science Forum in January 2020 in Canberra. Rene Beci and Maggie Grigg experienced the Forum in January 2019.

These Forums provide valuable opportunities for students interested in a career in Science, Technology and/or Engineering.

The girls visited laboratories, industry and research sites,

•

In this year’s International Competitions and Assessments for Schools – Science Competition, 3 Distinctions, 10 Credits and 4 Merit Certificates were awarded to Fairholme students. The following students received Certificates of Distinctions: Ciara Teahan (7); Lilly Biernoff (8); Janithya Dharmawardhane (8).

Service

MS CATRINA SHARP, DEPUTY PRINCIPAL/HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

I will hold my hand out to you and speak the peace you long to hear.

‘The Servant Song’ by Richard Gillard

Serving others is at the heart of our College’s Christian calling. Seen in the everyday and well beyond, our community is purposeful in reaching out to others, instilling the importance of understanding and empathy in the girls and encouraging a responsive approach to life. The College reaches out to those we call friends, and extends care to those not known to us personally, but who may need special care.

The College Interact Club Board, headed by President and Prefect for Service, Ila Torrance, led many activities which raised awareness and funds to support a variety of

organisations. The following groups were among those supported by the club: Queensland Medical Research Institute; Rosies Friends on the Street; Drought Angels; our three young international sponsor children and our newest friend – an Indigenous child from Queensland.

The Senior Leaders of 2019 formed a compassionate yet driven team of participants in the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave Campaign, known affectionately as Shave for A Cure. Raising in excess of $60,000, the girls were thrilled to know a sum such as this would, by example, allow a family to enjoy accommodations close to medical care, for up to two years. With this came the recognition that the Fairholme Team raised the most money in Queensland and the thirdhighest figure by a group in Australia.

The Great Stationery Race proved

to be a very successful Term 4 PCG challenge. Thousands of items were donated by our girls to ensure that our young friends from Rosies were able to gather all that they need for a timely return to school in 2020.

Giving voice and honouring others is at the heart of service. Consequently, a committee of girls teamed with the Interact Club to host a most successful NAIDOC week program.

The team hosted guests from other schools and associations, held games on the oval, taught us about the importance and meaning behind traditional meals, activities and the ritual of face painting. A hearty traditional lunch was provided for the Middle and Senior School.

Racheal and Janae also presented Dr Evans with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags, now displayed appropriately and proudly in the College Assembly Hall.

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OUR VALUED LOCAL CONNECTIONS The Year 11 program included two Mornings of Service, where the girls engaged with a variety of local groups. The girls support such enterprises as Baked Relief, BUPA and Lourdes Nursing Homes, Zonta, Cobb & Co, Toowoomba City Library, in addition to spending time caring for animals impacted by the drought conditions and fires in late 2019.

Year 10 and 11 girls were again offered the opportunity to serve young migrant students in Toowoomba, by supporting their regular homework activities. Led by Mrs Jaye Ross, it was clear that the joy of friendship quickly enriched these regular learning sessions.

We have worked with Rosies Friends on the Street for almost three years now. Monthly visits to support our Rosies friends are important; we value the company of our Rosies companions a great deal. In addition to our regular time together, the girls in the Middle and Senior Schools donated to our annual Christmas Hamper collection which went to support Rosies families so they too were able to share special meals together with their own families at Christmas.

In September, a group of Year 11 girls supported young children with special needs over the four days of the annual Sony Foundation Holiday Camp. Four Year 12 girls assisted in leading the larger Year 11 group of carers. The lessons in selflessness, unconditional love, humility and joy have no doubt changed the lives of our girls irreversibly.

Selfless gestures are part of daily life; considered and intentional care of others is cultural.

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Pastoral Care A supportive and proactive learning environment promotes inclusion and collaboration and, thus in turn, effective care makes meaningful learning possible.

When people feel safe, have a strong sense of belonging, are supported and enjoy connections with others, they are well placed to thrive and learn. In harmony with the College’s Christ-Centred Faith, its pedagogical framework acknowledges the importance of inclusion and support in the learning space.

The work of our staff – all of whom are pastoral carers – holds the

wellbeing of the girls at its heart. In the day school and in the boarding community, the needs of the girls remain key. A purposeful approach to this care is led collaboratively by The Wellness Team – a staff group whose expertise spans emotional, academic, health, boarding and spiritual care.

As members of a small Pastoral Care Group, girls interact with the PCG teachers and fellow members each day. Together they celebrate, work and worship together. Positive connections are valued and nurtured through these interactions and a variety of events, including spirited Interhouse sport carnivals and cultural competitions, House Day and activities for students transitioning into and through the College. Key to the success of student-led care are the four House-based Pastoral Care Leadership Committees. These

Senior Leaders work closely with Heads of House to support all girls – relationally, academically and through proving an array of opportunities to strengthen positive connections with others.

Our dynamic approach promotes inclusivity and finds foundation in a restorative approach to managing relationships within a community.

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Learning Pathways

MS ARLIE HOLLINDALE, CO-ORDINATOR OF LEARNING PATHWAYS 2019 was a positive and fulfilling year for the Specialist Elective program and other learning pathways exploration.

The opening of the Health Hub in August 2019 was a highlight of our year. With the injection of $14,000 worth of P and F funding, the College was able to open a two-bed (threebed capacity) simulated Nursing ward and Allied Health station. This first-of-its-kind, privately-funded, in-school facility allows our students who are interested in pursuing Nursing, Health and Allied Health careers to train for a Certificate II in Health Support Services and then branch into a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance or Allied Health Assistance. Mater Education delivers training on a fortnightly basis to our Health students; a program which continues to be the most high in demand amongst the Specialist Elective choices.

The opening of the Health Hub sparked great interest and support from our dynamic, local Health industry, and our health students enjoyed enhanced Health experiences, visitations and simulations through partnering with Southern Queensland Rural Health (SQRH) and LifeFlight. Another new advancement to this program this year, was the four-day practical placement spent in the Mater Hospital, Brisbane. In addition to this, we partnered with St Vincent’s Hospital to provide a second practical three-day placement locally. New partnerships were also secured with local Allied Health networks providing two-weeks’ experience to our Allied Health students. These invaluable placements have provided our girls with a most realistic exposure to the Health industry.

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An additional high point of the program was to see three of our Year 10 students, who were studying their Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) through Darling Downs Aero Club, spend an intensive two-day Gateway to Aviation program at Wellcamp Airport. Fairholme College and Wellcamp Airport partnered to create the immersive experience where the girls spent a significant amount of time airside on the apron (tarmac) welcoming the Cathay Pacific 747 Cargo Freighter, Qantas Dash-8, Airnorth Embraer, Regional Express SAAB340 passenger aircraft and the ACC King Air Charter planes. However, more than this, the experience was aimed to expose the girls to a much larger picture within the Aviation industry. Flight deck inspections on all the aircrafts, including discussions with the pilots formed an interesting part of exploring career pathways and sharing lunch with (past) General Manager, Sara Hales opened the girls’

minds to what a young woman can achieve with determination, grit and guts.

The Year 10 students had hands-on experiences in ground operations, baggage handling, check-in procedures, runway inspections, weather and wildlife checks and they even trained with the security and screening team on their simulated security facilities. Discussions with the business development and marketing departments and assisting to make the lunch meal in catering services, formed part of the immersive, unique partnership experience. The highlight, of course, was an up-close inspection, tour and flight deck visit to the Cathay Pacific Cargo Freight carrier. The dynamic Wellcamp team created a first-class experience, where our girls could immerse themselves in all things ‘Aviation’ and explore aviationrelated pathways beyond what they could have imagined.

STIMulAtED – Science/Technology, Innovation, Mathematics, Arts, Engineering and Design Our STIMulAtED program also received recognition. The students won the Best Pitch award at the Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Awards for the research, design and pitch of their prosthetic hand concept; SecondHand. The students spent the year developing a number of STEMrelated skill-sets through programs of coding, 3D printing, robotics, virtualreality design and other concepts required to design a prosthetic hand for children; one which had technological enhancements aimed at children’s interests. This concept looked at allowing those students with deformity to not be stigmatised and to improve their mental health through creating fun and engaging prosthetics for children. For example; lights, sounds, functions that mirrored Marvel, Disney and other super-hero and fantasy characters.

The Hospitality students were also involved more heavily with the College events and other sponsored engagements, such as the Women of Strength and Mother’s Long Luncheon, RSL ANZAC Day Dawn Service Breakfast, Junior and Senior Sporting Carnivals, Grandparents’ Day, Senior breakfasts and many other on- and off-campus events.

New Developments leading into 2020 Exciting new partnerships were formed this year, which has led to the development of training opportunities within the Specialist Elective program into the areas of Aviation, Dance, Virtual Reality and further Health opportunities.

The 2020 program will now offer a Certificate III in Aviation (Remote Pilot License – Visual Line of Sight) and a Certificate III in Dance, as well as a Diploma in Social Media and Marketing which will be delivered via Virtual Reality training. Our Health program also has enjoyed interest from the Aged Care sector, which looks promising for further exposure in 2020. Exploration of rural placements through partnering with SQRH and UQ, as well as tertiary entry pathways to USQ, are being negotiated.

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2019 Specialist Elective Enrolments (by demand)

23

Certificate III in Health Services Assistance (plus Certificate II in Health Support Services)

14

Certificate II/III in Hospitality

12

Certificate III in Fitness

10

Certificate IV in Crime and Justice

8

Diploma of Business

7

Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance (plus Certificate II in Health Support Services)

7

Certificate III in Education Support (Teacher Aide)

3

Recreation Pilot Licence

2

Certificate IV in Fitness

1

Certificate IV in Education Support

1

Certificate III in Early Education and Children’s Services (0-5years)

7

School-based Traineeship - Certificate III in Agriculture

2

School-based Traineeship - Certificate III in Early Education and Children’s Services (0-5years)

1

School-based Traineeship - Certificate III in Hospitality

1

School-based Traineeship - Certificate II in Hairdressing

1

TAFE - Diploma in Nursing

1

TAFE - Certificate III in Beauty

12

Alternate Program (no qualification) - Active Citizenship and Service *mid-year entry students

5

Alternate Program (no qualification) – STIMulAtED

5

Alternate Program (no qualification) - Music, Song, Dance, Drama

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Information Technology Services MR CHAU CHUC, HEAD OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

The IT Services team is focused on supporting our students’ educational experience by providing friendly face-to-face technical support, ensuring that heir teachers can get on with the job of teaching, providing the platforms to administer the College and ensure the continued development of Fairholme’s IT facilities.

The upgrade of the College internet connection to 1 gigabit per second provide students with fast access to online resources and systems.

The students’ response to the elearning platform, myFairholme, continues to be positive. Major technical developments have been put on hold while students and staff become familiar with the new QCE subjects and processes.

The Fairholme College Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ fairholmecollege) was launched in 2013 and engagement continues to increase.

The Fairholme laptop program has been upgraded to the Dell 3300 series laptops with toughened glass touch screens. As with all our previous Dell laptops purchased for student use, these were purposeddesigned to meet student handling and needs in the full range of subjects on offer.

Fairholme College’s IT Helpdesk and in-house systems engineering and administration continue to meet the demands of an educational environment. Listed below are some facts and figures for the technically minded.

Email and Internet Traffic: • Average number of emails sent and received (per month): 265,000 • Average number of blocked incoming emails - spam or infected (per month): 160,000 • Average volume of internet download (per month): 12TB Helpdesk Services: • Average number of helpdesk jobs per month (other than laptop services): 750 • Average number of battery swap-and-go services per month: 800 • Average laptop and hardware services per month (free technical support such as data recovery, insurance claims or warranty claims): 250 Hardware Infrastructure includes: • 1 Video Conferencing system (Polycom) • 855 laptops (all with SSDs) and desktops • 35 iPads • 80 Data Projectors • 20 interactive whiteboards • 230TB network storage

• • • • • • • •

•

90 printers 5 scanners 8 physical servers (library converted to VM) 25 virtual servers 70 network switches (1G or 10G capable) 9 fibre links (10G capable) 10gig backbone through entire server infrastructure Full Xirrus wireless infrastructure - 117 dual radio ‘AC’ wireless access points, 4 quad radio ‘AC’ arrays, 4 outdoor extended range antennae panels.

1 gigabit symmetric ethernet internet (WAN) connection through fibre.

Software infrastructure includes: • Single Sign On • Reach Boarding • myFairholme (third year of deployment) • Windows 10 Education (64 bit) • Office 2016 Professional Plus • Office 365 • Adobe CS 6 Master Collection • Adobe Creative Cloud • Windows Server 2019 • Exchange 2016 • System Centre Endpoint Protection (antivirus) • Hyper-V (server virtualisation) • Freshdesk (helpdesk software) • Synergetic (school management software) • Family Zone (Internet Management Platform).

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Key Student Outcomes Student Attendance – Average Rate in the College

Year Level

Total Number of Students

Number of School Days in 2019

Total Number of Attendance Days in 2019

Total Number of Student Absences

Average Attendance Rate

In 2018, the average student attendance rate for the whole College was 95%.

Kindy

43

175

3,842

233

94%

Prep

15

170

2,760

140

95%

1

22

170

4,048

214

95%

2

18

170

3,312

192

94%

3

25

170

4,600

261

94%

4

25

170

4,600

312

93%

5

33

170

6,072

276

95%

6

49

170

9,016

650

93%

7

95

170

17,480

746

96%

8

75

170

13,800

633

95%

9

79

170

14,536

711

95%

10

101

170

18,584

953

95%

11

81

170

14,904

665

96%

12

82

162

15,088

828

95% 95%

APPARENT STUDENT RETENTION, YEAR 10-12 In 2019, the apparent retention rate for students moving from Year 10 through to Year 12 = 95.34% Student Retention

Number

54

Year 10 Base

Year 12

Apparent Retention

86

82

95.34%

MANAGEMENT OF NON-ATTENDANCE Fairholme College recognises that attendance each day and each lesson is an integral part of student success.

We take great care to monitor the attendance of every student each day. Attendance is recorded electronically each day at 8.30am and again at 11am and in the final class of the day. In addition, rolls are also marked in Assembly/Chapel or Holme Group Meetings. Absentee lists are generated early each day and are placed on the Staff Room Notice Board and are also emailed to all staff.

Administration staff follow up any students who are absent to ensure that we have had contact from parents or care-givers to let us know of their whereabouts. These staff will phone, email or SMS the parents of any students not accounted for. Additionally, students who are missing from classes during the day are also followed up by academic staff such as a Head of Sub School or a Head of House. These staff are also involved in supporting students to return to school when they have had an extended absence from school.

When a student is ill or unable to attend school, it is expected that parents of Day Girls notify the College by 8.30am by phone, email or via the College app.

Boarding staff notify key staff about any Boarders unable to attend class and are therefore in the College Health Centre. Should a student be absent for more than three days, the Head of House or Head of Sub School will contact the family to offer support and enquire as to the student’s welfare at that time. In the case of prolonged absence, parents are asked to request planned absence for their daughter in advance via a letter through the College Principal. Student Absences during examination/assessment time are managed through the College’s Student Academic Policy.

Teachers as Learners and Staff Engagement STAFF COMPOSITION In 2019, teaching staff at the College numbered 58 full time and 11 part-time employees. Additionally, 34 full time and 49 part-time employees undertook non-teaching roles in the business, catering, maintenance, health, residential, Arts and Sporting facets of College operation.

PARTICIPATION IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Professional Learning opportunities at the College encourage continuous professional growth as there is a strong connection between teaching standards and teacher Professional Learning; the link to student learning is clear. Our staff endeavor to deepen their subject knowledge, develop their teaching skills and stay current with new research while striving to remain innovative and imaginative in their field. In addition to Professional Learning days, visiting experts, keynote speakers, collaborative work, seminars, workshops and conferences, for both academic and non-academic, staff covered a disparate range of fields and topics in the past year.

The College values the knowledge and commitment of its employees. We recognise teacher knowledge and skills contribute significantly to the quality of teaching and learning at the College. Therefore, Fairholme actively supports the professional development of our staff which included the following: Professional Learning Activity

Average staff attendance for permanent staff, temporary staff and school leaders – 97.64% STAFF ATTENDANCE Number of Staff

Number of School Days

Total Number of Absences

Average Attendance Rate

153

190

686.05

97.64%

PROPORTION OF TEACHING STAFF RETAINED FROM PREVIOUS YEAR 100% of permanent teaching staff from 2018 retained for the 2019 school year.

Teaching Staff, Staff Retained Retention Rate end 2018 in to 2018 69

68

98.55%

QUALIFICATIONS OF ALL TEACHERS Qualification

Number

Doctorate

2

Masters

15

Bachelor Degree

66

Diploma

56

Certificate

6

Teacher Participation

Professional Standards/Code of Conduct

99%

Work Health and Safety Training

100%

Restorative Practices

95%

Evacuation & Lockdown Training

100%

Principles of Learning and Teaching Training

100%

Learning Management System

100%

100% of the teaching staff participated in at least one Professional Learning activity in 2019.

EXPENDITURE ON PROFESSIONAL LEARNING In summary, $38,845 was spent supporting Professional Learning for 69 teachers. Average expenditure per person sat at $563.

STAFF ATTENDANCE Average staff attendance for the school, based on unplanned absences of sick and emergency leave periods of up to 5 days:

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