Issue 12, 2025 (27 August)

Dear Parents and Carers

As we move through this exciting Term, I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible achievements and vibrant energy across our school community.

The Little Mermaid Production was a spectacular show! Congratulations to all the students, staff, and volunteers who brought The Little Mermaid to life. The talent, teamwork, and creativity on display were truly inspiring. It was a magical experience for everyone involved and a proud moment for our school.

Our students have been thriving in co-curricular activities, with basketball, netball, and hockey offering fantastic opportunities for skill-building, teamwork, and fun.  I love turning up at the MARC, Netball Courts or the Hockey Fields to watch and cheer on our students. A special thank you to Mrs Booker, and well done to all involved. A special shout-out to Mr Watson and our Physical Education and Outdoor Education team, whose programs continue to challenge and inspire students to explore, grow, and connect with nature.

As our Year 12 students enter the final phase of their secondary journey, with exams just around the corner, we encourage families to reach out if your child needs support. Whether academic, emotional, or practical, a few simple habits can make a big difference: regular sleep, daily exercise, fresh air, and reduced screen time (especially social media) can help manage stress and improve focus.

As you may be aware, the government will be making some significant social media changes for children under 16 at the end of 2025. This is a timely opportunity to start conversations with your children about healthier alternatives - sports, clubs, hobbies, and outdoor activities. Let’s help our young people disconnect from screens and reconnect with each other and the world around them. In the coming weeks, we’ll share more resources and ideas to support you in this transition.

We’re pleased to share that work will begin on Gordon Road in the coming weeks to install additional 40 km/h signs, helping to reduce traffic speed and improve safety. We’re also excited about progress toward securing a traffic warden for Oakmont Avenue and are actively working on improving traffic flow within the school grounds. Stay tuned for more updates!

Thank you for your continued support. Together, we’re creating a vibrant, safe, and nurturing environment for all our students to flourish.

God bless,

Tracey Gray
Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

As the second half of Term 3 begins, the pressure to perform for some of our Year 12 students (and their parents) can shift up a gear or two. As ATAR exams approach, parents play an important role in helping their children prepare both academically and emotionally for this final part of their schooling journey.

We all know that planning and communication create stability and consistency, but as end of school conversations start to feel more real some children will need parents to offer sage advice and re-engage with the practical support that perhaps has not been required since the beginning of Year 12. 

Finding ways to connect and have meaningful interactions that encourage their self confidence will help with anxious thinking and remind them of how capable they have been to get to this point with success.

Headspace and Reachout both have lots of practical and useful information for students and parents to access for exam time.

• Headspace: Prepare for Exams 
• Parents Reachout: Exam Stress

5 Steps for Exam Success

1. Plan Ahead – Create a clear study timetable that breaks revision into manageable chunks. Stick to it and avoid last-minute cramming.
2. Stay Healthy – Eat balanced meals, stay hydrated, and aim for 8 hours of sleep each night to boost memory and concentration.
3. Practice Smart – Use past exam papers, practice questions, and study with friends to test knowledge and build confidence.
4. Manage Stress – Include exercise, relaxation, and short breaks in your routine. Breathing techniques or mindfulness can help calm nerves.
5. Stay Positive – Focus on effort and progress, not just results. Remind yourself that exams are one part of the bigger picture.

Kind regards
Mrs Robyn Dixon
School Counsellor

Dear Parents and Carers

What a journey it has been! Working on The Little Mermaid has been an incredible experience, filled with creativity, collaboration, and community spirit. Each year brings a new group of students to the stage, and it’s always a joy to see fresh faces join returning performers in bringing a story to life. This year, I’ve been especially proud of the leadership shown by our older students. Their guidance and example have been invaluable in mentoring the younger cast members, and their dedication has truly shone through in every rehearsal and performance.

Stepping into a new role at school this year, as the Acting Deputy Head of Secondary Pastoral Care and Service (while also Directing the School Musical), I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some truly wonderful staff, including Mrs Candice Shier (Acting Head of Arts) who has been an enormous support throughout the whole School Musical process. Thank you also to our tireless Arts staff who helped with this production, Miss Tess Nicholls, Miss Holly Mason, Mr Gary Williams, Ms Andrea Mandin, Mr Tim Newhouse, and Mr Rhys Channing, as well as everyone else who gave their time to make our show possible. This production has been a testament to their talent, teamwork, and tireless effort. I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed their time and energy to making this show a success.

A special mention must go to Mrs Angela Angelos as well, who stepped in as Assistant Director. Her creativity, support, and calm presence have been instrumental in bringing this production together. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a passionate and inspiring colleague.

To our students, staff, parents, friends, and my own family - especially my mum and sister - thank you for your support. The Little Mermaid is a story about love, family, and connection, and this production has embodied all of those themes in the most beautiful way.

We hope you enjoyed the show as much as we enjoyed creating it!

Kind regards
Mrs Jenny Crutchett
Acting Deputy Head of Secondary Pastoral Care and Service 

Dear Parents and Carers

2025 has again seen the largest number of student representatives in local community sport fixtures to date; Basketball, Netball, Soccer and Hockey. 68 teams representing Frederick Irwin in the Mandurah Basketball Association alone. This level of participation does not occur, however; without the enormous support of a great number of volunteers, which include; parents, FIAS staff, as well as students who take on managing and coaching roles. We are extremely appreciative of their support. Mrs Booker’s hard work continues to make Frederick Irwin Anglican School a dominant club in Mandurah.

This year we have seen incredible success in our Inter-School competitions. During term 2 alone we have entered over 20 teams in the sports of basketball, netball, cross country, soccer, volleyball, AFL and rugby. Both our senior girls’ and boys’ basketball teams have qualified to be in ACC division 1 for the 2026 competition, which is incredible. It is important to acknowledge the amazing effort of our teachers who take these teams to competitions, regularly acting as coach, manager, score keeper, umpire, bus driver, and number one supporter! Our basketball teams had some exceptional results, possibly the most successful in FIAS history. A special congratulations to Mr Miguel and the senior boys’ basketball team who lost out in the semi-finals to the eventual winners of the entire ACC competition, Mr Dunbar with the junior boys who also lost out in the semi-finals and Mrs Crane’s senior girls basketball team who lost in the quarter finals. An amazing representation of our school!

Physical Education Studies, Outdoor Education, Certificate II and III in Sport and Recreation and Health Studies have all grown in student numbers in the upper school and offer viable pathways to post-secondary education and employment. Outdoor Education Studies - ATAR in Year 11 has started successfully this year and we wish them well on their upcoming hiking expedition through the Kalbarri Gorge. This course has given students an even broader range of opportunities, ensuring we provide relevant courses to meet a diverse range of student needs.

Outdoor Education camps and expeditions continue to be a critical part of the culture of our school, providing opportunities for students to develop team building and leadership skills as well as enhancing personal characteristics; resilience, determination, persistence, compassion, self-discipline; through physical challenge and adventure. Our year 12 students completed their major expedition at the end of term 2. This sea-kayaking trip in Shark Bay was an amazing experience that included some incredibly fresh sea food, along with an exceptional wildlife experience. The trip was not without its challenges as students travel long distances, sleeping in tents, cooking on trangia’s, manage themselves without the aid of everyday comforts. Students prepare well for this expedition and only have items that they have packed in their kayaks. Although there is a support vehicle, this is only for safety reasons, as well as extra water.

The Outdoor Education team is now looking forward to and preparing for the upcoming Year 9 camp during the final week of Term 3. The classes will be spread across two camps; one at Potter’s Gorge campsite near the Wellington dam and the other is at Baden Powell campsite in Dwellingup.

The benefits of greater physical activity participation include assisting with maximising children’s learning, as well as improving their physical, social and mental health; benefits that are likely to extend into adolescence and inspire their adult life. It is extremely rewarding to bare-witness to the life-long impact of our programmes make on students and as a department we look forward to continued developments in the Health and Physical Education Learning Area.

Kind regards

Mr Kevin Watson
Head of Health and Physical Education

Select your relevant campus category in the green button at the top of the calendar for easier viewing. 

Term 3 Carnivals, House Day and Father's Day Stalls:

• Secondary Athletics - Meadow Springs: Thursday 21 August 
• Primary Athletics - Halls Head (K - 6): Tuesday 26 August 
• Primary Athletics - Meadow Springs (3 - 6): Friday 29 August 
• Primary Halls Head Father's Day Stalls: Tuesday 02 September
• Primary Meadow Springs Father's Day Stalls: Tuesday 02 September and Wednesday 03 September
• Primary Athletics - Meadow Springs (PP-2): Thursday 25 September (Please check with Kindy staff for further information.)
• House Day: Friday 12 September 

Meadow Springs:

• Organiser: Mrs Livingstone
• Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Time: 8.00am - 8.15am

Halls Head:

• Organiser: Mrs Smith
• Days: Mondays and Thursdays
• Time: 8.10am - 8.25am

See you at our Primary Ovals!

Our school uses the money back from donations to purchase items for students, on each campus. The more you donate, the more we can buy!

• Halls Head Primary:  C11620310
• Meadow Springs Primary: C11004072
• Meadow Springs Secondary: C10597687

• Trails Leadership Programme
• Anglicare Sleepout Raffle

• Harmony Day Donation
• School Surfing Titles
• Write a Book in a Day National Competition
• Film Students selected for Film Festival

• IPSHA Speakers Challenge
• Cluedunnit Australia
• Science Week - Solar Systems 
• Science Week - Shapes in Nature
• Baby Chickens in Kindy 

• Year 12 School Sport State Representative, Ellie Murtagh
• Year 11 Achieves Black Belt, Jack Wade

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