Fortitude Valley State Secondary College

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 | As part of the Celebrations of Success Week, FVSSC hosted our inaugural Legacy Breakfast at Cloudland, bringing together Year 11 students, their parents, mentors, and staff. It was a special morning of celebration, reflection, and connection as we recognised the achievements of our Year 11 students and celebrated their journey as they finish their first year of the Master Stage and enter their final year of formal schooling. Thank you to our speakers Lu (Year 11), Imogen (Year 11), David Green (mentor) and Rhiannon Humphries (mentor) for sharing their experiences with the Fortitude Champions Mentoring program. A further thank you to our keynote speaker, Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM, who shared insight into gratitude, resilience and finding your purpose. Thank you to everyone who joined us to mark this milestone and reflect on the legacy being created as we move toward our first-ever graduating class.

Thank you to BFX Furniture for helping to set up our school for success! We encourage our community to watch the documentary, and learn about the QUT (Queensland University of Technology) Thriving in Vertical Schools project and how we are shaping the future of education.

Thank you to the leaders of Fortitude Valley State Secondary College; Sharon Barker, Principal, Richard McDaniel, Deputy Principal and Amy LaBan Head of faculty for sharing your college story as you progress a culture of contributive learning into culture and practice. We were inspired to hear of the prioritization of capability building for middle leaders to focus upon learning design. Targeted professional sharing of practice has led continued progress for authentic learning and assessment at the college. #joannemceachen Sharon barker Deb Dunstone Richard McDaniel StephenBell AmyLaBan #contributivelearning

Fortitude Valley State Secondary College - Brisbane’s first ever vertical school - was handed over in June 2020, with the Sports Centre recently completed in 2022. This development represents a historic event, as the first inner-city Brisbane school to be built in 50 years. This state-of-the art education facility was delivered by the Queensland Department of Education in conjunction with the Queensland University of Technology. The school was designed by Cox Architecture and developed by Thomson Adsett, in partnership with Hutchinson Builders. The cutting-edge architecture is defined by spectacular geometry, which served as a source of inspiration for our angular signforms, embellished by patterning referencing the perforated facade and site footprint. To ensure the system was inclusive for all, our design aligned with the Design Standards for DETE Facilities (Department of Education, Training and Employment), Disability Discrimination Act, National Construction Code and Australian Standards. The resulting system incorporated braille on all directional signs, with a clever design that conformed to budgetary constraints and allowed for updates for future stages of development. Fortitude Valley State Secondary College / Queensland Department of Education / Cox Architecture / ThomsonAdsett / Hutchinson Builders / Donald Cant Watts Corke (DCWC) / Angus Martin #wayfinding #wayfindingdesign #graphicdesign #userexperience #industrialdesign #architecture #design #signage #brisbane #fortitudevalley #fvssc

𝗙𝗩𝗦𝗦𝗖 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆! Yesterday, we had the pleasure of hosting four teachers from Japan, thanks to the Queensland Department of Education International. Yukie, Mikiko, Sayaka, and Chiaki spent the day immersing themselves in our Fortitude Valley classrooms, gaining insights into Australian education from our exceptional educators. It was a fantastic exchange of knowledge and culture. Thank you for visiting – we look forward to welcoming you back anytime!

Did you see us mentioned in this article by Dr Kirsty Volz? Fortitude Valley State Secondary College is proud to be contributing to research around the future of vertical schooling!

Registrations are now open for QUT's Thriving in Vertical Schools Research Forum! Vertical schools have presented an opportunity for innovative design. If you are thinking of a new learning space, or interested in proactive wellbeing, come along to this workshop in Brisbane or online on 12 September. Data from over 300 students in 3 schools – Adelaide Botanic High School, Fortitude Valley State Secondary College in Brisbane, and Prahran State High in Melbourne, bring light to designing for wellbeing. Get a behind the scenes look at nuances and the rich multimedia data stories with recommendations for architects and school leaders who are interested in wellbeing and innovation. Register at the link below. You can read something about the project in this article https://lnkd.in/gECcu9UZ or watch this short video to see how students have collaborated with research partners in the ARC Linkage https://lnkd.in/gmiKqDYi

Today, we had the pleasure of welcoming Emosi Kuli, the 2024 recipient of the Rotary International Royce and Jean Abbey Vocational Scholarship. Emosi, the current Principal at Assemblies of God High School Fiji in Suva, Fiji, is a former President of the Fiji Principals' Association and has held leadership roles at various schools throughout Fiji. With his scholarship, Emosi is spending three months in Australia, visiting schools to gain insights into school and student management. During his visit to FVSSC today, Emosi spent time with Principal Sharon Barker, gathering numerous ideas to implement at his school in Fiji. Thank you, Emosi, for your warmth and enthusiasm at FVSSC today. Your passion for school leadership is inspiring.

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗿 | What a proud moment for our school! After years of dreaming and planning, the Fortitude Champions Mentoring Program has come to life. Last night, Year 11 students and their families attended our first ever Mentor Mixer, where they met their mentors, who will accompany them through the pivotal Master Phase of their academic journey, and perhaps even beyond. The students have bold in taking part in this new journey, and we are so proud to see this cohort (our foundation cohort) develop into agile and kind Year 11 students. In her welcome last night, Principal Sharon Barker shared the story of the Mentoring Program, which developed after a P&C meeting in 2022. How can every child have a champion in their corner, an adult who help them navigate life and mentor them into the world post school? It seemed like a feat too unachievable, but last night, we saw the dream come true. Thank you to our mentors, who have selflessly volunteered their time to breathe life into our vision: ensuring that every child finds their champion. Your dedication gifts our students with invaluable support, nurturing them into bold, resilient, and kind young adults ready to conquer the world. We cannot thank you enough; without your dedication, this program would not be possible. This program owes its success to your unwavering commitment. Lastly, thank you to Monica Dawkins, our Mentoring Coordinator, and to the team behind the scenes for believing in the vision and taking on the challenge of developing the Fortitude Champions program. Alisha Richardson Ally Incledon Bhavik Kapadia Briohny Boater Catherine Campbell Chantel Maclachlan Charleen Marsters Eleanor Newton Eve Willsteed Gary Bruce greg kerrisk Jax Beres John Jackson Kate Milliner Liz Ballantyne Michelle Erasmus Nadeem Tiafau Eshraghi Nyree Ewings Paris Y. Rhiannon Humphries Samantha Calderwood saya aziz Shannon Volp Simon Di Giacomo Steve Francis CSP

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | This week, the FVSSC curriculum was on show for a group of educators in Shanghai. As we lead the future of education, Principal Sharon Barker, Heads of Department Julie Curtis and Amy LaBan, and students Summer (Year 8 ) and Delilah (Year 10) presented the FVSSC approach to the Experience, Explore and Navigate stages of learning. The workshop had a particular focus on the interdisciplinary nature of our courses, and showcased the ways that we help our students to be good at learning and good at life. It was a valuable opportunity to share our distinctive educational approach with the enthusiastic educators seeking to introduce interdisciplinary teaching in Shanghai.