We note that many students find the first days of the new school year a little daunting. Through our Orientation Program, we aim to make the transition as comfortable as possible and ensure that each student knows what to expect. 

For girls that commence at the start of the school year, they will attend an Orientation session on Tuesday 28 January 2025.

Students wear their summer uniform and bring with them the stationery items they have purchased as per the book list provided.

On their first official day of school, Wednesday 29 January 2025, students will start the day by attending their Holme Group. When your daughter attends Orientation, we will ensure she is comfortable in knowing where her Holme Group room is located and where to go on her first day.

For students who commence at Fairholme throughout the year, please visit the Fairholme College main administration building on your first day to meet our Head of Enrolments.

MIDDLE AND SENIOR SCHOOL HOURS

Monday to Friday 8.20am to 3.20pm 

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday:

Morning Tea 10.30am to 10.50am

Lunch 1pm to 1.40pm

Wednesday:

Morning Tea 10.10am  to 10.35am

Lunch 1.20pm to 2.05pm

STUDENT ATTENDANCE

Attendance at school matters – it enhances connections, gives greatest access to quality learning and strengthens relationships. For these reasons, we seek parental support of student attendance.

Our term dates are published for the College Community at least 6 months prior to the beginning of the new school year and we thank all families for noting these dates and booking any family holidays or trips during the term breaks so that all students can complete the full learning expectations each year.

Students are expected to be at school by 8.10am each day; that is, 10 minutes prior to the commencement of the first class of the day. School finishes at 3.20pm for Middle and Senior School students.

TIMETABLE

Your child's individual daily timetable and calendar are available on the myFairholme parent and student portal.

ABSENCES

The Head of Senior School and Head of Middle School oversee and monitor student absences, along with Heads of House. 

Parents of Day Girls are to advise the College of all absences, appointments, early leave or late arrivals by 8am.

College App via the absentee button 

E [email protected]

LEAVING THE COLLEGE CAMPUS

No student may leave the College campus unless they have permission from their Head of Sub-School or Head of House. 

Students must not leave the school grounds without first signing out and following the request for leave procedure above. 

• Senior Students (Year 10 – 12) sign out from G Block Senior Office
• Middle Students (Year 7 – 9) sign out from Middle School Office 

COMPULSORY EVENTS

Events noted on the Terms Dates overview are events which involve all Boarders and Day Girls. 

Our main administration office hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm. 

This includes school holidays, apart from three weeks over the Christmas and New Year period.

T 07 4688 4688 

Events noted on the Term Dates overview are events which involve all Boarders and Day Girls. 

Our term dates are published for the College Community at least 6 months prior to the beginning of the new school year and we thank all families for noting these dates and booking any family holidays or trips during the term breaks so that all students can complete the full learning expectations each year.

You will find the Term Dates document within the myFairholme parent portal and available for download on our Events page.

Located within the College grounds, our HOLMEstore offers professional customer service and expert advice for all your uniform and stationery supplies.

Staff will guide you through the required uniform items for all seasons and occasions. New and secondhand uniforms, hair accessories and swim attire are available for purchase, as well as an extensive range of Fairholme College merchandise and stationery items.

HOLMESTORE CONTACT DETAILS

T 07 4688 4666

E [email protected]

Opening Hours (Term Time)

Monday - Wednesday: 12.30pm - 4pm

Thursday - Friday: 7.30am - 12.30pm

The HOLMEstore is situated beneath the Gym on the Bridge Street side of the College, with parking entry via Fairholme Street.

Please feel free to visit us when it best suits you within our opening hours. Fitting appointments for new students can be made by contacting the HOLMEstore directly.

For more information, including uniform details and pricelist, visit our HOLMEstore page.

TEXTBOOKS

Textbooks for all students in Year 7-12 are supplied under a loan scheme. There is no charge for loans, except for texts which are damaged or not returned.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL STATIONERY

Back-to-school stationery can be purchased from Browns Office Choice and parents (both new and existing) will be notified when booklists are online and ready for ordering. All back to school stationery orders are collected from the HOLMEstore, Browns Office Choice, or delivered to home.

For students commencing during the school year, you will receive an email from our HOLMEstore Manager enclosing your daughter’s booklist prior to commencement.

Stationery items are also available at the HOLMEstore for students to purchase throughout the year. 

HOLMESTORE ACCOUNTS

A HOLMEstore account is automatically created for each student upon enrolment. Students may charge uniform, stationery and personal supplies to the account or pay for items at the time of purchase by either cash or eftpos.

Accounts are emailed out at the beginning of each month and are payable online or over the phone by calling the Business Office on 4688 4688.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with our HOLMEstore.

Yes, Fairholme College uses laptops in most classrooms from Year 7 to Year 12 and much of the curriculum is accessed by the students via their laptops. Girls are required to fully charge their laptop each night and bring it to school each day.

For new students who start at the beginning of the school year, laptops are issued within the first week of school.

Students who start during the school year will have their laptop issued to them on their first day of school. The laptop can be collected from our IT Department located in the GRETA Centre Library.

IT SUPPORT

For IT support, the Helpdesk is open to students from 8am to 4pm, each school day. 

The Helpdesk is located in The GRETA Cente Library.

Services available include:

• technical support for students’ assignments and academic work, College laptop battery ‘swap and go’ service
• in-class technical support and a range of loan equipment.

Online services are available to students at school and are accessible through the internet, remotely. Students have safe, unmetered internet access and College webmail. Students can enjoy responsible access to selected sites for academic purposes and to communicate with family and friends.

Online databases and resources on the College network can be accessed via myFairholme. IT site use, whilst accessing the Fairholme College wi-fi is monitored through the College’s chosen provider – Linewize.

Please note that if students are using the wi-fi from their own phone, the family home or a public system, the College’s monitoring is not possible.

Parents can use software such as, Qustodio Parental Control, to monitor their daughter’s internet access. A range of Online Safety resources are available to parents in the myFairholme parent portal.

For more detailed information, contact IT Services:

E [email protected]

ARRIVING BY CAR

To reduce congestion at the start and end of the school day, we encourage parents to use the designated drop-off and pick-up zones accessed from the Wirra Wirra Street car park entrance, and adhere to the staggered pick-up times outlined below.

• Kindy – from 3pm
• Junior School – from 3.10pm
• Middle and Senior School – from 3.20pm

The pick up lane has a maximum wait time of five minutes. If you arrive too early, and your daughter is not ready to be picked up,  you will be requested to move on. Support of this protocol is for the good of all.

When utilising on-street parking in the area, please be considerate of our local residents and observe all traffic rules. 

ARRIVING BY BUS

There is a bus stop and shelter located on Wirra Wirra Street, near the College oval.

Fairholme College is serviced by a variety of bus companies, offering school bus routes within Toowoomba and surrounding areas.

ARRIVING BY BICYCLE

Bicycles are to be stored in the bicycle racks located underneath the Junior School Library.

We encourage boarder parents to stay actively connected with their daughter’s daily routine and upcoming schedule at Fairholme College.

Communication between the Boarding House and parents is of great importance. We welcome you to contact our Boarding House staff directly in the event of a specific need or enquiry. 

Boarding House

40 Wirra Wirra Street

(Car park access via Fairholme Street)

Toowoomba QLD 4350

Head of Boarding

Mrs Kylie Wallis

T +61 7 4688 4611

For a full list of Boarding contacts, please refer to our Boarding Handbook.

The primary method of communique with parents occurs through the myFairholme portal and the Fairholme College app. At 5pm Monday to Friday – parents receive news tailored to their daughter’s year level and/or interests. 

In addition to the Happenings@Holme feed, news is communicated regularly via the Fairholme College At Holme newsletter and College social media channels. From time to time, as needed, College Staff may email or phone parents to discuss topics that relate specifically to their daughter.

MYFAIRHOLME 

myFairholme is the College’s parent, student and staff portal. On commencement at Fairholme, students and their parents are sent a separate username and password to access myFairholme.

The myFairholme parent portal contains the following services:

• Happenings@Holme news feed - for all newsletters, letters to parents, participation forms, The Arts and Sport sign ups, reminder notices, permission requests etc
• Parent Information - for access to general information, handbooks, co-curricular opportunities, term calendars, policies, and parenting resources
• Events - event payments
• School Fees - to view your College and HOLMEstore account balances and transactions, and to make payments
• Update Details – facility for updating parent and emergency contact details and student medical records.

To access myFairholme, visit my.fairholme.qld.edu.au - there is also a direct link at the top of our website.

For more information about accessing myFairholme, visit myFairholme FAQs ».

COLLEGE APP

The Fairholme College App is available on Google Play » for Android and Apple App Store » for iOS. It is essential that all parents and guardians download the app on their mobile phones. 

Once downloaded, you can manage your notification settings. Please ensure push notifications are turned on in settings so you don’t miss out on any important notices. 

Features of the app include: 

• Happenings@Holme news feed
• Access to the myFairholme parent portal
• Reporting absences
• At Holme College newsletter
• College Calendar
• College contacts
• Important College links

REGULAR COLLEGE PUBLICATIONS

Stay up to date:

• At Holme College Newsletter - published throughout the year, each edition of At Holme is distributed via Happenings@Home in the myFairholme parent portal, as well as the College website.
• The Week Ahead - published on Happenings@Home, The Week Ahead update provides a brief snapshot of what’s coming up at Fairholme during  the coming week.
• At Holme Podcast - our podcast series shares inspiring conversations from within and beyond the school grounds. Podcast episodes are available through the College website and Spotify.
• FOCUS Magazine - published annually, FOCUS shares the news and adventures of Fairholme Old Girls. Past issues can be accessed via the College website.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow Fairholme College on:

• Facebook 
• Instagram
• LinkedIn 

The most effective communication channels for parents and guardians are as follows: 

• Wellbeing Concerns: Please make initial contact with your child’s Holme Group teacher. If the matter is urgent or of high importance, you are welcome to contact the Head of House directly.  
• Classroom Matters: The first person to contact is always your child’s classroom teacher. Details are available via your daughter’s timetable which you can access via the myFairholme parent portal. Staff will always endeavour to get back to parents and guardians within 24 hours if the correspondence is urgent and 48 hours for non-urgent correspondence, Monday to Friday between 7am to 7pm.
• With your daughter: All parents and guardians contact during the school day with your daughter/s must be made via Main Administration or the Middle and Senior Offices. Students are not permitted to carry or access their mobile phone whilst they are on the College campus, even if this is before or after the regular school day.

PARENT/TEACHER/STUDENT INTERVIEWS

Parent/Teacher/Student interviews are held at the start of Terms 2, 3 and 4. 

Families can access a booking system via the myFairholme parent portal and select interviews, as desired or as requested by staff.

The Parent/Teacher/Student interview does not have to focus on any particular concern; it may be an opportunity to meet teachers and to see some of the work completed by your daughter.

Students are encouraged to attend interviews with their parents and teachers. It is, after all, their learning that is being discussed and practicing respectful conversations with teachers about academic progress is an important part of developing into an independent, mature and responsible learner.

REPORTS

The College publishes formal reports to parents each year, at the end of  Term 1 and the end of each semester. Progressive reporting is also in motion at the College and will be fully adopted from 2025.

Families are notified when reports are available and they can access these via the myFairholme parent portal.

We encourage parents to contact their daughter's Holme Group teacher initially.

If the concern is about a particular subject, you are welcome to contact your daughter's teacher directly. Email is the best method of contact initially and a face-to-face meeting or phone call can be arranged if required.

If the concern is of a more serious or urgent nature, please get in touch with the Head of Middle School or Deputy Head of Middle School, Head of Senior School or Deputy Principal.

The College additionally employs social workers who work alongside the Heads of House to offer proactive support to our students. Parents and students are able to establish appointments with our social workers.

Each student at Fairholme belongs to one of four Houses: 

• Black (Black and Yellow)
• Cameron (Yellow and Blue)
• Powell (Green and Red)
• Stephens (Blue and Black)

Within these houses, every student is a member of a Holme Group.  While each staff member at Fairholme is a care-giver, the Holme Group Teacher has a special role. 

Students remain with the same Holme Group and Teacher for the three years of each sub-school, e.g. students will be in Middle Stephens 3 in Years 7 to 9 and then Senior Stephens 3 from Year 10 to 12. Our approach places emphasis on the development of this small unit of care within the broader school context.

Each Middle and Senior School student will be informed of their Holme Group when they commence at Fairholme. A student’s Holme Group remains the same throughout their time at Fairholme - it’s like their Fairholme family.

We aim for each girl to feel supported, known and cared about through the Holme Group system. Should your daughter have concerns of a wellbeing nature, in the first instance, please get in contact with your daughter’s Holme Group Teacher. 

Holme Group Teachers work closely with Heads of House and Assistant Heads of House, Heads of Middle & Senior School, Wellbeing Coaches, the Head of Ministry & Mission and Boarding staff, where appropriate.

Respectful relationships matter at Fairholme College. We seek a range of ways to work together positively on a daily basis, seeking to work with students and their families in all aspects of life and learning, engaging with high expectations and a high degree of support. We foster co-operation, collaboration, responsibility and accountability.

When things aren’t going well, or if a relationship fractures, then our preference is to use a restorative approach to [re]building and maintaining good relationships. The use of Restorative Practices – listening to one another and resolving difficulties respectfully, enhances the culture and learning environment of our school. 

This approach offers us clear conflict resolution strategies that allow us to improve our own communication and build healthy relationships with our peers, school community and our families. 

Restorative Practices offer us a chance to work through difficult conversations in a supportive and respectful manner. From time to time, staff may invite students to have a conversation about a community expectation that they are not keeping or, on occasion, students may be involved in a more significant discussion. If there is a situation where harm has been caused to students either through words, action, or inaction then it is our preference to meet together and reach a respectful understanding and resolution.

Fairholme operates a 24-hour-a-day health service for its students, from the College Health Centre which is located in the Boarding House complex. 

Staffed by registered and experienced nurses, the centre supports students 24 hours a day.

During the school day, students can access support from Health Centre staff if required. Day families will be contacted, should a student be too unwell to remain at school. Boarders can be accommodated within the centre.

Outside of the school day, the Centre is focused on supporting the Boarders’ health. This entails a variety of activities: dispensing medicine, contacting parents, arranging appointments off campus and through the College Doctor who attends the centre three mornings per week, and through wellbeing check-ins.

HEALTH CENTRE CONTACT DETAILS

Access the Health Centre via Fairholme Street.

T 07 4688 4613

E [email protected]

ABSENCE DUE TO ILLNESS

We encourage Day student parents to use the Absentee button on the MyFairholme App. 

This can be used if your daughter is unwell for a day or two due to illness, or if she needs to arrive late or be collected during the day for medical appointments.

If your daughter is expected to have an extended absence, please email or phone to discuss:

E [email protected]

Middle School Office: 07 4688 4681

Senior School Office: 07 4688 4655

ABSENCE DUE TO OTHER REASONS

If any academic time is to be missed from a student’s timetabled classes (not required for short-term unexpected absences due to illness or unforeseen last-minute appointments) then parents and carers must apply for academic leave for their daughter.

Academic Leave is to be requested by parents and carers via email to [email protected] at least one week prior to the absence for any of the following reasons:

• external training related to School-based Traineeships (SATS), TAFE or University studies
• vocational education placements, unique study opportunities or exams related to external studies
• sporting commitments and events not led by the College
• significant health issues or extended recovery from illness, e.g., wisdom teeth removal
• ongoing medical appointments
• extended travel

Once an approval email has been sent by the Head of Middle or Senior School to parents and carers, students are to see their Head of House to obtain, and complete, a Student Academic Leave Form which is to be handed in to the Middle or Senior School Office, prior to the leave period.

For Boarders, once Academic Leave has been approved by the relevant Head of School, Boarder parents or carers then enter these details via the REACH online boarder leave system.

LEAVING THE COLLEGE CAMPUS

No student may leave the College campus unless they have permission from their Head of Sub-School or Head of House. 

Students must not leave the school grounds without first signing out and following the request for leave procedure above. 

• Senior Students (Year 10 - 12) sign out from G Block Senior Office
• Middle Students (Year 7 - 9) sign out from Middle School Office. 

Parents and students will receive Sport Sign Up information before each muster or trials through myFairholme Happenings@Holme that outline the varied sporting opportunities. 

Sports musters and trials are held at the beginning of each Term.

Daily Sport Notices can be viewed on the myFairholme parent portal in the Sport section. 

Opportunities are offered to Middle and Senior students in local association fixtures, competitions at a local, regional or state level, and through school sport.

An overview of regular co-curriculum sporting opportunities can be found on our Sport at Fairholme webpage.

If you have any questions or would like further information about a particular sport, please email Fairholme Sport Administration:

E [email protected]

The Arts at Fairholme offers students a wide variety of highly creative and immersive experiences. 

CO-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES

Co-curricular opportunities are offered to Middle and Senior students in:

• Dance
• Drama
• Music
• Visual Art
• Debating
• Public Speaking
• Sound and Lighting

Arts Musters are usually held early in Term 1 of each year, however in most cases students can join in at any time of the year.

Parents and students will also receive The Arts participation opportunities throughout the year via myFairholme and Happenings@Holme.

For more information about the Arts opportunities on offer, please visit The Arts at Fairholme webpage or contact The Arts Department:

E [email protected]

SPECIALIST ARTS TUITION

The following tuition is available to students:

• Individual Instrumental, Music Theory and Music Technology
• Individual Vocal Tuition – Fairholme Singing Studio
• Speech & Drama
• Musicianship
• Aural Training
• Music Craft

To enrol your daughter, please complete The Arts Tuition Application form.

Arts Tuition Application »

In addition to The Arts and Sport Co-Curricular activities, students in the Middle and Senior Schools are offered a wide-range of before, during and after-school activities and clubs on a regular basis each term. 

Examples of some opportunities include:

• Robotics Club  
• Interact Club  
• Threads Sewing
• Readers’ Cup
• Politics, International Relations and Philosphy Club (PIP)
• Premier’s Reading Challenge
• Maths Team Challenge
• Service Activities  
• Army Cadets 
• Mooting
• Modified Rugby Program
• H2 Grand Prix
• Duke of Edinburgh  
• Film Club

Parents and students will receive participation opportunities throughout the year via Happenings@Holme.

For more information about participating in Clubs and Activities, visit the myFairholme parent portal.

Fairholme College does not have a tuckshop, however we do offer dining room lunch, which is available to Day Students, Monday to Friday, at a cost of $5 per day. This includes morning tea and lunch.

While special dietary requirements can be catered for, e.g. gluten free, individual preferences are not.

• Term Pass: Parents may order and pay for a Term Lunch Pass, the student is then issued a Term Lunch Pass valid for the whole Term.
• Weekly Pass: Parents may order and pay for a Weekly Lunch Pass, the student is then issued with a Lunch Pass for that particular week.

To order the passes, parents need to log into the myFairholme portal and click the Meals button on the top of the page. The form is available from 12 noon on a Wednesday until 3pm on a Friday for the following week. 

When purchasing the pass, payment is in the form of a credit card online. Students are to collect their pass at the main administration office.

NUTS / NUT PRODUCTS

We have a number of staff and students who suffer from a severe allergy to peanuts and other foods.

This can be very serious and potentially life-threatening. To prevent any allergic reactions, we ask all families to refrain from using any nut products in their children’s lunches. 

Peanut paste or Nutella are not able to be used, neither are any raw mixed nuts or peanuts. Also, foods such as muesli bars, fruit and nut bars, and foods that have nuts listed in the ingredients are not acceptable.

During the year, Year 7 to 11 students attend a year-level camp. These events are hosted off campus and are important undertakings which allow the development of a range of skills important to the students’ social and emotional growth. 

Invariably, students are placed in situations where challenge, teamwork and collaboration are the skills of focus and development. We value the learning that occurs in these situations and that all students attend their relevant camp. 

Any associated costs for these camps are included in the College fees. 

2025 CAMP DATES

• Year 7: Wednesday 5 Februrary to Friday 7 Februrary at Mapleton QCCC
• Year 8: Wednesdsay 5 March to Friday 7 March at CYC Burleigh
• Year 9: Tuesday 11 February to Friday 14 February at Noosa North Shore - Noosa Total Adventures
• Year 10: Monday 10 February to Wednesday 12 February at Moreton Island - Tangalooma Island Resort
• Year 11: Monday 14 July to Wednesday 16 July at Alexandra Park - Alexandra Headlands