Welcome to Term 1 Week 11
What's in this week's Connect
- School holiday dates: Classes finish 3pm 11 April, Students return Wednesday 30 April
- Term 1 assembly is this week: 9-10am Wednesday, April 9th
- Finigan Anti-bullying Plan
- Save the Date for Mini School: Term, 2, 3 & 4
- Student Work: Yr 11 Visual Arts; Yr 7 Visual Arts
- Kids & Family Shows at The Q
- eSafety: Term 2
- Careers
- University Information & Open Days
- Learning & Wellbeing Coaches 2025
- Wellbeing: General links
We would love to hear from you. If have something to share in our school newsletter please email it to: finigansde@det.nsw.edu.au
School Holiday Dates
- Classes finish for Term 1: 3pm this Friday 11 April
- Classes start back for Term 2: Wednesday 30 April
We hope you have a wonderful and relaxing break filled with fun, rest, and quality time together. Remember to recharge and enjoy the time away from school before returning refreshed for Term 2.
Our Term 1 Assembly is this Week!
This week, we will be celebrating World Wildlife Day (WWD) at our whole-school assembly between 9-10am on Wednesday, April 9th – and we’d love for you to participate!
Our student leaders will be hosting some fun activities during the assembly – including an opportunity to share photos of your ‘wild’ animals, and our quirky and online version of Pictionary.
We think that our students and staff will get a good laugh on the day, as well as opening our eyes to the ways that we can support local causes who care for our native animals across the country.
To join us, please use the link that will be emailed to you this week or click on the following LINK.
We hope to see you there!
Finigan’s Anti-bullying Plan
Bullying of any kind is not acceptable in NSW schools. At Finigan we are committed to working with parents to prevent bullying and respond quickly and effectively if an incident occurs.
What is bullying?
Bullying has three key features. It:
- involves a misuse of power in a relationship
- is ongoing and repeated, and
- involves behaviours that can cause harm.
Bullying can also occur online. This is known as cyberbullying, which is using technology such as the internet or mobile devices to bully someone. It can include sending abusive texts and emails, posting hurtful messages and putting inappropriate comments on pictures of others.
NSW DoE Parents and carers anti-bullying fact sheet
Further resources on anti-bullying, including the 2025 School Anti-Bullying Plan, can be accessed on the school website under student health and safety.
Find more parent and carer resources on anti-bullying including how to identify if your child is being bullied, what to do, and how to stay safe online on the NSW DoE website:
Anti-bullying parent and carer resources
Mini School: Save the Date
Student News
Spotlight on Student Writing: Eric Moore – Woke
What happens when George Orwell collides with the ABC YouTube algorithm and a student with razor-sharp comic timing? You get Woke - a bold, witty, and incisive opinion piece by former student Eric Moore, who took out First Prize in the Braidwood Young Writers Competition.
Eric is currently studying politics, philosophy and economics at ANU. Blending political critique with humour and an eye for the absurdities of public discourse, Eric’s writing channels the spirit of Politics and the English Language while carving out a voice that is entirely his own. It’s no surprise this piece also advanced him through the Plain English Speaking Competition - Check it out below!
Earlier this year an important understanding emerged for me from the feverish rhetorical machinations of Australian politics—immutable evidence of an ongoing revolution in the highly competitive field of bad-faith argument. When Woolworths and similar chains made the decision to cancel their normal run of Australia-Day-themed items in the leadup to January 26th, they found themselves unaware that they were provoking the spirit of a warrior. Emboldened by his sense of national pride, one man would resist. Peter Dutton stepped up to the plate, his index finger, calloused from a lifetime of similar invocations, extended in righteous fury at his quarry. He inhaled deeply through his mighty nostrils, and intoned the phrase... “the Woke Agenda”. A chorus of cheers erupted from his followers as they marched onward to battle. I was interested — while I do broadly support action against our corporate oligarchs, it was clear that this was not Peter Dutton’s actual aim, nor is it what I’m here to discuss. So, what gives? Progressives and conservatives alike have always tried to boil down complex ideas into slap-down buzzwords and dogwhistles designed to direct the rage of like-minded individuals towards a certain party or policy, and cunningly skirt around proper engagement with other points of view.
But conspicuously absent from proceedings is a proper method of recourse. Or could it be true that we’re all too partisan to care? Are we even capable, for example, of “making our discourse great again”? As a self-confessed soypilled pinko degenerate, I understand this blood-sport, but I’m forced to concede that conservatives are way better at coming up with and utilizing these insults and buzzwords in mainstream politics. Where leftists resort to the same assortment of fairly stale, largely antiquated terms and labels, think—fascist, TERF, redneck, capitalist pig—conservatives have artfully curated a vast array of highly effective and, let’s face it, quite entertaining alternatives. Try all we like, nothing can beat the sheer emotional turmoil which seizes you after being called a libtard, a snowflake, a tree hugger. Any lefty recalling their school experience can attest to this feeling of utter helplessness— your carefully rehearsed talking points, vaporised in an instant by a sentence as simple as “shut up, greeny”. Prevailing attitudes among our peers are so entrenched and confident that viewpoints like my own are pushed out by default, and words like sissy or commie can quickly clinch the spirit of rural orthodoxy far more effectively than any lengthy argument, as my contemporaries’ eyes light up, awakened like a sleeper-agent by their certainty. While at a personal level these terms are comparable to socio-political hand grenades, it is in the operation of power politics that these methods of abuse serve so socially destructive a role.
We may not be surprised by schoolyard insults, but in adult society we normally don’t tolerate deliberately insulting language like this. Social and even legal consequences are in place to regulate this behaviour to prioritize constructive conversation and discourage personal attacks. The corporate world has adopted elaborate codes of conduct in an attempt to regulate personal interactions. And even our politicians when debating in parliament, are regularly asked to retract comments deemed to go too far. But somehow, these societal norms break down in the arms race to effective political putdowns. And, again, it’s the right that excels. Pro-life means anti-abortion, job security means restricted immigration, the war on terror, broadly, means atomizing weddings in Yemen to punish actions of a very specific group of Saudi Arabians. But the crown jewel of these terms, ironically co-opted from its original meaning as an “awareness of social issues”, is the ever reliable “woke”.
Peter Dutton’s critique of Woolworth's decision to axe their Australia Day products, where they cited declining demand among consumers, serves as a vivid example of the power of contemporary political doublespeak. The attribution of this decision by Mr Dutton to woke virtue signalling is a revealing representation of how use of the term “woke” has evolved throughout the last several years. Initially a fairly niche piece of slang used by young people to refer to progressive awareness, the word has gradually transformed into a convenient catch-all put-down for conservative commentators and ideologues. The calculated detachment of the word from any kind of unironic awareness of social issues, or just from the application of any critical thinking to political developments, is evident in Dutton’s attack on Woolworths’ decision. It’s evidence of the opportunistic rhetoric of politicians everywhere that the term has been converted into a simple indictment of leftist values as a whole, a la postmodernism, or cultural Marxism. The second they found something neatly, memorably monosyllabic, it was all over for progressives. And for proper discourse.
It’s really no wonder that Mr Dutton has pointed the finger at “wokeness” to define what is by all accounts but his own a fairly standard business decision. It’s clear that Woolies’ reasoning here has an economic basis rather than a political one, and as a member of the so-called party of economic management, Dutton could hardly interpret this as anything except a move made to maximise profit determined by focus groups or market research. Instead, as a politician, Mr Dutton understands the power of language and symbolism to quickly garner political support. By using this term, he can distill the essence of his politics into one word, using a communal familiarity with his political audience to “skip” to a conclusion which, without the use of coded language, would take a lot more time and effort. He can quickly signal that Woolworths, or companies like it, are aligned with leftist principles, as much of an oxymoron as this may seem, and therefore should be boycotted by any ‘right-minded’ individual.
These dogwhistles, whoever uses them, don’t garner support out of passion for the issue at hand, but for the reductive box you’ve decided to place it in. Has the skin colour of a Disney character been retconned in the name of better representation for diverse audiences? Or is this evidence of the woke mob’s war on white people? Has Woolworths changed their product line-up due to decreased demand? Or are woke board members displaying their anti-Australian views? Maybe there is some kind of virtue signalling at play, but only so far as these companies are pretending to care, not that their political convictions are actually bleeding into business practices. The left takes the low road, too, in a way which is just as obstructive. Are rural Australians voting for the Nationals out of a belief that they truly will fight for rural communities? Or are they just rednecks, voting for the candidate who will do the most damage to environmental reform in as short a time as possible? Is online radicalisation the fault of increasing isolation among teenage boys in the digital age? Or are these boys nothing but hateful beasts to be shunned by society, for the crime of choosing the wrong outlet for their disenfranchisement?
It’s cliche, but in an age where the rise of online misinformation and radicalisation is an ever-present miasmatic blight on our political discourse, it is of deep importance that the people engaging with our democratic system are encouraged to evaluate issues which affect them, as opposed to downloading talking points from ‘john politics’ on YouTube with a personal bias on one shoulder and an oil executive over the other. For every “this company went woke” or “this behaviour is to be shunned because it’s “problematic”, we miss out on a valuable conversation about the importance of diversity, or why certain phrases or behaviours are to be avoided or encouraged. And it is imperative that we have these conversations. If we expect a level of consideration in every other facet of society, we shouldn’t permit the ongoing normalisation of schoolyard putdowns in politics. My own experience shows that, however snidely amusing, the bad-faith attitude that encourages these taunts shuts out disparate voices and, I think, goes on to degrade democracy. Outside of parliament, outside of defamation law, we only have the pushback of shared societal expectations as a defence. We need to expect and demand more of political discourse. Social norms are powerful forces, so let’s push for one that protects our democracy rather than dumbs it down. Schoolyard insults, however smart, should have no place in the rhetoric of the most powerful people in the country.
Braidwood Central School Visit
Eric’s award-winning piece is just one example of the talent emerging from Braidwood High School. During a field visit last Thursday, Kimberley worked with the current Year 11 Advanced English class - a bright and thoughtful group already honing their distinctive voices.
Supporting regional students to access specialist subjects like Advanced English through distance education continues to be a rewarding part our work. Seeing their enthusiasm and insight in action reaffirms just how valuable these connections are across our network. Braidwood’s literary future is looking very bright.
What Matters? – Writing Competition
Inspired by Gough Whitlam's commitment to involving young people in shaping Australia's future, the What Matters? Writing Competition is now in its 21st year and seeks to hear from children on what they care about the most: from climate change to mental health to video games and relationships with friends and families.
Whatever the issue is, the Whitlam Institute is inviting young people in Years 5–12 to express themselves through their writing and to share their ideas and thoughts in 600 words or less.
What you need to know:
- Competition is now open until May 16, 2025
- Entries can be in the form of prose, non-fiction, poetry, or essay
- Free to enter here for years 5-12, at home or school
- There are great prizes including a $1500 cash prize, book packs from Allen and Unwin, and money-can’t-buy experiences, like shadowing journalists at Parliament House, or hosting a virtual author visit at your school.
If this sounds like something you’re interested in, you’re welcome to enter by following this link and submitting your responses by May 16th, 2025: https://www.whitlam.org/what-matters
PCYC School Holiday Programs
Kids & Family Shows at The Q
If you live in the Queanbeyan area you might like to take the opportunity to go and see some of the great shows on at The Q this year.
Trash Test Dummies Circus: 12-13 April @ The Q (first weekend of Term 1 school holidays) - Everyone put your bins out! Tonight’s bin night and the Trash Test Dummies are on duty. Winning Best Children’s Presentation at Adelaide Fringe in 2015 and 2016, this “delightfully intelligent, highly entertaining” (Herald Sun) circus comedy takes the household wheelie bin to new heights, and delivers a dump-truck full of hilarity! With side-splitting slapstick, daring acrobatics, and dexterous juggling, these Dummies are off on an imaginative adventure that is anything but garbage. https://theq.net.au/whats-on/trash-test-dummies-circus/
Mr Snotbottom – 18 July @ The B (last weekend of Winter school holidays) - A hilariously deeeesgusting kids comedian brimming with all the oooey, gooey, yucky things kids love! Like a cross between Shrek and Mr Bean, you can expect snot-loads of gross-tastic gags, slimy songs, and just wrong routines perfect for weird kids and their even weirder parents! Mr Snotbottom will transport families on a roller-coaster of ridiculousness where they can howl, groan and roar with delight together! https://theq.net.au/whats-on/mr-snotbottom/
The Paper Escaper – 20-22 August @ The Q (During Term 3) - Benny, the plucky puppet protagonist, knows they are destined for greater things than a simple pop-up book. But in a world that’s trying to squash Benny between its pages – from a wily dancing fire to a disillusioned illustrator – Benny will need the help of a new friend to achieve their dreams. Written by Gita Bezard of The Last Great Hunt, this delightful, funny, and inspiring production features inventive puppetry, deft physical performance, and an intricate and engaging soundtrack. Benny doesn’t want to tell the story ‘The Maker’ has written for them. As their parents get nervous about the consequences of defying the ‘The Maker’, Benny rips themself from his story. Alone and in an unknown land, Benny comes across a mysterious tentacle and friendship blooms. But ‘The Maker’ is determined and his fire is hungry – and Benny and their friend must work together to survive. https://theq.net.au/whats-on/the-paper-escaper/
Jon & Jero: STUFF! – 10 October @ The Q (last weekend of Term 3 school holidays) - Jon & Jero are embarking on an epic journey to find their missing STUFF – but they can’t do it alone! With your help, these bumbling brothers will travel far and wide to get their STUFF back in this fast and fun choose-your-own-adventure for the whole family! STUFF! is an interactive comedy experience exploring themes of friendship, hopefulness, exploration and connection, all wrapped together with a healthy sprinkle of imagination on top. This high-energy hour of silly proportions combines physical comedy, big characters, improvisation, and most importantly, STUFF! https://theq.net.au/whats-on/jon-jero-stuff/
The Listies: 110% Ready! – 24-25 October @ The Q (during Term 4) - Featuring a pocketful of puns, silly slapstick sight gags, and a splash of improvisational idiocy, 110% Ready sees Melbourne’s masters of mirth do what they do best for 55 solid minutes of full family lols. This brand-new show is all about the joys of the average morning routine: sleeping through the alarm, not having any milk, fishing dirty clothes out of the hamper, burning the toast, and then finding the front door is glued shut, the shower won’t switch off, and the house is filling with water. Dedicated to anyone who has ever been in charge of someone who is impossible to get out the front door in the morning! https://theq.net.au/whats-on/the-listies-110-ready/
eSafety Parents & Carers Webinars: Term 2
The eSafety Commissioner has some free webinars coming up to give parents and carers the knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safe online experiences.
Some of the topics include:
Understanding & using parental controls to help protect your child online
Parental controls can be a useful addition to the strategies you use to help protect your child online. Parental controls can help keep children and young people by preventing access to harmful content, managing time spent online and who they communicate with.
Join us at this 45-minute webinar to find out about:
- the types of parental controls available and how to set them for your child’s safety including smart devices, in apps, gaming platforms and computers
- using parental controls with other online safety strategies to help your child build digital and critical skills to have safer experiences online.
It’s suitable for parents and carers of children in primary school.
Term 2 (Australian Eastern Standard Time):
- 14 May, 12.30pm
- 3 June, 3.30pm
Sexual extortion: What parents & carers need to know
Sexual extortion or ‘sextortion’ is a form of blackmail where someone threatens to share a nude or sexual image or video of a person unless their demands are met.
Sexual extortion is a serious, growing online concern, especially for young people. But what exactly is it? What conversations may help prevent it and how can you support your child if they’re targeted?
This 30-minute webinar will explain:
- what sexual extortion is
- the impacts and potential harms sexual extortion may have on young people
- strategies to support young people who may experience sexual extortion, including how to respond and access support; and how to encourage safer and more positive online interactions.
It’s suitable for parents and carers of young people in upper primary and secondary school.
Term 2 (Australian Eastern Standard Time):
- 28 May, 12.30pm
- 18 June, 12.30pm
eSafety 101: how eSafety can help you
eSafety has a range of programs and resources that can help parents and carers build knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safer online experiences.
This 30-minute webinar introduces:
- eSafety resources designed to help you start the conversation about online safety with your child
- how to help children and young people thrive online with 5 top tips to keep your family safe online
- how the eSafety Commissioner can help parents, children and young people that are experiencing online harms.
It’s suitable for parents and carers of children and young people in primary and secondary school.
Term 2 (Australian Eastern Standard Time):
- 21 May, 12.30pm
Go to the eSafety Commissioner website to learn more and register for the webinars.
https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars
Careers
Work experience ideas for students who love animals
Discover exciting work experience opportunities for animal lovers, from volunteering at shelters to vet clinics and wildlife centres.
How should I spend my scholarship money?
So, you just received a scholarship – how should you spend the money? We have some tips to help you get the most bang for your buck.
The power of portfolios
Learn everything you need to know about portfolios, including what they are and how to create one that stands out.
Discover career pathways in Libraries and Archives
In this blog we will explore some career pathways in libraries and archives – see if there are any that might be right for you.
University Information & Open Days
Charles Sturt University (CSU)
Charles Sturt Advantage (Early Offer)
- Round 1 - Early bird applications close 31 July 2025 and offers will be made from 1 September 2025.
- Round 2 - Applications close 31 August 2025 and offers will be made from 19 September 2025.
- Students Apply Here - https://study.csu.edu.au/information-for/school-leavers/charles-sturt-advantage
Virtual Information session to help students understand how early offers work and get tips on writing their application May 6th, 5:30pm - Register here
La Trobe University
Course updates:
- Bachelor of Biological Sciences - New core subjects and course location
- Bachelor of Laws (Honours) / Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics -New specialisation course
- Bachelor of Arts Explorer tool - Explore over 34 different arts majors or add your interests to refine your selection
Regional campus events:
- Bendigo Campus Talk and Tours - Ask questions, get a taste of uni, and feel ready to start your dream course. You’ll meet our student ambassadors and take a tour of the Bendigo campus. Monday 7 – Thursday 10 April. Book Now!
Open Days 2025:
- Melbourne (Bundoora) - Sunday 3 August 2025
- Shepparton - Sunday 10 August
- Mildura - Wednesday 13 August
- Sydney - Saturday 16 August
- Albury-Wodonga - Sunday 17 August
- Bendigo - Sunday 24 August
Macquarie University (MQU)
- Experience Macquarie Days: Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 April
- Year 12 Guide to Uni webinar: Wednesday 30 April
- Year 10 Guide to Uni webinar: Wednesday 14 May
- Open Day: 16 August 2025, 10am – 4pm
National Instuite of Education: UCAT & Pathways into Medicine
UCAT and Pathways into Medicine Webinar Recording and PDF Slides - Students in Year 9, 10, 11 or 12 considering a career in medicine or dentistry, and missed the previous ‘UCAT and Pathways into Medicine/Dentistry’ information session, you can access the recording and PDF slides of the presentation here https://www.nie.edu.au/ucat-free/free-ucat-information-sessions
Torrens University
Virtual Open Day Catch Up | Torrens University - For students who missed Torrens University's February Virtual Open Day, the recording is now available. Hear from academics about courses, scholarships, internships and what sets Torrens University apart. https://www.torrens.edu.au/whats-on/open-day/virtual-open-day.
Western Sydney University
Western Sydney University Open Day | Sunday 6 July - The date for Western Sydney University's 2025 Open Day has been set for Sunday 6 July. Taking place at our vibrant Parramatta South Campus, Open Day is a fantastic opportunity for future students, teachers and the community to tour the facilities, chat to academic staff and current students, and learn all about what Western has to offer. For more information visit https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/openday.
Scholarships, Early Entry, Alternative Pathways:
- Western's HSC True Reward Early Offer Program - HSC True Reward acknowledges that students are much more than their scaled ATAR. The program recognises a student’s subject performance, which best reflects their strengths and areas of interest, as an indicator of future success at university. Offers based on Year 11 or 12 results are made from September. For more information visit https://bit.ly/43e4Gtu.
- Western Sydney University Indigenous Entry Pathway Program - The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathway Entry Program is an alternative University Entry Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Applicants can gain entry to any undergraduate degree at Western by completing the entry assessment and be supported throughout their education. The next assessment days are online and on campus in June 2025. For more information visit https://bit.ly/47iMOwF.
Resources for Students
The Importance of a USI - A Unique Student Identifier (USI) is a student’s education number for life. All students undertaking nationally recognised training such as VET or a First Aid course, must have a USI to get their certificate. Higher education students need it to access a Commonwealth Supported Place, HELP loans and to graduate. Students can create their USI in under 5 minutes using their ID. For more information visit www.usi.gov.au or email stakeholders@usi.gov.au.
ATTENTION YEAR 12 students
The Tuckwell Scholarship Program is the most transformational undergraduate scholarship program in Australia. Every year, ANU offers 25 talented school-leavers the opportunity to fulfil their potential by actively participating in the very best that ANU has to offer.
Scholars are selected on the basis of intellect, character, leadership and their commitment to Australia.
Click HERE to find out more about the scholarship and how to apply. 2026 Application Guide.
KEY DATES:
- Early March: ANU Direct Application Open; Tuckwell Stage 1 Applications open
- 10 April 2025: Applicants submit their ANU Direct Application
- 14 April 2025: Tuckwell Stage 1 Application close
- 29 April – 7 May 2025: Head of Year reference will be sought
- 14 May 2025: Tuckwell Stage 2 Applications open
- 23 May 2025: Tuckwell Stage 2 Applications close
- 11 - 13 July 2025: Tuckwell Stage 3 Interview Weekend
- 14 July 2025: Tuckwell Stage 3 Candidates Notified, Scholarships awarded
Learning & Wellbeing Coaches 2025
The Learning and Wellbeing Coaches for 2025 are as follows:
- Primary: Milly Hammond
- Year 7 & 8: Mark Huynh (supported by Penny Evans on Fridays)
- Year 9: Aamir Aftab & Tracey O'Leary
- Year 10: Jessie Norman/Shane Spellman (job-share) & Dylan Wood
- Year 11: Donna Needham
- Year 12: John Preston
Wellbeing links
To access the school counselling service students from year 6 to year 12 can self refer.
https://forms.office.com/r/2xBCyq7Gff?origin=lprLink