Term 1 Secondary Enrichment
Term 1 Middle and Senior School (Years 7-12) Enrichment
As well as sport, music and service, the School offers a diverse range of co-curricular activities designed to provide extension and enrichment opportunities for students, particularly in the key learning areas and which typically involve team competition, team challenge or a significant individual or group performance.
Head of Co-curricular Enrichment Years 7-12: Adam Blackburn
Clipboard Enrichment Co-curricular Sign-up
Students will need to use their Google login details to access the Enrichment sign-up page using the following link. Or copy/paste the following web address into your browser:
https://portal.clipboard.app/the-friends-school/
Make sure once you have selected your activity that you want to join and go to Cart - click check out now.
Debating
The Tasmanian Debating Union is Tasmania's premier debating organisation for schools level competition, training and development. The TDU was founded in 1981 and is the sole Tasmanian affiliate of the Australian Debating Federation.
The TDU organises and conducts schools competitions for all levels of secondary education in southern Tasmania, and works with partners in the north of the state and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to conduct an annual statewide tournament.
Inter-School debating competition runs every second Wednesday night 6pm-9pm (please note College roster can extend to 10pm).
Weekly lunchtime meetings will allow students preparation time for the upcoming debate.
Commencing in Term 1
More information will be provided by Year level Debating Coordinators in the coming weeks.
Available to students in Years 7-12
Students to sign-up using Clipboard - see instructions at top of page
Contact: Lisa Brien - Debating Coordinator
Mountain Bike Club
Mountain Bike Club will run in Term 1 and Term 4 for 2025. The sessions will be run on a Thursday after school. Students meet at the Weetbix, with all the necessary equipment ready to ride at 3:45pm and will return to school at 6:00pm ready for pickup. A room will be made available (E201) for students to store bags and equipment while out riding.
The aim of these sessions is to build riding fitness, develop confidence and bike handling skills and connect with other riders in the school community. It is also a great opportunity for students to familiarise themselves with the local trail network.
Some previous experience riding on rough and uneven surfaces is advised. However, if your child has had no previous Mountain Biking experience and would like to join please contact Anthony Petty.
The rides will be guided by Anthony Petty with the support of older students. The trail locations will comprise Knocklofty, the foothills of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington, or the Domain; the group will ride from school up to these trails.
Available for students in Years 7-12
Students to sign-up using Clipboard - see instructions at top of page
Contact: Anthony Petty
Chess Club
There are three ways you can be involved in chess this year. You don't have to be a Grand Master, if you're keen to be involved, then come along to one, two or all three opportunities.
- House Chess is a House-based chess competition run one recess a week for a series of weeks. There is honour, glory and a House Cup to vie for! Sign-up details for this competition will be provided later in the term.
- After School Chess is held nearly every Wednesday after school of term time and is run by professional coaches. You can hone your skills and have fun competing against other Friends' students.
- Interschool Chess Competition is held once a term at various schools around the Hobart region, with a state final being held in Term 4. Play against students from other schools in what tends to be fun and competitive days.
- For more information see Richard Lawler
Commencing in Term 1
Available to students in Years 9-12
Students to sign-up using Clipboard - see instructions at top of page
Contact: Richard Lawler
Maker's Club
Maker's Club caters for students who may not be able to study Design and Technology, but would like to utilise the woodworking and metalworking equipment, in order to produce an item of choice. The program is planned to run on Tuesday afternoons, from 3.35pm - 5.15pm throughout Terms 1 - 3. These projects will be negotiated through planning and consultation. Support will be provided, in order to achieve practical outcomes, whilst learning new skills and abilities.
Location: DT Building Top Classroom (T201) - Commercial Road Campus
Available to students in Years 7-12
Students to sign-up using Clipboard - see instructions at top of page
Contact: Michele Diener and Ollie Walker
Film Club
One afternoon every week in Term 1, in the Asten Lecture Theatre, lovers of film meet in front of The Big Screen. We watch movies from different eras, directors and cultures, in various genres and languages, from mainstream to indie, classic to avant-garde. Through the magic of cinema — those stories told on celluloid — we encounter the ideas and experiences that shape all our lives. And after each screening... we talk about film.
Film Club is open to students in Years 9-12 and, for those who would like to be involved but cannot make it to screenings in-person, there is always Film Club Online as an option for you to explore.
Bonus for members: Film Club attendance counts towards CAS Creativity hours. And not that it's at all compulsory, but if you wish to write a review of a screened film, which is then published on our Keepin' It Reel website or in Focus, then this counts towards CAS Creativity hours for Year 11s & 12s and Service hours for Year 9s & 10s.
Screening sessions begin at 4:00pm, doors open at 3:45pm.
See posters around campus or go to the Film Page on the School's library LearnPath where you can find more details about this year's screenings.
Students to sign-up using Clipboard - see instructions at top of page
Contact: Nadine Frick
Community Yoga
An inspiring way to start your day with energising movement, focused breathing and a moment for relaxation and stillness. All members of the school community are welcome to attend and no prior yoga experience is necessary.
Community Yoga is held in Hodgkin Hall and Julia will meet you outside the door on the Carr Street side of the school at 7.40-8.15am. If you would like more information contact our school Yoga teacher Julia Gibson.
Equipment is supplied and yoga is for any skill level.
Contact: Julia Gibson
Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians
This program is available to mathematically interested and talented students from Years 7-10. Those involved are likely to have a record of high achievement in their Mathematics courses and/or successful participation in Mathematics competitions. Each participant will be given six problems to solve in their own time over a 4-week period during Term 1 or 2. Students then have the option to continue with the Enrichment Stage which is a sixteen-week program running between April and September, and to sit the Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad paper in September.
Contact: Joe Boyer
Mathematics Support
This program gives students the opportunity to get mathematics support throughout the school year. Every Monday Verticle Opportunity Block (2:50pm to 4:00pm) Maths teachers will make themselves available in E301 (upstairs East Block) for any student needing assistance. This is a great time to get help with any questions students might have with homework tasks, assignments or to address any problems before end of unit testing. Bring along any questions or work from your Maths classes, everyone is welcome from Years 9-12.
Contact: Joe Boyer and Greg Downes
Art Club
Do you love Art and want to get better at drawing, painting, photography or sculpture? Art Club is a great way to improve your skills, try new techniques, and be creative with others who share your passion. All materials are provided - just bring your imagination!
Who can join? Art Club is open to students in Years 7 - 12.
When? Term 1, Friday 7:30 – 8:25am, starting Friday 7 March 2025
Where? Middle School Art Room, Upstairs Meredith
Students to sign-up using Clipboard - see instructions at top of page
Contact: Luke Edmunds
Textiles Club
Textiles Club is available to students in Years 7-12 and will run after school in the Textiles Room on Monday afternoons from 3.45pm until 5pm. We will explore and play with a wide range of textile art techniques including free motion machine stitching; dyeing fabrics using the sun and snow; distressing fabric with heat, rust, bleach and stitch; embellishing fabric using machine stitching, hand stitching and beading; creating new, unique fabric from scraps; and making and working with felt. Students can also work on individual projects.
Equipment is supplied and the Club is for any skill level.
Students to sign-up using Clipboard - see instructions at top of page
Contact: Yvette Blackwood
Robotics and Programming!
RoboCup Junior Australia is a project-oriented competition with local, regional and international events. The Robocup challenges include Soccer, OnStage, Rescue Maze, Rescue Line, and LEGO® SPIKE Challenges. Students compete in small teams to construct and program robots. At the younger level they use Lego and Block-based coding, the senior students construct their robots from any materials and components they wish and usually program in Python.
The teams will be finalised in Term 2, if you do commit to a team that will be competing, you will be expected to attend all sessions unless unwell. Students who do not wish to be in a team or attend competitions are also welcome to join the club. If you would just like to do a little programming and Minecraft hacking/development this is also a great opportunity to spend time on those projects.
The club runs once a week during term time on Tuesday afternoons, 3:30 - 4:30pm, until late September 2025 and available for students in Years 7-12.
Location: M102, Meredith Buidling, Middle School
Equipment is supplied and is for any skill level.
Students to sign-up using Clipboard - see instructions at top of page
Contact: Mathu Martin
Writing Competitions
Many opportunities exist for students to enter a range of writing competitions, from a local or national focus.
Students from the School can enter the City of Greater Dandenong and Dorothea Mackellar competitions, the Central Highlands, Kathy Sussanah Pritchard and Somerset Competitions as well as The Write for Fun competition.
The School also has in-house competitions. The Peter Jones Peace Prize is open to students from Years 7-10. The Jean Yeates Writing Prize is open to students in Years 11 and 12.
Contact: Karina Churchill (English Faculty)
Da Vinci Decathlon
The Da Vinci Decathlon is a gala day, run in the spirit of an Olympic decathlon with events of an academic nature. Activities are in the following disciplines: Mathematics, English, Science, Code Breaking, Engineering, Philosophy, Creative Production, Art and Poetry, Cartography and General Knowledge. The tasks are exciting and challenging with a particular emphasis placed on higher order thinking skills.
This year some of the Da Vinci Decathlon days may be help virtually.
Contact: Catherine Gray and Duncan Kirkwood
Ethics Olympiad
Ethics Olympiad provides students with a creative vehicle for developing skills in communication, critical thinking and respectful discourse while dealing with contentious ethical issues.
Contact: Ben Felstead
D & D (Dungeons and Dragons) Club
D&D is a fun, imagination-based role-playing game where you take on the role of a character and play through an adventure. You are guided through the adventure by a Dungeon Master (DM). You do not need any experience to join this club, just a willingness to have a go and have fun. This club is run by students for students in Years 7-12 and will operate the first Tuesday of every month from after school to approximately 7.00pm. Dinner will be provided.
4:00 - 7:00pm first Tuesday of every month
Students to sign-up using Clipboard - see instructions at top of page
Contact: Richard Lawler & Hera Sutton
Inclusive Coder Club
Only about 10% of software developers identify as female or non-binary. This club aims to provide a safe, inclusive space for students in Years 9-12 to learn or practice their coding skills. Everyone is welcome to join, especially those who identify as female or non-binary, as well as any allies of the LGBTQI+ community. The club is entirely run by a student, Isabel Adams, with Richard Lawler serving as a mentor for the group. The goal is to have plenty of fun with interesting puzzles and projects to tackle using coding. Coding sessions will occur after school at a time to be determined later this term.
Students to sign-up using Clipboard - see instructions at top of page
Contact: Richard Lawler & Isabel Adams
Outdoor Education - Year 10 Tassie Icon Program
Students may select from a number of self-sufficient expeditions ranging from five to seven days in duration. Key outcomes include; skill development, exploring self and nature along with developing pathways to future recreation, courses and employment. The programs include: sea kayaking to Schouten Island (April) and Overland Track Bushwalk (July).
Check out the OED website or get in touch with Thomas Van Sant for more information.
Outdoor Education - Year 10 Weekend Program
Year 10 students may continue their outdoor development and interest through skill focused challenge programs. Options include: ultralight hazards traverse, Winter Skills training at Mt Field and Sea Kayaking the Tasman Peninsula, or going low tech and finding your own food for a weekend.
Check out the OED website or get in touch with Thomas Van Sant for more information.
Duke of Edinburgh Award - Years 9 to 12
The Friends' School is delighted to support the Internationally recognised Duke of Edinburgh Award. Students contemplating a gap year, work in the Outdoors or in the Services would do well to consider undertaking the Award. The Award is open for students 14 years of age and older. There are three levels to the award. They are Bronze, Silver and Gold. To gain an award, students need to complete 4 sections (students will need to choose an individual focus for each section); Skills, Adventurous Journey, Service, Physical recreation. Gold participants will need to undertake an additional residential program.
Adventurous Journeys provided by The Friends’ School include:
- Sea Kayaking weekend
- MTB weekend
- Winter Skills weekend
- Ultralight weekend
- Surfing weekend
- Climbing weekend
- Y9 Program and Tassie Icons Program - Freycinet and Overland
Details for these journeys will be emailed to students 1 month prior to the program.
Ideas for other elements include:
Skills
- Catering
- Learn Guitar
- Learn to Drive
Service
- School service committee
- Service for elderly
- Teaching reading
- Amnesty letter writing
- Charity shops
- Soup kitchens
Physical Recreation
- Sports team
- Bushwalking
- Gym action
- Learn to skate
The Duke of Edinburgh Award costs between $160 and $190 depending on the level chosen and is payable to The Duke of Edinburgh Award made available on the website upon registering.
If you are interested, please log on towww.dukeofed.com.au to register. Please ensure that you select the ‘completing the award online’ option.
Further details can be found by checking out the OED website or get in touch with Thomas Van Sant for more information.
Philosophy Club
Philosophy Club is for students who love to think critically and creatively about ethical and political issues. We will meet fortnightly in order to prepare for the inter-school events 'Ethics Olympiad' and 'Philosothon'. There are two separate Ethics Olympiads; one for Years 7-9 and one for Years 10-12 while Philosothon is for students from Years 10-12. Philosophy club is open to students from any year group and you don't have to study Philosophy to participate. All are welcome.
Contact: Ben Felstead