Smith's Hill High School
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| Smith's Hill High School | |
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| Truth. Honour. Service | |
| Established | 1916 |
| School type | Selective, Public, Co-educational, Day school |
| Principal/ Headmaster |
Rae Mitchelle |
| Location | Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia  |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Enrolment | ~770 (7-12)[1] |
| School colours | Navy Blue & White |
| Homepage | smithshill-h.schools.nsw.edu.au |
Smith's Hill High School is the only selective school in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the heart of Wollongong city.
Established in 1916 under the name Wollongong High School, it offered the only senior education in the district. In 1958 Wollongong High School relocated. The existing school became Smith's Hill Girls High School, and the boys of the area attended Keira High School. In the 1970's Smith's Hill started to become co-educational. After a decline in student numbers, the Department of Education chose to set aside places to be filled through exam selections. Now, all students at the school are required to sit entrance exams.
Currently there are approximately 720 students in the school. 120 of the students who perform well in the selective schools examination are accepted every year, and if students drop out or change schools then students high on the original reserve list are offered places. Since a small number of students do not go on to complete years 11 and 12, these students' places are taken by new students so the number of students at the school is constant. An additional 10 students are allowed to enroll at the school for years 11 and 12.
This year Smith's Hill will celebrate 50 years. A dinner has been planned as well as an open day, where past and present students may tour the school to view current school productions and the changes that have occurred since their time at the school.
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[edit] Administration
[edit] Year 7-10
Throughout years 7 - 10, students spend their time in all eight Key Learning Areas as determined by the Board of Studies. These key learning areas are: English, Mathematics, Science, Human Society & Its Environment (including History, Geography and Social Sciences), Personal Development Health and Physical Education, Creative Arts (including Music and Art), Design & Technology (including Industrial Arts and Home Economics), and languages other than English. Students then select further subjects to study which suit their strengths and interests. .
[edit] Higher School Certificate
Students of Smith's Hill High School have consistently performed well in the Higher School Certificate (HSC) examinations, with a majority of students each year registering high (above 90) University Admissions Indices. As a result of strong HSC performances, a high percentage of students from Smith's Hill High gain University entrance each year. This tradition of success has been in the school for many years.
In terms of HSC subjects offered for senior students, a range of subjects are offered over all key learning areas. For those subjects which are unable to be offered (for example, an extension course which only one or two students wish to study), students are assisted to complete these subjects through distance education, in association with an appropriate distance education school.
[edit] Extracurricular Activities
[edit] Rock Eisteddfod Challenge
Each year, Smith's Hill High School participates in the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge. Thanks in no small part to the dedication of staff (none more so than Mr Greg Carlon) and the hard work of the students, Smith's Hill has gained a reputation as an excellent participant in this competition. The school has been in the Grand Final every year since 2004, and was a regular Grand Final contender in years previous. Due to the preparation time required, and the high level of physical activity involved (for dancers and stage-hands alike), the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge item is worked on while students not involved participate in weekly sport activities. Through this endeavor some of the students of Smith's Hill High School who participated in the 2006 Rock Eisteddfod "Tibet: Roof of the World" were granted an audience with the Dalai Lama. Smith's hill now also offers the opportunity for people in years 7 to 9 to participate in the RAW division of rock eisteddfod. This division focuses more on the aspects of drama and dance. the theme for rock eisteddford 2007 is metroplis. the theme this year for raw is the mount kembla mind disaster. Both teams will perform their routines on the 25th of July 2007 at the WIN entertainment centre.
[edit] Tournament of Minds
Smith's Hill regularly submits a team to participate in the Tournament of Minds competition. The 1998 team were state finalists, before the 2002 and 2003 teams were successful in getting to the National Finals, and the 2005 team won at the national level.
[edit] School Production
In 2001, Smith's Hill High School produced its first Musical Theatre production in several years: Little Shop of Horrors. Since then, school productions have been staged each year, with the students continuing to be the driving force behind the shows. The 2008 production was "how to host a murder." This play was written by a teacher at the school and was a major task which was supported by the whole school community.
[edit] Ensembles
Smith’s hill also has a variety of music groups, ensembles, that practice and perform at special events, the latest being the 50th birthday celebrations. These ensembles include: The Junior Jazz, the String, the Vocal and the Senior Jazz.
[edit] References
- ^ Smiths Hill High School. School Locator. NSW Public Schools. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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