Eltham College of Education

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Location
Eltham College of Education

Research, Victoria
Information
Principal	Dr. David Warner
Students	1,200 (approx.)
Type	Private school
Grades	Kindergarten - year 12
Color(s)	Red, White & Green
Established	1973
Homepage	http://www.elthamcollege.vic.edu.au

Eltham College of Education (commonly shortened to just Eltham College) is a private high school with an enrolment of approximately 1,200 students. It is situated in Research, an outer suburb north east of Melbourne, Australia. The current principal is Dr. David Warner.

1 Campuses
2 Swiper's Gully restaurant
3 Curriculum
- 3.1 Music
- 3.2 Sport and physical education
  - 3.2.1 Inter-school sport
  - 3.2.2 House sport
4 Alumni
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Campuses

The school is currently divided up into two campuses. One is based in Research on the same ground as the administration offices and focuses on years from kindergarten through to Year 12. Only some of Year 9 is completed in the Research campus. The other campus is based in Flinders Lane in the Melbourne Central Business District. It focuses purely around Year 9 students and preparing them for life in the city should the students career path be based there.

[edit] Swiper's Gully restaurant

Eltham College of Education is known for being one of the few schools with its own restaurant across the road, better known as "Swiper's Gully". This restaurant is predominantly student run, functioning during most days as a café, and most nights as a restaurant. Employees can either work in the kitchen, making the meals (back of house), or can serve the meals (front of house) as part of their VET in the VCE qualification for hospitality. The menu changes termly and features an entreé, main and dessert, with a variety of wines produced on site and produce also available.

[edit] Curriculum

[edit] Music

Music at Eltham College has become a rather large part of the curriculum. Classes based around music are organised in the kindergarten year. Throughout the junior years students are taught to play recorders as well as song and dance. In the latter years of the junior program students are taught about music technology.^[1]

From years 7 and 8 students learn about instrument construction, the role of music in films, percussion performance, an introduction to song writing, the history of pop and rock music and computer music composition. In Year 9 music becomes a partial elective (students must choose two of music, art and ceramics) and from Year 10 onwards music becomes a complete elective.^[2]

The VCE music course is based around being able to create a solo performance as part of the assessment. Music also offers two certificates separate to the VCE program which involve developing skills for the music industry.^[3] These programs, assessed by the school's music staff, allow senior students to organise and coordinate regular weekend performance nights that showcase the talents of both current and past alumni.

Outside of classroom lessons, private instrumental classes are offered to students. These are run either before, during or after school hours.^[4]

Eltham College also has a competition based around music. Each year students compete in their houses for the Pitcher Trophy. There are four different events the houses must compete in. These are an instrumental performance, a chamber music item, a dance routine and a chorale. Eltham invites external adjudicators to judge the performance of the acts. The event takes place annually at Hamer Hall in the Melbourne Arts Centre.^[5] There is a singing competition that takes place each year. ^[6]

[edit] Sport and physical education

[edit] Inter-school sport

The physical education program is offered to all students from Prep to Year 12, with students being able to compete in inter-school competition from Grade 3, with compulsory participation from Grade 5 up to and including Year 10. Grades 3 to 6 play many of the same sports as the secondary students. Although, these sports often have slight rule and equipment modifications to cater for their ages.^[7] Most of the sporting venues are on campus including playing fields, tennis courts and basketball courts. A hockey pitch is near completion.

In the primary years (grades three to six) Eltham is part of the Eltham District Primary School Sports Association (EDPSSA). St. Thomas Apostle, Eltham North Primary School, Eltham Primary School, Eltham East Primary School, Research Primary School and Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School are also in the district league.^[7]

In the secondary years (years seven to 12) Eltham is a founding member of the ACS (Association of Co-educational Schools). Westbourne Grammar, St Leonard's College, St. Michael’s Grammar, Loyola College are also members of this district league. Overnewton College and Thomas Carr College joined the league in 2003.^[7]

The schools policy of forcing students who have little to no interest in inter-school sport to attend against their wishes is considered by many to be unethical. This policy has met them with much criticism and many acts of defiance. The most famous instance of this occurred when a senior school boy was suspended for "wagging" sport. The student protested by putting up signs commenting on the schools desire for total conformity. Though the school viewed his actions as "over the top" there were many who applauded his efforts to free students from having to attend inter-school sports.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] House sport

Eltham has a house sports competition involving all students, which comprises athletics, swimming, cross country running and tennis. Squads are selected following these carnivals to represent the school in the district competition, which incorporates bi weekly training sessions leading up to the carnivals. Olympic Park Stadium (athletics), Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (swimming) and Bundoora Park (cross country) are the venues used for the house events. House tennis is played on the school grounds.