Buckley Park College
Encyclopedia
Buckley Park College is a medium sized, public secondary school
located in Essendon
, Victoria
, Australia
. It has around 900 students from year 7 - 12. Its motto 'Build Your Wings' is featured on every student's uniform.
is then referred to by its block and number, for example; C3 is room 3 in C Block.
The main entry, at the front of the school, leads into the main hallway where the School Office is situated, directly at the front of B Block. Also located in B Block are the staff rooms, the Sick-bay and the Principal and Vice Principals offices. The canteen is situated opposite B block.
A Block is generally used to house the entirety of Year 7 and 8 Students' home rooms, the remaining rooms generally being used to house other miscellaneous classes. Year 7 and 8 lockers are in here.
C Block houses the Year 9 students. Rooms of note in C Block are the IT Labs, the Textiles room, the Home Economics Room, and the VCE common room. The year 9, 11 and 12 lockers are here.
D Block houses the Year 10 students. Rooms of note are the four science labs and an art room. Year 10 lockers are here as well as the remainder of the year 12s.
E Block is mainly based around the arts, as it consists of six classrooms - a music room, two art rooms, a Computer Lab
mainly used for art designing, the Systems Technology Room and a room used for wood production.
Parallel to E Block, but not connected by the main hallway is the Performing Arts Centre, usually referred to as the PAC. This is where drama
classes and musical performances are held. It has a large room with a slightly raised stage
(for performing). It also has an adjoining classroom
with a wall which can be removed to allow space for an audience (this second classroom is usually referred to as PAC2).
To the north of A Block is a large gym
nasium for sport
and physical education
. It consists of a large hall, two storerooms for sporting equipment, two changing-rooms (for male and female), an office to hold the belongings of students, and an upstairs mezzanine with table tennis
tables and weightlifting equipment.
West of A Block is the library
. Along with its relatively sparse book collection, it sports computers and newspaper archives used for research. The library is well equipped with computers, which are always available for use by students either before, during and after school.
To fit the rapidly growing school population, four portable classrooms have been added to the west of C and D Block. These portables are referred to as WP1 through to WP4. WP1 and WP2 are referred to as the LOTE rooms. Due to renovations, more portable classrooms have also been added to the far north of the school (near the gymnasium) referred to as NP1 through to NP4.
The school also includes two basketball/netball courts, a hockey field, and three tennis courts. Students regularly choose to go to the large football field on the block north of the school during lunchtimes, named Buckley Park (which is where the school name originated) and are supervised by staff. To much walking around from classes to classes.
In between the Performing Arts Centre and E block, there is an amphitheatre with a 'stage' for outdoor performances.
The school has an exceptional amount of technology available to students; there are more than 10 computers per block, laptops are available to borrow from the library and teachers can borrow out class laptop sets. Almost all classrooms in A block and D block are equipped with overhead projectors.
- Croft House (Yellow)
- Hoffman House (Red)
- Graves House (Green)
- Buckley House (Blue)
Each house is named after a significant contributor to the school or area.
Throughout the school year, these four houses compete in different school events, including:
do year 8 level work in subjects such as Mathematics, Science & English. They also endure more challenging work in Humanities). To be selected for the program students must first sit an Acer examination. After all the results have been finalized the top will be shortlisted and asked to attend an interview. The top scoring students then have an interview with either the SEALP coordinator or the Year 7 coordinator. Students in the programme participate in the same events as other students in their year level (such as year level specific camps). The stereotype is that these students are generally extremely sociable and clever.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in Essendon
Essendon, Victoria
Essendon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It has around 900 students from year 7 - 12. Its motto 'Build Your Wings' is featured on every student's uniform.
Campus & Facilities
Buckley Park College used to be divided into five separate 'Blocks' or corridors which are parallel and are connected by a main hallway. Each Block is referred to by its assigned letter from the northern-most "A Block" through to southern-most "E Block". Now there are still blocks but the original main corridor is now one separate building. Each classroomClassroom
A classroom is a room in which teaching or learning activities can take place. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, including public and private schools, corporations, and religious and humanitarian organizations...
is then referred to by its block and number, for example; C3 is room 3 in C Block.
The main entry, at the front of the school, leads into the main hallway where the School Office is situated, directly at the front of B Block. Also located in B Block are the staff rooms, the Sick-bay and the Principal and Vice Principals offices. The canteen is situated opposite B block.
A Block is generally used to house the entirety of Year 7 and 8 Students' home rooms, the remaining rooms generally being used to house other miscellaneous classes. Year 7 and 8 lockers are in here.
C Block houses the Year 9 students. Rooms of note in C Block are the IT Labs, the Textiles room, the Home Economics Room, and the VCE common room. The year 9, 11 and 12 lockers are here.
D Block houses the Year 10 students. Rooms of note are the four science labs and an art room. Year 10 lockers are here as well as the remainder of the year 12s.
E Block is mainly based around the arts, as it consists of six classrooms - a music room, two art rooms, a Computer Lab
Computer lab
A computer lab, also known as a computer suite or computer cluster is typically a room which contains many networked computers for public use...
mainly used for art designing, the Systems Technology Room and a room used for wood production.
Parallel to E Block, but not connected by the main hallway is the Performing Arts Centre, usually referred to as the PAC. This is where drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
classes and musical performances are held. It has a large room with a slightly raised stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
(for performing). It also has an adjoining classroom
Classroom
A classroom is a room in which teaching or learning activities can take place. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, including public and private schools, corporations, and religious and humanitarian organizations...
with a wall which can be removed to allow space for an audience (this second classroom is usually referred to as PAC2).
To the north of A Block is a large gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium for sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
and physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. It consists of a large hall, two storerooms for sporting equipment, two changing-rooms (for male and female), an office to hold the belongings of students, and an upstairs mezzanine with table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
tables and weightlifting equipment.
West of A Block is the library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
. Along with its relatively sparse book collection, it sports computers and newspaper archives used for research. The library is well equipped with computers, which are always available for use by students either before, during and after school.
To fit the rapidly growing school population, four portable classrooms have been added to the west of C and D Block. These portables are referred to as WP1 through to WP4. WP1 and WP2 are referred to as the LOTE rooms. Due to renovations, more portable classrooms have also been added to the far north of the school (near the gymnasium) referred to as NP1 through to NP4.
The school also includes two basketball/netball courts, a hockey field, and three tennis courts. Students regularly choose to go to the large football field on the block north of the school during lunchtimes, named Buckley Park (which is where the school name originated) and are supervised by staff. To much walking around from classes to classes.
In between the Performing Arts Centre and E block, there is an amphitheatre with a 'stage' for outdoor performances.
The school has an exceptional amount of technology available to students; there are more than 10 computers per block, laptops are available to borrow from the library and teachers can borrow out class laptop sets. Almost all classrooms in A block and D block are equipped with overhead projectors.
LOTE (Languages other than English)
Buckley Park College currently offers either Japanese or German as LOTE subjects. Students are assigned a language to learn based on their form group in year seven. LOTE is compulsory until year ten, where students can either choose to study their language further, or pick from one of the other electives offered for their year level. There are currently 3 Japanese and 2 German teachers. Each student has approximately 3 periods (approx. 150 minutes) of LOTE per week.Staff
There are roughly 80 staff members at Buckley Park College, including teachers, canteen volunteers, office members and the staff involved in running the school and caring for students. The principal of the school, Tony Tartaro, has been in the position for some years, since moving from his placement as vice-principal at Williamstown Secondary College. The current vice-principals of the school are Geoff Currie and Michelle Crofts. They and Mr Tartaro have their own private offices to manage the school, situated in 'B Block'. The staff are mainly based around 'B Block', where each teacher has his or her private compartment in their staffroom. There are four staffrooms holding at least 15 teachers each along with a social staffroom where the teachers may gather at breaktimes.Annual events
Intraschool events are often performed between the different [House system|houses]. The students and teachers of Buckley Park are divided into four different houses, with their respective colours:- Croft House (Yellow)
- Hoffman House (Red)
- Graves House (Green)
- Buckley House (Blue)
Each house is named after a significant contributor to the school or area.
Throughout the school year, these four houses compete in different school events, including:
- Swimming Sports
- Students compete in different swimming events, gaining points for their house for each win and student participating.
- House Theatre Festival
- Here houses compete to create and perform a short play in front of parents and teachers. Students create a 10-minute play with 10 actors that they will perform for parents and teachers in the PAC. A panel of judges judge the best play, also awarding Best Set, Best Costume, Best Script, Best Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress.
- Athletics
- Students compete in athletic events, including runningRunningRunning is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
, long jumpLong jumpThe long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
, high jumpHigh jumpThe high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
, and shot putShot putThe shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
.
- School Production
- The school production is open for all students who pass the auditions. It is a major production that is generally performed at the Clocktower CentreClocktower CentreThe Clocktower Centre, previously known as Essendon Town Hall or Moonee Ponds Town Hall, is a civic building in Moonee Ponds in Melbourne, Australia. Operated by the City of Moonee Valley, it is a venue for performing arts as well as community and corporate activities...
. The production is written by either Margie Bainbridge or Nick Pease.
SEALP (Accelerated Program)
Buckley Park has an accelerated learning program in which students learn a year ahead of their year level (i.e.; year sevens in SEALPSelect Entry Accelerated Learning
A Select Entry Accelerated Learning program is a form of streaming used in government secondary schools in Victoria, Australia to provide a focused educational environment for academically gifted children...
do year 8 level work in subjects such as Mathematics, Science & English. They also endure more challenging work in Humanities). To be selected for the program students must first sit an Acer examination. After all the results have been finalized the top will be shortlisted and asked to attend an interview. The top scoring students then have an interview with either the SEALP coordinator or the Year 7 coordinator. Students in the programme participate in the same events as other students in their year level (such as year level specific camps). The stereotype is that these students are generally extremely sociable and clever.