Fintona Girls' School
Encyclopedia
Fintona Girls' School is a small, independent
, non-denominational, day school
for girls, located in Balwyn
, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria
, Australia.
Established in 1896, Fintona is a non-selective school and currently caters for approximately 600 students from the Early Learning Centre (ELC) to Year 12. The school accepts both local and international students.
Fintona is a member of Girls Sport Victoria
(GSV), the Alliance of Girls Schools Australia (AGSA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
(JSHAA), and the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA).
for girls, in 1896. The school was originally located in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell
.
The school occupies 'Balwyn', the historic home and vineyard
built by early settler Andrew Murray, from which the suburb of Balwyn takes its name.
The school's ELC curriculum
is based on the Reggio Emilia approach
to education. From Prep to Year 6, students are involved in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program
which covers the subject areas of language
, social studies
, mathematics
, science
and technology
, arts
, and personal, social and physical education
. Upper School students are prepared for the Victorian Certificate of Education
, in which the school typically performs well. In 2006, Fintona was ranked in the top five schools in the state of Victoria, based on its VCE results, with 33% of study scores over 40. In 2007, this dropped to only 24% of scores over 40.
Fintona has three languages included in its curriculum, Indonesian
, French
and Japanese
.
of Fintona are Bedggood, Menzies and Reid. The six middle and senior school (years 5-12) houses of Fintona are Boyne (after school benefactors), Clarke (after first Fintona boarder and matriculant), Hughston (after first headmistress), Murdoch (after Reverend Murdoch of Trinity church, Camberwell, where many boarders attended), Maxwell (after father of one of Fintona's first prefects), Ower (after member of staff 1900 - 1930).
Ex-students of Fintona Girls' School are known as 'Old Fintonians' and may elect to join the 'Old Fintonians Association'. Some notable 'Old Fintonians' include:
Academic
Business
Media, entertainment and the arts
Medicine and science
Politics and the law
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, non-denominational, day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
for girls, located in Balwyn
Balwyn, Victoria
Balwyn is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...
, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, 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.
Established in 1896, Fintona is a non-selective school and currently caters for approximately 600 students from the Early Learning Centre (ELC) to Year 12. The school accepts both local and international students.
Fintona is a member of Girls Sport Victoria
Girls Sport Victoria
Girls' Sport Victoria was established in 2001, and is one of the largest independent school sporting association in Victoria, with 24 member schools from around Melbourne....
(GSV), the Alliance of Girls Schools Australia (AGSA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
Junior School Heads Association of Australia
The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia , is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia....
(JSHAA), and the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA).
History
Fintona was established as a Presbyterian, day and boarding schoolBoarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for girls, in 1896. The school was originally located in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell
Camberwell, Victoria
Camberwell is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Camberwell had a population of 19,637....
.
The school occupies 'Balwyn', the historic home and vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
built by early settler Andrew Murray, from which the suburb of Balwyn takes its name.
Curriculum
Fintona Girls' School is divided into 4 teaching sections:- The Early Learning Centre (ELC)
- Junior School, catering for Prep to Year 4
- Middle School, catering for Years 5 to Year 8
- Upper School, catering for Years 9 to 12
The school's ELC curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
is based on the Reggio Emilia approach
Reggio Emilia approach
The Reggio Emilia Approach is an educational philosophy focused on preschool and primary education. It was started by Loris Malaguzzi and the parents of the villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy after World War II. The destruction from the war, parents believed, necessitated a new, quick approach...
to education. From Prep to Year 6, students are involved in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program
IB Primary Years Programme
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme is an educational programme managed by the International Baccalaureate for students aged 3 to 11. While the programme prepares students for the IB Middle Years Programme, it is not a prerequisite for it...
which covers the subject areas of language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, social studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
, and personal, social 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....
. Upper School students are prepared for the Victorian Certificate of Education
Victorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...
, in which the school typically performs well. In 2006, Fintona was ranked in the top five schools in the state of Victoria, based on its VCE results, with 33% of study scores over 40. In 2007, this dropped to only 24% of scores over 40.
Fintona has three languages included in its curriculum, Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
.
Houses
The three junior school (P-6) housesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
of Fintona are Bedggood, Menzies and Reid. The six middle and senior school (years 5-12) houses of Fintona are Boyne (after school benefactors), Clarke (after first Fintona boarder and matriculant), Hughston (after first headmistress), Murdoch (after Reverend Murdoch of Trinity church, Camberwell, where many boarders attended), Maxwell (after father of one of Fintona's first prefects), Ower (after member of staff 1900 - 1930).
Notable alumnae
Academic
- Edith Gladys Pendred - Influential educator (Dux 1915)
Business
- Diana Eirene Angliss Gibson AOOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
- Company DirectorBoard of directorsA board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
and Grazier
Media, entertainment and the arts
- Hannah GreenwoodHannah GreenwoodHannah Greenwood is an Australian stage and television actress, best known for starring as Saskia Litras in the Australian children's television series Noah and Saskia.-Background:Greenwood currently lives in Melbourne, Australia...
- Australian actress - Lorna Mary Belton Stirling - Musicologist
- Eleanore Watson - One of Australia's first female journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s
Medicine and science
- Dora Mary Lush - Pioneering Bacteriologist
Politics and the law
- Dame Beryl Beaurepaire AC, DBEBeryl BeaurepaireDame Beryl Beaurepaire, AC, DBE is an Australian activist and politician.She was born as Beryl Edith Bedggood in Camberwell, Victoria and educated at Fintona Girls' School. She served as a meteorological officer in the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force from early 1942 to late 1945...
(née Bedggood) - Australian feminist, former chairman of the Federal Women's Committee of the Liberal Party of AustraliaFederal Women's Committee of the Liberal Party of AustraliaThe Federal Women's Committee of the Liberal Party of Australia was formed in August 1945 at the inaugural meeting of the party's Federal Council. That year the influenctial lobby group The Australian Women's National League merged with the Liberal Party, and as a result the Federal Constitution...
, wife of Ian Beaurepaire (of Beaurepaire tyre's fame) - Dr Helen CaldicottHelen CaldicottHelen Mary Caldicott is an Australian physician, author, and anti-nuclear advocate who has founded several associations dedicated to opposing the use of nuclear power, depleted uranium munitions, nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons proliferation, war and military action in general. She hosts a...
- Environmentalist and anti-nuclear campaigner - Andrea CooteAndrea CooteAndrea Coote is an Australian politician. She has been a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Council since September 1999, representing Monash Province until the 2006 election and the Southern Metropolitan Region since....
- Australian politician - Pattie Maie MenziesPattie MenziesDame Pattie Maie Menzies GBE was the wife of Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies.-Biography:...
(née Leckie) - Wife of former Australian Prime MinisterPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, Robert MenziesRobert MenziesSir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
. Appointed appointed Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (Civil), for public duty in hospitalwork
Further reading
- Chilvers, B.J. 1946. The History of Fintona 1896-1946. Fintona Girls' School, Melbourne.
- Reichl, P. 1986. Fintona 1896 - 1986: The Story in Pictures. Fintona Girls' School, Melbourne.