Mansfield State High School
Encyclopedia
Mansfield State High School is a co-educational government secondary school of approximately 1500 students. It is located in Mansfield
, a suburb in the south of Brisbane
, Australia
. Opened in 1974, the school in more recent years has become known for its exceptional music, information technology, and french immersion
programs.
The previous principal, Murray Kay, joined the school in 1990, the same year that the French Immersion program began. As of the start of 2011 James Sloman is the current principal after Kay retired in 2010.
The school's premier ensemble, Concert Band, has won the Queensland Music Festival
for several years and in 2006 made it to the Grand Final of Fanfare (a Queensland
music competition). In the past the band has been requested for performances such as the Commonwealth Games Torch Relay, Anzac Day ceremonies as well as private events. In recent times, the school Chorale choir has again won the Fanfare competition.
The school produces a musical once per year; taking about 5 to 6 weeks of rehearsals, commencing in the June/July holidays, before three performances in early August by students with much help from teachers volunteers backstage and technical crew. It was directed by the Deputy Principal, Rowena May, and the Principal, Murray Kay, who conducted the musical band. Last year (2010), both Rowena and Murray retired from teaching at Mansfield State High, and music teacher Glen Minto took the musical band for 2011. This year (2011) the school is performing a classic take on the musical "The Pirates of Penzance" with the head of department for the Arts, Marg Overs, leading the crew. It is sure to be spectacular!
Last year's Musical (2010) was "Cloudland". Other past school musicals include: Olivia (2009), The Dracula Rock Show (2008), The Three Musketeers (2007), Catwalk (2006), Pimpernel (2005), Sheik, Rattle and Roll (2004), Dirty Money (2003), Pan the Man (2002), and "Gumshoe" (2001).
; Loudy Wiggins (Bronze Medalist at Sydney
), Matthew Mitcham
, Sharleen Stratton
(Gold Medalist) and Scott Robertson
. The school in no way assisted these alumni.
In 1990, six students received the highest possible Tertiary Entrance (TE) score possible - 990. Before that the highest number of students gaining 990 in one year, was four, which had occurred twice.
In 2007, 20 people received high distinctions for the English Competition.
Mansfield excels in the academic areas of Music, Mathematics, Science, English, Computer Technologies/studies, Manual Arts, Health and Physical Education,LOTE(either French or Japanese), Business Enterprise, Art, Home Economics and SOSE (Study Of Society and Environment).
Mansfield, Queensland
Mansfield is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia, situated approximately 11 kilometres south-east of the CBD. It is located in the region of the city which is now colloquially known as the "Bible Belt" due to the large number of people who have settled there to be close to Fundamentalist Christian...
, a suburb in the south of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, 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...
. Opened in 1974, the school in more recent years has become known for its exceptional music, information technology, and french immersion
French immersion
French immersion is a form of bilingual education in which a child who does not speak French as his or her first language receives instruction in school in French...
programs.
The previous principal, Murray Kay, joined the school in 1990, the same year that the French Immersion program began. As of the start of 2011 James Sloman is the current principal after Kay retired in 2010.
Music
Mansfield's Music program includes:- 4 Concert Bands (Beginner, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced) - (Chamber Winds, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds and Concert Band)
- 3 Jazz Ensembles (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced) - (Stage Band, Jazz Ensemble and Big Band)
- 4 String Orchestras (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced) - (String Orchestra, Museaus, Sinfonia, Camerata and Celtic Ensemble)
- 5 ChoirChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
s:- Three girls choirs (Junior, Intermediate, Senior) (Cantrice, Cantus, Cantabile)
- One male choir (Beginner) - (Male Chorus)
- One full SATB choir (Advanced) - (Chorale)
- Two Percussion Ensembles (Beginner, Advanced) - (Percussion Too, Percussion Ensemble)
- OrchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
(Advanced)
The school's premier ensemble, Concert Band, has won the Queensland Music Festival
Queensland Music Festival
The Queensland Music Festival is a series of musical events staged in a number of locations in Queensland, Australia usually around late July, every second year. It is financially supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and a wide range of other partners...
for several years and in 2006 made it to the Grand Final of Fanfare (a Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
music competition). In the past the band has been requested for performances such as the Commonwealth Games Torch Relay, Anzac Day ceremonies as well as private events. In recent times, the school Chorale choir has again won the Fanfare competition.
The school produces a musical once per year; taking about 5 to 6 weeks of rehearsals, commencing in the June/July holidays, before three performances in early August by students with much help from teachers volunteers backstage and technical crew. It was directed by the Deputy Principal, Rowena May, and the Principal, Murray Kay, who conducted the musical band. Last year (2010), both Rowena and Murray retired from teaching at Mansfield State High, and music teacher Glen Minto took the musical band for 2011. This year (2011) the school is performing a classic take on the musical "The Pirates of Penzance" with the head of department for the Arts, Marg Overs, leading the crew. It is sure to be spectacular!
Last year's Musical (2010) was "Cloudland". Other past school musicals include: Olivia (2009), The Dracula Rock Show (2008), The Three Musketeers (2007), Catwalk (2006), Pimpernel (2005), Sheik, Rattle and Roll (2004), Dirty Money (2003), Pan the Man (2002), and "Gumshoe" (2001).
Sport
Mansfield has an excellent reputation for sport with many teams making Metropolitan Finals and students representing Australia. One of the well known students that attended Mansfield was gold medal olympic diver, Matthew Mitcham. After his victory, he came back to the school to share his memories with the students. There are four houses; Hammerskjold (Gold), Gandhi (Blue), Schweitzer (Green) and U-Thant (Red).Alumni
Mansfield has had 4 divers go through the school, now all representing Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
; Loudy Wiggins (Bronze Medalist at Sydney
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
), Matthew Mitcham
Matthew Mitcham
Matthew Mitcham, is an Australian diver. He is the 2008 Olympic champion in the 10 m platform, having received the highest single-dive score in Olympic history...
, Sharleen Stratton
Sharleen Stratton
Sharleen Stratton is an Australian diver who won gold medals at the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games, and competed at the Beijing 2008 Olympics....
(Gold Medalist) and Scott Robertson
Scott Robertson (diver)
Scott Robertson is an Australian diver. He has been named Male Diver of the Year at the 2007 Australian Open Diving Championships and has placed in the top ten of several international events.-References:...
. The school in no way assisted these alumni.
Academics
The school performs well in national competitions, especially the Australian Mathematics Competition, in which two of its students received the highest prize in 2006.In 1990, six students received the highest possible Tertiary Entrance (TE) score possible - 990. Before that the highest number of students gaining 990 in one year, was four, which had occurred twice.
In 2007, 20 people received high distinctions for the English Competition.
Mansfield excels in the academic areas of Music, Mathematics, Science, English, Computer Technologies/studies, Manual Arts, Health and Physical Education,LOTE(either French or Japanese), Business Enterprise, Art, Home Economics and SOSE (Study Of Society and Environment).