Red Cliffs Secondary College
Encyclopedia
Red Cliffs Secondary College is a state-run co-educational
high school
located in Red Cliffs
, Victoria
, Australia
. The college is the only Victorian state government run school in Sunraysia
that offers a continuous education from year 7 through to year 12. There are currently 650 approx. students enrolled (as of 25 April 2011) and 75 staff.
The School has the motto of "Resilient Compassionate Successful Citizens", with the initials of these words RCSC matching the initials of the school's name.
The current Principal is David Browne and the Assistant Principal is Helen Popovski.
The College provides comprehensive and sequential courses for all years in the eight curriculum areas: English, Mathematics, Science, Technology, Humanities, the Arts, Health and Physical Education, and Languages other than English (Indonesian). At VCE
and VCAL (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning) levels, students are able to select courses which guarantee pathways to further studies at University and TAFE
, training and employment.
The College has a very successful program involving the Arts, particularly Music, Drama, Dance and Media Studies. All students have frequent opportunities to perform publicly at such events as Speech Night, Mildura Eisteddfods, drama and musical productions and community functions.
Red Cliffs Secondary College is dedicated to developing and caring for the whole student, which is why we have a comprehensive curriculum, a broad co-curricular activities program, a clear student management policy and a dedicated well-being team. All areas work together to provide the best outcomes for all students.
In term 2 2011, a new science centre opened. The centre incorporates the open learning concept into 3 full laboratories and three classroom areas. Each room has an interactive projector setup.
The College also has a Performing Arts Centre, with music practise rooms, a drama space with theatre lighting and a music classroom with state-of-the-art music software and recording facilities. Since 2002 the College has been affiliated with the SoundHouse Music Alliance, which provides access to quality music and media equipment and training.
VCE students have their own private study area and Year 12 students have their own common room.
All students have access to a dedicated wellbeing centre, staffed by a social worker, chaplain and school nurse.
Students are assigned to one of the four houses. New students that have siblings already attending the college are placed in whichever house their sibling is in. Students participate in a number of sports events throughout the year, including the Swimming Carnival, Cross Country and Athletics Day. Points are awarded to each house for how the students of each house perform.
Secondary Classes commenced in classes at the Red Cliffs Central School in 1961, with 118 students in Forms I and II, while construction of the new high school commenced in May of that year.
In 1962 185 students in Forms I, II and III commenced classes at Red Cliffs High School on the current Fitzroy Avenue site, with Mr A Cracknell as the school’s first Headmaster.
In 1963 the entire building had to be jacked up and set on more solid foundations, due to significant subsidence, which had cracked walls and jammed windows and doors. The front oval was sown, with the local Apex Club installing an irrigation system.
During 1964 and 1965 asphalt was laid, tennis courts and cricket nets installed and the irrigation pump installed. By June 11th 1965 – the day the school was officially opened, the school had grown to 280 students studying up to Matriculation level. The school was officially opened by JS Bloomfield, then Minister for Education.
The school was expanded in 1968 and 1969 with the construction of science rooms. In 1972 the school took over the lease of a fruit block in Cardross, which it still owns today, with the proceeds of the sale of the wine grapes currently supporting the school’s Chaplaincy program.
Between 1974 and 1978 a number of transportable buildings came on site, including the library. Construction of the Arts Wing also commenced, with this and the library being officially opened July 24th 1979.
Lobbying began for a multi-purpose hall in 1980. Mildura Shire and the Education Department agreed to the sharing of the funding of an Activity Centre, which was completed and officially opened September 26th 1984.
December 1991 was the last time that the school was known as Red Cliffs High School, with Red Cliffs Secondary College coming into being at the start of 1992.
In 1993 the school became the subject of a political battle, when the Victorian State Government of the time (under Jeff Kennett
) rolled out the Quality Provisions education plan, which detailed a single VCE provider for the Sunraysia district, with all other state secondary schools to become 7-10 only. The Red Cliffs community opposed this, and a number of public meetings were held. The wishes of the community won out and Red Cliffs Secondary College remains to this day as the only Government 7-12 school in the Sunraysia district.
A new library and performing arts centre facilities were constructed during 2001 and were officially opened July 27th 2002. Also in 2002 the school became affiliated with the SoundHouse Music Alliance, and international music and media technology organisation.
Extensions were made to the Activity Centre in 2007, with extra classroom and teacher preparation space added.
In 2008 a memorial garden was built by year 11 VCAL students to honour the memory of Red Cliffs High/Secondary students who had died aged 21 or under.
2009 saw the school go through its second major political challenge to its structure, when a Red Cliffs P-12 school was proposed by the Education Department. Six schools were encouraged to merge as one; Red Cliffs Secondary, Red Cliffs Primary, Red Cliffs East Primary, Sunnycliffs Primary, Cardross Primary and Koorlong Primary. Only 2 of the 6 schools voted for the merger and the motion was lost. Also in 2009 an adolescent playground was constructed, made possible through the generosity of the Hugh Williamson Foundation. This same group funded the acquisition of a student wellbeing centre, which opened in February 2011.
Numerous federal government funding initiatives through the Building Education Revolution (BER)in 2010 saw refurbishments to the outside of the school, including brick paving and large shade areas. A new science centre was also constructed during this time (also part of BER), which was opened in term 2 2011.
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in Red Cliffs
Red Cliffs, Victoria
Red Cliffs is a town in Victoria, Australia in the Sunraysia region. It is located on the Calder Highway, 16 km south of Mildura and 544 km north-west 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
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...
. The college is the only Victorian state government run school in Sunraysia
Sunraysia
Sunraysia is an area of northwestern Victoria and southwestern New South Wales in Australia, known for its sunshine, grapes and oranges. Its main centre is Mildura....
that offers a continuous education from year 7 through to year 12. There are currently 650 approx. students enrolled (as of 25 April 2011) and 75 staff.
The School has the motto of "Resilient Compassionate Successful Citizens", with the initials of these words RCSC matching the initials of the school's name.
The current Principal is David Browne and the Assistant Principal is Helen Popovski.
Overview
Red Cliffs Secondary College caters for all students from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. Whilst many families represent the agricultural and horticultural development of the surrounding areas, others reflect the range of professions found in the district.The College provides comprehensive and sequential courses for all years in the eight curriculum areas: English, Mathematics, Science, Technology, Humanities, the Arts, Health and Physical Education, and Languages other than English (Indonesian). At VCE
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...
and VCAL (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning) levels, students are able to select courses which guarantee pathways to further studies at University and TAFE
Technical and Further Education
In Australia, training and further education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System/Australian Qualifications Framework/Australian Quality Training Framework...
, training and employment.
The College has a very successful program involving the Arts, particularly Music, Drama, Dance and Media Studies. All students have frequent opportunities to perform publicly at such events as Speech Night, Mildura Eisteddfods, drama and musical productions and community functions.
Red Cliffs Secondary College is dedicated to developing and caring for the whole student, which is why we have a comprehensive curriculum, a broad co-curricular activities program, a clear student management policy and a dedicated well-being team. All areas work together to provide the best outcomes for all students.
Facilities
Facilities at the College include five permanent buildings, and a modern Community Activity Centre, incorporating a stadium, gymnasium and dance studio. In addition, there are 8 relocatable buildings. There are rooms for digital video editing, Food, Textiles, Ceramics, Wood, Art, Graphics and Technology Studies.In term 2 2011, a new science centre opened. The centre incorporates the open learning concept into 3 full laboratories and three classroom areas. Each room has an interactive projector setup.
The College also has a Performing Arts Centre, with music practise rooms, a drama space with theatre lighting and a music classroom with state-of-the-art music software and recording facilities. Since 2002 the College has been affiliated with the SoundHouse Music Alliance, which provides access to quality music and media equipment and training.
VCE students have their own private study area and Year 12 students have their own common room.
All students have access to a dedicated wellbeing centre, staffed by a social worker, chaplain and school nurse.
House system
- Allungah (Yellow)
- Bindaree (Blue)
- Terragong (Green)
- Warragai (Red)
Students are assigned to one of the four houses. New students that have siblings already attending the college are placed in whichever house their sibling is in. Students participate in a number of sports events throughout the year, including the Swimming Carnival, Cross Country and Athletics Day. Points are awarded to each house for how the students of each house perform.
History
Red Cliffs Central School commenced primary classes in 1937. As early as 1945 the Central School Committee were requesting the establishment of secondary classes to Form IV. In 1950 a 15 acre piece of land was purchased for the establishment of a high school in Red Cliffs by the Victorian Education Department. Originally the selected site for the school is where the current sewerage treatment works is, with the treatment works originally planned for Fitzroy Avenue, however following representations from local residents, the sites were swapped. The local RSL and members of parliament actively promoted a recommendation of a high school from the Red Cliffs Central School Committee in 1957, and in 1959 the Victorian Education Department agreed to this proposal.Secondary Classes commenced in classes at the Red Cliffs Central School in 1961, with 118 students in Forms I and II, while construction of the new high school commenced in May of that year.
In 1962 185 students in Forms I, II and III commenced classes at Red Cliffs High School on the current Fitzroy Avenue site, with Mr A Cracknell as the school’s first Headmaster.
In 1963 the entire building had to be jacked up and set on more solid foundations, due to significant subsidence, which had cracked walls and jammed windows and doors. The front oval was sown, with the local Apex Club installing an irrigation system.
During 1964 and 1965 asphalt was laid, tennis courts and cricket nets installed and the irrigation pump installed. By June 11th 1965 – the day the school was officially opened, the school had grown to 280 students studying up to Matriculation level. The school was officially opened by JS Bloomfield, then Minister for Education.
The school was expanded in 1968 and 1969 with the construction of science rooms. In 1972 the school took over the lease of a fruit block in Cardross, which it still owns today, with the proceeds of the sale of the wine grapes currently supporting the school’s Chaplaincy program.
Between 1974 and 1978 a number of transportable buildings came on site, including the library. Construction of the Arts Wing also commenced, with this and the library being officially opened July 24th 1979.
Lobbying began for a multi-purpose hall in 1980. Mildura Shire and the Education Department agreed to the sharing of the funding of an Activity Centre, which was completed and officially opened September 26th 1984.
December 1991 was the last time that the school was known as Red Cliffs High School, with Red Cliffs Secondary College coming into being at the start of 1992.
In 1993 the school became the subject of a political battle, when the Victorian State Government of the time (under Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
) rolled out the Quality Provisions education plan, which detailed a single VCE provider for the Sunraysia district, with all other state secondary schools to become 7-10 only. The Red Cliffs community opposed this, and a number of public meetings were held. The wishes of the community won out and Red Cliffs Secondary College remains to this day as the only Government 7-12 school in the Sunraysia district.
A new library and performing arts centre facilities were constructed during 2001 and were officially opened July 27th 2002. Also in 2002 the school became affiliated with the SoundHouse Music Alliance, and international music and media technology organisation.
Extensions were made to the Activity Centre in 2007, with extra classroom and teacher preparation space added.
In 2008 a memorial garden was built by year 11 VCAL students to honour the memory of Red Cliffs High/Secondary students who had died aged 21 or under.
2009 saw the school go through its second major political challenge to its structure, when a Red Cliffs P-12 school was proposed by the Education Department. Six schools were encouraged to merge as one; Red Cliffs Secondary, Red Cliffs Primary, Red Cliffs East Primary, Sunnycliffs Primary, Cardross Primary and Koorlong Primary. Only 2 of the 6 schools voted for the merger and the motion was lost. Also in 2009 an adolescent playground was constructed, made possible through the generosity of the Hugh Williamson Foundation. This same group funded the acquisition of a student wellbeing centre, which opened in February 2011.
Numerous federal government funding initiatives through the Building Education Revolution (BER)in 2010 saw refurbishments to the outside of the school, including brick paving and large shade areas. A new science centre was also constructed during this time (also part of BER), which was opened in term 2 2011.
Sister School Relationship
Red Cliffs Secondary College signed a sister school relationship with Dali Prefectural Minority Middle School in 2009. Dali is located in Yunnan Province in South West China. The first cultural exchange occurred in August 2010, when 12 year 10 students and 3 staff from Dali visited Red Cliffs. This was followed up in September 2010, when 12 year 10 students and 3 staff from Red Cliffs travelled to Dali, Kunming and Lijiang. The second exchange will occur in August and September 2011, when 17 year 10 students from each school will visit the other school. The 2011 trip to China will take the Red Cliffs students to Dali, Kunming and Beijing.Principals of the School
- AM Cracknell (1961-1963)
- GG Sloane (1964-1966)
- J Fletcher (1967-1968)
- JA Mitchell (1969-1972)
- E Borschmann (1973-1980)
- E Warhurst (1981-1992)
- (D Currie acting Principal in 1993)
- G Roberts (1994 to 1995)
- (M Jackman acting Principal in 1996)
- J Cortese (1997-2008)
- DG Browne (2009-present)
Notable alumni
- Myf WarhurstMyf WarhurstMyfanwy "Myf" Warhurst is an Australian radio announcer and television personality, best known for her work at Triple J and on ABC Television's music-themed quiz show Spicks and Specks. Before her career as a radio announcer and TV personality, she was editor-in-chief of Melbourne street press...
- Kit WarhurstKit WarhurstKit Warhurst is the drummer for Australian pop group The Bowers and rock band Rocket Science. He is the brother of former Triple J radio presenter and Spicks and Specks team captain Myf Warhurst...
- Jenny BannisterJenny Bannister-Early life:Bannister studied Fashion Design and Production at RMIT's Emily McPherson College, and commenced her career in 1975 as a recycled denim designer.-Career:...
- Associate Professor Wayne Phillips
- Fiona Hilton-Wood (Phillips) - Mildura Rural City Councillor
- Glenn Milne - Mildura Rural City Councillor