Smith's Hill High School
Encyclopedia
Smith's Hill High School is the only academically selective school in Wollongong, New South Wales
, Australia
. It is located in the heart of Wollongong city.120 year 6 students get offered a place at the school for the next year after sitting a test.
A separate school for these courses was then established in 1916 under the name Wollongong Home Science School. This school was a single-sex education
school for girls only and was based on a site in Smith Street, Wollongong. In 1957, the school relocated to its current location on the former site of Wollongong High School in Keira Street and then in 1958, was renamed to Smith's Hill Girls High School. The school then allowed non-academic students to achieve the Intermediate and Leaving Certificates.
During the 1970s, plans were underway to change the school into a comprehensive, co-educational High School and in 1979 the school was renamed Smith's Hill High School. In 1985, boys were enrolled in Years 7, 8, 9 and 11 drawing from feeder schools at Wollongong, Coniston
and Mount St Thomas. By 1986, SHHS was completely co-educational from Years 7 through 12.
Then in 1988, the Department of Education
decided to make the school a selective high school and from 1989 the annual Year Seven intake of students was to be filled through exam selections. The school has remained completely selective ever since.
Smith's Hill offers a diverse range of subjects for both seniors and juniors in a number of key learning areas. For senior subjects which are unable to be offered due to lack of numbers, students are assisted to complete these subjects through distance education
, in association with an appropriate distance education school.
. The school has been in the Grand Final every year since 2004 and was a regular Grand Final contender in years previous. Due to the preparation time required, and the high level of physical activity involved, the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge performance is worked on during weekly sport activities. Smith's Hill High School participates in two divisions of Rock Eisteddfod Challenge
, the RAW Division for Years 8 through 10, and the Premier Division for Years 11 and 12. Unlike other schools, students are not required to audition and positions are filled with preference given to students based on their grade. Also, Smith's Hill is one of the few schools that offer Year 7 students an opportunity to compete. There are a number of teachers involved in Smith's Hill who are also part of the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge
.
In 2006, the Premier Division team performed "Tibet: Roof of the World". The storyline included "Tibetan monks paying their last respects to the previous Dalai Lama, as well as the 1949 Chinese invasion and the exile of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.". After this performance, the team were granted a private audience with the Dalai Lama
who asked the students to "continue to spread his message of peace, spirituality and protection of the environment to others throughout the state."
competition. The school has had several successes in the competition with the 1998 team being state finalists, the 2002 and 2003 teams being national finalists and the 2005 team winning the national final. In 2008, for the first time two teams were entered in the competition which resulted in the Social Sciences team placing second in New South Wales
and the Language Literature team gaining second place at the Australasian Finals in Melbourne. In 2010, the Applied Technology team succeeded in becoming national finalists.
and plays
. In 2001, Smith's Hill High School produced its first musical
in recent history, performing Little Shop of Horrors. Since then, school productions have been staged regularly including performances of Oklahoma! and compilations of various other musicals.
In 2006, the production team of Ribbit Up Productions was formed by drama teacher Bryan Cutler and has since performed at least one original show per year including "The Little Country That Could", "How to Host a Murder", "The Big Box" and "Overbelly". A junior offshoot of the company was formed soon after known as Tadpole Productions which has performed shows such as "Earth Watch", "Noughts and Crosses" and "Books That go Bump in The Night". In 2011, the company differed from its annual performance of an original play and instead performed an adaptation of Hamlet
.
Due to the cancellation of Rock Eisteddfod Challenge
in 2010, the Smith's Hill music department offered the opportunity to students to participate in a production of the musical The Pajama Game
. Performed in July 2010, the production placed second in the Arcadian Theatre Group's School Musical Theatre competition which involved judging of school musicals in the Illawarra
.
to promote and encourage Legal Studies students within the school. The school has achieved much success in the competition achieving second at the National Finals in 2009 and reaching the National Finals in 2011.
The representative NSW Combined High Schools debating team has also included Smith's Hill students over the last several years.
Recently many folk, recent and more up-beat popular tunes have been played. It is available for anyone in the school who plays one of the instruments at a solid level. Currently there are 4 first violins, 6 second violins, 1 viola, 5 third violins & 3 cello.
group and entrance is by invitation only.
genre.
, trumpet
, baritone horn
.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, 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 is located in the heart of Wollongong city.120 year 6 students get offered a place at the school for the next year after sitting a test.
History
In 1906, Wollongong Primary School began to offer primary vocational education courses for non-academic students. This included courses such as Household Accounts, Cookery, Laundry and Dressmaking. Five years later, in 1911, secondary courses were offered to academic students which allowed students to achieve the Intermediate Certificate and with further study, the Leaving Certificate.A separate school for these courses was then established in 1916 under the name Wollongong Home Science School. This school was a single-sex education
Single-sex education
Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education, is the practice of conducting education where male and female students attend separate classes or in separate buildings or schools. The practice was predominant before the mid-twentieth century, particularly in secondary education and...
school for girls only and was based on a site in Smith Street, Wollongong. In 1957, the school relocated to its current location on the former site of Wollongong High School in Keira Street and then in 1958, was renamed to Smith's Hill Girls High School. The school then allowed non-academic students to achieve the Intermediate and Leaving Certificates.
During the 1970s, plans were underway to change the school into a comprehensive, co-educational High School and in 1979 the school was renamed Smith's Hill High School. In 1985, boys were enrolled in Years 7, 8, 9 and 11 drawing from feeder schools at Wollongong, Coniston
Coniston
-Relating to Coniston, Cumbria, England:*Coniston, Cumbria, a village*Coniston Fells, a chain of hills and mountains in the Furness Fells, in the Lake District**Coniston Old Man , the highest peak in the Coniston Fells....
and Mount St Thomas. By 1986, SHHS was completely co-educational from Years 7 through 12.
Then in 1988, the Department of Education
New South Wales Department of Education and Training
The New South Wales Department of Education and Communities, a department of the Government of New South Wales, is responsibile for primary schools, secondary schools and Technical and Further Education colleges...
decided to make the school a selective high school and from 1989 the annual Year Seven intake of students was to be filled through exam selections. The school has remained completely selective ever since.
Enrolment
In 2010, there were 762 enrolled students. The number enrolled in the school is always approximately 760 as only 120 students are accepted each year and any vacancies are filled. For Year Eleven, an additional 20 places are made available, allowing more students to undertake the HSC in a selective high school environment.Higher School Certificate
Students of Smith's Hill High School have consistently performed well in the Higher School Certificate examinations, with the school placing 38th in the state in 2010 and having fifteen students make the All-round Achievers List. As a result of strong HSC performances, a high percentage of students from Smith's Hill High gain University entrance each year. This tradition of success has been in the school for many years.Smith's Hill offers a diverse range of subjects for both seniors and juniors in a number of key learning areas. For senior subjects which are unable to be offered due to lack of numbers, students are assisted to complete these subjects through distance education
Distance education
Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
, in association with an appropriate distance education school.
Rock Eisteddfod Challenge
Each year, Smith's Hill High School participates in the Rock Eisteddfod ChallengeRock Eisteddfod Challenge
The Rock Eisteddfod Challenge is a series of dance and drama events staged worldwide by school pupils as part of the Global Rock Challenge. These events are initiated by the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge Foundation, and aim to promote healthy lifestyle choices, particularly abstinence from drugs,...
. The school has been in the Grand Final every year since 2004 and was a regular Grand Final contender in years previous. Due to the preparation time required, and the high level of physical activity involved, the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge performance is worked on during weekly sport activities. Smith's Hill High School participates in two divisions of Rock Eisteddfod Challenge
Rock Eisteddfod Challenge
The Rock Eisteddfod Challenge is a series of dance and drama events staged worldwide by school pupils as part of the Global Rock Challenge. These events are initiated by the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge Foundation, and aim to promote healthy lifestyle choices, particularly abstinence from drugs,...
, the RAW Division for Years 8 through 10, and the Premier Division for Years 11 and 12. Unlike other schools, students are not required to audition and positions are filled with preference given to students based on their grade. Also, Smith's Hill is one of the few schools that offer Year 7 students an opportunity to compete. There are a number of teachers involved in Smith's Hill who are also part of the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge
Rock Eisteddfod Challenge
The Rock Eisteddfod Challenge is a series of dance and drama events staged worldwide by school pupils as part of the Global Rock Challenge. These events are initiated by the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge Foundation, and aim to promote healthy lifestyle choices, particularly abstinence from drugs,...
.
In 2006, the Premier Division team performed "Tibet: Roof of the World". The storyline included "Tibetan monks paying their last respects to the previous Dalai Lama, as well as the 1949 Chinese invasion and the exile of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.". After this performance, the team were granted a private audience with the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
who asked the students to "continue to spread his message of peace, spirituality and protection of the environment to others throughout the state."
Tournament of Minds
Smith's Hill regularly submits a team to participate in the Tournament of MindsTournament of Minds
The Tournament of Minds is a school competition program available throughout Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore. Teams of students work to solve problems in a number of disciplines, including: applied technology, language and literature, mathematics and engineering, and social sciences...
competition. The school has had several successes in the competition with the 1998 team being state finalists, the 2002 and 2003 teams being national finalists and the 2005 team winning the national final. In 2008, for the first time two teams were entered in the competition which resulted in the Social Sciences team placing second in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and the Language Literature team gaining second place at the Australasian Finals in Melbourne. In 2010, the Applied Technology team succeeded in becoming national finalists.
School Productions
Smith's Hill High School has a history in performing school productions such as musicalsMusical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
and plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
. In 2001, Smith's Hill High School produced its first musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
in recent history, performing Little Shop of Horrors. Since then, school productions have been staged regularly including performances of Oklahoma! and compilations of various other musicals.
In 2006, the production team of Ribbit Up Productions was formed by drama teacher Bryan Cutler and has since performed at least one original show per year including "The Little Country That Could", "How to Host a Murder", "The Big Box" and "Overbelly". A junior offshoot of the company was formed soon after known as Tadpole Productions which has performed shows such as "Earth Watch", "Noughts and Crosses" and "Books That go Bump in The Night". In 2011, the company differed from its annual performance of an original play and instead performed an adaptation of Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
.
Due to the cancellation of Rock Eisteddfod Challenge
Rock Eisteddfod Challenge
The Rock Eisteddfod Challenge is a series of dance and drama events staged worldwide by school pupils as part of the Global Rock Challenge. These events are initiated by the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge Foundation, and aim to promote healthy lifestyle choices, particularly abstinence from drugs,...
in 2010, the Smith's Hill music department offered the opportunity to students to participate in a production of the musical The Pajama Game
The Pajama Game
The Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded...
. Performed in July 2010, the production placed second in the Arcadian Theatre Group's School Musical Theatre competition which involved judging of school musicals in the Illawarra
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
.
Mooting
Since 2008 Smith's Hill High School has entered into the High School Mooting Competition of Bond UniversityBond University
Bond University is a private university located in Robina, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is also the first private university established in Australia...
to promote and encourage Legal Studies students within the school. The school has achieved much success in the competition achieving second at the National Finals in 2009 and reaching the National Finals in 2011.
Debating
Smiths Hill High Schol has reached the NSW semi-finals for the Premier's Debating Challenge since 2007, winning the competition on four of those five occasions, most recently in 2011.The representative NSW Combined High Schools debating team has also included Smith's Hill students over the last several years.
Ensembles
Smith’s Hill also has a variety of music groups and ensembles. Each practice regularly and perform at special events, such as formal assemblies and open days including the School Expo and the 50th Birthday Open Day. These ensembles include:The Junior Jazz Ensemble
This ensemble is for students in Years 7 to 10 who have an interest in Jazz and can play an instrument suitable to the Jazz genre.The String Ensemble
This ensemble is for students who play violin, viola, bass and cello. The ensemble usually plays arrangements of the classical genre.Recently many folk, recent and more up-beat popular tunes have been played. It is available for anyone in the school who plays one of the instruments at a solid level. Currently there are 4 first violins, 6 second violins, 1 viola, 5 third violins & 3 cello.
The Vocal Ensemble
The Vocal Ensemble is for any student who has an interest in singing. Open to all students of sc is willing to participate in practices after school. This ensemble is great fun and all students learn about harmony and create beautiful harmony with each other.The Chorale Group
The Chorale Group is a cappellaA cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group and entrance is by invitation only.
The Senior Jazz Group
The Senior Jazz Group is a small group of Year 11 and 12 students who perform pieces of the JazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
genre.
Concert Band
This band is for students who can play instruments such as the euphoniumEuphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
, trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, baritone horn
Baritone horn
The baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...
.