St Helena Secondary College
Encyclopedia
__FORCETOC__
St Helena Secondary College is a state secondary school in Eltham North, 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.

About

St Helena is a large, co-educational government secondary college committed to striving for excellence in all its endeavours. It features architect designed facilities which include a library, theatre, gymnasium complex, specialist technology rooms, a VCE centre, Junior School area and a large canteen.

In 2005 the school completed the construction of a $2.7 million Science & Technology Centre as well as soccer field, which is shared by the Eltham Junior Soccer Club.

Form teachers are the primary contact for students and continuity
of contact is considered important in the transition from
primary to secondary education.

The curriculum offers a balanced
mix of academic and skills-based subjects. A wide range of
subjects at VCE level provides students with optimum choices,
enabling them to be well equipped for further study or the
workforce. All courses provide open ended extension activities
to challenge high achievers and students having difficulty
are also supported. The school offers an Accelerated Curriculum and
Enrichment (ACE) program for students at years 7 - 10 and
mainstream students in years 7-9 can also enjoy enrichment
activities in a wide range of subjects through the ‘Access’
program.

Structure

The school is divided into three units; Junior, Middle and Senior Schools, each with a particular learning focus.

Each mini-school has a principal
and year level manager as well as managers who are
responsible for welfare, discipline and
learning support, as well as developing
and fostering student leadership.

Each mini-school team has a specific location in the
school so that students find them easily. St. Helena's principals are:
Principal - Karen Terry, Junior School Principal -George Willox, Middle School Principal - Anesti Anestis, Senior School Principal - Adam Bell (acting).

Each form is assigned form teacher who looks after its students
and helps other teachers with discipline and welfare matters.
The form teacher is the person to be contacted by parents
and students if any problems arise.

A careers adviser also works closely with the Senior
School to assist with course information and future career
pathways.

Respect

Respect is a core value at St Helena, with three key foci:

1. Respect for the college and the community.
Clearly articulated expectations of students’ conduct
and behaviour guide the life of the college community.

2. Respect for peers:
A key aspect of respect for peers is not allowing any
form of bullying. The Anti-Bullying program at St
Helena addresses the issue of building
positive student relationships, developing respect for
others and giving students responsibility for the
well being of others.

3. Respect for self:
Self-respect is fostered by encouraging all students to
recognise and develop their individual strengths and
interests. However, the college complicates issues through
the lack of individuality and personal development pathways
through various policies implemented throughout the school.

Commitment to extra curricular program

The college is committed to a traditional core value of respect and they particularly
respect teachers who enhance their extremely extensive extra curricular program. All
nine learning areas are equally valued and there is an Accelerated Curriculum
Enhancement Program (ACE Program).

Commitment to HOTS and IT

Because of the high level of expertise in the use of information technology that already
exists on the staff, all reports are computer generated, curriculum materials are
expected to be stored on the college computer network and staff members enter their
own data relating to most school operations.
The college will be redeveloping its entire curriculum over the next three years with an
emphasis on Higher Order Thinking and the use of information technology. This is
known as the "HOTSPOT" project. All teachers are being trained in these skills, and,
with the school's "Leading Schools" funding, at any time around twenty teachers will be released
from a class each for a semester to work in groups with each group revising a section
of the curriculum.
It is the college's expectation that teachers commit to the introduction of the Higher Order
Thinking Skills and IT in their curriculum and so agree to trial new curriculum as it is
developed.

Commitment to Performance & Development Culture

St Helena is proud of its tradition of mutual staff support. The college is also
appreciative that it was selected in the first cohort of schools to gain accreditation for
its "Performance and Development" culture. There is an expectation that all teachers
will perform at a high level and participate in a program of performance management.
Sharing amongst staff is a paramount value.
Hence, it is an expectation of all new staff appointed to St Helena that:
  • They are committed to assisting in the development and redesign of curriculum, and

are willing to share with other staff.
  • They agree to visit other teachers' classrooms and open their own classrooms to

their fellow teachers.
………

Curriculum

Each week is divided into 30 lessons
of 48 minutes each. The school day begins at 8.30am and finishes at 2.40pm.
Each day is structured around the following curriculum:

Years 7 and 8

In Years 7 and 8 all students study the same subjects, with each student doing half a year of 'Food Technology' (Home Economics) and half a year of 'Design Technology' (metal/wood/plastic).

Year 9

In Year 9 all students study core subjects and electives. Core subjects are English, Mathematics, Humanities, Science, Health, Physical Education and The Global Village. Four electives are chosen by students- two for Semester 1 and two for Semester 2. At least one elective must be from the 'Design, Creativity and Technology' section, and at least one elective must be from 'The Arts' section. Electives themselves vary from different subject bases- Humanities (History, Geography and Economics), Information Technology, English, etc. Students in the ACE program must also do the full year course of LOTE (Italian) instead of two electives.

Year 10

Students undertake core studies in English, Mathematics,
Humanities and Physical Education/Health. Students choose
three electives each semester. They must choose at least
one Science, one Information Technology, one Arts and one
Technology elective over the year. A range of VCE subjects
are offered as part of the elective system.

Years 11-12

St Helena offers a broad range of subjects in years 11
and 12.
The senior school contains 400 students and has excellent
facilities in all curriculum areas. St Helena offers an extensive
VCE program which successfully prepares students for all
areas of tertiary study and employment.
The college currently has courses in a wide range of
subjects including English, Humanities, the Arts (both Visual
and Performing), Business Studies, Mathematics, Science,
Information Technology, Technology, Health and Human
Development Studies and offers four VET (Vocational
Education and Training) Courses.

Nanotechnology

As of the start of 2007, St Helena started offering Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...

 as a subject in years 10, 11 and 12, and as part of the science curriculum in years 7, 8 and 9. St Helena is the first high school in Victoria, Australia
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....

 to offer Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...

 as a part of the standard curriculum for years 7 through 9, and as an elective in Year 10.

VCE Statistics

In 2006, the number of students enrolled in at least one VCE program increased to 299, with 225 enrolled in a VET certificate. 99% of students successfully obtained their VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education), with 95% of VET units of competence
completed. The median study score dropped from 30.3 in 2005 to 29 in 2006, and 5% of students achieved Study Scores of above 40 (putting them in the top 8% of the state)

Performance

St Helena is well known for its
performance tradition. Highlights of the
year are the musical production, Rock
Eisteddfod, drama production and music
concerts.

Musical production

These are always outstanding successes and involve large numbers of students from years 7–12 both in casts and backstage. In recent years students have sung, danced and acted their way through such diverse productions as 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...

, Footloose
Footloose (musical)
Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow , the lyrics by Dean Pitchford , and the book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.-Act 1:...

and The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1902 stage play)
The Wizard of Oz was a 1902 musical extravaganza based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, which was originally published in 1900...

, staged to packed audiences over 12 performances. Under the guidance of director, Glenda Evans, the musical productions take on a highly professional feel with each and every cast member striving for perfection. The productions
encourage student involvement and have inspired many participants to continue to perform after leaving St Helena. The college recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary Musical Production, "Kismet
Kismet (musical)
Kismet is a musical with lyrics and musical adaptation by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from the music of Alexander Borodin, and a book by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis, based on Kismet, the 1911 play by Edward Knoblock...

".

A list of the schools musicals are as follows:
  • 1987 - Destiny's Heroes
  • 1988 - Man of Steel
  • 1989 - Finian's Rainbow
    Finian's Rainbow
    Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Several revivals and a 1968 film version followed. A Broadway revival ran from October 8, 2009 until January 17, 2010...

  • 1990 - Little Shop of Horrors
    Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
    Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...

  • 1991 - Cabaret
    Cabaret (musical)
    Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....

  • 1992 - Leader of the Pack
    Leader of the Pack (musical)
    Leader of the Pack is a musical with liner notes by Anne Beatts and additional material by Jack Heifner, music by Ellie Greenwich, and lyrics by Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector, George "Shadow" Morton, Jeff Kent, and Ellen Foley.-Background:...

  • 1993 - Chicago
    Chicago (musical)
    Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...

  • 1994 - Annie
    Annie (musical)
    Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...

  • 1995 - Grease
    Grease (musical)
    Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...

  • 1996 - The King and I
    The King and I
    The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...

  • 1997 - The Sentimental Bloke
  • 1998 - Fiddler on the Roof
    Fiddler on the Roof
    Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...

  • 1999 - Little Shop of Horrors
    Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
    Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...

  • 2000 - Return to the Forbidden Planet
    Return to the Forbidden Planet
    Return to the Forbidden Planet is a Jukebox musical by playwright Bob Carlton based on Shakespeare's The Tempest and the 1950s science fiction film Forbidden Planet ....

  • 2001 - My Fair Lady
    My Fair Lady
    My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...

  • 2002 - 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...

  • 2003 - The Wizard of Oz
    The Wizard of Oz (1902 stage play)
    The Wizard of Oz was a 1902 musical extravaganza based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, which was originally published in 1900...

  • 2004 - Footloose
    Footloose (musical)
    Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow , the lyrics by Dean Pitchford , and the book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.-Act 1:...

  • 2005 - Oliver
    Oliver!
    Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....

  • 2006 - Kismet
    Kismet (musical)
    Kismet is a musical with lyrics and musical adaptation by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from the music of Alexander Borodin, and a book by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis, based on Kismet, the 1911 play by Edward Knoblock...

  • 2007 - Cabaret
    Cabaret (musical)
    Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....

  • 2008 - Urinetown
    Urinetown
    Urinetown: The Musical is a satirical comedy musical, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and book by Kotis. It satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, and municipal politics...

  • 2009 - Into The Woods
    Into the Woods
    Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...

  • 2010 - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
    Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (musical)
    Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a musical with a book by Lawrence Kasha and David Landay, music by Gene de Paul, Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn, and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn...

  • 2011 - Les Misérables
    Les Misérables
    Les Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...



Rock Eisteddfod

The college is actively involved in the Rock Eisteddfod annual
competition. The performances, although limited to eight
minutes, enable over 100 students each year to work together
to create and perform a dance routine which focuses on positive
lifestyles.

Drama

In 2004 the first College Production was staged. The play
“I’m on TV” allowed students, with the aid of director Emma Oliver,
to build on and act out a story. The project was considered a success and therefore, has been added to the colleges list of annual events. This will provide another option to students interested in drama and performance.
A list of the college plays are as follows:
  • 2004 - I'm on TV!

  • 2005 - Stilettos and Sneakers

  • 2006 - Dags

  • 2007 - Skate

  • 2008 – Cosi

  • 2010 - The Crucible

  • 2011 - 'Pun' and The Real Inspector Hound


Instrumental Music

Music performance is an important part of the curriculum
at St Helena. In addition to normal classroom music, students
are encouraged to learn a musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...

 so they can
participate in one of the five school bands and numerous smaller
groups. Many of these groups perform at local schools and in
state, national and international competitions.

There are currently four concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...

 bands, with brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...

, woodwind
Woodwind instrument
A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator to vibrate...

 and percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...

 instruments, three jazz
Jazz
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...

 bands, as well as many smaller ensembles
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...

.
Each year, the Senior Concert band and the Senior Jazz band travel interstate to compete in band competitions.
  • 2003: ACT
    Australian Capital Territory
    The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...

    , touring Canberra
    Canberra
    Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

  • 2004: New Zealand
    New Zealand
    New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

    , touring Auckland
    Auckland
    The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

     and Wellington
    Wellington
    Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

  • 2005: 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...

    , touring The Gold Coast
    Gold Coast, Queensland
    Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...

     and 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...

  • 2006: 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...

    , touring Sydney
    Sydney
    Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

  • 2007: Tasmania
    Tasmania
    Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

    , touring Hobart
    Hobart
    Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...

     and Launceston
    Launceston, Tasmania
    Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...

  • 2008: 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...

    , touring The Gold Coast
    Gold Coast, Queensland
    Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...

     and 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...

  • 2009: ACT
    Australian Capital Territory
    The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...

    , touring Canberra
    Canberra
    Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

  • 2010: 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...

    , touring Sydney
    Sydney
    Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

  • 2011: New Zealand
    New Zealand
    New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

    , touring Auckland
    Auckland
    The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

     and Wellington
    Wellington
    Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...


External links

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