Caringbah High School

Caringbah High School
Latin: Omnia Vincit Diligentia
Diligence conquers all
Location
Caringbah, New South Wales
Australia
Coordinates 34°02′06″S 151°07′16″E / 34.035°S 151.121°E / -34.035; 151.121
Information
School type Selective, Co-Educational, Public Public, Selective, Coeducational Secondary School
Established 10 August 1961
Principal David Chapple
Grades 7-12
Number of students ~912
Color(s) Orange & Green
         
Website http://www.caringbah.nsw.edu.au/

Caringbah High School is an academically selective, co-educational public high school located in the Sutherland Shire, Sydney. It is a selective high school in New South Wales.

The school was opened in 1960 as a co-educational high school and was nominated to become selective in 1989, over the neighbouring Port Hacking High. Currently there are around 900 students enrolled. In February 2010 the school celebrated its 50th anniversary.[1]

School Campus

Before 2010, the school was split across two locations, the southern campus (on higher ground, known colloquially known as "top school") and the northern campus (on lower ground, know colloquially as "bottom school" or "the Annexe"). The campuses were linked by a covered walkway and grassed area. The southern campus was the original site which contained an auxiliary administrative office as well as music, industrial technology, applied science classrooms and languages.

However, due to the unstable clay foundation of the "top school", causing the campus to begin sinking, a construction project to consolidate all of the school's facilities commenced in 2007.[2] As of 2010, only the "bottom school" is in use and the abandoned buildings of the "top school" have become a noted site of urban decay and vandalism.[3] On 2 April 2013, the school hall in the abandoned southern campus was destroyed by arson.[4] On 29 August 2015, one of the other buildings in the southern campus was the site of another fire.[5]

Outdoor Learning Centre

One of the key programs the school's environmental committee "Green Edge" is undertaking is the Outdoor Learning Centre. Construction started in August 2013. It is currently under construction near the site of the former walkway between the two campuses. Students and staff both had significant input into the design, and much of the work will be constructed with the help of students and staff. It will consist of a central "pod", where classes can be held, and 5 smaller "pods" each based on bush tucker, a xeriscape, a meditative garden, an indigenous garden and a sensory garden. The centre is expected to be a work in progress, with full construction expected in 5 years.

Regeneration Area

The school also has a "regeneration" area, where plants from pre-European settlement times grow. Seeds from trees and original native grasses populate the area, with students working to ensure the area remains free of introduced grasses and weeds. The area was formerly the driveway for teacher's cars between the two campuses. This area is one of only 3 in the Sutherland Shire and helps increase the biodiversity of the school, attracting a range of native animals including birds and possums. In September 2015, the school planted a wollemi pine in this area.

Faculties

Languages Other than English

At Caringbah High, language is compulsory in years 7 and 8 and it is taught as an elective for years 9-12. Languages taught include French, Japanese, and German. In year 7 students study roughly 13 weeks on each of the languages offered (German, Japanese and French). In year 8, each student picks one language that they favour most, which is studied for the whole year. Once in year 9, students have the option of continuing study in the language that have chosen as an elective.

Cultural Exchange

In Year 10, students who have chosen to study a language have the opportunity to go on a school trip to either France, Germany or Japan, dependant on the language that they have chosen. Additionally, in 2014, the school ran a trip to China, available to students in Years 10 and 11.

Caringbah High School maintains sister school relationships with several other schools internationally:

English

Caringbah High School follows the Board of Studies curriculum for its English courses for Years 7 - 12. Students learn a variety of skills in the English language, such as analysis of various texts, creative writing and essay writing. Texts studied include the works of William Shakespeare, Robert Frost and John Steinbeck.

HSC

Caringbah High School does not offer Standard English as part of its HSC course, and instead only offers English Advanced, English Extension 1 and English Extension 2.

History and Geography

From Years 7 to 10, students alternate between Mandatory History and Mandatory Geography courses each semester. In Years 9 and 10, the school also offers additional History and Geography Elective courses on top of the mandatory course. In senior years, the school offers Modern, Ancient and Extension History courses.

Information Technology

Students have the option to enter the 'Talented Computing Program' (TCP) as an elective in year 9. The preliminary HSC course in either IPT (Information, Processes and Technology) or SDD (Software, Design and Development) commences during the second semester of year 9; allowing students to complete 2-units of their HSC by year 11.

Co-Curricular

Caringbah High School provides various extra-curricular activities, such as public speaking, debating, tournament of the minds and HSC distinction courses.

Music

Caringbah has a wide ranging music program which includes eighteen musical ensembles, of which many compete in region and statewide events and performances, including the Sydney Eisteddfod Mcdonalds Performing Arts Challenge.[6] As a part of the consolidation of campuses, a new, "Music Centre" was created, which houses music classrooms and practice rooms, where students from music classes and music ensembles have classes, can store instruments and practice during lunch times and before and after school.

Sporting teams

Caringbah fields many sporting teams which compete in many sports including water polo, rugby league, soccer, cross country running, lawn bowls, field hockey, mountain biking, tennis, cricket (boys and girls) and squash.

Tournament of Minds

Caringbah High School has competed in the Tournament of Minds for over 12 years. The school regularly enters two Language Literature Teams, three Social Science Teams and a Maths/Engineering Team. In 2006, the Maths Engineering team, two Social Science teams and a Language Literature team received honours at a regional level. One Language Literature team went on to compete and receive honours at the State level.

Green Edge

In 2009, Green Edge, the school's environmental committee began (unnamed until 2012). The aim of the team is to promote environmental sustainability within the school community. It has undertaken activities such as upgrading light switches to energy efficient timers, introducing a worm farm system, and a school garden. After a period of inactivity, the Green Edge team was reestablished in 2015 by a Year 11 student.

Debating

The school maintains several debating teams consisting of students from all grades, participating in regional debating competitions. In 2014 a team of Year 10 students won the grand final of the Les Gordon History Debating Competition.[7]

HSC Results

Caringbah High School students achieve consistently high marks in the Higher School Certificate (HSC). In the years 2000-2007, of the 150 student cohort, on average 11 students achieved 99+ (7%), 23 achieved 98+ (15%), and 48 achieved 95+ (31%), with over 98% of students gaining entrance into university. In the 2009 student HSC cohort the average ATAR was 87.8, with 60% of students achieving an ATAR 90+.[8]

The school's HSC rankings from 2007-2014 according to Better Education were:[9]

Popular Culture

The 2012 Australian television series Puberty Blues was filmed on location at Caringbah High School. The show starred well known Australian actors, Lachlan 'Daddo' Symonds and Graeme 'G-Man' Phillips.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
  2. ↑ https://tenders.nsw.gov.au/dfs/?event=public.rft.showArchived&RFTUUID=9A2B6314-AF0F-4315-C7453B03CA02962B
  3. ↑ Walker, Ian; Samuel, Johnson (20 November 2014). "Creepy Caringbah campus a ghostly reminder of old school days". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  4. ↑ http://www.theleader.com.au/story/1403993/old-caringbah-school-site-fire-suspicious/
  5. ↑ "Second fire at old Caringbah High south campus". Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 July 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  7. ↑ "Caringbah High School | Year 10 History Debating Team". www.caringbah-h.schools.nsw.edu.au. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
  9. ↑ Family, Wang. "HSC School Ranking - 2014". bettereducation.com.au. Retrieved 2015-09-18.

External links

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