| Perth Modern School | |
|---|---|
|
French: Savoir C'est Pouvoir
Knowledge is Power
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| Location | |
| Subiaco, W.A, Australia | |
| Information | |
| Type | Selective, Boarding School, Public, Co-educational, Day school |
| Established | 1911 |
| Principal | Lois Joll |
| Enrolment | 932 (21 April 2011)[1] |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colour(s) | Blue, Yellow & Red |
| Website | www.perthmodernschool.det.wa.edu.au |
Perth Modern School is an academically-selective co-educational public high school located in Subiaco, an inner city suburb of Perth, Western Australia.
The school, established in 1911, now caters for students with high academic ability.
Perth Modern School has a specialised music programme for students in Years eight to twelve. The school also offers a specialised ballet course through its Graduate College of Dance.
In 2010 The Age reported that Perth Modern ranked equal fourth among Australian schools based on the number of alumni who had received a top Order of Australia honour.[2]
Fourteen Perth Modern graduates have won Rhodes Scholarships from the University of Western Australia.[3]
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Perth Modern School was established as the first government senior secondary school in Western Australia in 1911, after lengthy representations to the State Government. Selection from 1912 was by scholarship. Both male and female students studied science and modern languages as part of their courses.
The sphinx, representing wisdom and knowledge, was adopted as the school symbol; together with the motto "Savoir c'est Pouvoir" ("Knowledge is Power").
In 1958 Perth Modern School ceased operating as an academic scholarship school and became a comprehensive high school. Academic standards, the traditions of the past and the establishment of the special Music Scholarship in 1968 continued to have significant influence on the school.
The decision by the State Government to return Perth Modern School to a fully selective government school has attracted record enrolment enquiries. Parents of students enrolled at Perth Modern School, and the wider community, have recognised that by gathering students of high ability in the one school encourages students to “be themselves” with like-minded peers allows opportunity for the development of higher-order thinking skills[4] and meets the social, emotional and educational needs of gifted students.[5] The gifted program is based on Professor Francous Gagne's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent.[6]
The School is based around five main areas:
Perth Modern School's West Building, built in 1911 in Federation Arts and Craft style, was entered into the Heritage Council of Western Australia's Interim Register of Heritage Places in 1992 and the Permanent Register in 2001.[7] Notable details of fine design and craftsmanship in the West Building include the stained glass transom windows and fanlights, executed in Art Nouveau style, fitted to the north front of the building and inside the entrance foyer. The buildings were designed by the chief architect of the Public Works Department, Hillson Beasley.[7]
The West Building was refurbished during the late 1980s. The refurbishment has won several awards and the building is now recognised as one of the premier venues for chamber music and general ensemble performance in Perth. The West Building is linked by a covered walkway to another Heritage Listed building which currently houses the Society and Environment classes.
Perth Modern School's East Building is listed as a fine example of Post-War International style. The building is attached to the new Administration Building, which provides lift access to the first floor of the East Building.[7]
Much of the school has undergone construction to expand its facilities between 2007 and 2009, the project being overseen by Roger Stubbs, former mayor of the City of Armadale.
Perth Modern is one of two public schools in Perth with a special selective music program, the other being Churchlands Senior High School. The music program at Perth Modern School encompasses the Kodály methodology in its teachings. Most aural and theory concepts are taught with the aid of the philosophies of music by Zoltán Kodály, in which hand signs are used as a way of representing musical notes by holding the hand in a certain position for each note.
The music program places an emphasis on singing. It is a requirement that all students in the programme are in at least one vocal ensemble. The school also has four wind orchestras, three standard orchestras (two string and one symphony) and two classical guitar ensembles as well as various other instrumental groups, chamber choirs and jazz ensembles.
Perth Modern is the host campus of the Western Australian Music Festival (ABODA), which is normally spread over two days; where schools, various orchestras and music groups from Western Australia come to perform to the public. The event is held in a competition format where groups are adjudicated by professional musicians who provide feedback through a detailed report.
With the move to a fully selective school, enrolments in the specialist music program have increased, with over 130 auditions for Year 8, 2011.
Perth Modern School hosts the Graduate College of Dance, from which a number of acclaimed high profile dancers have graduated. The Graduate College of Dance is one of Australia's leading vocational dance schools. In conjunction with the Department of Education and Perth Modern, the College prepares talented dancers aged 9 to 17 (year 5 to 12) for the dance profession. The College's comprehensive curriculum combines professional dance training with an academic education to tertiary level.
Students coming from regional, rural, remote and international areas attending the school can board nearby, at City Beach Residential College, located in Bold Park next to the ISWA (the International School of Western Australia. It contains 72 beds and was funded by a grant from the government. Students have their own large rooms, in 6 bed units, each with 3 bathrooms, a kitchen and recreation area with TV.
Five new buildings have been constructed as part of the redevelopment of Perth Modern School. These are the library/cafe, art/photography/home economics, design and technology, performing arts centre and administration building. When the library/cafe building was completed, the canteen and library were relocated to the new building, with the old canteen being closed down and the old library being demolished. These buildings were officially opened on the 26th of November 2009.
The Fitness Centre equipment has been moved next to the new Phys. Ed. office, located in the old Design and Technology area. The former Fitness Centre was located in a heritage-listed building, behind the library. The Fitness Centre is open to students at lunchtime, recess and before school.
In 2007 Perth Modern School introduced a new house system to provide competition and recognition of achievement. The houses are named after the first four school principals and are:
Some notable ex-students of Perth Modern School include: