Brighton Secondary College
| Brighton Secondary College | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| 120 Marriage Road Brighton East 3187, VIC, Australia | |
| Coordinates | 37°55′15″S 145°1′7″E / 37.92083°S 145.01861°ECoordinates: 37°55′15″S 145°1′7″E / 37.92083°S 145.01861°E |
| Information | |
| Type | State, secular co-educational |
| Motto | "A tradition of Excellence" |
| Established | 1955 |
| Principal | Mrs Julie Podbury |
| Grades | 7-12 |
| Enrolment | >1,200 |
| Colour(s) | Green, purple, grey |
| Yearbook | Voyager |
| Website | brightonsc.vic.edu.au |
Brighton Secondary College is a Year 7 to 12 co-educational. In 2010, it is estimated that 1200 students were enrolled at the college. Established in 1955, the college is in the City of Bayside, in Brighton East, Victoria, Australia. From 1955 until 1987, it was known as Brighton High School, the name being altered in early 1988.
The main entrance to the school is located on Marriage Road.
Grounds and facilities
The college provides a gymnasium, library, canteen, school hall as well as drama and music facilities. The school has an Arts and Materials Section, a Science Wing, VCE and Study Centre.
The main part of the school consists of the N and C wings. The N corridor houses the bulk of junior school classrooms, but is also used for other years. The C Corridor houses a computer laboratory, staff rooms, and storage and building services like the heater boilers. A portion of the C corridor was destroyed during a fire in April, 2000, where once it had extended to where the Discovery Centre presently stands, where for the interim period they were basketball courts. Contemporary aerial images of the College are shown on Google-Earth and during the opening scenes of the television show, 'Summer Heights High'.
The E Corridor consists of two parts: the northern section housing a majority of senior school studies and classrooms and the southern section houses four specialist science classrooms and a computer pod. In between the sections is a sheltered walkway to bicycle sheds and main grounds.
To the south of the library are located the portable classrooms 'P0' to 'P8'. To the east is the Discovery Centre and the rooms for Materials and Systems Technology (Woodwork, Metalwork and Electronics) and Visual Arts.
Attached to the western end of the N-wing is the Hall, on the upper level. On the lower level are the rooms for drama, band, music instruction and practice. Adjacent and to the south is the canteen area, toilet blocks, and the main entrance to the gym. To the west are the rooms for Visual Communication & Design and Media - dubbed the West Wing. The area formerly housed Vocational Curriculum and Learning (VCAL) students, the house/block better known as Gumnut Cottage which featured in the television series 'Summer Heights High' before being demolished in late 2007.
The completion of the Discovery Centre was a massive undertaking, but was successful due to donations from students, former students as well as grants from the government. The Eastern Wing, and certain sections of the school grounds are in urgent need of upgrading. The VCE and Year 12 rooms are not airconditioned and the age of the structure is apparent. The remainder of the school grounds require an overhaul such as sealed asphalt basketball/netball courts and the re-grassing of eroded areas which are now composed of a hard compacted mixture of clay, rocks and dirt.
VCE Centre
Plans have existed since 2007 to modernise the Eastern Block. Funding limitations generally limited the capability of the crumbling infrastructure which had existed early on after the opening of the high school. Funding had not been secured until late 2008, and construction started in May 2009. Construction though did not involve the removal of the dating classrooms and science wing, but added the new centre in the space which existed between the administration area and the top of the E Corridor. It houses Year 12 locker space, a computer laboratory, VCE School Administration and, amenities for Year 12 students. The centre was officially opened on December 18, 2009.
A new car park for teachers has also been built at this time, replacing the grassed area in front of the school.
Technology
The school contains four computer rooms, and three 'pods.' with each computer room being able to house a full class. L2/L4 rooms contain the newest computers. N4 located on the N corridor also have computers purchased in early 2005 - N4 is the computer room which lacks a "Smart Board." C2 is the other computer lab, also open at lunchtimes for students to complete assignments. The 'pods' are built in sections of computer labs, which are often used for student group tasks.
Technology in classrooms
The multimedia and ICT in several classrooms has been overhauled with "Smart Boards. which are electronic whiteboards" First introduced in 2005 at BSC to a handful of classrooms they provide Video/DVD playback, sound, and projection. The advanced interactive multimedia hubs are widespread around the school.
As well as normal projector systems, classrooms which contain Smart Board technology feature a normal projector which projects onto a specially designed board. This board has sensors - when using an electronic white board marker will project 'electronic ink' onto the Smart Board - a digital canvas. It also is fully interactive, and touch sensitive. Brighton Secondary is one of the first schools in Melbourne to use Smart Boards.
Computers
The main bulk are Dell computers (GX Series) based in "L" computer labs, "N4" and "C2." A number of iMacs were purchased for Media and Art. A netbook program was also introduced in 2011 for senior year levels and as of 2012, it has been expanded to all students at the school.
Discovery Centre
With construction beginning in 2005, the "Discovery Centre" was commissioned into use the following year.
Teachers
Headmasters
- 1955 - 1957 C.O. Holland
- 1958 - 1964 G.M. Stirling
Principals
- 1965 - 1965 G.M. Stirling
- 1965 - 1969 Leonard Albert Cooke (also, President of the Victorian High Schools Principals Association 1968 - 1989, Foundation President of the Australian High Schools Principals Association, 1969).
- 1970 - 1975 M. Brennan
- 1976 - 1981 G.E.P. Rowney
- 1982 - 1984 P.A. O'Brien
- 1985 - 1992 John Fowler
- 1992 - 1993 Phil Shireffs (Acting)
- 1994 - 1996 Phil Shireffs
- 1996–present Julie Podbury
Student distribution
The school offers Victorian Secondary School years 7 through 12, with VCE offered as their years 11 and 12 option.
In 2004, the school had a large young population (eight year-7 classes of approximately 25-30 students each) with a significantly smaller senior student body (five year-12 classes of approximately 18-22 students each).
International Student Programme
The college has a programme for international students, attracting students from countries such as China, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea and Taiwan.
Brighton Secondary College has a sister school in Japan - Tokoname Kita. Every second year the schools alternate in visiting each other with a large group of students and a few teachers who stay at the sister school. Housing is provided by the families at each of the two schools.
Student Representative Council
The student body is represented by a Student Representative Council (SRC) where four students are drawn from each year level, gender balanced at teachers' discretion and voted by peers.
The SRC serve to represent their year level and the general school body in the upper hierarchy (School Council/Principal/Teachers) in school. They run casual clothes days, special events and fund-raising for the student community or social justice issues.
SRC participates in an annual camp. The themes explore what the needs of the individual are as a person in SRC, and in the school community and in the world. Students enjoy getting to know their fellow members and to act more cohesively.
In collaboration with one of the teachers of the school, SRC has promoted Waste Wise management. A step in making the school cleaner and greener. Three rain-tanks have been installed and piped from the roof the gym. (The amount of space is equivalent to at least 2 basketball courts)
Brighton SC's Student Rep Council offer students a free voice by offering means of communication via email, and Myspace.[citation needed]
On September 19, 2007, the school ran the "Green Day Festival" environmental awareness day, with students being encouraged to wear head-to-toe green apparel, bring unpackaged lunches, and travel by environmentally-friendly means. It was the first event of its kind at the school.
SEAL Program
Brighton Secondary College offers a Select Entry Accelerated Learning program. The college is an approved Department of Education "Select Entry Acceleration Provider" to the Bayside Network. The first set started in 1999, whilst later years have the option of finishing school one year early. SEAL's who decide not to leave a year earlier have the opportunity to do a 3rd year of VCE, therefore allowing them to try/do more electives.
When vacancies open up due to SEAL students leaving BSC (quite often to Melbourne High School/ MacRobertson Girls High School) the school puts these spare positions up for grabs; a small percentage of the mainstream students (other school's students can also apply) are chosen, based on grades to sit an entrance test; consisting of Maths, English and Science. The students who score the highest are then accepted into the program.
Year 7 SEAL start with an altered curriculum to normal Year 7 studies. It integrates an amount of work usually intended for Year 8. Year 9 SEAL are identified as Year 10s, so as Year 10 SEAL identified as Year 11 etc.
School year levels
In 2006, plans were made to change the school structure for 2007. Each Year level has their "Year Level Co-Ordinator" as well as for sub-school there was a "Sub-School Manager." In previous years the school operated in three sections (defined as 'sub-school'):Junior (Years 7 and 8), Middle (Years 9 and 10), Senior (Years 11 and 12) - who wore the purple style jumpers.
As of 2007, restructuring changed the sub-schools into two sections. Junior (Years 7 - 9) and Senior (Years 10 - 12) (purple style jumpers). This has brought on a more typical configuration of a high school, similar to the US Education System. The Discovery Centre will mark the final year in the 'Junior' school. Though there is little change in where students physically learn, where the north section of the East Corridor houses the bulk of all Year 12 subjects and also incorporates many Year 11 subjects, and the odd Year 10 class.
Chorals
Chorals is one of the first key college events in the year. In its 50th year in 2011, Grant house were declared the winners.
Chorals is a house singing competition where each house forms their own choir from any number of students. Through a period of half a term, each house practises their repertoire of songs. On the main evening houses present these songs. Each house is required to sing a 'set song.' All houses sing this song, and the house then elects to sing two other songs decided by their Cultural Captain. The house that wins is decided by an adjudicator, usually from a professional background outside the school.
The other part of the evening are soloist performances. Each house chooses a representative for the house soloist competition. Over the past few years, the main theme for soloists are songs from 'musicals.' They are judged not only on their singing ability, but also the portrayal of their character.
As well as the House Chorals Award, and Soloist Award, there is an award for the Best House Conductor, or "The Golden Hands Award". As well as the house, and solo singing, staff are invited to perform a piece. In the past, further performances were done by the 'Special Choir' - which in the past involved a smaller choir, performing a set of songs based on a particular theme, often highlighting the spread of talent in the college. In more recent years, the concert band and piano solos have been arranged.
Houses
Brighton SC has student houses, each is named in honour of a ship captain. Each house is headed by a teacher, A House Captain, House Vice Captain, Junior House Captain and a Junior House Vice Captain. For Chorals a 'Cultural' captain is nominated to head each house as a conductor for the Chorals competition.
Students are split into four houses, also represented by a colour:
- Lonsdale (yellow)
- Phillip (green), after Captain Arthur Phillip, head of the First Fleet.
- Murray (red)
- Grant (purple)
Note: In 2004, a fifth house, Peter (blue), emerged to compete at the annual swimming sports. Peter never became a formal institution of the school and once more fell into obscurity.
Throughout the year there are key events such as:
- Chorals - House choir event
- Swimming - House swimming competition
- Athletics - House athletics competition
- Cross Country
Tournament of the Minds, and Debating were formerly House competitions, but in recent years have not been undertaken.
Music
The college offers instrumental music lessons. Brighton SC is also home to local youth bands.
The school has a Concert Band and a Stage Band. The Concert Band usually plays on Chorals and Presentation Evening. Both bands usually contain a variety of Instruments forming Woodwind, Brass, Rhythm sections.
The Kool Skool's program allows students from Brighton SC to fully develop their music talents. They are offered a recording studio, and a chance to professionally publish their music with Kool Skool's annually.
Television
In 2006/2007 (filming concluded on February 2, 2007) Brighton Secondary College became the set for Chris Lilley's new show Summer Heights High which premiered on the ABC on Wednesday 5 September 2007. Students starred as extras in the show.
On Monday 24 April 2006, XYZ Studios filmed a music video at Brighton Secondary College. The song “Hold On” by hip hop artist Phrase was a collaboration between Universal Music and XYZ Studios.
See also
- List of schools in Victoria
- List of high schools in Victoria