Figtree High School
| Figtree High School | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | |
| Figtree, New South Wales, Australia | |
| Coordinates | 34°26′22″S 150°51′16″E / 34.43944°S 150.85444°ECoordinates: 34°26′22″S 150°51′16″E / 34.43944°S 150.85444°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Public, secondary, Co-educational, Day School |
| Established | 1969 |
| Principal | Carol Marshman |
| Enrolment | ~1100 (7-12)[1] |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colour(s) | Navy Blue & White |
| Website | http://www.figtree-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/ |
Figtree High School is a comprehensive public high school located on Gibsons Road in Figtree, a suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
Contents |
[edit] History
Figtree High School was established in 1969, with 242 First Form students enrolling as the first students to attend. The first principal of the school was Ken Brokenshire, with Robert Everitt, the Deputy Principal and nine assistant teachers. Because construction of the school was not finished at the time, students and teachers borrowed furniture from Dapto High School and attended classes in seven portable buildings in the grounds of Dapto High School. Construction finally finished in July 1969, being announced "Australia's most modern high school" by the local newspaper,[citation needed] and students re-located back to their new building in Gibsons Road.
The school was built to be within sight of the famous, historic Figtree, adopting it as its emblem. But in 1987, the tree was removed as a safety precaution and a new fig tree was planted in 1997. Of the original 242 students enrolled in 1969, 87 elected to enter the Senior School and completed their Higher School Certificate in 1974. Figtree High School now has approximately 1100 in enrolment.[2]
[edit] Enrolment
Currently there are approximately 1100 students in the school.
[edit] Staff
The current principal of Figtree High School is Carol Marshman, with the current two Deputy Principals being Raechell McCarthy and Jennifer French. There are 52 classroom teachers and a total of approximately 100 staff members. Many staff members are behaviour teachers, physical disability teachers and school assistants.
[edit] Notable Achievements
[edit] Enterprise Education
In 1999, the school was a part of Australian Business Week, where students would form 'companies' and run a four million dollar business for a simulated two year period.
Since then, Figtree High School has taken part each year, but in 2008 won first position. This took the team of students (ranging from Years 10 to 12) to the next stage, the Global Enterprise Challenge, where they won second place to New Zealand. The challenge involved designing and implementing a system to aid water conservation around the world. Figtree's design, the 'Hydro Shift Program', was a household water usage monitor, that allowed users to set goals to reduce their consumption and water bills. Twelve other countries including Germany, Norway, Wales and the United States of America also took part. This position was the highest to be received by any Australian team in the global stage of the competition.
[edit] Sport
Figtree High School has also been noted for its achievements in sport, sending many representative teams and individuals for state competitions within New South Wales. Students have respresented Australia in sports such as athletics, rguby league, swimming, water polo, basketball, tennis and snow sports.
[edit] Extra-Curricular
Figtree High School has also organised a number of overseas study tours for those students undertaking ancient history. This has involved trips with staff and keen family members to relevant locations within Italy and Greece.
The school has also been involved in a number of exchange programs. A number of students within the school undertaking language courses have won ten week scholarships to Germany, and other students have travelled to South Korea.
[edit] Music, Dance and Drama
Figtree High School has put on a number of musical productions including the 2008 production of "The Course of True Love", written by a teacher at the school and the 2010 production of "Grease: The Musical".
[edit] Media
In March 2011, the Illawarra Mercury reported that students at the school had been banned from hugging on school grounds. Despite denials from the school, students insisted this was what had been stated at the school assembly. It is not known if this rule has been enforced.
[edit] Notable alumni
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This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability or notability policies. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources cited within this article showing they are notable and alumni or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (March 2011) |
- Stephen Black - former NBL basketball player (Year 12 1996)
- Dan Bradley - Nova Group Program Director (Year 10 1986)
- David Farmer - Current CEO of Wollongong City Council (Year 12 1981)
- Brian Hetherington - former professional rugby league player, state representative
- Garry Jack - former professional rugby league player player, national representative (Year 12 1978)
- Phil Jaques - former Australian cricketer (Year 12 1996)
- Ashley Paske - former actor in Neighbours now voiceover professional (Year 10 1986)
- Steve Roach - former professional rugby league player, national representative
- Jason Ryles - professional rugby league player, national representative (Year 12 1996)
- Paul Stanhope - music composer (Year 12 1987)
- Carolyn Watson - Conductor and Music Educator
[edit] References
- ^ "Figtree High School". School Locator. NSW Public Schools. http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/?section=showRecord&code=8449. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
- ^ "History of Figtree High School". http://www.fhs.nsw.edu.au/history.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
