Bentleigh Secondary College
 |
| Bentleigh Secondary College | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
Australia | |
| Information | |
| Motto | "Being the Best You Can Be" |
| Established | 1956 |
| Closed | Private |
| School district | Beachside |
| Principal | Karen Wade |
| Colour(s) | Blue and Maroon |
| Website | bentleighsc.vic.edu.au |
Bentleigh Secondary College is a coeducational public high school in East Bentleigh, Melbourne, Australia. Established in 1956, it has been renamed several times before becoming Bentleigh Secondary College. The Principal is Mrs. Karen Wade.
Bentleigh Secondary College is currently in the process of being redeveloped. In stage one of the building program, funded by the state government, a new performing arts centre, administration block, and sports stadium were built. The building that was previously the college library has been converted into a VCE centre. A new science block has also been completed in late 2008, following the demolition of what was previously B-block and C-block.
Campus
The college is made up of eight main buildings:
- A-Block, consisting of about eight classrooms along a long corridor, is one of the oldest buildings in the school. Several of the classrooms have been purpose-built for science lab sessions, while others are for general use. Typically, science and maths classes are held here. Year 9 lockers are housed beside this block.
- D-Block is used primarily for art, IT and LOTE classes. It also contains year 10 lockers.
- E-Block consists of several specialty classrooms including the woodwork, textiles and automotive rooms. It also features three general purpose classrooms. This block, which also houses year 7, 11 and 12 lockers, is structurally dependent on the sports stadium.
- The Administration Block was built in stage one of the college's building program. It consists of offices, conference rooms, a staff room, the sick bay and the library. Only two food technology rooms and the library are used for classes.
- The Performing Arts Centre was converted in 2006 from the Bertrand-Mitchell Hall (a dual purpose, sports and theatre building). While the same structure was kept, the interior was completely refurbished. The centre currently boasts a main theatre area, foyer, dance room, drama room, two music classrooms and music practise rooms. Featuring retractable tiered seating, it is also attached to the canteen.
- The Sports Stadium, informally known by students as "the barcode" due to its prominent design, boasts two sports courts and changerooms. Heavily utilised by sports and P.E. classes, the stadium is also rented to the community, and sports organisations such as basketball teams are based there.
- The VCE Centre was converted from the former library. It has an open plan style with teachers' desks at the centre, several classrooms, and generous study space. It is used by students, particularly those in year 12, undertaking VCE studies.
- The Science Block was completed under stage two of the college's building program, and incorporates the college library. Year 8 lockers are located beside this block.
B-Block and C-Block, both chiefly consisting of general purpose classrooms, were demolished under the college's building program. C-Block also had several textiles, food technology and IT rooms.
The college grounds include a sustainable garden, a football oval and soccer pitches.
LOTE
One of three languages can be learnt. Students choose from learning Japanese, Indonesian or Greek and attend three periods of their eleceted language per week for Year 7 and 8. After Year 8, LOTE becomes an elective subject however in most years there have been insufficient numbers to continue running a higher level Indonesian or Greek class.
Curriculum Outline: In Japanese, in addition to normal language leaning, students are offered a variety of cultural activities such as cooking, singing songs, learning calligraphy, observing martial arts and tea ceremony demonstrations and wearing kimono. Eager students participate in the state-wide speech contest and students from Bentleigh Secondary College have consistently won one of the top three prizes, for many years. Our school offers students the opportunity to participate in a Japan Tour. Senior Japanese classes are taught by Miho Okutsu, who also presides over the curriculum for junior classes.
Gifted & Talented Program
In an effort to entice students to study at Bentleigh Secondary College, the college has implemented a Gifted & Talented Program whereby students, based on the results of a standardised test undertaken before entering high school, of high intellect or promise are grouped into one class until the end of year nine. This enables a learning environment where the class can move at a faster pace as the teacher does not have to focus on struggling students.
Performing arts
Performing arts at Bentleigh Secondary College consists of music, drama and dance. With the option to study an instrument, there are several well-developed school bands. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble is the most senior of the bands made up of brass, woodwind and percussion players. This ensemble competed in the Advanced Concert Band section of the Melbourne School Bands festival for the first time in 2009. This band is conducted by Mrs Emily Furlong, who is also the head of the music program. The some of the other staff in the music program are; Mrs Kirsty Mechielsen, Miss Laura Sullivain and Ms Clare MacFarlene. There is also an Intermediate Concert Band and Year 7 Concert Band. There are Senior, Intermediate and Junior Jazz Bands, which perform at the annual "Big Band Boogie" and on concert nights. The school also has senior and junior traditional West African Drumming groups. Bentleigh Secondary College is one of two schools in Victoria that have an African drumming ensemble. The school has a brilliant music program.
Every year in the third term, a school production is performed. Past productions have included Fame, The Witches (which toured local primary schools), Alice In Wonderland, Urinetown, Under Milk Wood, Annie, and The Truth. The current head of Drama is Miss Jacinta Egan, who has directed the last two productions of the school, 'Annie' (Which starred Darcy Dan and Claire Bowley as Annie) and 'The Truth', starring Chirs Stanlake, Elaura Carter, Josh Reuben, Emily Zienow, Tom Arthur, Stuart Mitchell, and Shaun Young {See Shaun Young(Actor)}.
Subjects
VCE/ Year Twelve subjects offered in 2009:
Automotive (VET)
Biology
Business Management
Chemistry
Drama
English
Food Technology
Further Mathematics
Health and Human Development
History- Revolutions
Hospitality (VET)
IT- Applications
Japanese
Legal Studies
Literature
Mathematical Methods
Media
Music
Physical Education
Phyics
Psychology
Specialist Mathematics
Studio Art
Visual Communication and Design
VCE Performance
Being a non-selective state school, Bentleigh Secondary College tends to achieve average VCE results. In 2008, a pass rate of 97% and a median study score of 28 was attained by the relatively small year twelve cohort.
Fire incident
At approximately 3:00 am on February 10, 2008, two police officers saw smoke coming from the school and a car leaving this area. The fire has caused more than $100,000 in damage, however the decision of the officers to proceed to the cause of the smoke rather than pursue the culprits prevented further destruction.[1]