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Normanhurst Boys' High School

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Cdlw93 (talk | contribs) at 05:47, 6 May 2010 (Updated reference for HSC results- Daily Telegraph more reliable than Bored of Studies). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Template:Infobox Aust school Normanhurst Boys' High School is an academically selective, Public, high school for boys, located in Normanhurst, on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Established on 28 January 1958 and operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training (DET), the school currently caters for approximately 720 students from Years 7 to 12.[1] The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008. The school is affectionately known as "Normo"

In 2009, Normanhurst Boys' High School ranked second in Higher School Certificate (HSC) results in the Hornsby region, behind Hornsby Girls' High School.[2]

History

In 1957 there were five schools on the Hornsby School site a little way to the north of the shopping centre; an infants school, a boys’ primary school; a girls’ primary school, a boys’ junior technical school and a girls’ domestic science school.

The junior tech and the domestic science school catered for the students for the three years that followed primary school.

The infants school and the two girls’ schools were on the western side of the Pacific Highway; the two boys’ schools were on the eastern side, so that the busy highway, then the main road to the north, firmly marked a separation of the two sexes that began at the end of the infants school.

On Saturday 30 November 1957, a raging bushfire destroyed most of the buildings on the western side of the Pacific Highway (the two girls’ schools and the infant’s school; twenty-four classrooms in all).

The accumulated achievements of over half a century were wiped out in a few hours. On the eastern side of the highway, however, there was no damage to speak of and all the boys’ classrooms remained quite usable.

The first concern of the authorities was what to do to accommodate the students whose classrooms had been destroyed. As a first step, some were sent on an extended Christmas holiday. Over the holidays, a plan was settled on. The undamaged buildings on the western side of the highway would continue in use, and the rest of the girls’ classes and all the infants would move across the highway into the boys’ schools, and room would be made for them by moving the junior tech boys out of the site altogether.

This move occurred at the start of the first term of 1958. The infant’s school moved into the former manual rooms of the junior technical school and the girls were all accommodated in the other buildings.

Not far away at Normanhurst, stood a brand new boys’ school with many empty classrooms. It was to this school that the boys moved even though none of their classrooms had been destroyed in the fire.

Along with the boys came their teachers, the school cadet unit, some library books and a quantity of equipment. Unfortunately, the one thing they could not bring with them was their gymnasium.

The arrival of the boys from Hornsby was not part of the original plans for Normanhurst. It had been intended to open the new high school with first year pupils only. Because of the fire however, the school began with three separate years.

Just as the mythical Phoenix rose from the ashes, so too did Normanhurst boys ‘rise from the ashes of the former schools’. *Because of this, the school's magazine is called Phoenix.

Selective School

From 1958 until 1993 Normanhurst Boys High School was a comprehensive school. In 1993 the then State Liberal government designated Normanhurst as an academically selective school to commence from the Year 7 entry in 1994. From 1999 Normanhurst has been fully selective, one of only 17 fully selective public schools in the state

Structure

Normanhurst Boys' High School is an academically selective high school and accepts only 120 students in year 7, from those who have passed the Selective High Schools Examination in year 6.[3] Some students may be accepted into years 8 to 11, but applications must be made directly to the school.[4] Students are not normally accepted into year 12.

Facilities

The school has an area of 6.3 hectares, and is within seven minutes walk of Normanhurst railway station.[5]

Normanhurst Boys' is home to one of the first Soundhouse music studios in NSW. The Soundhouse music studio has some of the most professional music composing and editing software available (including Sony Acid Pro 6). It is also one of many rooms with a 'SmartBoard'[citation needed]

Sport

Normanhurst Boys' High School comes under the North West Metropolitan Sports Association. The sporting year is divided into Summer and Winter, and boys are able to select sports they wish to play throughout the semester.[6] Boys can play grade sport, representing the school in inter-school competitions, or social sport, not competing against other schools.[6]

The school also holds annual swimming and athletics carnivals,[6] as well as an annual cross country event.

In 2009, Macquarie Boys' High School in the Parramatta closed down due to the lack of students. This school held one of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Torch Relay Torches due to the coincidence of the school opening the same day the relay passed. The torch has been recently gifted to Normanhurst Boys' High School to note the achievement of being the school that has won the most sporting carnivals. Today, the Torch sits proudly in the schools trophy cupboard near the administration office.

Co-curricular activities

Many clubs and societies are on offer to students. These include a Debating & Public Speaking Society;[7][8] Chess Club;[9] The Student Newspaper Committee (Yet Another Paper - YAP); a Christian group, named Connect (Formerly 'Thank God It's Friday'); and the Bridge Club. At one stage, the school had an active Political Society, and a Philosophical Society named the Socrates Society. Also, a Gardening and Environmental Association took place during 2007, in which a select group of students successfully renovated the school greenhouse - which had been neglected by the school due to lack of government funding, for years.

Normanhurst Boys' runs a concert band and a stage band, a small jazz ensemble, a vocal ensemble, a string ensemble and a number of smaller bands formed by students. Notable tours include trips to the Gold Coast and the 2005 USA Tour.[10]

Normanhurst Boys' also participates in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme.[11]

Normanhurst Boys' runs an annual school excursion for Year Seven students to Jenolan Caves and the Central West. The excursion has been running for 50 years.[citation needed]

Normanhurst Boys' is close to its "sister" school, Hornsby Girls, holding dances, Australian Business Week together and every two years a joint stage production between the two schools is performed. To celebrate the 50th anniversary, 2008 saw a production of Grease.[citation needed]

Notable alumni

Politics, public service and the law
Science, medicine and academia
  • Emeritus Professor Geoff Kiel; academic, consultant and company director; Professor of Management (from 1983) and Head, Graduate School of Management (1981-1991) at the University of Queensland, later Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Business at the University of Notre Dame Australia[17]
  • Professor Ian Plimer, geologist and academic[18]
  • Professor Philip Bohle, academic, Professor (from 1999) and Head of School (2000-2003), The University of New South Wales; Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney (2008+)[19]
Business and industry
Entertainment, media and the arts
Sport

See also

References

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference AnnualReport2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "HSC 2009" (PDF). The Daily Telegraph. News Limited.
  3. ^ "Year 7". Normanhurst Boys' High School. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  4. ^ "Years 8 - 12". Normanhurst Boys' High School. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  5. ^ "Welcome to Normanhurst Boys' High School". Normanhurst Boys' High School. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  6. ^ a b c "Sport Policy". Normanhurst Boys' High School. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
  7. ^ "Junior Debating and Public Speaking". Normanhurst Boys' High School. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  8. ^ "Senior Debating and Public Speaking". Normanhurst Boys' High School. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  9. ^ "Chess". Normanhurst Boys' High School. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  10. ^ "Music". Normanhurst Boys' High School. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  11. ^ "Duke of Edinburgh Award". Normanhurst Boys' High School. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  12. ^ Costar, Brian (2007-11-06). "Independent federal politician did it his way". Melbourne, Victoria: The Age. p. 11. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ a b c d e "Normanhurst Boys High". School Choice. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
  14. ^ Wright, Tony (1997-07-19). "The man they couldn't bash out of politics to quit prized Labor seat". The Sydney Morning Herald. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  15. ^ "Swearing In Ceremony Of The Honourable Ian Gordon Harrison". Supreme Court of New South Wales. 2007-02-12. Retrieved 2008-01-22.
  16. ^ "FAREWELL CEREMONY OF THE CHIEF JUDGE OF THE LAND AND ENVIRONMENT COURT JUSTICE PETER MCCLELLAN" (PDF). Land and Environment Court of New South Wales. 2005-09-01. Retrieved 2008-01-22.
  17. ^ http://www.mmri.mater.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=71
  18. ^ Johnson, Anne (2006-05-28). "The coffin, the Ark & the Prof". The Sunday Mail. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  19. ^ http://www.fhs.usyd.edu.au/ageing_work_health/work_health/our_people/philip_bohle.shtml
  20. ^ Schulze, Jane (2002-09-26). "Game on - Winning view from the Hill". Canberra, ACT: The Australian. p. B.01. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  21. ^ Middap, Christine (2001-12-20). "Former actor jailed for drug trafficking". Brisbane, Queensland: The Courier-Mail. p. 2. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  22. ^ Wilkins, Phil (1999-11-12). "Players go back to fielding school, hoping to catch on; PAKISTAN TOUR". The Sydney Morning Herald. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
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