Smith's Hill High School
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| Smith's Hill High School | |
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| Motto | Promoting excellence in a spirit of trust and co-operation |
| Established | 1916 |
| School type | Selective High School |
| Principal | Rae Mitchell |
| Location | Wollongong, NSW, Australia |
| Colours | White and Blue |
| Homepage | www.smithshill-h.schools.nsw.edu.au |
Smith's Hill High School is the only selective school in Wollongong, Australia. It is located on the heart of Wollongong city. Established in 1916 under the name Wollongong High School, it offered the only senior education in the district. In 1958 Wollongong High School relocated. The existing school became Smith's Hill Girls High School, and the boys of the area attended Keira High School. In the 1970's Smith's Hill started to become co-educational. After a decline in student numbers, the Department of Education chose to set aside places to be filled through exam selections. Now, all students at the school are required to sit entrance exams.
Currently there are approximately 720 students in the school. 120 of the students who perform well in the selective schools examination are accepted every year, and if students drop out or change schools then students high on the original reserve list are offered places. Since a small number of students do not go on to complete years 11 and 12, these students' places are taken by new students in this fashion, so the number of students at the school is constant.
Although Smith's Hill is primarily a school acclaimed for academic achievement, students also excel in activities like sports and drama, and have built quite a reputation for their efforts in extracurricular activities (see below).
This has been the leading high school in the Wollongong district for several years according to Board of Studies figures.
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[edit] Administration
- Principal: Mrs. Rae Mitchell
- Deputy Principal: Mr. Rod Zabell
- Deputy Principal: Ms. S. Mearing & Ms. P. McGrath (relieving)
For a full list of staff visit:
Smith's Hill High School Staff List
[edit] Higher School Certificate
Students of Smith's Hill High School have consistently performed well in the Higher School Certificate examinations, with a majority of students each year registering high (above 90) University Admissions Indices. This tradition of success has been in the school for many years.
As a result of strong HSC performances, a high percentage of students from Smith's Hill High gain University entrance each year.
[edit] HSC Courses Offered
- Mathematics
- Mathematics
- General Mathematics
- Extension 1 Mathematics
- Extension 2 Mathematics
- English/History (Standard English is discouraged)
- Advanced English
- Extension 1 English
- Extension 2 English
- Modern History
- Ancient History
- Extension History
- Science
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Physics
- Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Social Science
- Economics
- Business Studies
- Geography
- Society & Culture
- Physical Education, Health and Personal Development (PE)
- Computers
- Information Processes & Technology
- Software Design & Development
- Design & Technology
- Engineering Studies (offered according to demand)
- Design & Technology
- Textiles
- Hospitality
- (Food Technology available through correspondence and canteen)
- Creative Arts
- Drama
- Music 1 & 2
- Music Extension
- Visual Arts
- LOTE
- German Continuers
- Japanese Continuers
- Japanese Extension
- French Continuers
- Other languages and extension courses available through Open High School
[edit] Extracurricular Activities
[edit] Rock Eisteddfod Challenge
Each year, Smith's Hill High School participates in the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge. Thanks in no small part to the dedication of staff (none more so than Mr Greg Carlon) and the hard work of the students, Smith's Hill has gained a reputation as an excellent participant in this competition as it has been in the Grand Final since 2004 and regularly gaining places in the Grand Final of this competition.
[edit] Tournament of Minds
Smith's Hill regularly submits a team to participate in the Tournament of Minds competition. The 1998 team were state finalists, before the 2002 and 2003 teams were successful in getting to the National Finals, and the 2005 team won at the national level.
[edit] School Production
In 2001, Smith's Hill High School produced its first Musical Theatre production in several years: Little Shop of Horrors. Since then, school productions have been staged each year, with the students continuing to be the driving force behind the shows.
[edit] Other
- Extracurricular Activities
- Dance Festival
- Debating
- Duke of Edinburgh Awards
- Young Achievement Australia
- Chess
- Sports
- Beach Walking
- Cricket
- Fishing
- Football (Rugby, AFL)
- Golf
- Gymanstics
- Kick Boxing
- Lawn Bowls
- Rock Climbing
- Self Defence
- Soccer
- Surfing
- Table Tennis
- Ten Pin Bowling
- Tennis
- Weight training
- Circus
