St George Christian School
Encyclopedia
St George Christian School is an independent
, co-educational, day school
, located in Hurstville
and Sans Souci
, both suburbs of southern
Sydney, in the St George
area of New South Wales
, Australia
.
Established in 1981, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy, and currently caters for approximately 800 students from Kindergarten
to Year Twelve
. Students come to St George Christian School mainly from the southern Sydney region.
St George Christian School is a member of Christian Schools Australia.
St George Christian School was founded by five local Christian families in February 1981, with nine students from Kindergarten to Year 4. By 1984 the school was operating out of two campuses, and the first Year 12 class graduated in 1989. The first teacher was Mrs Hazel Burns. The school moved to double streaming in 1995 and triple streaming from Year 7 in 2003. The school implemented a Middle School in 2008 to cater for the specific needs of early adolescence. From 2009, there are four departments representing the particular educational needs of each stage of development.
es: the main school at Hurstville (Junior, Middle and Senior Schools and the School Office), and the Infants at Sans Souci.
Facilities at the main campus include a Library
, Science
Laboratories, Computer Lab
s, Music
, Visual Arts
and TAS classrooms.
for all years.
A Student Support Program is provided to assist students in particular areas of learning where assistance is given on either individual and/or small group basis.
A Student Enrichment Program is offered to students commencing in Year 1 to provide a variety of challenging learning opportunities to those students who require particular extension.
A Student Support Program is provided to assist students in particular areas of learning where assistance is given on either individual and/or small group basis.
and study a program that comprises three elective classes and Christian Principles and Relationships (CPR), as well as the courses mandated by the Board of Studies. The compulsory core subjects are: English, Mathematics, Science, Australian History and Geography, and PDHPE.
Electives are chosen from:
In the final school stage (Years 11 and 12) students are prepared for the New South Wales Higher School Certificate. The Board of Studies requires Stage 6 students to study a minimum of 12 units in the Preliminary Year and 10 units in their HSC Year (most subjects being worth 2 units). HSC English
is compulsory.
Students may choose from the following:
In addition, students may study VET subjects at local TAFE
campuses.
Year 9 - Bronze Level
Year 10 - Silver Level
Year 11 - Gold Level
:
Houses form the basis for sporting and cultural competitions or interactions within the School, including:
's Top 200 Schools in NSW in 2004, 2005 and 2008.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, co-educational, day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
, located in Hurstville
Hurstville, New South Wales
Hurstville is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hurstville is located 16 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Hurstville is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of...
and Sans Souci
Sans Souci, New South Wales
Sans Souci is a southern Sydney suburb in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sans Souci is 17 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Rockdale and the Municipality of Kogarah. It is part of the St George area.Sans...
, both suburbs of southern
Southern Sydney
This article refers to an area the same as a combination of St George and SutherlandSouthern Sydney is a general term which is used to describe the southern metropolitan area of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia....
Sydney, in the St George
St George, New South Wales
St George Area is an unofficial name applied to a group of southern suburbs in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The area includes all the suburbs in the local government areas of the City of Hurstville, the City of Rockdale and the Municipality of Kogarah...
area of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Established in 1981, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy, and currently caters for approximately 800 students from Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to Year Twelve
Year Twelve
Year Twelve is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It is sometimes the twelfth year of compulsory education, or alternatively a year of post-compulsory education...
. Students come to St George Christian School mainly from the southern Sydney region.
St George Christian School is a member of Christian Schools Australia.
St George Christian School was founded by five local Christian families in February 1981, with nine students from Kindergarten to Year 4. By 1984 the school was operating out of two campuses, and the first Year 12 class graduated in 1989. The first teacher was Mrs Hazel Burns. The school moved to double streaming in 1995 and triple streaming from Year 7 in 2003. The school implemented a Middle School in 2008 to cater for the specific needs of early adolescence. From 2009, there are four departments representing the particular educational needs of each stage of development.
- Infants School - Kindergarten - Year 2
- Junior School - Years 3 - 5
- Middle School - Years 6 - 8
- Senior School - Years 9 - 12
Principals
| Period | Details |
|---|---|
| 1984 – 1991 | Mr Bill Boon |
| 1992 – 1999 | Mr Colin Anderson |
| 1999 – 2004 | Mr James Honor (Years K-6) & Mr Ian O'Harae (Years 7-12) |
| 2005 – Present | Mr James Honor |
Campus
St George Christian School has two campusCampus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
es: the main school at Hurstville (Junior, Middle and Senior Schools and the School Office), and the Infants at Sans Souci.
Facilities at the main campus include a Library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
Laboratories, Computer Lab
Computer lab
A computer lab, also known as a computer suite or computer cluster is typically a room which contains many networked computers for public use...
s, Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, Visual Arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
and TAS classrooms.
Curriculum
St George Christian School is a co-educational school with a traditional academic approach designed to prepare students for life beyond their studies. The school is registered and accredited with the New South Wales Board of Studies, and therefore follows the mandated curriculumCurriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
for all years.
Infants and Junior Schools
Kindergarten to Year 5 study the six Key Learning Areas: English, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Human Society and its Environment (HSIE), Creative Arts, Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE). A distinct feature of Infants and Junior Schools is a dedicated sports teacher who coordinates all sport, PE and carnivals. Students are also involved in a systematic Bible program, along with daily devotions and many times of prayer and praise.A Student Support Program is provided to assist students in particular areas of learning where assistance is given on either individual and/or small group basis.
A Student Enrichment Program is offered to students commencing in Year 1 to provide a variety of challenging learning opportunities to those students who require particular extension.
Middle school
Year 6 continue to study the six Key Learning Areas: English, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Human Society and its Environment (HSIE), Creative Arts, Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE). Beginning in Year 7, Science and Technology becomes two distinct subjects, Creative Arts also divides into Visual Arts and Music as their own subjects and students begin Chinese (Mandarin) Christian Principles and Relationships (CPR) and a subject fairly new called learning to learn (L to L) . Weekly sport afternoons are a component of the Middle School curriculum.A Student Support Program is provided to assist students in particular areas of learning where assistance is given on either individual and/or small group basis.
Senior School
In Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10), students are prepared for the School CertificateSchool Certificate
The School Certificate was a qualification issued by the Board of Studies, New South Wales, typically at the end of Year 10. The successful completion of the School Certificate is a requirement for completion of the Higher School Certificate...
and study a program that comprises three elective classes and Christian Principles and Relationships (CPR), as well as the courses mandated by the Board of Studies. The compulsory core subjects are: English, Mathematics, Science, Australian History and Geography, and PDHPE.
Electives are chosen from:
In the final school stage (Years 11 and 12) students are prepared for the New South Wales Higher School Certificate. The Board of Studies requires Stage 6 students to study a minimum of 12 units in the Preliminary Year and 10 units in their HSC Year (most subjects being worth 2 units). HSC English
New South Wales HSC English
English is the only compulsory subject for the award of the Higher School Certificate at the end of secondary schooling in New South Wales, Australia. Marks gained in at least two units of English must also be included in the calculation of the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank used to determine...
is compulsory.
Students may choose from the following:
In addition, students may study VET subjects at local TAFE
Technical and Further Education
In Australia, training and further education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System/Australian Qualifications Framework/Australian Quality Training Framework...
campuses.
Infants School
- Individual Piano Lesson
- Percussion
- Sensory Integration Program
- Specialist Music Teacher
- Specialist Sports Teacher
- Speech and Drama
- Interschool Hockey Competition with local private and public schools.
Junior School
Students are encouraged to be involved in a wide range of activities including:- Band and Training Band
- Choir
- Interschool Hockey Competition with local private and public schools.
- Individual and Small Group Music Lessons
- Jump Rope Team
- Musical Performance
- Percussion
- Speech & Drama
- Specialist Sports Teacher
- Student Representative Council
- Leadership Training
Middle school
Students are encouraged to be involved in a wide range of activities including:- Band
- Choir
- Excellence Groups: Athletes, Artists, Agriculturalists, Archaeologists, Debaters, Demographers, Philosophers and Writers
- Voice Ensemble
- Chess Club
- Drama Club
- Hockey (Interschool)
- Jump Rope Team
- Leadership Team
- Percussion
- Robotics Club
- Science Club
- Scrabble Club
- Speech and Drama
- Student Representative Council
- Year 6 combine with Junior School students for interschool sports teams and carnivals
- Years 7 and 8 combine with Senior School students for interschool sports teams and carnivals.
Senior School
Students are encouraged to be involved in a wide range of activities including:- 'Pulse' - Senior School fellowship group which meets weekly and is run by Year 12 Prefects
- Band & Percussion - Private Tuition and band leadership provided during school hours
- Senior School Music Ensembles: String Group, Senior Band and Chapel Band
- 'JFK' - resident Jazz Band which performs at all official school functions. Audition required.
- 'Beyond Ourselves' - outreach group that meets regularly to plan the schools outreach vision of 'Beyond Ourselves'
- Science Club.
Outdoor Education
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme is offered to all students in Year 9-11 and students are encouraged to complete the three year training involved. Camping and hiking expeditions which are a compulsory element of the Scheme are undertaken over weekends. As part of the schools pastoral approach, these camps and hikes are supervised by teachers who enjoy spending time outside the classroom with their students.Year 9 - Bronze Level
Year 10 - Silver Level
Year 11 - Gold Level
House system
Upon entry to the School, each student is allocated, according to age and gender, or family tradition, to one of the four HousesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
:
Houses form the basis for sporting and cultural competitions or interactions within the School, including:
- Athletics Carnivals
- Cross Country
- Swimming Carnivals
- 'House Day' - students from Years 7-12 are involved in a Gala Day of various sporting tournaments.
Academic achievement
The school was named in The Daily Telegraph (Australia)The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
's Top 200 Schools in NSW in 2004, 2005 and 2008.