Ku-ring-gai High School (KHS), formerly Ku-ring-gai Creative Arts High School (1996-2016) is a co-educational, state government high school. Situated in North Turramurra, on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, beside the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
Video Ku-ring-gai High School
School catchment area and student selection
As a New South Wales public high school, KCAHS has to accept all students living in its catchment area. The catchment covers locations in Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby councils, including Dangar Island.
The school also accepts, if there's space, those who "demonstrate outstanding ability and commitment in the creative arts in either dance, music, drama and/or visual arts ", as well as their siblings. Students who apply for enrolment under this criterion are required to provide a portfolio demonstrating this ability.
The school has also begun taking a large number of international and exchange students and is part of the International Students Program of the NSW Department of Education.
Maps Ku-ring-gai High School
Campus and facilities
The school features one of the last remaining bini domes (dome shaped hall) called the "Margret Preston Hall" and is one of the few public schools in NSW with a full sized hockey field.
History
The school opened its doors in February 1965 with its first group of year 7 students. KHS was the first of a second wave of new co-educational high schools built in the Sydney suburbs.
The school's first headmaster was Bill Eason, who promoted ideas of internationalism and peace, and later went on to found the Australian Independent School at North Ryde. During his time as headmaster, the school featured a large aviary in the front of the grounds. Bill Eason promoted an international outlook at the high school as well his other love: poetry. Students were exposed to many different types of poetry in his poetry classes and in general English classes. The first groups of students learned one of the poems of Rabindranath Tagore, "Mind Without Fear", from Gitanjali. The four houses, which are still part of the school today, and the names of the four original classroom buildings were set in 1965 - Churchill, Curie, Tagore, and Lincoln. Bill Eason selected these notable historical figures for their contributions in world leadership, science, poetry, and humanitarianism. The school colours were originally brown and gold.
Ku-ring-gai was a local high school until 1996 when Mrs B. Peatie became the headmistress and requested permission from the Department of Education to become selective in creative arts. This request was granted, and at that time there were only a few hundred students. Since then, there has been an increase in students at Ku-ring-gai, with numbers at one point rising to 900.
In 2015 Ku-ring-gai Creative Arts High School celebrated its 50th year and in 2016 reverted to the name "Ku-ring-gai High School".
Creative Arts
Creative arts groups
The school has the following official performance groups:
- The Ku-ring-gai Singers (choir)
- Senior Vocal Ensemble
- Wind Ensemble
- Junior Jazz Band
- Senior Jazz Ensemble
- Drama Ensemble
- Dance Ensemble
Student members of the school choir as well as a number of dancers are selected to perform at the Arts Unit's Schools Spectacular each year. The school's singers, instrumentalists, and dancers frequently participate in Arts Unit events, eisteddfods, and external performances.
Musicals
The school regularly hold musicals, usually biennially:
- 2000 - Aladdin
- 2004 - The Wiz
- 2006 - Little Shop of Horrors
- 2008 - Seussical the Musical
- 2011 - High School Musical on stage!
Notable alumni
- Catherine Jinks - author
Jayden Pan - Unfortunately killed in 2013 due to HIV. The Jayden Pan Memorial can be found in Woy Woy Bay
See also
- List of Government schools in New South Wales
- List of creative and performing arts high schools in New South Wales
References
External links
- Ku-ring-gai High School website
- NSW Department of Education and Training: Ku-ring-gai High School
Source of article : Wikipedia
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