NORTH SYDNEY BOYS HIGH SCHOOL

'North Sydney Boys High School' is a public, selective high school for years 7-12 on Sydney's North Shore, established in 1915 according to the official street notice board. The Old Boys assert the school was actually begun off site in temporary classes in 1912. At the end of 1914 89 boys transferred to the permanent home on the corner of Falcon Street and Miller Street, Crows Nest. A decision is pending on whether the Centenary will be celebrated in 2012 or 2015.
The school has a long history of academic excellence prompting renowned educationist Sir James Darling, Headmaster of Geelong Grammar School, to write that "North Sydney is the equal of, if not better than, any private school in Australia" (Good Weekend Magazine). He was referring to the golden era of the 1950s and 60s when the school was an intellectual powerhouse and set numerous records in the published results of the old NSW Leaving Certificate. Many eminent careers started at that time - see Old Boys below.
North Sydney still performs well in Higher School Certificate results today. In the 2005, 2004 and 2003 NSW Higher School Certificate, North Sydney Boys was one of the top ranked boys school, and in 2004 had the 6th highest number of recipients of the Premier's 'All Rounders' Award in the state.

Contents

Building works

Curriculum

Departments

Courses

Years 7

Years 8

Years 9 & 10

Years 11 & 12

Extracurricular activities

Sport

Outdoor Education

Music and Drama

Leadership

Enrichment

Student Exchange

Business Competitions

Other

Old boys

See also

External links

Building works

North Sydney Boys High School is undergoing a major capital building program funded by the State and Federal Governments. In DA1, completed in about 2003, the Keele Street Lawn area was acquired and refurbished. In DA2, completed in 2005, new tennis courts and other building works were carried out. A new building that includes music rehearsal spaces, visual art classrooms and design and technology workshops have been finished in term 4 of 2006 and students have moved into the new building, now named 'J Block'. A dedicated music computer lab is also available in the new building.
Development Application 7, or DA7, is also currently under investigation and planning which includes a new library building.
The school community also recently completed a major upgrade of the AF Henry Hall in 2005.

Curriculum

Departments

Teaching at North Sydney Boys High is divided amongst 10 departments, each teaching a variety of related Board of Studies endorsed subjects. The departments are:

★ English

★ Mathematics

★ Science

★ Languages (LOTE) including Latin, Ancient Greek, French, German, Japanese, and Indonesian

★ Social Sciences (HSIE)

★ Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) including Music, Visual Arts, and Drama

★ Industrial Arts (Design and Technology)

★ Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education

★ Computing Studies & IT

★ Careers

Courses

While most courses operate as standard, acceleration is offered for Information Processes and Technology (IPT) and Software Design and Development (SDD), which allow these courses to be completed in Year 10 or 11.

Years 7

All students in Years 7 do the same subjects, which are ''English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Design & Technology, Visual Arts, Music, Languages'' (French, Indonesian, German, Japanese and Latin)'', and PD/H/PE''.

Years 8

In Years 8 the core subjects (''English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Design & Technology, PD/H/PE'') remain mandatory, with students allowed to choose two elective subjects (from ''Visual Arts, Music, Drama, Classical Greek, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Latin'').

Years 9 & 10

In Years 9 & 10 the core subjects (''English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, PD/H/PE'') remain mandatory, with students allowed to choose three elective subjects (from ''Visual Arts, Music, Drama, Commerce, Classical Greek, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Latin, Design & Technology, Technics (Wood, Metal), Technical Drawing'').

Years 11 & 12

In Year 11 & 12, students are given a full range of subject choices in preparation for the HSC (with the exception of English, which is mandatory). The subjects offered are ''English'' ''(Advanced, Extension I & II)'', ''Mathematics'' ''(Advanced, Extension I & II)'', ''Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Economics, Business Studies, Legal Studies, Ancient History, Modern History, Geography, Classical Greek, French (Continuers), Japanese (Beginners, Continuers, Extension), German (Beginners, Continuers), Indonesian (Beginners, Continuers), Latin (Continuers, Extension), Music 1 & 2, Visual Arts, Drama, PD/H/PE, IPT and SDD''.

Extracurricular activities

Sport

North Sydney Boys High School participates in sport against other schools in the Sydney North West Metropolitan Zone.
Other sport-related extracurricular activities include:

★ Falcon Sport (program of weekend sport)

★ Crawford Shield, an annual sporting and cultural exchange with Melbourne High School

★ Sports Carnivals (Cross Country, Swimming and Athletics Carnivals)

★ Third placed NSW High School Basketball Team

★ Third placed NSW Juniors Waterpolo Team

★ Premiers North-West Metropolitan Zone Cricket 2006/07

Outdoor Education

An outdoor education program involving annual school camps is promoted as encouraging a 'Challenge by Choice' mentality. This program includes camps to:

★ Year 7 - Cataract Scout Park, with Year 11 Peer Support Leaders

★ Year 8 - Mount Seaview

★ Year 9 - Hawkesbury River Pack and Paddle

★ Year 10 - Barrington Tops Whitewater Kayaking, Kurrajong Road Trip, Kangaroo Valley Canoe Camp or Brisbane Waters Sailing Trip

★ Year 11 - Jindabyne Snow Camp usually in conjunction with Burwood Girls High School
North Sydney Boys High School also encourages students to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

Music and Drama

North Sydney Boys High School is also home to a comprehensive and highly regarded jazz music education program. Performance groups from this program have toured internationally, and are regularly requested to play at a variety of public and private functions. The Big Band 1 was the equal first Australian school jazz band to be invited to perform at the annual International Association of Jazz Education conference in 2004. The jazz bands perform annually at the Merimbula Jazz Festival, on the New South Wales south coast.
Other music and drama related extracurricular activities include:

★ Concert Bands, Big Bands, Orchestra, Choir

★ Combined Vocal Ensemble with North Sydney Girls High School

★ Combined Annual Musical with North Sydney Girls High School

★ Drama Night

★ Drama Troupe

★ Page to Stage

Leadership

★ Prefecture

★ Students Representative Council

★ Charities Committee

★ Peer Mediation dispute settlement Program, and the NSW Law Society Peer Mediation SCRAM Competition

★ Peer Support Program with Year 7 and 11

Enrichment

★ Debating in which North Sydney Boys High School has a strong tradition having won the Intermediate (Years 9 and 10) NSW Premier's Debating Challenge for the last two years (2004 and 2005)

★ Chess

★ Public Speaking Club with North Sydney Girls High School

★ ISCF (Inter-School Christian Fellowship)

★ Dance Group

★ Mock Trial

Student Exchange

★ Cultural European Tour with North Sydney Girls High School

★ Japanese Language Exchange with Kokusai High School in Tokyo, Japan

Business Competitions

★ Young Achievers Program in which students develop a company for 6 months

★ Australian Stock Exchange Schools Share Market Game

★ AMP Business Studies Competition

★ Australian Business Week (North Sydney Boys High School came 2nd in ABW 2006 but had the highest ever share price recorded in the history of the game)

★ SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) Business Competition

Other

Other extracurricular activities include:

★ The Dodo Magazine - A satirical student publication. It is edited by students and overseen by staff to censor unsuitable material

★ Annual Yearbook Production named "The Falcon" magazine

★ Walk-a-Thon

★ Junior and Senior disco/dances with North Sydney Girls High School

★ Model Solar Car Challenge - Sunsprint

Old boys

Main articles: List of Old Falconians

See also

★ North Sydney Girls High School

★ List of Government schools in New South Wales

★ List of selective high schools in New South Wales

External links

★ North Sydney Boys High School website

★ NSW Department of Education and Training: North Sydney Boys High School

★ North Sydney Boys Jazz website