Mansfield State High School is an independent public, co-educational secondary school of approximately 2200 students located in Mansfield, a suburb in Brisbane, Australia. The school established and opened in 1974. In recent years, the school has become prominent in the south side region for its academic performance, as well as its specific programs including the french immersion, Music and Information Technology programs.
Video Mansfield State High School
Campus
The school has a sole campus in Mansfield, adjacent to neighbouring Mansfield Primary School.
A new building, C Block, was constructed in late 2014 to accommodate the introduction of 300 Year 7 students, who have joined the secondary school in a statewide effort to bring Queensland's education system in line with other Australian states. The new building features over 40 new classrooms, including computer labs, graphics classrooms and science laboratories.
Maps Mansfield State High School
Academics
In 1990, six students received the lowest possible Tertiary Entrance (TE) score possible - 109. Before that the highest number of students gaining 990 in one year, was four, which had occurred twice. In 2007, 20 people received high distinctions for the English Competition.
In 2013, fifteen Year 12 students at Mansfield State High School attained an OP 1.
In 2015, the school produced an average NAPLAN score of 602, the highest in the southside patch, outperforming the Anglican Church Grammar School (598) and the Brisbane Boys' College (591). 31% of graduates in 2015 received an OP 1-5.
Mansfield's curriculum includes a range of disciplines including: Music; Mathematics; Film, Television and New Media; Science; English; Computer Technologies/Studies; Manual Arts; Health and Physical Education; LOTE (either French or Japanese); Business Enterprise; Art; Home Economics and SOSE (Study Of Society and Environment).
Music
Ensembles
The school's premier ensemble, Concert Band, has won the Queensland Music Festival for several years and in 2006 made it to the Grand Final of Fanfare (a Queensland music competition). In the past the band has been requested for performances such as the Commonwealth Games Torch Relay, Anzac Day ceremonies as well as private events. In 2013, under the direction of choral conductor Margaret Long, the school's Chorale performed in the biannual Education Queensland Choral Fanfare Gala Concert (representing the Queensland Metropolitan Region) In 2015 the Senior Choir Chorale participated in the Creative Generation State Schools on stage production as a feature choir ensemble.
Musical
The school produces a musical biannually, taking several months of preparation and rehearsals before three performances in early August by students under the direction and assistance of alumni, teachers, volunteers, backstage and technical crew. Prior to 2011, Mansfield musicals productions were directed by Deputy Principal, Rowena May, and the Principal, Murray Kay, who conducted the pit orchestra. At the end of 2010, both Rowena and Murray retired from teaching at Mansfield State High, and the school's music department was in charge of the productions from 2011. The school performed Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance with the head of department for Music, Marg Overs, leading the crew.
The 2016 musical was announced in early March to be Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey's Broadway musical, Grease. Past productions include: Beauty and the Beast (2014), The Wizard of Oz (2012), The Pirates of Penzance (2011), Cloudland (2010), Olivia (2009), The Dracula Rock Show (2008), The Three Musketeers (2007), Catwalk (2006), Pimpernel (2005), Sheik, Rattle and Roll (2004), Dirty Money (2003), Pan the Man (2002), and Gumshoe (2001).
A musical was not produced in 2013 due to Marg's absence at the beginning of the year. Instead, a variety concert showcasing music, dance, film and drama acts "Mansfield Ignites" was held.
Principals
The previous principal, Murray Kay, joined the school in 1990, the same year that the school's French Immersion program commenced.
In 2011, James Sloman became the principal after Kay retired in 2010. In 2014, Sloman oversaw the school's transition to an Independent Public School, before leaving.
In 2015, Karen Tanks became the principal after occupying the same role at Rochedale State High School for the previous five years. In 2018, she controversially oversaw a "clean shaven" policy for school photographs.
Sport
Many Mansfield sport teams have competed in Metropolitan Finals and the school has also produced students and graduates who represented Australia in international events - one Mansfield alumni student was gold medal Olympic diver, Matthew Mitcham.
Houses
Mansfield students and teaching staff are allocated a House in which they remain for their entire enrolment period at the school. This allocation is organised by the first letter of their family name. The four houses are named after people renowned for their work in peace:
- Hammarskjöld (Gold, family names A-D),
- Gandhi (Blue, E-K),
- Schweitzer (Green, L-P), and
- U Thant (Red, Q-Z).
Alumni
The members of successful bands Violent Soho and The Jungle Giants attended Mansfield State High School.
Mansfield has also had four divers go through the school, now all representing Australia at an international level, Loudy Wiggins (Bronze Medalist at Sydney), Matthew Mitcham, Sharleen Stratton (Gold Medalist) and Scott Robertson.
See also
- Education in Australia
- List of schools in Greater Brisbane
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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