Kedron State High School
Encyclopedia
Kedron State High School is a Queensland public
secondary school
which is located in the inner-northern suburb of Wooloowin in Brisbane
, Australia
.
The school was opened in 1956, to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding North Brisbane population whose children were members of the post-World War II
baby boomer
generation.
Kedron is a co-educational and non-denominational school, renowned in Brisbane for offering a Special Education Unit for hearing-impaired
students and also for its accredited International Students Program.
The school vision is "...to become a traditional, multicultural academic (and) disciplined school of international significance where all students can fulfil the purpose of both state education and education at Kedron."
In 2007 the school joined the Healthy State system and removed a large proportion of junk food including all soft drinks.
first Resident Judge, Alfred Lutwyche. From the 1880s onward it was used as a racecourse which was later partially owned by businessman John Wren
in 1912.
Kedron was established in 1956; the school derives its name from a valley mentioned in the Bible
and located in Palestine
. Over the years, enrolment has ranged from 274 students in 1956 to 1700 in 1976. Since its inception, almost 20 000 students have attended Kedron. A language census conducted in 2003 revealed 38 languages were spoken within the school community.
Half way through each year, Kedron celebrates a week called 'Kedron Week' where for one week everyday, assemblies and activities are held to celebrate the many different activities the school holds. Also because the school is highly multi-cultural students from foreign countries greet the school on assembles in their own national language. Music, dancing, races, games and stories are usually put to show.
In 2006, Kedron celebrated their 50th anniversary.
in English
, Computer Science & Literacy
, Science and Writing
, and various other competitions. There have also been pupils selected to attend the National Youth Science Forum in Canberra
and national winners in the National History Challenge.
There is also a strong focus on school-leavers' performance in statewide academic rankings; Kedron's Queensland Core Skills Test
(QCS) preparation program has proven highly effective with 8 students in 2009 achieving an Overall Position
(OP) of 1, the highest possible rank in the state.
Kedron also has a very strong focus on the arts. The music program in Kedron is very high achieving. In 1975, a Kedron band travelled to Longreach to play at the opening of the Stockman's Hall of Fame
. They were followed 30 years later by a new generation of Kedron musicians to play at an anniversary celebration of the Hall's opening.
As of 2007, a Kedron student has become the third in three years to win the coveted Pierre de Coubertin Award for sporting excellence, an initiative of the Australian Olympic Committee
.
Government of Queensland
The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
secondary school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
which is located in the inner-northern suburb of Wooloowin in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, 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...
.
The school was opened in 1956, to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding North Brisbane population whose children were members of the post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
baby boomer
Baby boomer
A baby boomer is a person who was born during the demographic Post-World War II baby boom and who grew up during the period between 1946 and 1964. The term "baby boomer" is sometimes used in a cultural context. Therefore, it is impossible to achieve broad consensus of a precise definition, even...
generation.
Kedron is a co-educational and non-denominational school, renowned in Brisbane for offering a Special Education Unit for hearing-impaired
Hearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
students and also for its accredited International Students Program.
The school vision is "...to become a traditional, multicultural academic (and) disciplined school of international significance where all students can fulfil the purpose of both state education and education at Kedron."
In 2007 the school joined the Healthy State system and removed a large proportion of junk food including all soft drinks.
History
Kedron State High School is situated on 134 000 m² of land bordering Kedron Brook and Kedron Park. Originally inhabited by the Aboriginal Enoggera tribe, the site was also owned by Queensland'sQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
first Resident Judge, Alfred Lutwyche. From the 1880s onward it was used as a racecourse which was later partially owned by businessman John Wren
John Wren
John Wren was an Australian businessman. He has become a legendary figure thanks mainly to a fictionalised account of his life in Frank Hardy's novel Power Without Glory, which was also made into a television series...
in 1912.
Kedron was established in 1956; the school derives its name from a valley mentioned in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and located in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. Over the years, enrolment has ranged from 274 students in 1956 to 1700 in 1976. Since its inception, almost 20 000 students have attended Kedron. A language census conducted in 2003 revealed 38 languages were spoken within the school community.
Half way through each year, Kedron celebrates a week called 'Kedron Week' where for one week everyday, assemblies and activities are held to celebrate the many different activities the school holds. Also because the school is highly multi-cultural students from foreign countries greet the school on assembles in their own national language. Music, dancing, races, games and stories are usually put to show.
In 2006, Kedron celebrated their 50th anniversary.
Student achievements
Kedron is a traditional school which focusses primarily on scholastic excellence. Its students have achieved High Distinctions, Distinctions and Credits in Australasian Schools Competitions run by the University of New South WalesUniversity of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in English
Australasian Schools English Competition
The Australasian Schools English Competition is a literary competition open to school students in years 3-12 in Australia and New Zealand. It is run by the University of New South Wales Educational Testing Centre....
, Computer Science & Literacy
Australasian Schools Computer Competition
The Australasian Schools Computer Competition is an information technology-based competition open to school students in years 3-10 in Australia and New Zealand.It is run by the University of New South Wales Educational Testing Centre....
, Science and Writing
Australasian Schools Writing Competition
The Australasian Schools Writing Competition is a competition open to school students in years 3-12 in Australia and New Zealand. It requires participants to write in a specific genre, which changes every year, based on supplied stimulus material. The length of entries depends on the year...
, and various other competitions. There have also been pupils selected to attend the National Youth Science Forum in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and national winners in the National History Challenge.
There is also a strong focus on school-leavers' performance in statewide academic rankings; Kedron's Queensland Core Skills Test
Queensland Core Skills Test
The Queensland Core Skills Test is a statewide test completed by all Queensland year twelve students who wish to be eligible for an Overall Position and is optional for tertiary rank students. These ranks are used to gain entrance into tertiary degrees and courses...
(QCS) preparation program has proven highly effective with 8 students in 2009 achieving an Overall Position
Overall Position
The Overall Position is a tertiary entrance rank used in the Australian state of Queensland for selection into universities. Like similar systems used throughout the rest of Australia, the OP shows how well a student has performed in their senior secondary studies compared to all other OP-eligible...
(OP) of 1, the highest possible rank in the state.
Kedron also has a very strong focus on the arts. The music program in Kedron is very high achieving. In 1975, a Kedron band travelled to Longreach to play at the opening of the Stockman's Hall of Fame
Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame
The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame is a museum located in Longreach, Queensland, Australia, which pays tribute to pioneers of the Australian outback...
. They were followed 30 years later by a new generation of Kedron musicians to play at an anniversary celebration of the Hall's opening.
As of 2007, a Kedron student has become the third in three years to win the coveted Pierre de Coubertin Award for sporting excellence, an initiative of the Australian Olympic Committee
Australian Olympic Committee
The Australian Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee in Australia for the Olympic Games movement. It is a non-profit organisation that selects teams, and raises funds to send Australian competitors to Olympic events organised by the International Olympic Committee .-Background:The...
.
Sporting houses
There are four houses operating within the school. These are further divided into form classes, which hold meetings every morning to distribute news and information. The four houses are:- Bowen - named after Queensland's first GovernorGovernors of QueenslandThe Governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level....
Sir George BowenGeorge Ferguson BowenSir George Ferguson Bowen GCMG was a British colonial administrator whose appointments included postings to the Ionian Islands, Queensland , New Zealand, Victoria , Mauritius and Hong Kong....
- House colour: White and Black
- Griffith - named after former Queensland PremierPremiers of QueenslandBefore the 1890s, there was no developed party system in Queensland. Political affiliation labels before that time indicate a general tendency only. Before the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, political parties were more akin to parliamentary factions, and were fluid, informal and...
and Australian Chief JusticeChief Justice of AustraliaThe Chief Justice of Australia is the informal title for the presiding justice of the High Court of Australia and the highest-ranking judicial officer in the Commonwealth of Australia...
Sir Samuel Walker GriffithSamuel GriffithSir Samuel Walker Griffith GCMG QC, was an Australian politician, Premier of Queensland, Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia and a principal author of the Constitution of Australia.-Early life:...
- House colour: Red and White
- Lutwyche - named after Brisbane's first Resident Judge, Alfred Lutwyche
- House colour: Sky Blue and Dark Blue
- Wickham - named in honour of former Queensland Police MagistrateMagistrateA magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
John Clements WickhamJohn Clements WickhamJohn Clements Wickham was a naval officer, magistrate and administrator. He was a Lieutenant on HMS Beagle during her second survey mission from 1831 to 1836, which took the young naturalist Charles Darwin on what became the subject of his book, The Voyage of the Beagle...
- House colour: Green and Gold
Notable alumni
- Kenneth WiltshireKenneth WiltshireProfessor Ken Wiltshire AO is the J. D. Story Professor of Public Administration at the University of Queensland Business School. He is also the Australian Representative on the Executive Board of UNESCO and a member of the Commonwealth Grants Commission...
— professor at the University of QueenslandUniversity of QueenslandThe University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation... - Rowena WallaceRowena WallaceRowena Wallace is a Gold -Logie winning Australian actress, best known for her role as Patricia in Sons and Daughters.-Early life and budding career:...
— actress - Jason Barry-SmithJason Barry-SmithJason Barry-Smith is an Australian operatic baritone, vocal coach, composer and arranger. He works with organisations such as Opera Queensland, The Queensland Orchestra, Seven Network, and the Queensland Youth Choir.- Education :...
— opera singer - David Nilsson — baseball player, owner of Baseball Australia
- Adrianne Pope — scientist specialsing in IVF
- Bonny BarryBonny BarryVeronica Lesley "Bonny" Barry is an Australian politician. She was a Labor member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2009, representing the district of Aspley....
- LaborAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
MemberMembers of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 2006-2009This is a list of members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 2006 to 2009, as elected at the 2006 election:*Queensland state election, 2006*Beattie Ministry *Bligh Ministry...
for AspleyElectoral district of Aspley-External links:*...
in the Queensland Legislative AssemblyQueensland Legislative AssemblyThe Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
Footnotes
- Education Queensland International schools (2003).
Official EQI website - Australian Deafness Directory (2005).
Listing in Directory - Kedron State High School - About Kedron (2004).
School Vision and Purpose