Perth Modern School

Infobox Aust school
name = Perth Modern School


motto = "Savoir C'est Pouvoir"
"Knowledge is Power"
established = 1911
type = Selective, Public, Co-educational, Day school
principal = Dr. Robyn White
city = Perth
state = W.A
country = Australia flagicon|Australia
campus = Subiaco
enrolment = ~ 1000
colours = Blue, Yellow & Red color box|#000080color box|#FFD700color box|#FF0000 | homepage = [http://www.perthmodernschool.det.wa.edu.au/ perthmodernschool.det.wa.edu.au]

Perth Modern School is an academically selective, Public, co-educational high school, located in Subiaco, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia.

Perth Modern School, by its centenary in 2011, will become a purely academic selective school, catering for students with high academic ability. The first cohort of Gifted and Talented students commenced at Perth Modern School in 2007.

Perth Modern School has run a specialised Music program for students in Years eight to twelve. As well as Music, Perth Modern School offers a specialised Ballet course with the Graduate College of Dance.

History

Perth Modern School was established as the first Government senior secondary school in Western Australia in 1911, after lengthy representations to the State Government. Selection was by scholarship and both male and female students studied science and modern languages as part of their courses.

The Sphinx, representing wisdom and knowledge, was adopted as the school symbol; together with the motto "Savoir c'est Pouvoir" ("Knowledge is Power").

Through the years, Perth Modern School developed a reputation based on the achievement of high educational standards and the successes of past students. Details of Exhibition winners, Rhodes Scholars and former Prime Minister Bob Hawke are on display in the historical showcases in the East Building.

In 1958 Perth Modern School ceased operating as an academic scholarship school and became a comprehensive high school. High academic standards, the traditions of the past and the establishment of the special Music Scholarship in 1968 are significant factors in the school maintaining a high profile in the state Education System.

The decision by the State Government to return Perth Modern School to a fully selective, Gifted and Talented Government school, has attracted record enrolment enquiries. Parents have recognised that by gathering high ability students in the one school encourages students to “be themselves” with like-minded peers; allows opportunity for the development of higher-order thinking skills; meets the social, emotional and educational needs of gifted students; and allows for an enriched and compacted curriculum.

Campus

The School is based around four main areas; the original Perth Modern School (the West building and Oval, but also incorporating the new, purpose-built Music rooms); the newer extensions (the Joseph Parsons Memorial Library, the East building, canteen, gymnasium, Metal and Woodworking rooms and demountables); the Visual and Performing Arts Department (the Photography Studio, Fitness Centre, Ballet Studio, Performing Arts Theatre and The Graduate College of Dance); and the separate building, formerly known as the Thomas Street Building (originally the Thomas Street Primary School, established in 1904).

Perth Modern School's West building, built in 1911, is now a Heritage Listed Building and was refurbished during the late 1980s. The refurbishment has won several awards and the building is now recognised as one of the premier venues for chamber music and general ensemble performance in Perth. The West building is linked by a covered walkway to another heritage listed building which currently houses the Society and Environment classes.

Music

Perth Modern is one of two public schools in Perth to have a special selective music program, the other being Churchlands Senior High School. The music program at Perth Modern School encompasses the Kodály methodology in its teachings. Most aural and theory concepts are taught with the aid of the philosophies of music by Zoltán Kodály, in which hand signs are used as a way of representing musical notes by holding the hand in a certain position for each note.

The music program places an emphasis on singing and it is a requirement that all students in the programme are in at least one vocal ensemble. The school also has four wind orchestras, two standard orchestras (one string and one symphony) and two classical guitar ensembles as well as various other instrumental groups and Jazz ensembles.

Perth Modern is also the host campus of the Western Australian Music Festival, which is normally spread over two days, where schools, various orchestras and music groups from Western Australia come to perform to the public. The event is held in a competition format where groups are adjudicated by professional musicians who provide feedback through a detailed report.

With the move to a fully selective school, enrolments in the specialist Music programme have increased, with well over 100 auditions for 2008.

Dance

Perth Modern School also currently hosts [http://www.stonespub.com.au/GraduateCollege The Graduate College of Dance] , from which a number of acclaimed high profile dancers have graduated. The Graduate College of Dance is one of Australia's leading vocational dance schools. In conjunction with the Department of Education and Perth Modern, the College prepares talented dancers aged 9 to 17 (year 5 to 12) for the dance profession. The College's comprehensive curriculum combines professional dance training with an academic education to tertiary level.

Future

The State Government approved funding to develop the school into a facility for Gifted and Talented students. This grant goes towards an extensive refurbishment and redevelopment (including a proposed 72 bed residential college with facilities, for those students from regional areas), to offer a learning environment aligned to the needs of the students.

The school's East buildings (including the canteen and 2 gymnasiums) will be refurbished or replaced, and new, purpose-built facilities constructed to create a physical environment suitable for the education of students, with much thought given to the use and interaction of spaces surrounding a central Resources facility. Final designs are now complete, with construction of the first stage expected to be completed by late 2008.

Notable alumni

Some notable ex-students of Perth Modern School include:
*Alan Carpenter, former Premier of Western Australia
*H. C. Coombs, The first Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia
*Rolf Harris, performer
*Sir Paul Hasluck, former Governor-General
*Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister, Rhodes Scholar
*John A. Hay, Vice-Chancellor, University of Queensland, Hackett Scholar
*Janet Holmes à Court, philanthropist
*Alan Seymour, Author
*Eric John Underwood, Lecturer at University of Western Australia
*Peter Watson, Albany MLA and Olympic 1500m runner
*Ross Garnaut Professor of Economics at Australian National University
*Cassandra Suhartono, Student

ee also

*List of schools in Perth
*List of schools in Western Australia

References

*"The Perth Modern School Website", Perth Modern School, [http://www.perthmodernschool.det.wa.edu.au Perth Modern School Website]
*"W.A. Rhodes Scholars", Rhodes Scholars Association, [http://uwaguide.publishing.uwa.edu.au/latest/rhodes_scholars Rhodes Scholars List]
*"The Graduate College of Dance Homepage", The Graduate college of dance, [http://www.stonespub.com.au/GraduateCollege/ The Graduate College of Dance]

External links

* [http://www.perthmodernschool.det.wa.edu.au Perth Modern School Website]