Ravenswood School for Girls

Infobox Aust school private
name = Ravenswood School for Girls'


motto = "Semper Ad Meliora"
(Latin:"Always Towards Better Things")
established = 1901cite web |url=http://www.schoolseek.com.au/school/ravenswood-school-for-girls |title=Ravenswood School for Girls |accessdate=2008-01-17 |work=School Directory |publisher=SchoolSeek]
type = Independent, Single-sex, Day and Boarding
denomination = Uniting Church
slogan = "Foundations for the future"
key_people = Ms. Vicki Steer (Principal)
Miss Mabel Fidler (Founder)
Daniel Petre(Chairman)
Stephen Duchesne (Treasurer)
fees = AU$11,390–19,020 p.a (Day 2007)cite web |url=http://www.sydneyschild.com.au/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=viewlink&link_id=104&Itemid=38 |title=Ravenswood|accessdate=2007-10-29 |work=Directory |publisher=Sydney's Child]
city = Gordon
state = New South Wales
country = Australia flagicon|Australia
coordinates = coord|33|45|33|S|151|9|20|E|display=inline,title
enrolment = ~1,140 (K–12)cite web |url=http://www.schoolchoice.com.au/find_a_school?cid=12348&pid=2701637 |title=Ravenswood School for Girls |accessdate=2008-01-02 |work=New South Wales |publisher=School Choice]
num_employ = ~122cite web |url=http://www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au/PageSys/DocView.aspx?DocumentID=767 |title=Ravenswood Annual Report 2006 |accessdate=2008-01-02 |year =2007 |work=Our Publications|publisher=Ravenswood School for Girls]
revenue =
colours = Navy Blue and Gold color box|#000080color box|#FFCC00
homepage = [http://www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au/Home/Home.aspx www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au]

Ravenswood School for Girls (most commonly referred to as Ravenswood or Ravo) is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding School for girls, situated in Gordon, an Upper North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Established in 1901 by Mabel Fidler (1871–1960),cite web |url=http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080723b.htm?hilite=Fidler |title=Fidler, Mabel Maude (1871 - 1960) |accessdate=2007-04-23 |last=Jacobs |first=Marjorie |year=1981 |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |publisher= Melbourne University Press |pages=pp.492-493] Ravenswood currently caters for approximately 1,140 students from Kindergarten to Year 12, including 70 boarders from Years 7 to 12. The school has been an IB World School since June 2004, and is authorised to offer the IB Diploma Programme.

Ravenswood is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),cite web |url=http://www.ahisa.com.au/Display.aspx?tabid=2230 |title=AHISA Schools|accessdate=2007-12-17 |year =2007 |month =November |work=New South Wales|publisher=Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia] the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA),cite web |url=http://www.jshaa.asn.au/nsw/directory/index.asp |title=JSHAA New South Wales Directory of Members |accessdate=2007-12-17 |year =2007 |work=New South Wales Branch|publisher=Junior School Heads' Association of Australia] the Australian Boarding Schools' Association,cite web |url=http://www.boarding.org.au/site/school_detail.cfm?schID=18 |title=Ravenswood School for Girls |accessdate=2008-01-03 |year =2007 |work=Schools|publisher=Australian Boarding Schools' Association] the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia,cite web|url = http://www.agsa.org.au/members.php?PageID=11&Alpha=R|title = Member Schools|accessdate = 2007-12-17 |last = Butler|first = Jan|year = 2006|work = Members|publisher = The Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia] and is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools (AHIGS).cite web |url=http://www.ahigs.nsw.edu.au/DeskTopDefault.aspx?tabid=1 |title=Heads of New South Wales Independent Girls' Schools |accessdate=2007-11-28 |work=About AHIGS |publisher=Association of Heads of Independent Girls Schools]

History

Ravenswood was established with eight students on 28 January 1901, by the first Headmistress, Mabel Fidler, as a non-sectarian, private, day school for girls with preparatory classes for boys. The first classes commenced in a schoolroom erected on the block adjacent to Fidler's home, "Ravenswood", in Henry Street, Gordon. The school remains on this site.cite web |url= http://www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au/Shared/history.html|title= History of Ravenswood |accessdate=2007-08-06 |year =2007 |work=History & Location |publisher=Ravenswood School for Girls]

Fidler retired from Ravenswood in 1925, and the school was subsequently purchased by the Methodist Ladies' College, Burwood, thus becoming a school of the Methodist Church. Subsequently, the school name was changed to Ravenswood Methodist Ladies' College. At this time, Ravenswood was the largest non-residential, private secondary school in Sydney, with an enrolment of 180, and was highly regarded for the quality of its teaching and its achievements in sport. Ravenswood became a day and boarding school in 1935, with the enrolment of the first two boarders.

The 1960s saw the introduction of the school anthem, "Kindle the Flame", and the current house system, with four houses named after the Royal Houses of the British Monarchy: Stuart (House of Stuart), Tudor (House of Tudor), Windsor (House of Windsor) and York (House of York). In the 1970s, as the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches came together to form the Uniting Church, the school name changed to its current form, Ravenswood School for Girls. The schools familiar blue and gold uniform was also introduced at this time.

In its Centenary Year in 2001, the school celebrated with the official opening of The Centenary Centre, by His Excellency the Honourable Sir William Deane, AC, KBE, Governor-General of Australia (1996–2001). In 2006, after considerable debate, the Ravenswood council announced that the school would be phasing out its boarding program over the next six to eight years, due to a steady decline in boarding enrolments over recent years. [http://www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au/PageSys/DocView.aspx?DocumentID=688 Ravenswood School for Girls: Strategic Directions] (accessed:06-08-2007)] Further change was seen on September 5 2007, with the introduction of a new school uniform.

Principals

Campus

Ravenswood is located on its original site, a single campus in suburban Gordon. The school has progressively expanded since 1901, with the acquisition of new properties and the addition and upgrading of facilities.cite web|url = http://www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au/Home/Default.aspx?PageID=Explore_Facilities |title = Facilities |accessdate = 2008-01-17 |work = Explore Ravenswood |publisher = Ravenswood School for Girls]

The school grounds feature quadrangles and courtyards, a multi-purpose complex with heated swimming pool, gymnasium, Strength and Conditioning Centre and Athletics Field. The Ravenswood Centenary Centre, opened in 2001, includes a Performing Arts Theatre, Music Centre, classrooms and exhibition areas.

Junior School students are catered for within the Junior School centre with a Resource Centre, playground and play equipment area, adventure playground and adjacent Assembly Hall.

Curriculum

In Years 11 and 12, students may choose to take either the Higher School Certificate (HSC) course or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Course (IB). Since June 2004, Ravenswood has been one of the few schools in Sydney to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme.cite web|url = http://www.ibo.org/school/002109/ |title = Ravenswood School for Girls|accessdate = 2008-01-03 |work = IB World Schools |publisher = International Baccalaureate Organization]

According to "The Daily Telegraph", Ravenswood students typically performed well in the 2007 HSC, with the school ranked the 18th best performing school in the state.cite news| title = Celebration time for the Top 200 Schools in New South Wales| url = http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/files/pdf_dtm20dec07st004.pdf| format = PDF| work = HSC 2007| publisher = The Daily Telegraph| location = Sydney| page = 4| date = 2007-12-20| accessdate = 2008-03-25]

Co-curriculum

Debating

Ravenswood has a tradition of debating, and students are offered opportunities to participate at competitive or social levels. Ravenswood competes in two inter-school debating competitions: the Independent Schools Debating Association (ISDA) and the Schools Debating Network (SDN). Girls may also participate in an inter-house debating competition.cite web|url = http://www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au/Home/Default.aspx?PageID=Explore_Cocurricular |title = Co-Curricular Activities |accessdate = 2008-01-17 |work = Explore Ravenswood |publisher = Ravenswood School for Girls]

Sport

Primary School students may partake in competitive sport through the Ravenswood's membership of the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA). These competitions are usually held on Saturday mornings and include sports such as: Tee-Ball/Softball, Tennis, Netball, Cricket, Minkey/Hockey, and Soccer.
Secondary School students compete against 28 other similar type schools in the Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association (IGSSA) competition. These competitions occur on Saturday mornings or in the form of carnivals and include sports such as: Softball, Swimming, Diving, Cricket, Tennis, Athletics, Cross Country, Hockey, Soccer, Water Polo, Basketball and Gymnastics.

Students who perform well at JSHAA or IGSSA level may be invited to compete in NSW Combined Independent Schools' (CIS) competitions.

Community

The school has been noted for its contributions towards equality for women. In 2001, Ravenswood was the only school in Australia to be short listed for the "Most Innovative Practice for the Advancement of Women" Award.Fact|date=March 2008 It is also one of a small number of companies to be awarded an "Employer of Choice for Women" classification by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA).cite web|url= http://www.eowa.gov.au/Case_Studies/_docs/Ravenswood%202001.pdf|title= Ravenswood School for Girls|accessdate= 2008-01-17 |year= 2001|format= PDF|work= Case Studies|publisher= Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency] Ravenswood has maintained this status in 2002 and 2003.Fact|date=October 2007

The School has also been named as one of the top 10 "Leading Organisations for the Advancement of Women"; chosen from 2500 companies throughout the country.Fact|date=October 2007

Notable alumni

;Business
* Jillian Broadbent - Reserve Bank of Australia director
* Merideth Hellicar - James Hardie Chairman and former Alan Bond media consultant

;Media, entertainment and the arts
* Julia Baird - SMH columnist and daughter of Bruce Baird, Federal Liberal MPcite news| first = Jonathan| last = Green | title = Famous alumni on Latham's hit list| url = http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20060614-Famous-alumni-on-Lathams-hit-list.html| work = Politics| publisher = Crikey| date = 2005-03-30| accessdate = 2007-08-06]
*Helen Rosalie (Ros) Bower - Community arts director [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130263b.htm?hilite=ravenswood Australian Dictionary of Biography: Bower, Helen Rosalie (Ros) (1923 - 1980) ] (accessed:06-08-2007)]
* Gretel Killeen - Author and Host of "Big Brother"
* Lisa Pryor - SMH columnist and author
* Tammin Sursok - Dani from "Home and Away"
* Brooke Forster/Corte - "Sky News"

;Medicine and science
* Winifred Marion Petrie - Nurse and hospital proprietress [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150701b.htm Australian Dictionary of Biography: Petrie, Winifred Marion (1890 - 1966)] (accessed:11-07-2007)]

;Politics, public service and the law
* Melanie Howard - Former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard's daughter
*Juanita Nielsen - Publisher, anti-development campaigner, heiress to the Mark Foys retail fortune. Disappeared in mysterious circumstances (believed kidnapped and murdered) from Kings Cross, in 1975. Subject of films, "Heatwave" (1982) and "The Killing of Angel Street" (1981)cite book| last = Rees| first = Peter| title = Killing Juanita: a true story of murder and corruption| origyear = 2004| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=HBC2iZwESi0C&pg=PA15&dq=%22presbyterian+ladies+college%22&ei=VKLuRoTCJZGmpQKk7p20Dw&sig=qnzYQDm_LMyXkHVAP_Br7Ul_Qa0#PPA15,M1| accessdate = 2007-09-18| publisher = Allen & Unwin| location = Crows Nest, N.S.W| isbn = 1-8650868-4-3| pages = p.15]

References

See also

* List of non-government schools in New South Wales
* List of boarding schools

External links

* [http://www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au Ravenswood School for Girls website]