Talk:Merewether High School

Article 'stupidification'

There seems to be a lot wrong with this page, especially unrequired information (re. graffiti) and opinion/bias. --bdude Talk 05:20, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

Assessment

This article has been classed on the Wiki Schools Project as an article needing short term attention. As a result it has been given immediate assessment, the feedback given from this was: A good article with plenty of encyclopedic content, it also has an infobox and some pictures. However, this article has some weaknesses with original research issues and a lack of content in some sections such as "student body". Camaron1 | Chris 19:11, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

Lock

Requesting a lock of this page due to recent large amounts of defamatory vandalism over a contriversal new appointment.

Fair use rationale for Image:Merewetherhslogo.gif

Image:Merewetherhslogo.gif is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 22:18, 5 June 2007 (UTC)

The photo of the admin block should be replaced with something more important to the school in terms of its spirit. Whilst the administration does run the school, a place like Bensley Hall means more to students. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.233.22.171 (talk) 09:31, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

Student Body

I'm not sure whether this is necessary or not, but if you don't take the first test, in year six, and you wish to apply, then you do not sit a test. Instead you have an interview. I'm not sure whether that is relevant or not, but we got told that in guidance a while ago.

Also, Mrs Keevers (Principal) retired recently due to health issues. At the moment, Mr. Muddle is the relieving principal. We will get a new one, but we don't know who yet. Should we add this to the article? I can change it almost as soon as we find out who the new principal is, as I go to Merewther~Angel~ (talk) 05:23, 2 September 2011 (UTC)

I've reworded that section. See what you think.

I've left the rewording of the infobox to you... because you can make those changes yourself? :) Plus, I don't know the first names of those executive teachers. ˜danjel[ talk | contribs ] 05:35, 2 September 2011 (UTC)

I've fixed up the principal bit. With the curriculum, year sevens don't do metalwork We do Robotics, Food Technology, textiles and woodwork. However I know a couple of people older than me that could probably tell me whether or not we do metalwork. I'll change it ASAP. ~Angel~ (talk) 05:52, 2 September 2011 (UTC)

Overlinking

WP:OVERLINK says "An article is said to be overlinked if it links to words that can be understood by most readers of the English Wikipedia. Overlinking should be avoided, because it makes it difficult for the reader to identify and follow links that are likely to be of value" and "Avoid linking plain English words." MOS:CAPS gives us guidance on what should and shouldn't be capitalised. Following these parts of the MoS I made this edit, which was subsequently reverted, with the edit summary "These terms are often linked and capitalised in Australian school articles; WP:OVERLINK does not apply".[1] While they may be linked and capitalised in other articles, that doesn't mean that it's correct to do that here. Quite to the contrary, these other articles should be corrected so that they follow the MoS. I fail to see how WP:OVERLINK does not apply. If WP:IAR is going to be used as an excuse to ignore the MoS, there needs to be justifiable reason for it. --AussieLegend (talk) 21:02, 3 September 2011 (UTC)

Those words certainly shouldn't be capitalised. That's standard grammar. As for linking them, yes, that's overlinking. A link needs to be relevant. It's highly unlikely that anyone reading about Merewether High School is suddently going to want to read all about the concept of geography. Nightw 21:14, 3 September 2011 (UTC)

AL, I sometimes bristle as WP:OVERLINK can be applied too zealously and the article ends up with only 2 links, but not in this case. The links should link to articles discussing the teaching of the subject in NSW secondary schools (like English studies) otherwise they are too general and not helpful as was the case here. No caps are correct too. Part of problem being the sentences were statements of the bleeding obvious anyway. Paraphrase to "junior school students in a NSW comprehensive secondary school study mathematics, English, science, geography and music." No joke. Really. I think the Board of Studies has a say in this and is not particularly noteworthy. Not only it doesn't need linking, but it doesn't need mentioning. Film studies was interesting but it would need a source reference. Bleakcomb (talk) 23:00, 3 September 2011 (UTC)

I'm of the view that AussieLegend's edit was correct. If they are linked and capitalised in other articles, that should be fixed. (And agreed with Bleakcomb - I remove such things quite indiscriminately when I see them as they inform the reader of nothing - my thinking is "what does this school do that xxxx other schools in the same state don't do?" I'm also particularly wary of primary sourced claims of schools claiming to be the best or top in something. Orderinchaos 05:23, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

On a side note, the prose was a mess. I've fixed the lead and history sections. Orderinchaos 05:39, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

WP:OVERLINK does not apply

WP:OVERLINK does not apply to the words that you are proposing to delink because they are not "common" words.

Many other school articles have these words linked, e.g. Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney.

If you don't understand where to apply and where not to apply policies, don't apply them. ˜danjel[ talk | contribs ] 06:26, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

It happening in other places (which it shouldn't - we should be fixing that) doesn't justify its use here. What use is a link to mathematics? If every school in Australia did that, we would have close to 5,000 inbound links for an article which does not provide any information about education in Australia. Links are intended to serve a useful purpose, not merely to decorate an article. Orderinchaos 06:28, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

Then we need an article that explains how mathematical education works (either here in Australia or more generally, like English studies, with a more high school focus). Just because the current article doesn't explain what we want it to explain is not a reason not to link to it. ˜danjel[ talk | contribs ] 06:32, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

Anyway, why is a *school article* linking to Mathematics or even talking about it anyway? If a NSW school doesn't teach mathematics it gets deregistered - ergo it is a feature of the system, not the school. (And in response to your overly confrontational post at my talk page, Bleakcomb has taken pretty much exactly the same position as myself that the whole lot is filler.) Orderinchaos 06:35, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

There are places in the world where mathematics is taught very differently to how things are taught here. If you're not keen on a link to mathematics (and I'll reiterate my concession that the current page does not deal with educational issues well), then we need an article explaining Mathematics education in Australia. A redlink may be suitable.

As to Bleakcomb, WP:CONSENSUS is not a vote. You turning it into one here is definitively confrontational. ˜danjel[ talk | contribs ] 06:39, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

I'll ask it this way - can you name a single school in New South Wales that does *not* teach mathematics? And if not, why on earth is it even here? This is an article about one school, not a school system. Orderinchaos 06:42, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

Sure, Kinma, which uses a discovery learning approach. Many other "alternative" education approaches also don't teach mathematics education as we know it either.

But the exception is besides the point. The compromise that I'm proposing is that we have a "Mathematics Education in Australia" article. This would provide useful information to people clicking through from the article. In fact, happy day, there is one Mathematics education in Australia, even if it could be substantially improved. ˜danjel[ talk | contribs ] 06:49, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

That's not a compromise on this article, as it's entirely irrelevant; I actually agree that we need articles about subject education in Australia. With some effort, I could probably get a maths one to GA status or higher, as I'm on the board of the teachers' association over here. Re MHS, however, I'm in favour of the section being removed with an indication that it follows the general BOS curriculum; separately for junior and senior, as the senior is itself written about and notable in independent sources. Orderinchaos 07:01, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

As an aside - Kinma only covers up to primary years. Orderinchaos 07:05, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

Then you'd be aware that each school and each faculty/department/etc. within each school has it's own program in regards to the board's curricular documents. This can become interesting and comment-worthy for certain schools, e.g. schools which have a more completely integrated mathematics and ICT program or schools which have built particular links with universities and what have you. The school's ASR] isn't particularly informative, but who knows what someone else can provide? I'm involved in Gifted Education, and I'm aware that the school has links with Newcastle Uni. for students to do vertical acceleration, although I don't know much beyond that and don't know where I'd find references for it (besides conversations I've had with people).

People aren't likely to click through a link to the Board of Studies to then find information about what schools teach and how it teaches them. A reader from overseas isn't likely to see the point. If your central argument is that Mathematics doesn't provide much useful information to a reader, then a link through to Mathematics education in Australia, Science Education in Australia, English Education in Australia, etc. (this last needs a better name) should (and those articles should be edited/created so that they're informative).

The point remains that Kinma doesn't teach mathematics as a discrete area of study, and that's what you asked for. There's a 7-10 high school that Kinma feeds to, but I can't remember the name and I don't know much of it... But I do know that they continue the discovery learning approach. There are likely many other schools like this as well. Personally I don't pay much attention to them because I don't like their approach to education. ˜danjel[ talk | contribs ] 07:18, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

My central argument is that we're asking readers to read stuff which doesn't tell them much. Apart from how it plays out here, I think we actually disagree on very little - *if* the school has a particularly notable programme, it *should* be here. The whole point of having curriculum sections in school articles is to explain what the school teaches; a lot can be simplified by pointing to the Board of Studies / HSC articles, but any departures, variations or facts of particular note would then get even more attention than they would if they're buried in a pile of textual gunk. It also helps to compare similar school articles in a geographic area. Part of my contention comes from being visually impaired myself - I'm a big fan of tightening things up, making things more clear etc. (Oh, and throwing out the MW Vector interface, which sucks if you're not a mouse oriented person.) Orderinchaos 07:35, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

Edit request on 19 November 2012

Suggest to add in the section "Notable Alumni" as per below. (Source: I attended MHS 1979-1984. Scott was two years ahead of me and was school captain in 1982 - so his name would be on the honour board in the main office)

Scott Bevan, ABC News 24 Presenter & Journalist Bmcarney (talk) 00:59, 19 November 2012 (UTC)

Hi Bmcarney, unfortunately Wikipedia cannot accept original research, but if you can find a reliable source which substantiates the claim, I'd be happy to add him the alumni section. Regards, Callanecc (talk • contribs • logs) 04:44, 19 November 2012 (UTC)

Want to add Emily Boyd from Remember the Milk as notable allumni — Preceding unsigned comment added by Phona (talk • contribs) 09:07, 19 July 2014 (UTC)

I have no idea who Emily Boyd is. She doesn't notable enough to have her own article. How is she associated with "Remember the Milk" and where is the evidence that she is an alumni of the school? For that matter, how is remember the milk notable? --AussieLegend (✉) 09:36, 19 July 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 7 November 2014

203.41.229.134 (talk) 05:28, 7 November 2014 (UTC) Merewether Highschool was established in 1977 I sat my HSE in 1978 and Merewether was in operation the year before when I was attending in Yr11.

Not done: as you have not cited reliable sources to back up your request, without which no information should be added to, or changed in, any article. It is not that I disbelieve you, but this is not verifiable- Arjayay (talk) 09:11, 7 November 2014 (UTC)

I know that 203.41.229.134 is correct but I support Arjayay's decision. However, there seems justification to change the date for other reasons. In 1976 a restructure of schools in Newcastle was announced and this restructure took practical effect at the beginning of the 1977 school year. Essentially, most schools became coeducational and non-selective. Newcastle Girls' High School became Newcastle High School, Newcastle Boys' High School (my school at the time) became Waratah High School, Newcastle Technical High School became Merewether High School and so on. For some reason, several of the articles about Newcastle schools cited 1976 as the establishment date. This is technically correct but practically wrong. Even this article stated that, but it was added without sources, in 2005 with this edit. When an infobox was first added to the article in June 2006, the editor who added the infobox strangely added 1979, also without sources.[2] This appears to have been a typo that has never been noticed, until now. As it stands, the article says "From 1952 until 1976, the site ... was occupied by Newcastle Technical High School." This is correct and supports 1977 as the establishment date as well as failing to support 1979. Since 1979 is both a typo and unsourced, and 1976 was never sourced, I think it's appropriate to use the correct year in the infobox. --AussieLegend (✉) 10:53, 7 November 2014 (UTC)

Ironically, just after writing the above I found a source supporting 1977. --AussieLegend (✉) 11:05, 7 November 2014 (UTC)

Linking

This article could be linked to Kim Sutherland who is the Head Teacher Creative and Performing Arts at the school. 2002:3CF0:356:0:9415:8B0C:8B1B:54D1 (talk) 10:57, 20 February 2015 (UTC)

Change of management

I've got no idea how to edit a wikipedia page, but the principal is no longer Christine Rippon. Anthony Southward has taken her place. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Avokatedo (talk • contribs) 23:33, 12 February 2018 (UTC)

New Principal

Christine Rippon is no longer the principal - Rochelle Dooley is :) 2001:8003:C992:3500:7994:4FAB:77F7:F0C4 (talk) 02:05, 25 April 2021 (UTC)

 Done I was able to find a source confirming this. Deauthorized. ^(talk) 02:56, 25 April 2021 (UTC)

Addition to Notable Alumni

Suggestion to add Sarah Kendall to Notable Alumni. She is listed on the school's website as part of the alumni focus .BoiPussoire (talk) 04:42, 10 February 2022 (UTC)

References