The School Council, Principal and staff of St Columba Anglican School wish to acknowledge the excellent Higher School Certificate results of the Class of 2017. The students of the 2017 cohort have performed at an outstanding level and deserve warm congratulations. The Class of 2017, our 11th Higher School Certificate candidature, have upheld the proud academic tradition of the School, building on the achievements of those who came before them.
The statistics for the Class of 2017 tell the story with over 54% of students’ results in the top two performance Bands. This year’s cohort achieved excellent results across a range of Higher School Certificate subjects. Approximately 16% of student results appeared in the Distinguished Achievers List. These results see SCAS placed 103rd in the State, a ranking that sees it placed as one of the top Schools in regional NSW.
Overall, candidates received Band 6 results across twenty-one different subject areas in 2017 – Ancient History, Biology, Chemistry, Dance, Design and Technology, Earth and Environmental Science, Engineering Studies, Advanced English, Entertainment Industry, Geography, Information Processes and Technology, Legal Studies, Mathematics General, Mathematics, Mathematics Extension 1, Music 1, PDHPE, Physics, Society and Culture, Construction and Hospitality.
Some subject results of note include: 57% of students in Music 1 achieved Band 6 results and 100% were placed in the top two Bands; 50% of students studying Design and Technology achieved Band 6 results, with 88% in the top two Bands; 30% of SCAS Dance students achieved Band 6 results, with 93% achieving in the top two Bands; 71% of Mathematics Extension 1 students achieved in the top two Bands; 67% of English Advanced students achieved in the top two Bands and 100% of English Extension 1 and 2; 64% of Legal Studies students achieved in the top two Bands; 60% of Chemistry students achieved in the top two Bands; 55% of Biology and Physics students achieved in the top two Bands and 100% of Construction candidates achieving in the top two Bands.
Two students achieved State rankings in the Top Achievers List finishing in the top 10 students in Construction – Jack Bligh-Jones and Nathaniel Worcester.
Three students placed in the HSC All Rounders List, achieving Band 6 results in 10 units or more. Josee H achieved Band 6 results in Advanced English, Geography, Ancient History, Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics; Tabitha Lethlean achieved Band 6 results in Advanced English, Design and Technology, Business Studies, Society and Culture and Mathematics General; Phoebe Slack-Smith achieved Band 6 results in Advanced English, Business Studies, Society and Culture, Legal Studies and Mathematics General. Our warm congratulations go to these students for their outstanding results.
The recipient of the 2017 SCAS Award (recognising excellence in a range of academic, leadership, service, sporting and cultural pursuits), Jane Whalen, also enjoyed academic success, achieving results in the top two bands in all subjects studied.
A number of our students have been nominated for excellence in HSC subjects: SCAS students received 11 nominations for HSC Dance ‘Callback’. These students were: Caitlyn Tierney, Heidi Stewart, Rachael Sharp, Sacha Bono, Layla Sheahan, Hayley Sherrard and Alyssa Bignell; Lana Calvi was nominated for HSC Drama ‘On Stage’ and Alice Chapman and Thomas Craddock were nominated for HSC Design ‘Shape’. We congratulate these students on their outstanding achievement.
A large number of the Class of 2017 will matriculate to university studies in 2018/19. A significant number of our students have already received offers of early acceptance into the University of New England, Charles Sturt University, Southern Cross University, Newcastle University, the University of Canberra, Macquarie University and the University of Wollongong.
We congratulate the Class of 2017 and wish them well for what lies ahead of them.