Fintona Girls' School is a small, independent, non-denominational,

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children are given instruction during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compared to a regular s ...

for girls, located in Balwyn,

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1896, Fintona is a non-selective school and currently caters for approximately 600 students from the Early Learning Centre (ELC) to Year 12. Fintona is a member of Girls Sport Victoria (GSV),Girls Sport Victoria: Member Schools
(accessed:10-08-2007) the Alliance of Girls Schools Australia (AGSA),The Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia: Member Schools
(accessed:10-08-2007) the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA),JSHAA Victoria: Directory of Members
(accessed:10-08-2007) and the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA).Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia
(accessed:10-08-2007)

History

Fintona was established as a Presbyterian, day and boarding school for girls, in 1896. The school was founded by Annie Hughston and was originally located in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell. The school occupies 'Balwyn', the historic home and vineyard built by early settler Andrew Murray, from which the suburb of Balwyn takes its name.Travelmate: Balwyn Victoria
(accessed:10-08-2007)

Principals

Curriculum

Fintona Girls' School is divided into 4 teaching sections: * The Early Learning Centre (ELC) * Junior School, catering for Prep to Year 4 * Middle School, catering for Years 5 to Year 8 * Senior School, catering for Years 9 to 12Fintona Girls' School: Curriculum
(accessed:10-08-2007) The school's ELC

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curriculums or curricula ) is the totality of student experiences that occur in an educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experi ...

is based on the Reggio Emilia approach to education. From Prep to Year 6, students are involved in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program which covers the subject areas of

language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

, social studies,

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

and

technology Technology is the application of Conceptual model, conceptual knowledge to achieve practical goals, especially in a reproducible way. The word ''technology'' can also mean the products resulting from such efforts, including both tangible too ...

, arts, and personal, social and

physical education Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

. Fintona offers three languages,

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, French and Japanese.

Houses

The three Junior School (P–4) houses of Fintona are Bedggood, Menzies and Reid. The six Middle and Senior School (years 5–12) houses of Fintona are Boyne (after school benefactors), Clarke (after first Fintona boarder and matriculant), Hughston (after first headmistress), Murdoch (after Patrick John Murdoch of Trinity Church, Camberwell, where many boarders attended), Maxwell (after father of one of Fintona's first prefects), Ower (after member of staff 1900–1930).

Sport

Fintona is a member of Girls Sport Victoria (GSV).

GSV premierships

Fintona has won the following GSV premiership. * Basketball – 2001

Notable alumnae

Ex-students of Fintona Girls' School are known as 'Old Fintonians' and may elect to join the 'Old Fintonians Association'.Fintona Girls' School: Old Fintonians
(accessed:10-08-2007) Some notable 'Old Fintonians' include: ;Media, entertainment and the arts * Norma Bull – Australian painter ;Medicine and science * Dora Mary Lush – pioneer bacteriologistAustralian Dictionary of Biography: Lush, Dora Mary (1910 - 1943)
(accessed:23-03-2007) * Dame Beryl Beaurepaire AC, DBE (née Bedggood) – feminist, former chairwoman of the Federal Women's Committee of the Liberal Party of Australia, wife of Ian Beaurepaire (of Beaurepaire tyre's fame)ABR Radio National-Bid Ideas, 24/4/05: "Wisdom Interviews: Dame Beryl Beaurepaire"
(accessed:23-03-2007) * Helen Caldicott – environmentalist and anti-nuclear campaigner * Andrea Coote – politicianParliament of Victoria: Coote, Andrea
(accessed:26-08-2007) * Pattie Maie Menzies (née Leckie) – wife of former prime minister Robert Menzies, appointed Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) for public duty in hospital workAustralian Women Biographical Entry: Menzies, Pattie Mae
(accessed:23-03-2007) ;Sport * Louise Bawden – Olympic volleyball player * Georgia Griffith – Tokyo 2020 Olympics middle-distance athlete

References

External links

Fintona Girls' School official website
{{Authority control Girls' schools in Victoria (state) Educational institutions established in 1896 Nondenominational Christian schools in Melbourne Junior School Heads Association of Australia Member Schools International Baccalaureate schools in Australia 1896 establishments in Australia Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia Buildings and structures in the City of Boroondara