Mount Scopus Memorial College

{{Infobox school

| name = Mount Scopus Memorial College

| logo = Mount Scopus Memorial College.jpg

| image =

| caption =

| motto = {{langx|he|חזק ואמץ|Chazak Ve'Amatz}}

| motto_translation = {{nowrap|Be Strong and of Good Courage}}

| location = 245 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Melbourne, Victoria

| country = Australia

| coordinates = {{coord|37|50|53|S|145|7|2|E|region:AU-VIC_type:edu|display=inline,title}}

| pushpin_map = Australia Melbourne

| pushpin_image =

| pushpin_mapsize = 240

| pushpin_map_alt =

| pushpin_map_caption = Location in greater metropolitan Melbourne

| pushpin_label =

| pushpin_label_position = top

| module = {{Infobox mapframe

|stroke-colour = #C60C30

|stroke-width = 3

|marker = school

|marker-colour = #1F2F57

|zoom = 13 }}

| type = Independent comprehensive co-educational early learning, primary, and secondary Jewish day school

| denomination = Judaism

| religious_affiliation = Modern Orthodoxy

| established = {{start date and age|1948}}

| founder =

| principal = Dan Sztrajt

| years = ELC–12

| gender = Co-educational

| enrolment = 1299

| houses = Monash (yellow), Bialik (red), Ashkanasy (green), Hillel (blue)

| colours = Navy blue and yellow {{colour box|#000066}}{{colour box|yellow}}

| affiliation = Eastern Independent Schools of Melbourne

| homepage = {{URL|scopus.vic.edu.au}}

}}

Mount Scopus Memorial College, commonly known as Mount Scopus, or just Scopus, is an independent Modern Orthodox Jewish comprehensive co-educational early learning, primary, and secondary day school, located in the Melbourne suburb of Burwood, Victoria, Australia. Since 2007, Rabbi James Kennard has been principal of Mount Scopus Memorial College..{{cite news|date=2010|title=Jewry in UK and Oz so alike, says Rabbi|work=Jewish Telegraph|url=http://www.jewishtelegraph.com/prof_43.html|accessdate=2016-12-21}}

History

Mount Scopus Memorial College opened on St Kilda Road in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in 1949,[http://scopus.vic.edu.au/About-Scopus/ "About Scopus"]. Retrieved 8 February 2013 taking its name from Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, which remained under Israeli control after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

Mount Scopus College was the first co-educational Jewish day school in Melbourne, originally serving a student population of 143. It was established to meet the educational needs of the influx of Holocaust refugees to the Melbourne community. In 1953, the college moved to a larger campus in Burwood, which was designed by Melbourne's leading Jewish architect Anatol Kagan in association with Dr. Ernest Fooks.{{Cite web|url=https://www2.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/ignitionsuite/uploads/docs/Whitehorse%20Post-1945%20Heritage%20Study.pdf|title=City of Whitehorse Post-1945 Heritage Study|page=99}} There are also campuses in St Kilda East and Caulfield South. Until 1996 there was a branch in Kew.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

In terms of Victorian Certificate of Education results, Mount Scopus was the state's highest performing school in 2009.{{cite news |author=Perkins, Miki |url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/full-marks-for-mount-scopus-in-vce-rankings-20091216-kxi1.html |title=Full marks for Mount Scopus in VCE rankings |work=The Age |location=Melbourne |date=17 December 2009 |page=9 }}

Principals

The principal of Mount Scopus Memorial College is Dan Strazjt, who replaced Rabbi James Kennard. Previous principals have included Abraham Feiglin (1949–1968), Max Wahlhaus (1969), Aleksander Ranoschy (1970–1985), Rabbi Dr. Steven Lorch (1985–1991), and Rabbi William Altshul (1992–1996). Rabbi Kennard announced that he will retire at the end of 2023.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

Sherut Leumi and ulpan

Mount Scopus College was the first of the Melbourne Jewish Day Schools to take part in the Sherut Leumi program. Every year, four Israeli women are sent to Mount Scopus as part of their Israeli National Service. They are a major component of Scopus' informal Jewish Studies team. Mount Scopus offers an Ulpan program in which tenth graders travel to Israel for 6–10 weeks. In 2007 and 2010, more than half of the school's tenth graders took part in this program.

Performing arts

The performing arts are considered an important part of school life at Mount Scopus Memorial College.

Mount Scopus Memorial College is an IB school. Drama and Dance electives are available to students years 8–12. Theatre Studies is taught in VCE with excellent results.{{Cite web|url=http://www.topscores.co/Vic/da-all/2011/?sortBy=name&pageno=525|title=VCE Honour Roll - All VCE High Achievers Vic 2011 Page 525 - Top Scores}} Music is taught from primary through to VCE, with an instrumental program available to students years 2–12.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

The performing arts calendar includes an annual College Musical, Senior School Play, VCE Theatre Studies Play, Middle-school House Plays, Primary Musical (every two years), multiple Music Soirees and an 'Idol' singing competition.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

Some recent productions include Bye Bye Birdie (2002), Grease (2003), Bugsy Malone (2004), The Wizard of Oz (2005), Seussical (2006), Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat (2007), Disney's High School Musical (2008), The Sound of Music (2009), The Crucible (2009), Annie (2010), Disney's Beauty and the Beast (2011), Oliver! (2012), Little Shop of Horrors (2013). The 2012 production of Metamorphoses was awarded the Lyrebird Youth Awards for Best Production, Best Director – Evie Gawenda{{Cite web|url=http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/231657|title=AusStage}} (Director of Performing Arts 2008–Current), Best Lighting and Best interpretation of script through the use of Multimedia'' – Evie Gawenda and Gideon Szental.{{Cite web |url=http://lyrebirdawards.org.au/doc/2012_Youth_Winners.xls |title=Archived copy |access-date=24 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411055358/http://lyrebirdawards.org.au/doc/2012_Youth_Winners.xls |archive-date=11 April 2013 |url-status=dead }}

Sport

Mount Scopus is a member of the Eastern Independent Schools of Melbourne (EISM).{{cn|date=August 2023}}

= EISM Premierships =

Mount Scopus has won the following EISM senior premierships.{{Cite web|title=EISM|url=http://www.eism.org/html/carnivals_frameset.htm|access-date=2020-08-13|website=www.eism.org}}{{Cite web|title=EISM|url=http://www.eism.org/html/weeklysport_frameset.htm|access-date=2020-08-13|website=www.eism.org}}

Combined: