STUDENT GUIDE 2021 MIDDLE SCHOOL - YEARS 7 & 8 - St Patrick's College, Launceston

Page created by Willie Lloyd
 
CONTINUE READING
STUDENT GUIDE 2021 MIDDLE SCHOOL - YEARS 7 & 8 - St Patrick's College, Launceston
STUDENT GUIDE
2021
MIDDLE SCHOOL – YEARS 7 & 8

                      St Patrick’s College, Launceston
STUDENT GUIDE 2021 MIDDLE SCHOOL - YEARS 7 & 8 - St Patrick's College, Launceston
OUR MISSION.
TO BE A COLLEGE COMMUNITY OF FAITH, LEARNING,
RESPECT AND SERVICE IN THE CATHOLIC TRADITION.
                                                                           C
OUR VALUES.
CATHOLIC IDENTITY
We value a school where Christ is central to our lives and where
Catholic teachings, values and traditions are lived and celebrated.

COMPASSION
We value a school where we have empathy for others, act with
forgiveness and promote reconciliation.

ENDEAVOUR & EXCELLENCE
We value a school where each person is able to realise their full
potential through spiritual, academic, cultural and sporting activities.

STEWARDSHIP
We value a school where we respect the environment and commit to
sharing God's gifts justly and wisely.

INDIVIDUALITY
We value a school where each person is accepted and loved and
can develop their sense of personal worth.

RELATIONSHIPS
We value a school where partnerships between parents/guardians,
students, staff, parishes and the community are fostered and
developed.

LEADERSHIP
We value a school where Jesus’ model of leadership challenges
each person to encourage and inspire others to their best.

SOCIAL JUSTICE
We value a school where we grow in awareness and respond to the
needs of others in a spirit of service.
STUDENT GUIDE 2021 MIDDLE SCHOOL - YEARS 7 & 8 - St Patrick's College, Launceston
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Introduction                                    4
Middle School                                   5
Timetable, Transition & Change                  6
Middle School Aims                              7
Technology in 2020, Middle School Rebuilding    8
Literacy & Numeracy                             9
The House & Tutor System                       10
General Information for Years 7 & 8            11
Learning Enhancement, Homework                 13
Core Learning                                  14
   Meaning, Values, Purpose & Spirituality
   English, HPE, History & Geography
   Mathematics & Science
Wellbeing Initiative                           19
Options Years 7 & 8                            20
Year 7 Course Information                      21
   Language & Communications
   Arts                                        22
   Technologies                                23
Year 8 Course Information                      24
   Options - Year 8
   Language & Communications                   25
   Arts                                        26
   Technologies                                27
STUDENT GUIDE 2021 MIDDLE SCHOOL - YEARS 7 & 8 - St Patrick's College, Launceston
INTRODUCTION
                                     July 2020                                   Knowledge: The task of a school is
                                     This handbook is produced to inform         to educate, and so, our Mission is to
                                     parents and students of the details and     provide an education of the highest
                                     requirements of Years 7 & 8 study at St     possible standard for our students, using
                                     Patrick’s College.                          the resources available to us.

                                     The Motto of our school is ‘Strength        We offer a well-structured, well-
                                     through faith and knowledge’ and            resourced and caring learning
                                     our Mission Statement confirms the          environment and we encourage our
                                     importance of this development of the       students to grasp the full range of
                                     full potential of every student in          opportunities offered. St Patrick’s
                                     this College.                               College is dedicated to offering a
                                                                                 holistic, individually oriented learning
                                     Faith: Our Faith in Jesus Christ and our    experience for all students.
                                     belief in His Gospel is the foundation
                                     of our work in this community. The
                                     education of our students in the Catholic
                                     faith and the ongoing support of our
                                     parents in the faith development of their
                                     children are our primary concern.

                                     Mr Casimir Douglas           Mrs Alana Stretton            Miss Deborah Cottle
                                     Deputy Principal             Deputy Principal              Director of Curriculum
                                     Pastoral Care                Learning & Achievement        Middle School
                                     Head of Middle School        Head of Senior School
2020 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8

4
STUDENT GUIDE 2021 MIDDLE SCHOOL - YEARS 7 & 8 - St Patrick's College, Launceston
5

                                                                                                                                   2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8
MIDDLE SCHOOL
BUILDING ST PATRICK’S COLLEGE              Middle School is a very important stage     periods. These blocks allow students
PEOPLE                                     in the life of a student commencing         to engage in the learning, skills and
The task and purpose of the Middle         secondary education. While this is a        activities in each lesson in more depth.
School is to build St Patrick’s College    significant and often exciting period,      In this learning block model, Middle
people.                                    transition creates its own challenges.      School students will only have three or
                                           At St Patrick’s College we endeavour        four curriculum subjects per day. On
In 2017, Middle School staff examined      to build self-confidence in facing new      Thursday the timetable will include a
the Archbishop’s Charter and the           challenges and building resilience.         split single period between recess and
College’s Mission and Vision, and                                                      lunch. These subjects include a single
with the support of Fr Richard Ross,       In Middle School we facilitate a range      lesson of a Core subject and also a
developed the Building St Patrick’s        of opportunities that foster peer           single lesson of BeSPC.
College People statement (below),          connections and a sense of belonging.
which identifies the five key qualities    Our aim is to provide a strong              Thus, on Thursday, Middle School
that we aim to build in our Middle         foundation that helps young people          Students will have four subjects, a
School students. These are the             realise their full potential through        Mathematics and English lesson,
qualities that make them St Patrick’s      spiritual, academic, cultural and           followed by BeSPC, and a Core subject
College people. We aim to build St         sporting activities.                        after recess, and Wellbeing or English
Patrick’s College people who are:                                                      after lunch. Pastoral Care (PC) lessons
resilient, open to the Spirit, life-long   CONTACT                                     are allocated throughout each term.
learners, respectful and inspired. The     Open communication between                  PC runs for one lesson and includes
statement also provides the curriculum     parents, students and the school is         either time spent on a rotating cycle, in
framework for the Middle School’s          encouraged. Schoolbox (our learning         Tutor groups, House groups, year level
BeSPC program. Every lesson in the         management system) is a particularly        or whole school assembly.
BeSPC curriculum is explicitly linked to   useful communication tool between
one of the key qualities outlined in the   parents and classroom teacher.              This timetabling also reflects our
statement.                                                                             three schools within one college
                                           An appointment can be made                  model. It also supports some key
BeSPC is the key Pastoral Care             with appropriate staff members by           middle schooling principles, such as;
program for our Middle School              phoning the College, if parents wish        simplified timetables and schedules,
students as we shape and mould them        to discuss concerns or issues in person     reduced time in a day spent moving
as young people on their educational       or by phone. Email contact is also          from one subject to another, and
journey. The program has a key role        encouraged. Email contact details can       allowing teachers to plan for learning
in how the Middle School promotes          be obtained from the College website        that encourages deeper exploration
parental engagement, develops its          or via Schoolbox.                           of the subject matter and greater
online presence, builds community,                                                     engagement with activities and
encourages leadership, and enables         LEARNING STRUCTURES                         pedagogies. We believe that learning
our students to learn more about           Year 7 and 8 students follow a              blocks enhance our transition process
themselves, each other and our world.      timetable that is based on learning         between primary and secondary
Middle School students engage in the       blocks. Each day consists of six periods;   school.
program for one period each week.          a learning block is two consecutive

  Middle School Leadership Team: Mr Casimir Douglas, Deputy Principal Pastoral Care - Head of Middle School;
  Miss Deborah Cottle, Director of Curriculum – Middle School; and Mr Simon Austen, Director of Pastoral Care – Middle School.
STUDENT GUIDE 2021 MIDDLE SCHOOL - YEARS 7 & 8 - St Patrick's College, Launceston
TIMETABLE                                                         TRANSITION & CHANGE
                                     Underneath is an explanation of how learning blocks work          In previous years we have introduced many new changes
                                     and how the subjects fit within the blocks.                       and adjustments within our learning structures for our
                                                                                                       Year 7 and 8 Middle School students. As society itself
                                     LEARNING BLOCK 1                                                  changes and evolves, so does the pedagogy and practice
                                     (Times: 9:05am until 10.50am)                                     of teaching and learning. Thus, curriculum delivery will
                                                                                                       continue to evolve in the Middle School to represent best
                                     Monday to Thursday                                                practice. This includes the introduction and integration
                                     All Year 7 and 8 students will study English and                  of personal learning devices into the Middle School and
                                     Mathematics in Block 1 from Monday to Thursday.                   curating content for and from the best digital learning
                                     Mathematics and English will be timetabled on alternative         resources available.
                                     days with all classes in Year 7 and all classes in Year 8
                                     studying either English or Mathematics at the same time.          A number of initiatives will be consolidated in 2020. These
                                                                                                       will be discussed further into this handbook. However,
                                     Friday                                                            three aspects of learning within Middle School will not
                                     Learning Block 1 schedule will include: History and               change. These are our strong focus on the pastoral and
                                     Geography; Science; Meaning, Values, Purpose and                  academic transition process from primary to secondary
                                     Spirituality (MVPS); or Health and Physical Education.            school; the enriching and engaging co-curricular
                                                                                                       opportunities; and our vertical Pastoral Care system
                                     LEARNING BLOCK 2                                                  supported within our House and Tutor groups. A significant
                                     (Times: 11.10am until 12:55pm)                                    aspect of our academic transition process has been to
                                                                                                       allocate two key teachers for each Year 7 Core class.
                                     Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday                             Accordingly, Year 7 students will be taught by one teacher
                                     Between recess and lunch, the timetable will include a            for English, History & Geography, and another teacher for
                                     range of subjects such as Science, MVPS, History and              Mathematics and Science.
                                     Geography, Health and Physical Education, and our
                                     Language and Communications elective line.                        “No significant learning can occur without a significant
                                                                                                       relationship”. Dr James Comer
                                     Thursday
                                     On Thursday, Middle School Students will have two                 Relationships are at the heart of our Middle School
                                     subjects between recess and lunch: a Core subject                 philosophy, with a focus on three different aspects of this
                                     (Science, Religion, History and Geography, or Health and          quote from Dr Comer:
                                     Physical Education) and BeSPC.                                    1. Relationships between teachers and students
                                                                                                       2. Relationships between students, and
                                     LEARNING BLOCK 3                                                  3. Relationships between students and their learning
                                     (Times: 1.45pm until 3.20pm)                                         experiences

                                     Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday                   What this philosophy encourages us to do is to foster
                                     Learning block 3 in the afternoon will include our other two      positive relationships between our students and teachers,
                                     elective lines (either a Technology or Arts elective), Science,   as we know that all children need a safe and positive
                                     History and Geography or Health and Physical Education.           environment in which to learn successfully. We also foster
                                     On Thursday afternoon, all students will participate in           positive relationships between our students, so that they
                                     Wellbeing options and English (alternating each week).            can share common experiences with their peers and
                                                                                                       become a support network for each other. And importantly,
                                                                                                       we foster positive relationships between our students
2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8

                                                                                                       and their learning experiences so they can be St Patrick’s
                                                                                                       College People.

                                                                                                       This is embodied in our Middle School aims:

6
STUDENT GUIDE 2021 MIDDLE SCHOOL - YEARS 7 & 8 - St Patrick's College, Launceston
7

                                                                                    2020 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8
                        We, as the Middle School,
                        are aiming to build St Patrick’s
    LAUNCESTON
                        College people who are:
RESILIENT
St Patrick’s College people are resilient. We show this by not giving up and
facing our fears. We accept the challenge to be determined, disciplined and
hard working.

OPEN TO THE SPIRIT
St Patrick’s College people are open to the Spirit. We show this by entering
into the faith community with an open mind to developing the Gospel values of
acceptance, empathy, justice and love.

LIFE-LONG LEARNERS
St Patrick’s College people are life-long learners. We show this by being
inquisitive, being interested in the world around us, and being capable of
making our own decisions and contributing positively to society.

RESPECTFUL
St Patrick’s College people are respectful. Jesus said, “Do to others as you
would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). We show this through caring, kind,
honest and positive interactions with others at all times.

INSPIRED
St Patrick’s College people are inspired. We show this by being responsible and
active citizens who strive to make a positive difference in our community and the
wider world.
STUDENT GUIDE 2021 MIDDLE SCHOOL - YEARS 7 & 8 - St Patrick's College, Launceston
LITERACY                                                             NUMERACY
                                     As a Middle School, our vision for the learning of                   As a Middle School, our vision for the learning of Numeracy
                                     Literacy is that students recognise that Literacy is a key           is that students understand that the development of
                                     component of all learning areas. Students understand                 Numeracy skills is critical for success in life and their future
                                     that the development of literacy skills is critical for success      endeavours. A range of targeted programs are available
                                     in life and develop these skills to be successful in future          to cater for the individual needs of students. Students are
                                     endeavours. The diverse range of student needs is catered            engaged in Numeracy learning tasks that challenge them
                                     for in a range of targeted programs and individualised               to reach their full potential. Information Technologies will
                                     curriculum learning for each student. Each student                   play a critical role in the development of key Numeracy
                                     is challenged and engaged in achieving their best in                 skills.
                                     these personalised Literacy learning tasks. Information
                                     Technologies are a critical component in developing                  In order to meet these numeracy needs, we have
                                     student literacy skills. It is in this way that Literacy will play   implemented a range of programs to enhance student
                                     a significant role during their schooling and post-schooling         understanding and skills:
                                     life.                                                                • In the early weeks of Term 1 all Year 7s undertake
                                                                                                              a Progressive Achievement Test (PAT testing) to
                                     In order to meet these Literacy needs, we have                           determine their individual needs. Based on these
                                     implemented a range of programs to enhance student                       results, students may be placed into an Australian
                                     understanding and skills:                                                Mathematics Support class.
                                     • One of these is the Progressive Achievement Test (PAT)             • Mathematics Support classes are typically capped at 12
                                         Literacy testing that students complete in the early                 students and each student receives an individualised
                                         weeks of Term 1 to determine their individual needs.                 program targeted to their specific needs. This class runs
                                     • Based on these results, students are given opportunities               alongside the Australian Curriculum classes to support
                                         to increase their reading skills or extend themselves in             students with specific learning needs to engage with
                                         the High Potential Learners program.                                 the Numeracy Curriculum at their own pace.
                                     • Alongside these extra opportunities, students engage               • The Australian Curriculum Mathematics classes are
                                         in the Australian Curriculum: English which engages                  focused on the key strands of Number and Algebra,
                                         them in various literacy activities such as novel studies,           Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and
                                         poetry, film, English Basics and Information Technology              Probability.
                                         tasks.                                                           • Students also have the opportunity to extend
                                     • Professional learning is provided to all staff surrounding             themselves as part of the High Potential Learner
                                         the key Literacy components of their learning areas and              program through entry into the Da Vinci class.
                                         how to implement this in their classroom.                        • Students in both the Support and Australian Curriculum
                                     • Information Technologies through the provision of                      classes have access to the Maths Quest digital textbook
                                         student-owned learning devices allow students to                     via the Jacaranda Bookshelf website.
                                         compose and create tasks that challenge their skills and         • They also have access to the Mathspace Program.
                                         knowledge in Literacy.                                               Mathspace is an online learning program that is
                                                                                                              targeted to each student’s individual needs. It is a fun
                                     These programs are designed to improve student-                          and engaging program that can be used both at school
                                     learning outcomes with the invested involvement of key                   and at home.
                                     stakeholders:
                                     • The role of the parent is to continue to provide support           These programs are designed to improve student-
2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8

                                         and encourage the Literacy development of their child.           learning outcomes with the invested involvement of key
                                     • The role of the teacher is to continue to develop their            stakeholders:
                                         knowledge and understanding of Literacy and deliver              • The role of the student is to take ownership of their
                                         an authentic curriculum for each student based on the                learning in Numeracy and immerse themselves in the
                                         professional development gained.                                     programs offered to them.
                                     • The role of the student is to take ownership of their              • The role of the teacher is to continue to develop their
                                         learning in Literacy and immerse themselves in the                   Numeracy knowledge and pedagogical skills to deliver
                                         programs offered to them.                                            an authentic and engaging curriculum to students.
                                                                                                          • The role of the parent is to continue to provide support
                                                                                                              and encourage the Numeracy support of the child.

8
STUDENT GUIDE 2021 MIDDLE SCHOOL - YEARS 7 & 8 - St Patrick's College, Launceston
9

                                                                                                                              2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8
TECHNOLOGY IN 2021
St Patrick’s College is committed to delivering                TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
contemporary education in an innovative and dynamic            All currently owned devices, including tablets,
learning environment. Central to this practice is the          Chromebooks and laptops, will be supported by the
provision of technologies that promote student-centred         College, provided they meet minimum requirements.
learning.                                                      Families should refer to the Years 7-12 specifications prior
                                                               to making a device purchasing decision (iPads or tablets
The Bring Your Own Device program at St Patrick’s College      should not be purchased for 2021).
supports our educational goal of enhancing and improving
learning outcomes for all students at the College,             A portal is available for the purchase of new devices. Our
supporting anytime, anyplace, lifelong learning and access     preferred partner is a local supplier and offers educational
to quality eLearning content.                                  rates.

All courses at St Patrick’s College require students to        Information on technical specifications and a link to the
access computing devices and online resources as part          portal is available on the College website at:
of learning activities. There is evidence that the use of      https://stpatricks.co/2020-BYOD
personally-owned devices assists learning, is more efficient
and is in line with global technology trends in education.     Please note, IT support for BYOD devices will be limited
                                                               to assisting with the connection of the device to the
Each student is provided with a free College Google            College network. For hardware or software issues, device
account, which includes Google Drive for storing all work,     manufacturers or the point of sale should be consulted.
and access to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides for word
processing, spreadsheets and slide presentations. Students
who study subjects that require specialised hardware and
software will have access to dedicated desktop machines
at the College.
STUDENT GUIDE 2021 MIDDLE SCHOOL - YEARS 7 & 8 - St Patrick's College, Launceston
THE HOUSE & TUTOR SYSTEM
                                     ON ENTRY INTO ST PATRICK’S COLLEGE EACH                     interest and care extended by each individual within the
                                     STUDENT IS ASSIGNED TO A HOUSE:                             group to other group members, and they meet each
                                                                                                 morning. Generally, Tutor teachers stay with the Tutor
                                     MacKillop: (Blue) Barry and More                            group while they remain at the school, and so develop
                                     Nagle: (Green) Rochester and Young                          a vital rapport with the group and see the individual
                                     Tenison: (Yellow) Cotham and Delany                         members grow from Year 7 students to Year 12 students.
                                     Rice: (Red) Bourke and Chisholm                             Sporting carnivals, prayers and liturgies, charity fundraising
                                                                                                 and social events are all organised through Houses.
                                     These Houses have represented the founding Religious
                                     Orders of the College. In 2002, a restructuring of Houses   This Tutor group system is the focus for Pastoral Care at the
                                     saw each of the original Houses divided into two related    College. There is time to share each other’s stories, to hear
                                     Houses so that each House is smaller, thus enabling a       needs and ambitions, to assist with problems, to organise
                                     higher standard of individual pastoral care.                priorities and to focus on areas where individuals within the
                                                                                                 group need some development, updating or information.
                                     In Years 7-12, all students are assigned to House-based     A House Head, who retains overall responsibility for all
                                     Tutor groups containing approximately 23 students. These    Tutors, Tutor groups and individual students, leads each
                                     mixed-age Tutor groups operate like family groups with      House and oversees the pastoral care within the House.
2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8

10
11

                                                                                                                                    2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8
GENERAL INFORMATION FOR YEARS 7&8
ATTENDANCE                                                         SCHOOLBOX
Authorised & Unauthorised Absences                                 SchoolBox is the College’s learning management system.
Authorised absences are those absences that meet                   Each student can access curriculum content, download
the set of circumstances deemed for a student to be                course-related files, check homework, check their
excused from daily attendance at school under the                  assignments results and teacher feedback, and submit
Education Act 2016.                                                assessment tasks via this online learning hub. Parents can
                                                                   also access the SchoolBox via the Parent Portal. Parents are
Unauthorised absences are those absences that do                   provided with login details for the Parent Portal and are then
not meet the set of circumstances deemed for a                     able to access course outlines, check due work and monitor
student to be excused from daily attendance at school              their child’s learning.
under the Education Act 2016. The College, under the
authority of the Education Act 2016, may investigate any           Continuous Feedback
unauthorised absences.                                             As part of our learning and teaching program, students will
                                                                   receive written feedback for Common Assessment Tasks
Short Term Absences                                                and other class tasks throughout the year. This continuous
If a student is absent, the parent/guardian is required to         feedback is available through Schoolbox as a way of keeping
contact the College prior to 9.30am on the day of absence          the student and their parents/guardians up-to-date with
using one of the contact methods below:                            their progress throughout the year.
P: 03 6341 9988
E: absent@stpatricks.tas.edu.au                                    YEAR 7 & 8 CAMPS
W: www.stpatricks.tas.edu.au/contact                               The College has a well-established and educationally
A: Schoolbox App                                                   valuable camp program for Years 7 -10. The camps
                                                                   provide rich opportunities for growth and development
Extraordinary & Long Term Absences                                 and encourage the formation of strong peer and student/
Where a student is required to be absent from the                  teacher relationships, which assist in building a sense of
College to participate in non-College activities for a             connectedness to school. The camp program offered at the
period of five days or more, a parent/guardian must                College is considered to be a vital part of each student’s
seek permission from the Principal by email                        educational journey and as such, is compulsory.
(principal@stpatricks.tas.edu.au) or in writing. The
Principal will consider the request at their discretion            Please note that camps are not an optional activity.
and notify the parent/guardian. The Principal will not
formally approve any unauthorised absences. Please
note under the Education Act 2016 family holidays
constitute an unauthorised absence.

For more information in regards to the College
Attendance Policy, please refer to:
https://stpatricks.co/policies-protocols

Appointments
Students who will be required to attend appointments during
the day must have a parent note which must be co-signed by
their House Head before they will be permitted to leave the
College. Students will need to take their ID cards to the office
to sign out using our digital log out system.

Illness During the Day
If a student becomes unwell during the day, they must report
to their class teacher and then to the front office/sickbay.
Under no circumstances should a student contact home to
arrange collection by their parent or caregiver.
CO-CURRICULAR OPTIONS

                                     PARTICIPATION
                                     It is the expectation of the College that students use all their talents to the best of their ability. We provide an array of
                                     activities for the all-round education of the students and we see it as important that every student becomes involved in
                                     these activities. Religious, academic, sporting, social and cultural pursuits all fit into this category. Some time outside
                                     normal school hours is devoted to these activities and we expect the students, with encouragement and support from
                                     parents, take part in these activities.

                                     MUSIC PROGRAM                              CULTURAL ACTIVITIES                         SPORT
                                     St Patrick’s College enjoys a long         All students are encouraged to              The College offers an extensive
                                     tradition of excellence in Music and       participate in our cultural co-             range of sporting activities for both
                                     the Music Program plays a vital role in    curricular programs, which provide          the summer and winter months. All
                                     the life of the College. Many students     opportunities in a wide range of            students are encouraged to participate
                                     choose this as part of their total         activities. Cultural activities are an      in a variety of interschool sports.
                                     development. A wide variety of music       integral part of the educational
                                                                                                                            Teachers and parents provide coaching
                                     tuition is available to all students.      experience that caters for students’
                                     Ensemble ‘off-line’ courses are also       diverse abilities and offers a chance       in these activities, providing many
                                     available as an additional elective,       to form life-long interests, build          hours of time both after school and
                                     and are designed to enable students        communication skills and confidence.        for Saturday games and weekend
                                     to develop as musicians through            Through our extensive list of activities,   competitions. We value the support
                                     performing in one or more music            each student has the opportunity to         and assistance provided by our staff
                                     ensembles. For further information         develop their potential - spiritually,      and parent community however,
                                     please contact the Music Coordinator       socially, and culturally.                   volunteers are always needed. If you
                                     at the College.                                                                        have skills to offer in these areas, do
                                                                                The cultural co-curricular activities       not hesitate to come forward. Further
                                     Music groups at the College include:       offered at the College include:             information can be obtained from the
                                     • Andante Strings                          • Drama Club
                                                                                                                            Sports Coordinator.
                                     • Allegro Strings                          • Art and Photography Club
                                     • Big Band                                 • Environment Committee
                                                                                                                            The co-curricular sports offered at the
                                     • Brass Class                              • Gardening Club
                                     • Clarinet Ensemble                        • Tournament of Minds                       College include:
                                     • Concert Band                             • Debating                                  • Basketball
                                     • Development Band                         • Production/Performance Project            • Netball
                                     • Drimline Group                           • Public Speaking                           • Soccer
                                     • Intermediate Band                        • Harmonia                                  • Hockey
                                     • Junior Drumline Group                    • Tabletop Games                            • Australian Rules Football
                                     • Junior Jazz                              • Creative Writing Club                     • Tennis
                                     • Pipe Band                                • Chess                                     • Badminton
                                     • Saxaphone Ensemble                       • Public Speaking                           • Rowing
                                     • String Quartet                           • Textiles and Design Club                  • Equestrian
                                     • Symphony Orchestra                       • LitWits Book Club
                                                                                                                            • Cricket
                                                                                • MS Vinnies
2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8

                                                                                                                            • Mountain Biking
                                                                                • Future Sounds

12
13

                                                                                                                                2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8
LEARNING                                                        HOMEWORK
ENHANCEMENT
St Patrick’s College provides several programs and              Homework is an essential extension of the school into
initiatives in Year 7 and 8 to provide learning support for     the home environment. Homework is intended not only
students with special educational needs and enrichment          to further each and every student’s scholastic ability, but
for high achieving students.                                    is important in developing both self-reliance and self-
                                                                discipline – two of the significant aims of the College.
STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR EXTRA SUPPORT IN
THEIR LEARNING                                                  The expectation in Year 7 and Year 8 is that the student sets
Students who have been identified with special learning         aside about one hour for study and homework four nights
needs or who qualify for ESL/EAL funding may be                 per week. This time allowance leaves the student time for
eligible for extra support and assistance Learning              recreation, sports, activities and family time.
Enhancement Programs. These programs are developed
after consultation with parents, teachers, the student          Homework in secondary school does not always
and Learning Enhancement staff. Support provided may            follow the patterns of homework set in primary years.
be subject to formal identification processes and an            Students are more likely to be set assignments and projects
application for funding from the State and/or Federal           that would be researched and completed over a period
government. Part of this process is the formation of            of days and weeks. Subjects such as Mathematics may set
an Personalised Learning Plan (PLP). Parents who think          homework that is skills based and requires completion
that their child might qualify for special needs support        of exercises over a period of two to three days, whereas,
are advised to contact the Head of Faculty: Learning            subjects such as History and Geography, Religion, HPE,
Enhancement at the beginning of the school year.                English and Science may set homework that involves
                                                                research assignments or extended projects. These may
LITERACY AND NUMERACY SUPPORT                                   be researched and drafted in school hours, but require
Literacy assistance and other forms of support are provided     extension, finishing, editing and polishing at home.
through Learning Enhancement Team. All Year 7 students
are tested in English and Mathematics through the OPI           Students are encouraged to plan for and complete their
(Online Placement Instrument) at the beginning of the           homework over a period of time. This is regarded as an
year. Students who require further support in literacy and      essential organisational skill for students in the Middle
numeracy are identified through reviewing OPI results and       School years and beyond. Parents and caregivers need
other forms of assessment and offered support through a         to support Year 7 and 8 students with regard to setting
range of programs and initiatives.                              realistic goals, making plans and setting regular time aside
                                                                for the completion of homework.
ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
Students who have been identified as eligible for               On occasions when the work rate of the student does
enrichment may be invited to join the College’s enrichment      not allow him/her to complete set work, a note is
program. This program will provide further opportunities        required. Information outlining expectations is available on
for talented or high achieving students through access to       Schoolbox along with other useful homework references.
external programs and internal enrichment opportunities.        Where concerns arise regarding homework management,
                                                                communication should be made with the subject teacher in
ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PROGRAM                     the first instance. Parents are able to monitor, and provide
Embedding First Nations culture, knowledge, history, and        support for, their child’s learning and homework through
wisdom is a priority for Catholic Education Tasmania and        the SchoolBox Parent Portal.
St Patrick’s College. Each campus has an Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Student Success Teacher whose role       AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING
is to facilitate a variety of support, tutoring, cultural and   In 2021, the College will offer after-school tutoring for
enrichment activities for Indigenous students. In addition,     Middle School students every Tuesday and Thursday
the College has a Learning Leader in this area who works        afternoon from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. The tutoring will be
in conjunction with the Success Teachers and who is             held in Tenison Woods Centre (Middle School building).
responsible for developing programs and opportunities           All students are welcomed to attend, whether they require
within our College Community that promote and celebrate         additional support, are seeking extension in their learning,
First Nations culture and history. For further information      or are looking to consolidate the key concepts they have
please contact either the campus Success Teacher or the         covered in the past week.
Learning Leader.
                                                                The tutoring is designed to cater for student learning in
                                                                the key learning areas of the curriculum; English, History
                                                                & Geography, MVPS, Health and PE, Mathematics and
                                                                Science. The after-school tutoring program is specifically
                                                                staffed to assist students who require support in those
                                                                specific subject areas.
CORE LEARNING
                                      CORE SUBJECT OVERVIEW IN                MEANING, VALUES, PURPOSE
                                      YEAR 7 & 8                              & SPIRITUALITY:
                                                                              YEAR 7 & 8
                                      There are ten academic classes in
                                      Year 7 and 8, with approximately 28     The Religious Education program is
                                      students in each class. These are       a central focus of the curriculum and
                                      known as Core classes. The Learning     sets the scene for the community life,
                                      Block timetable structure means that    values and personal growth of our
                                      Year 7 and 8 students will have 15      students.
                                      learning blocks per week and 30 per
                                      fortnightly cycle.                      The Year 7 and 8 MVPS program is
                                                                              part of a sequential program based
                                      Across the two years, Middle School     on the K-12 Archdiocesan Religious
CORE SUBJECTS

                                      students will study a sequence of       Education Framework Good News
                                      Core subjects representing key          for Living. It has as its focus, a firm
                                      disciplines from the Australian         grounding in the basic aspects of our
                                      Curriculum and Catholic Education.      shared Christian story and Catholic
                                      These include:                          Faith traditions.
                                      • Meaning, Values, Purpose &
                                           Spirituality;                      The Reflection Day Program forms
                                      • English;                              an integral part of the Middle School
                                      • Digitial Techonologies (one           Religious Education syllabus.
                                           semester); Health and Physical
                                           Education;                         The three strands of the Diocesan
                                      • History and Geography;                Syllabus are:
                                      • Japanese (one semester);              1. Knowledge an Undertsanding
                                      • Mathematics and Science.              2. Inquiry and Communication
                                      • Each Thursday all Middle School       3. Discernment and Making
                                           students will also participate         Connections
                                           in: BeSPC (our Middle School
                                           pastoral care program), and
                                           Wellbeing (physical and personal
                                           development focus).

                                      Personal Pathway Planning begins
                                      in Year 7 with each Core Group
                                      being seen for learning experiences
                                      that focus on beginning to develop
                                      individual student Personal Pathway
                                      Plans. In 2021 Personal Pathway
                                      Planning will form part of the
                                      curriculum in BeSPC for both Year 7
                                      and 8 students.
 2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8

14
15
CORE LEARNING

                                                                                                                                 2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8
AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM                     AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM                      ACCELERATED READER
ENGLISH: YEAR 7 & 8                       ENGLISH: YEAR 7                            AND THE SILENT READING
                                                                                     PROGRAM
English in Middle School has three        Students study discrete units in Novel
broad emphases, informed by the           Study; Narrative Writing; Persuasive       In the Middle School, we recognise
three strands from the Australian         Text; Drama; Film Study; Biography         the value of reading for pleasure
Curriculum: Language, Literature and                                                 and the difference this can make
                                          and Poetry. The study of poetry is
Literacy.                                                                            in educational outcomes for our
                                          also embedded in each discrete unit.
                                                                                     students. Students participate in
LANGUAGE                                  The study of Language is addressed
                                                                                     silent reading as part of their English
• In the language strand, students        formally through the use of a              program. To ensure students are
  learn about the types and functions     Language text and is also embedded         reading books which allow for their
  of language explicitly as well as       in each discrete unit. Each of the         best personal growth students
  through embedded learning within        units is informed by the Australian        undertake the Star Reading test three
  a specific context and study.           Curriculum Strands: Language,              times a year, this provides a measure
• Students also develop and extend        Literature and Literacy.                   of their personal reading level and
                                                                                     allows us to measure their progress
  their understanding of language
  conventions such as spelling,           AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM                      throughout the year. Students
                                          ENGLISH: YEAR 8                            then select books aligned with the
  grammar, punctuation, and writing                                                  Accelerated Reader Program and their
  techniques.                                                                        personal reading level. After reading,
                                          Students study four core units of          students take a comprehension quiz
LITERATURE                                work throughout the year; each unit        which provides immediate feedback
• This strand emphasises                  is unified by a literacy theme. The        to both students and teachers.
   communication and cultural             unit themes are Texts, Culture &           Throughout the year students are
                                          Context; Examining Texts (Analysis);       able to set and work towards reading
   understanding. Students will learn
                                          Visual & Oral Literacy, and Creating       practice targets in consultation with
   about drama, poetry, media and the     & Composing. The study of poetry
   language arts by actively engaging                                                their English teacher.
                                          is embedded in each unit. The study
   in units of work that explore broad    of Language is addressed formally
   themes and issues relevant to the      through the use of a Language text and
   middle years.                          is also embedded in each unit. Each of
• All students will study at least one    the units is informed by the Australian
   text that incorporates perspectives    Curriculum Strands: Language,
   from different cultures with           Literature and Literacy.
   an emphasis on Asian cultural
   perspectives.                          Support ENGLISH:
• Other genres studies include the        YEAR 7 & 8
   short story study, poetry and song
   and the reading and viewing of         Support English classes offer basic

                                                                                                                               CORE SUBJECTS
   a variety of texts, including films,   literacy and language instruction in a
   novels and media texts.                small class with some individualised
                                          tuition when needed. These classes
                                          are timetabled to run at the same
LITERACY
                                          time as all English classes and are
• Students engage in learning             an alternative to the Australian
   about the structures of different      Curriculum English classes for students
   genres and text types, as well         with high literacy needs. Whilst these
   as developing specific literacy        classes offer and are assessed against
   skills both explicitly and through     Year 7 Australian Curriculum English,
   embedded learning.                     the learning program is differentiated
• Individual presentations and group      in terms of its pace, content, foci, and
   work assignments enable students       key texts.
   to develop their confidence in
   spoken and oral mediums, working
   in groups and presenting before an
   audience.
CORE LEARNING
                                      AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM                    AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM                        AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM
                                      HEALTH & PHYSICAL                        HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY:                         HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY:
                                      EDUCATION (HPE)                          YEAR 7                                       YEAR 8

                                      HPE contributes significantly to the     Geography has two Australian                 Geography has two Australian
                                      cognitive, social, emotional, physical   Curriculum units:                            Curriculum units:
                                      and spiritual development of students.   Environmental Resources and Why              Landscapes and Personal and
                                      It provides opportunities for students   People Live Where They Do.                   Community Geographies.
                                      to learn about, and practice ways of
                                      adopting and maintaining a healthy,      History is comprised of three                History is comprised of three
                                      productive and active life.              Australian Curriculum units:                 Australian Curriculum units:
                                                                               The Ancient World, Ancient China and         Medieval Europe, Japan Under the
                                      The Health component provides the        Ancient Rome.                                Shoguns, and the Conquest of the
CORE SUBJECTS

                                      opportunity for students to explore                                                   Americas.
                                      the health issues relevant to their      These provide a study of history
                                      stage of development that can have       from the time of the earliest human          The Year 8 curriculum provides a study
                                      an impact on their health now and        communities to the end of the ancient        focus of history from the end of the
                                      in the future. The Physical Education    period, approximately 60,000 BC              ancient period to the beginning of
                                      component is designed to improve         (BCE) – c.650 AD (CE). The study of the      the modern period, c650 AD (CE) –
                                      physical skills, develop fitness and     ancient world includes the discoveries       1750. This was when major civilisations
                                      expose students to a wide range          (the remains of the past and what we         around the world came into contact
                                      of activities that they can actively     know) and the mysteries (what we             with each other. Social, economic,
                                      participate in to promote wellbeing.     do not know) about this period of            religious, and political beliefs were
                                                                               history, in a range of societies including   often challenged and it was the period
                                                                               Australia, Egypt, Greece, Rome,              when the modern world began to
                                                                               China and India. The content provides        take shape. The content provides
                                                                               opportunities to develop historical          opportunities to develop historical
                                                                               understanding through key concepts,          understanding through key concepts,
                                                                               including evidence, continuity               including evidence, continuity
                                                                               and change, cause and effect,                and change, cause and effect,
                                                                               perspectives, empathy, significance          perspectives, empathy, significance
                                                                               and contestability.                          and contestability.
 2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8

16
17
CORE LEARNING

                                                                                                                           2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8
AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM                   Support MATHEMATICS:                     MATHSPACE PROGRAM:
MATHEMATICS: YEAR 7                     YEAR 7 & 8                               YEAR 7 & 8

The scope of the Year 7 Mathematics     Support Mathematics classes offer        All students at St Patrick’s College
curriculum includes the three content   basic Mathematics and numeracy           have access to the College’s
strands and four proficiency strands    instruction in a small class with some   online tuition program Mathspace.
of the Australian Curriculum. The       individualized tuition when needed.      Mathspace can be accessed both
content strands are number and          These classes are timetabled to run      at school and at home. Students
algebra; statistics and probability;    at the same time as all Mathematics      have an individual account and can
measurement and geometry.               classes and are an alternative to        build skills and compete individually
The proficiency strands include         Australian Curriculum Mathematics        and in classes with students from
understanding, fluency, and problem     for students with high numeracy          other schools both nationally
solving and reasoning.                  needs. Generally, Middle School          and internationally. Mathspace is
                                        Support Mathematics classes cover        designed to enhance and develop
The Year 7 Mathematics Curriculum       the year level Mathematics course        the students’ understanding and
aims to:                                with modified and differentiated         ability in all areas of Mathematics
• Assist the young person to            activities and assessments. Some         operations
   understand and interpret the         students with specific learning needs
   environment from a Mathematical      may be offered a personalised
   perspective.                         curriculum that draws on the content
• Lay a sound foundation for future     from other year level Mathematics
   Mathematical studies.                courses.
• Create favourable attitudes
   towards and to stimulate interest
   in Mathematics.
• Ensure competence and
   confidence to participate in
   society.

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM
MATHEMATICS: YEAR 8

The scope of the Year 8 Mathematics
curriculum includes the three content
strands and four proficiency strands
of the Australian Curriculum. The
content strands are number and
algebra; statistics and probability;
measurement and geometry.

                                                                                                                         CORE SUBJECTS
The proficiency strands include
understanding, fluency, and problem
solving and reasoning.

The areas covered in the Year
8 Mathematics course include
arithmetic, algebra, geometry,
measurement and statistics. An
appreciation of the vast number
of uses of Mathematics in today’s
society and an enjoyment of
the subject are also aimed at.
Performance in Year 8 Mathematics
largely determines the particular
Mathematics pathway on which
students embark in Year 9, so
the proficiency strands as well as
skill development and successful
performance are emphasied and
encouraged.
CORE LEARNING
                                      AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM                  AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM                     AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM
                                      SCIENCE: MIDDLE SCHOOL                 SCIENCE: YEAR 7                           SCIENCE: YEAR 8

                                      The scope of the Year 7 and 8          The Year 7 Science course aims to         The Year 8 Science course provides
                                      Science Curriculum builds on Science   give students an introduction to, and     students with knowledge and skills
                                      Understanding through the two          an overview of, each of the branches      to continue study in science as well
                                      interrelated strands Science Inquiry   of Science to allow them to deal with     as assisting them with their general
                                      Skills and Science as a Human          challenges they may face in the future.   understanding of the constantly
                                      Endeavour. The course will cover       The following units underpin Science      changing world around them. The
                                      units of work as prescribed by the     in Year 7.                                Year 8 course is designed to provide
                                      Australian Curriculum. Science as                                                further experiences in the different
                                      a Human Endeavour includes: the        CHEMISTRY                                 areas of science. Units include:
CORE SUBJECTS

                                      nature and Development of Science      Separating Mixtures: Students learn
                                      and Uses and Influences of Science.    about mixtures, different separating      CHEMISTRY
                                      Science inquiry skills include:        techniques, and how they are used in      States of Matter: Focuses on the
                                      • Questioning and predicting           society.                                  different states of matter and how
                                      • Planning and conducting                                                        substances can change from one form
                                      • Processing and analysing data and    Precious Resources: Looks at natural      to another.
                                          information                        resources found on Earth and focuses
                                      • Evaluating                           on renewable and non-renewable            Elements, Compounds, Mixtures:
                                      • Communicating                        forms of energy.                          Focuses on the differences between
                                                                                                                       elements, compounds and mixtures,
                                                                             BIOLOGY                                   the periodic table, and metals vs non-
                                                                             Ecosystems: Focuses on components         metals.
                                                                             within an ecosystem, food chains,
                                                                             food webs, and human impact on            Chemical Change: Looks at Physical
                                                                             ecosystems.                               and chemical changes, types of
                                                                                                                       chemical reactions and reaction rates.
                                                                             Classification: Focuses on why
                                                                             we classify organisms, grouping           BIOLOGY
                                                                             organisms based on similarities           Cells: Focuses on microscope skills,
                                                                             and differences, and constructing         organelles, specialised cells and cell
                                                                             dichotomous keys.                         division.

                                                                             EARTH SCIENCE                             Body Systems: Focuses on the
                                                                             Earth in Space: Focuses on seasons,       different body systems within a human
                                                                             phases of the moon, eclipses, and the     and how scientific technology has
                                                                             development of our understanding of       developed over time.
                                                                             space over time.
                                                                                                                       EARTH SCIENCE
                                                                             PHYSICS                                   Rocks: Focuses on sedimentary,
                                                                             Forces: Looks at contact, non-contact,    igneous, metamorphic rocks, their
                                                                             and unbalanced forces. Magnetic           uses and the rock cycle.
                                                                             forces, gravity, friction and buoyancy.
                                                                                                                       PHYSICS
                                                                             SCIENCE INQUIRY SKILLS                    Energy: Focuses on energy efficiency,
                                                                             Science is..: Focuses on the different    heat transfer, and designing a solar
                                                                             branches of Science, safety in the        car.
 2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8

                                                                             laboratory, and developing lab. skills.

                                                                             Scientific Inquiry: Students have
                                                                             the opportunity to design their own
                                                                             experiment and report on their
                                                                             findings.

18
19
WELLBEING INITIATIVE

                                                                                                                           2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8
The Middle School Wellbeing Initiative    BeSPC                                   WELLBEING
is an allocated curriculum program,       BeSPC is the key pastoral care          This is a compulsory subject for
which aims to promote and improve         program for our Middle School           Years 7 and 8. Wellbeing encourages
the overall health and wellbeing of       students as we shape and mould them     students to become active and
our Middle School students. It forms      as young people on their educational    involved in organised activities
a critical component of the holistic      journey. The program has a key role     of interest to them. The majority
education offered at St Patrick’s         in how the Middle School promotes       of activities offered are physical,
College and runs every Thursday           parental engagement, develops its       although periodically the College will
afternoon. There are two primary          online presence, builds community,      offer activities that cater to overall
programs: BeSPC and Wellbeing.            encourages leadership, and enables      health and wellbeing in a more
                                          our students to learn more about        general sense.
In Week A, Year 7 students have           themselves, each other and our world.
Wellbeing & Year 8 students have          Middle School students engage in the    Students participate in a different
English. In Week B, Year 8 students       program for one period each week.       Wellbeing option for each term. The
have Wellbeing & Year 7 students                                                  options may include House-based
have English. Year 7 & 8 students                                                 competitions, non-competitive
wear the College’s sports uniform to                                              sport, and a range of activities from
school each Thursday, which is the                                                low impact fitness to more vigorous
appropriate uniform for the subject.                                              options. Wellbeing is a formal subject
Each year level will participate in the                                           at the College and students are
BeSPC program every week.                                                         expected to actively participate in
                                                                                  their elected Wellbeing choice.
OPTIONS YEARS 7 & 8
                                     In Middle School there are three         LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATIONS                   TECHNOLOGIES & THE ARTS
                                     non-core learning lines. These lines     ELECTIVE LINE offer subjects from           ELECTIVE LINES are semester long
                                     are comprised of other significant       the Languages curriculum or LOTE            subjects. Year 7 and 8 students study
                                     subjects and disciplines from the        (Language other than English),              four semester length options from the
                                     Australian Curriculum that are           literacy support, and subjects with a       Arts and Design and Technologies
                                     considered essential for Year 7 and      communications focus. These subjects        over the course of the year: two in the
                                     8 students. In Year 7, these lines
                                     include a limited range of option        also integrate themes and skills from       first semester and two in the second.
                                     subjects and a selection of subjects     The Arts and/or Digital Technologies        Two options are from the Design and
                                     from The Arts and the Technologies       curricula.                                  Technologies line and two are from
                                     curricula. In Year 8, these lines form                                               The Arts.
                                     three distinct option lines. Both Year   In Year 7 the Language and
                                     7 and 8 students must study at least     Communications line is split into           In Year 7 students will study four
                                     one subject from each line, thus         semesters. In one semester students         electives over the course of the year
                                     completing courses in Language           will study Japanese as their Language       from a range of Technologies and
                                     and Communications, The Arts and         Other Than English (LOTE) subject. It is    Arts subjects.
                                     Technologies each year. For many         mandated by the Australian Curriculum
                                     of the option subjects the courses       Assessment and Reporting Authority          In Year 8 students must select a
                                     are conducted in semesters. There        (ACARA) all students in middle years        combination of Arts and Technology
                                     are two semesters in the College
                                                                              study a LOTE subject. In the other          options (semester length). They can
                                     year: Semester 1 (Term 1 and 2) and
                                     Semester 2 (Term 3 and 4).               semester, the students will study Digital   elect to study one course from the
                                                                              Technologies which is also mandated by      Arts to three courses from Design
                                     LINES:                                   ACARA.                                      and Technologies, two courses from
                                     1. Language and Communications                                                       The Arts and two from Design and
                                        (Semesterised in Year 7&8)            In Year 8 the students will select from     Technologies. Alternatively, they
                                     2. Technologies (Semester 1 and/or 2)    a range of semester-length courses,         may wish to complete one Design in
                                     3. The Arts (Semester 1 and/or 2)        or elect to continue in their study of      Technologies course to three courses
                                                                              Japanese from Year 7, which is a year       in The Arts. Students will make their
                                     NB: A ‘semester’ is a two-term period.   long subject. Students who do not           choices from 13 elective options.
                                     Semester 1 includes Term 1 and 2 and     choose Japanese will select TWO of
                                     Semester 2 includes Term 3 and 4.        the semester-length courses to study
                                                                              (one in each semester). Through the
                                                                              Language and Communications line
                                                                              in Year 8 we are able to broaden our
                                                                              range of offerings, so that Languages,
                                                                              Digital Technologies, Media Arts, and
                                                                              an introduction to Asian culture are all
                                                                              represented as independent courses
                                                                              within in the Middle School learning
                                                                              program.
2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8

20
21
           LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATIONS - YEAR 7

                                                                                        2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8
Courses offered in the Language and Communications line in Year 7 are:
• Japanese
• Digital Technologies
All students will study these subjects for one semester.

Japanese                                   Digital Technologies

The Japanese course offered in Year 7      Digital Technologies, while based
is seen as an introduction to Japan, the   around competencies with ICT, is
Japanese language and culture. The         distinct from Computing Skills. This
course aims to:                            is an Australian Curriculum course,
• Teach students to communicate in         which focuses on the development
    Japanese using simple words and        of computer programming skills in
    sentence patterns.                     students through the use of web-
• Foster a general interest in             based software, offline activities, and
    Japanese culture and learning          programming software. Learning in
    about other cultures is based on       Digital Technologies aims to further
    the communicative approach,            develop understanding and skills in
    which aims to equip students with      computational thinking and systems
    skills needed to communicate in        thinking. Students will create a range
    Japanese.                              of digital solutions and program
• Provide students with the foundation     simulations of relationships between
    for a sustained study in a LOTE        objects in the real world.
    subject (Language other than
    English) that can be followed
    through from Year 7 to 12.

                                                                                     LANGUAGES
ARTS - YEAR 7

                                     These courses run on a semester             Art                                       Music
                                     basis. All courses run for two terms
                                     (one semester) in each half of the          The Year 7 Art course aims to give        This course aims to encourage
                                     year. These courses are designed            students a general introduction to        students to develop an appreciation
                                     to provide Year 7 students with             the visual arts. During the course,       of the wonderful world of music
                                     experiences in both the Arts and            students gain familiarity with design     through a range of activities, which
                                     Technologies, in line with Australian       principles, which are incorporated into   include:
              - PERFORMING

                                     Curriculum requirements.                    their practical work. Such principles     • Practical: students work in small
                                                                                 as shape, form, line, tone, colour,           groups with a specialist music
                                     Students are required to complete           composition, space and pattern                tutor on a range of instruments.
                                     one Technology subject and one              are covered. Various art media are            Students will also develop
                   7

                                     Arts subject on each elective line per      experimented with and particular              rhythmic skills through engaging in
            -YEAR

                                     semester. Year 7 students study four        emphasis is given to drawing, painting        percussion activities.
                                     courses in a specific sequence over         and clay work. Overall, the course        • Technology: students will spend
                                     the school year: two courses in the
         ARTS

                                                                                 endeavours to encourage enthusiasm            a term learning the various
                                     first half of the year and two courses in
       ARTS

                                                                                 in, and an appreciation of, each              skills required to make music
                                     the second half.                            student’s creative potential in the           electronically.
CREATIVE

                                                                                 visual arts area.                         • Vocal: students will also spend a
                                     Within the Technologies and Arts                                                          term learning about the benefits
                                     lines, students can select from three
                                                                                 Drama                                         of singing and how to look after
                                     Design and Technologies electives                                                         their voices through exciting and
                                     and three Arts electives. The Arts/                                                       interesting songs.
                                     Technology combination means,               Students will study mime, poetry,
                                     therefore, that Year 7 students will        prose, story, improvisation, role-
                                     complete two different Technology           play, character development and
                                     courses and two courses from the Arts       elements of public speaking. Through
                                     over the course of the year.                these practical activities students
                                                                                 will develop confidence in oral skills,
                                     YEAR 7: THE ARTS LINE                       interpretation of text, dramatic
                                     In Year 7, the Australian Curriculum        technique and participate in public
                                     recommends that students learn in           performances such as the PARTS
                                     one or more of The Arts subjects.           Festival.
                                     These include Drama, Visual Arts
                                     and Music. St Patrick’s College
                                     Middle School offers a range of
                                     courses, allowing Year 7 students the
                                     opportunity to explore and develop
                                     their skills, understanding and abilities
                                     in one or more of the core subjects
                                     that form The Arts. Subjects in The
                                     Arts have been developed to reflect
                                     the Australian Curriculum strands:
                                     Making and Responding.
2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8

22
23
              TECHNOLOGIES - YEAR 7

                                                                                                                                           2021 STUDENT GUIDE FOR YEARS 7 & 8
TECHNOLOGIES LINE
In Year 7, the Technologies Line
includes:
• Food and Nutrition
• Textiles and Design
• Applied Technology

Food & Nutrition                          Textiles, Design & Technology                Applied Technology

This course focuses on the preparation    Students will investigate fabric as a        This subject aims to develop students’
of food suitable for nutritious snacks,   material and will use the technology         design and problem-solving skills
breakfasts and lunches. Students will     process to investigate, design,              whilst also improving dexterity and
develop practical skills, study basic     produce and evaluate. This course            skills with hand tools. This is a practical
nutrition and apply this to make          will look at a variety of textiles and       subject using a range of materials
healthy food decisions.                   study their uses in the home and the         and technologies. Teachers choose
                                          environment. Practical and artistic skills   projects from a variety of materials
                                          will be developed through simple,            including: leather, wood, metal, and
                                          selected projects.                           plastic. The emphasis is always on
                                                                                       safety with tools and safe workshop
                                                                                       procedures. Students are encouraged
                                                                                       to design their own projects.

                                                                                                                                     TECHNOLOGIES - YEAR 7
You can also read