Curriculum

Students in years 7 & 8 get 3 periods of art for a semester then they swap and do 3 periods of Graphic Communication for the second semester. Class sizes are small and students get to participate in the creating, making and presenting of a wide variety of media. At Year 7 & 8, the student’s projects include drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, ceramics and three dimensional constructions. Mrs Talbot is the Secondary Art teacher.

Students at years 9 & 10 are offered a wide variety of semester units to choose from: Two dimensional art, Three dimensional are, Graphics Communication, Technical Crafts (glass and jewellery), Creative art- fabrics, Photography, Fabric ornamentation and Ceramics. These units are studied for one semester, three periods per week.

VCE art is also offered to any Year 10 students who wish to study unit 1 & 2.

P-4: In the early years of their schooling, students learn a lot by exploring, discovering and experiencing things through using their sense of touch. Play is important as it provides students with opportunities to work through the technology process. The process is a problem-solving one whereby it is ensured that students develop a range of types of skill and knowledge in investigating, designing, producing and evaluating while they are solving problems.

Textiles: The students investigate fibres and fabrics, as well as commercial products and ideas for their projects before designing and producing the items themselves. Students are encouraged to try a variety of methods while researching how the item will be produced, and to aid the design process. Students are expected to evaluate all aspects of the finished project.

Wood: Students investigate materials and methods before designing and producing their projects using methods and equipment suitable for their level. Students are then expected to evaluate the process and the finished product. Their projects are made using wood, plastics or a combination of both.

Information Technology: Students in years 5-8 are timetabled for two sessions of Information Technology weekly, while an elective in Multimedia can be selected by students at Year 9/10 level. Year 10 students are also given the opportunity to undertake VCE Information Technology units.

Health and Physical Education are taught from P-10. PE runs as a subject in its own right in all year levels and incorporates Sport from Years 7-10. The content of the program is CSF based while being unique to the needs of the school and the scope allowed by the town facilities. The sports program endeavours to foster close links with the town wherever possible to maximise the use of expertise and equipment that is available in the community. Fortunately the community is very supportive of the school in this regard.

Health comes under a number of umbrellas at various stages throughout P-10. In Year 10, students do a VCE study that is compulsory. Physical Education and Health are some of the options open to these students. In Years 8 and 9, Health is a component of Home Economics and in Year 7 it is incorporated into PE where there is a unit on common health concerns for adolescents. This is likely to be enhanced as the school develops its ISDES (Individual School Drug Education Strategy) under the” Turning The Tide” program.

P-6 include health as part of their integrated units and study a variety of topics that are appropriate to their stages of development and maturity.

Indonesian Language is taught as a compulsory unit from Year Prep to Year 8, then becomes an elective for Years 9 and 10. At all levels, the aims of teaching a LOTE are to communicate effectively in speech and writing, appreciate and understand the language and culture of another community and to prepare the student for a broader range of experiences in future use of the language. While Prep and Grade 1 students receive an introduction to the Indonesian language and culture, Year 9 and 10 students are far more advanced and are preparing themselves for VCE level.

Humanities runs as a seperate subject in Year 7 and 8 covering the areas of Geography, History and Economics.

Year 9 and 10 students participate in this subject area via a variety of elective units that are available. These cover such areas as natural hazards, sustainable development, geographic fieldwork, democracy, the Roaring Twenties and World War I.

Students in Year 7 read a variety of text types; novels, newspapers, poetry, films, etc. and use these to write about familiar subjects and to explore ideas and current issues. They use computers to present work to a high standard. In oral work, students will be required to speak for specific purposes, to a specific audience. e.g. short speeches.

Year 8 students will further develop the skills gained in Year 7, with emphasis on more in-depth completion of particular tasks. Students should be able to discuss themes and issues in a range of challenging texts and construct a variety of responses to them.

In Year 9 students study a wide range of classic, contemporary and popular texts to explore moral and philosophical issues. They learn to speak effectively for a wide range of purposes and audiences including participating in debates. Students are asked to write expressively and effectively about their feelings, opinions and ideas. Computer skills will continue to be developed.

Year 10 students read and review a range of increasingly complex texts. They will be expected to write creatively and critically in response to the texts. Students are asked to further develop their skills in persuasive and argumentative written and oral work. Electronic technological skills, e.g. e-mail, bulletin boards etc. should continue to be developed.