Middle Years 7-9

Year 7

The Year 7 program is focused on creating an experience that will provide the students with the following advantages:

  • Easy transition from Year 6 to Year 7
  • The opportunity to further develop relationships integral to learning
  • Increased student engagement in learning
  • Development of critical thinking skills.

 

Year 7 students experience studies in eight Learning Areas these include core subjects Maths ,English, Science, Humanities, Indonesian, Music, Health & Physical Education. All core subjects operate throughout the year.

Non Core subjects include: Art, Information Technology, Food & Technology. These non-core subjects run for one semester.

 

The Year 7 classes are based in the B-Wing of the Faithfull St Campus. Each class has their own room for the majority of their classes. In 2021, your child will have specialised teachers for each subject. This ensures the best possible teaching for the needs of each student.

Year 8

Students experience six core Learning Areas that run the entire year. These include: Maths, English, Science, Humanities, Health and PE, & Music. Across the year each form will have Art & Digi Tech, Food Tech and Technology.

The variety of subjects enables students to have a broad range of experience across all Learning Areas before choosing further electives for Year 9.

In 2019, we introduced the Respectful Relationship Program. The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships learning materials have been designed for teachers in primary and secondary schools to develop students’ social, emotional and positive relationship skills. Efforts to promote social and emotional skills and positive gender norms in children and young people has been shown to improve health related outcomes and subjective wellbeing. It also reduces antisocial behaviours, including engagement in gender related violence. This program will continue to be delivered.

The Year 8 students will also participate in 3 x 75 minute education sessions of teen Mental Health First Aid delivered by Mental Health First Aid accredited trainers. Live4Life was created in response to a reported increase from schools and agencies, in regards to a rise in depression, anxiety, cyber bullying and self-harm which has led to the need for a coordinated response to address our young people’s mental health.

Year 9

Students experience five core Learning Areas that run the entire year. These include: Maths, English, Science, Humanities, Health and PE. The Year 9 are also eligible to choose their own electives. The possible electives include: Digital Technology, Auto, Outdoor Education, Metal, Photo Art, 2D Art, Wood, Music, Jewellery, Food and Drama. This provides students with the opportunity to work in a range of theory and skills, individually and as part of small groups. Students select an area of focus to work towards and present for assessment. Most of the Year 9 classes are based in the Year 9 Centre. This year, the Year 9 has a Floating Period which runs once a week with assigned Floating teachers. The Floating Period is used for assemblies, mentoring class, daily notices and other extracurricular activities.

 

Future Makers camp  

Our Year 9 students participate in a very exciting program conducted at 15 Mile Creek Outdoor School. The ‘Future Makers’ program has been developed by experts and is aimed at developing personal, social and critical thinking skills in our students who are the Future Makers of their generation.

The program forms an integral part of the Year 9 curriculum and is continuous across a full term of schooling. There are several components to the program – 15 Mile Creek camp staff attend the college to deliver some lessons prior to the residential camp, students then attend the camp for twelve days including a weekend of intense instruction and activities to develop their personal and leadership skills. This is followed by a Community Action Day where students complete several community projects.

 

Careers Program

Benalla P12 College delivers an intensive, personalised Careers Program for all Year 9 students designed to improve student aspirations for successful Year 12 completion and beyond. Students develop an ‘Achievement Portfolio’ which includes a Career Action Plan, employability skills, audit, and evidence of their achievement. Students undertake mock job interviews which involve all elements of the job application process, including selection of appropriate clothing. This work, together with a record of activities from a personal presentation session held in the college’s VET Hair dressing salon, is then presented to a family member during Year 10 course selection. The portfolios are stored in the Careers room and are designed to be revisited over the next year 3 years.

 

School for student leadership – Alpine School

The School for Student Leadership is a Victorian Department of Education and Training initiative offering a unique residential education experience for Year 9 students. This program will be confirmed by the end of Term 3.

The curriculum focuses on personal development and team learning projects.

The School for Student Leadership (SSL), previously known as an Alpine School operates on three campuses:

  1. Alpine school campus, Dinner Plain
  2. Snowy River campus, Marlo
  3. Gnurad – Gundidj campus, Glenormiston

A team of four to six students are chosen via application and attend the school for a term. While at the school they continue their education in an inclusive setting and participate in a wide range of outdoor activities to strengthen both their teamwork and leadership skills. The students also begin a community learning project which is completed when they return to their home school.

When students return to school they are supported through their transition back into life at Benalla P12 College. All students who have attended the school for student leadership have found it to be a positive, life experience.

The Snowy River School for student Leadership is a program that went for 9 weeks.

Previously, six Year 9 students attended the Alpine School. During this period of time, they learnt many valuable skills including self-awareness, social awareness, metacognition, culture diversity, decision making and more. They also experienced fun, new outdoor activities like surfing and caving. Over these 9 weeks, they created a Community Learning Project that they continued on when they returned home. Their project included going to a local aged care facility called Cooinda. They decided to partake in this because it would be a great opportunity to visit the elders’ home and interact with one another. During their visit to the facility, they played many games such as board games that they could all enjoy. They could see that the skills they had learnt from Snowy, like respect and confidence really showed during their visit. The newly learnt skills the students have acquired during this program had added to their life long skills that can be transferred at home and school.