Middle Years

We do

The Middle Years of the education journey are essential years for fostering positive teacher and peer relationships and allowing students to discover their passion and be confident in their learning. Students develop their head, heart and hands during this journey, which prepares them for the challenges of an individualized learning pathway as they move toward senior education. Middle Years at St Catherine’s Catholic College provide students with a broad spectrum of opportunities to engage in subjects, which draw connections to the real world, providing enhanced relevance and engagement for our students. Through real world connections and hands on learning activities students discover more about themselves, become deeper thinkers and develop independence in their learning. 

The Middle Years journey can also be a very challenging time for many students. We invest in the pastoral care and wellbeing of our students during this time. Our dedicated staff and comprehensive transition program support students as they adjust to new subjects, timetables and wider opportunities throughout the College and world as a whole. At the completion of the Middle Years, our Year 9 students embark on the ‘9@StCath’s’ Program. The ‘9@StCath’s’ Program is an initiative which aims to develop our students academically, spiritually, physically and psychologically as they continue their education journey. Our students will gain ‘real world’ experiences pushing them outside their comfort zones, widening their understanding of the world and preparing them with knowledge and skills to rise and achieve their own academic and personal success.

Academic Curriculum

Each Year 3 to Year 6 class has its own core teacher who is responsible for the well-being and academic progress of each student. Parental involvement, solid literacy and numeracy foundations and a nurturing environment are all important in the Middle Years.  In addition, there are numerous specialist teachers and programs offered - instrumental music, drama club, art club, Indonesian, HPE, visual arts and early intervention are just a few.  Home/school communication is valued and promoted. Parents are welcome and invited to take part in assemblies, classroom help and special celebrations. In Year 3 to Year 6, there are a number of opportunities for students to pursue.  These include:

• Participation in 1:1 laptop program and robotics
• Student Representative Council
• Inter-school and representative sport
• Camps and retreats
• Travel to out of town literacy and arts festivals
• Leadership responsibilities
• Social justice activities
• Homework club

Student educational outcomes are enhanced through engagement with technology and innovative teaching practices. 

Our Secondary Campus caters for students from Years 7-12. The Middle Years of education extend on the skills and knowledge acquired in the foundation years of a child's education. We continue to educate the whole person ("the head, the heart and the hand") through a range of authentic learning experiences. A broad curriculum is offered at St Catherine’s Catholic College, and students have the opportunity to study a diverse range of subjects which are supplemented by extra-curricular opportunities. The dedicated teaching team and support staff facilitate this quality curriculum delivery in a nurturing and supportive environment. Students are also provided support through the College’s Pastoral Care Program, which is facilitated by Pastoral Care Coordinators. The welcoming, supportive and friendly environment are the benefits of a secondary education at St Catherine's Catholic College.

At St Catherine's our curriculum goals address the question "What kind of people do we want our students to be and become?". To prepare our students for future success and productive lives, our curriculum promotes the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to become spiritual, independent, reflective and self-directed learners.

Within an atmosphere of high expectations, students experience a diverse range of subjects, allowing them to discover new talents and build on their strengths. Aligned with Australian Curriculum standards, the subjects on offer include:

Year 7-9

Subjects on Rotation

THE ARTS 

Drama, Visual Arts, Music, Media and Dance

DESIGN & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES  

Food Technologies, Textiles, Industrial Technology, Design Technology, Digital Technologies

LOTE

Language Other than English - Indonesian

Enrichment Programs

Classroom teachers work in conjunction with the Learning Enrichment Teachers to ensure students are working to their maximum level with effective interventions as required.

Students who require extension receive support from the Learning Enrichment Activities Program.  This program runs in conjunction with the classroom programs to ensure these students are working at their potential. The LEAP strives to enhance the classroom curriculum by challenging and stimulating students’ passion for learning, creativity, and intellectual growth in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy in Year 3-9. The Learning Enrichment Activities Program is based on the premise that students in need of extension benefit from going deeper into the curriculum as opposed to going further.

The program is designed for students who have not only mastered grade-level curriculum but who will benefit from opportunities in addition to those being provided by the classroom teacher. Students who participate in the LEAP program are presented with a variety of projects, competitions, and extension across the year levels.

Inclusive Education

Students who require extra assistance with aspects of the curriculum receive support from our Inclusive Education Teachers. Classroom Teachers refer and collaborate with the Inclusive Education Team to meet the needs of the student. Our student support services team will also assist. Student Support Service Team include: Guidance Counsellor, Advisory Visiting Teacher for Hearing Impaired, Speech Pathologist. An individual student plan will be created to support students.

9@ St Caths

Student-centered collaborative curriculum

The 9@StCaths Program is an initiative, which aims to develop our students academically, spiritually, physically and psychologically. The students will gain ‘real world’ experiences pushing them outside their comfort zones, widening their understanding of the world and preparing them with knowledge and skills to rise to the challenge of their lives and achieve academic, personal and career success. Logistically, the program includes a real-world project each term, which can be used for assessment in a number of subjects including English, Humanities, Religion, Pastoral Care and more... 

What we know……..  

Year 9 can be stuck between the enthusiasm of the junior students and the importance of senior schooling. "Generally Year 9 is seen to be the year where the purpose of schooling is least clear and the goal of engaging all students is the most challenging," says researcher and policy analyst Peter Cole, from PTR Consulting. By Year 9, students have had 10 years of education and the repetition of the same old style lessons can leave a 14-year-old cynical about their learning.  Students at this age are particularly engaged when looking at areas that make a difference in the community, connect with the wider world, enable reflection on the self-journey and value and respect communication. Students prefer active rather than passive learning and they are far more likely to do well when they are interested and passionate about what they are learning.

So we do…….. 

A program designed specifically to meet the needs of developing adolescents. Develop skills based on the key themes of Passion and Purpose, Entrepreneurship, Intercultural Understandings, and Personal and Social Capability. Support students to explore these themes across the year through a rite of passage framework, making this program unique to St Caths. Present a challenging curriculum that will be fundamental in helping students to discover their potential. Provide a program that will hold them in great stead for their transition to senior school, as well as their transition to post-school pathways. 

Homework is a vital part of the learning process for all students. It provides students with opportunities to consolidate their classroom learning, assists the development of disciplined study habits and involves family members in the students’ learning.

Home study in Years 5 and 6 should take up 2 to 4 hours per week. This time includes time to read and also to complete set tasks and assignments. In the middle phase of learning home study establishes routines and expectations that will assist the students in the move to secondary education.  Home study tasks will vary each week depending on the assignments being completed in class. Students are expected to complete the tasks independently and if they cannot do this they are encouraged to discuss any problems with the teacher the following day. The setting of home study in these years also takes into account the need for students to have a balanced lifestyle including sufficient time for family and recreation.

Home study should be:

• A positive and purposeful experience
• Monitored by the teacher
• Supported by the parents
• Clearly related to classwork  - consolidation, revision or application of knowledge or skills
• Varied and differentiated to suit  individual learning needs

Typical home study tasks may include:

• Home reading program according to the specific needs of students
• Phonics cards to reinforce letter-sound knowledge and sight words (Prep-Year 2)
• Spelling words to learn using a variety of strategies
• Opportunities to write for meaningful purposes may include sentence construction or editing tasks
• Maths concepts including number facts and problem-solving
• Preparation for upcoming assignments such as oral presentations, researching topics related to class activities.
• Collection of materials for upcoming events (Art, Technology, Science)

Homework Club is available after school on Mondays between 3-4 pm in the Loyola Resource Centre for our Year 3 to Year 6 students.

Assessment and reporting

Students are assessed by a variety of methods depending on the subject, their developmental stage and the aim of the assessment task. In addition to exams, our upper primary students' assessments may include multi-media presentations, research assignments, essays, performances, orals, viva voces, and videoed responses. Results of assessment and indications of a student’s progress are notified to parents in reports, which are issued at the end of each semester. Parent-Teacher Interviews are held in Term 1 and Term 3 for all parents. By appointment, teachers are available at other times to speak with parents.

Active Responsible Engagement

St Catherine's Catholic College is guided by the gospel values of justice, compassion and reconciliation. In a school the size of St Catherine’s Catholic College, it is important to know who to approach when questions or problems arise.  For both parents and students, the first contact should be the student’s teacher. The classroom teacher can give valuable insight into their progress in academic and social areas. Students meet each morning with their Homeroom Teacher for notices and pastoral care. The classroom teacher/ homeroom teacher is the first point of contact. Each year level has a Pastoral Care Coordinator to monitor student progress and coordinate pastoral care activities for the year level.

The Pastoral Care Coordinator would be the parents and students next point of contact after the homeroom teacher.

The Deputy Principal and Assistant Principal also take overall responsibility for students’ well-being. They are happy to talk with parents about any aspect of a student’s school life.

Education at St Catherine’s Catholic College occurs in the context of a college community where staff, students, and parents work together to enable each person to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to become a lifelong learner. We focus on meeting the needs of each individual student and provide programs that collectively focus on the development of the whole person.

Values and Expectations are:

1. Justice- Be Responsible
2. Excellence- Be Your Best
3. Compassion – Be Considerate
4. Community- Be Respectful

Middle Years Documents

Welcome to the documents section, this is where you can download useful forms for your son or daughter here at St Catherine's.

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