Middle Years of Learning Initiative (Years 6-9)

The transition from childhood to adulthood is a challenging one for many students. This is partly due to the much higher level of knowledge and awareness of the outside world among young people today. The life of a young adolescent shifts constantly and it is essential that the bridge between the worlds of childhood and adulthood supports and nurtures the adolescent across these intense years of growth and discovery.

Hillcrest Christian College sees the importance of making these years of development count as young adolescents grow towards independence and maturity. As students move into this phase of their life, they increasingly want to be involved in the decision-making processes that affect their future. At the same time they need support and structure as they deal with puberty and the search for identity. These years are too volatile and valuable to ‘mark time’ until they ‘get a bit older’.

Hillcrest’s Middle Years of Learnin Initiative is an opportunity for students to become engaged in relevant learning about God’s world of learning and their place in it.
Excellence in what we teach:  

We aim to provide a curriculum that is purposeful and relevant to students while continuing to build a strong foundation for each student to excel in their senior secondary studies.

Critical thinking skills are becoming an extremely important necessity in our ever-changing society. The Middle Years curriculum incorporates the development of a range of thinking skills and processes with the aim of helping our students become life-long learners.

The use of technology is spreading into most parts of our lives these days. So much so that it has become a key learning area in schools. The skills and knowledge related to technology and design are incorporated into all core class subjects and many elective subjects.

Enrichment subjects complement the core subjects. Year 7 students are introduced to a wide range of enrichment subjects. In Year 8, students have the opportunity to choose four elective subjects which assists them to make more permanent elective subject choice in Year 9. See structure of Middle Years.

Excellence in how we teach:

Hillcrest teachers involved in the Middle Years of Learning Initiative are specifically trained to meet the distinct needs of young adolescents.

Hillcrest’s Middle Years of Learning Initiative aims to integrate compulsory core subjects around purposeful, real-life or life-like contexts that engage the interest of the students and challenge them to consider the deeper implications of the issues studied.

Students all have distinct strengths and varying needs that should be considered in order for them to aim to achieve success. Our innovative structure and use of a wide range of student-centred teaching strategies, added learning support and extension support aims to meet the unique needs of each student, giving them a better opportunity to achieve success.

Examples of Integrated Units:
“It’s Elementary My Dear Watson” – Forensic Science Unit – Year 6
“Night of the Notables” – Notable Person Investigation – Year 7
“Water Wise Teenagers” – Environmental Investigation and campaign  – Year 8

Excellence in student care and support:  

In a time of great change and development, emerging adolescents need age appropriate care and support from teachers who know them and are involved directly with their learning. The small team of Middle Years teachers is responsible for Pastoral Care. They help to encourage and support students as they develop academically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

In the Middle Years each student belongs to a “Pastoral Care class” with its own Pastoral Care Teacher whose role it is to take particular interest in the overall welfare of the student. This is an approach rather than a program. The students’ Pastoral Care teacher will generally teach them for at least two core curriculum subjects.

As the needs of a Year 6 student differ to those of a Year 9 student the Middle Years structure is progressively redefined each year in order to assist students to develop into independent, responsible young people while still giving them the support they need.

Structure of Middle Years
Year 6 Core Curriculum Subjects: (Taught by 2 teachers) -

English / SOSE
Mathematics / Science
Christian Living / Health
Technology
Art 
Physical Education (Specialist Teacher)
Music (Specialist Teacher)

Year 7 Core Curriculum Subjects: (Taught by 2 teachers) -

English / SOSE
Mathematics / Science
Christian Living /Health
Technology  
Physical Education (Specialist Teacher)
Music (Specialist Teacher)

Enrichment Subjects: (2 subjects per term; each 2 x 50min lessons per week)

Example of Term Rotation
Term One:      French; Technology Studies/Graphics
Term Two:      Home Economics; Visual Arts
Term Three:   Drama; Public Speaking
Term Four:     History; Graphics

Year 8 Core Curriculum Subjects: (Taught by 2 teachers where appropriate)

English / SOSE
Mathematics / Science
Christian Living / Personal Development
Technology  - Integrated into other core subjects

Elective subjects: (Students choose 2 elective subjects each semester)

Drama
French
Graphics
Home Economics
Music
Physical Education
Technology Studies
Visual Arts

Year 9 Core Curriculum Subjects:

English / SOSE – taught by one teacher using an integrated unit approach
Mathematics
Science
Christian Living / Personal Development
Technology – integrated into other core subjects

Elective Subjects: (Students choose 2 elective subjects for the year):

Drama
French
Graphics
Home Economics
Music
Physical Education
Technology Studies
Visual Arts

Current subject choices can be downloaded from this link.