Middle School update

We have had a great start to the year in Middle School. Our Year 9 and 10 students have been busy with a range of learning opportunities while exploring new subjects and getting to know new people in their classes. Throughout the year our students will embark on various activities that align with their year level themes. 

Year 9 Vision and Theme

For Year 9 students to be able learn strategies to improve coping with challenges and disappointments that arise and begin to understand that change is a part of living.  To have the confidence to tackle solving problems and take risks and to not see failure as only negative.  For students to value the importance of making connections throughout their community as a vital strength in building their resilience. 

Year 9 is a key stage in our student’s educational journey and overall development. It is a time when students will encounter new experiences, face obstacles, and discover the inner strength to overcome them. Throughout the year, students will engage in educational activities to develop their resilience skills. 

Year 10 Vision and Theme

For all Year 10 students to be able to learn and consistently practice mindfulness to develop focused attention.  For students to lead mindfulness sessions and demonstrate the benefits of focused attention based on research.  It is hoped that students will find this strategy invaluable in their world that is increasing with academic pressure and an inescapable social media environment.

Year 10 is an important year in our students' schooling. Our students start the transition to senior classes and begin to explore subjects in greater depth while preparing them for the demands of VCE. Our Year 10s will explore ways they can improve their focused attention in a range of different aspects of their lives. 

Year 9 highlights from Term 1

The Year 9 cohort have started their journey in Middle School with a bang. New electives, more depth to the content they are learning, and the promise of new experiences than those they experienced in Junior School have made for exciting times. The list of amazing works done in classes, and the achievements we’ve seen from the Year 9s could fill a whole newsletter!

Some highlights we’ve had from the group include Ethan C receiving the Box Hill Lions Club Encouragement award - this is an award given to an emerging Year 9 student based on excellence in a number of both curricular and extra-curricular endeavours. Nancy Y, another deserving student, was also a finalist for this award. A huge congratulations to both students. 

On the sporting side of things, Flynn K made the journey north to Queensland as a member of the Victorian squad for the National Cycling Championships. It’s great to see Flynn recognised for his hard work outside of school. Congratulations to Flynn on this brilliant achievement. May the successes roll on for him.

Year 10 highlights from Term 1

In 2024, Year Programs runs every week on a Wednesday during period 5. This allows for consistency and opportunities for rapport building between students and their programs teacher. To further increase engagement amongst students, the Year 10 Programs classes and Home Group classes are the same as well as being created based on friendship groups. The main focus for Term 1 has been to create an increased sense of belonging with students in the classroom and cohort within the school. 

Students have participated in the following activities: 

• Fitness Worx – Students participated in a workshop run by Fitness Worx to encourage them to build connections, team building skills and improve their communication skills. This was done with a multitude of different game based activities that had students running, crawling and laughing 
• ABC’s series, ‘You Can’t Say That’ – Students engaged with this series and watched a few episodes exploring perspectives of Australian people from different backgrounds discussing prejudices and discrimination they have experienced  
• Games from different cultures – Students were introduced to different games from a wide range of different cultures and were given the opportunity to share a game they know from their culture.  

Overall, Term 1 in the Year 10 Programs has set students up in a classroom environment where they have built rapport and connections with new students to increase the sense of belonging within their cohort.  

Upcoming events from Middle School

Year 9 City Experience Camp: 

Camp 1: 9A-E 27th-28th May

Camp 2: 9F-Z 7th-8th November

Year 10 Program whole day events: 

March 27th, May 8th, May 15th, Oct 16th, Oct 30th 

Year 10 Exams: 

Term 2, Week 10

Reminders

• Uniform: Students are required to be in full school uniform each day. This does not include navy trackpants or shoes that are not all black.  
• PE and Sport Practical classes are the only days students should be wearing their PE uniform. Please make sure you/your child is wearing the correct full PE uniform when they have a prac class. 
• If your child is not able to wear their full uniform, please provide a note for them to get a uniform pass before period 1 starts. 
• Attendance: Every day counts!
  If your child is absent from school, please enter a note on Compass. If we notice your child is absent for multiple days, a member of the Middle School team will follow up with you. 
• If your child is running late to school due to an appointment or other commitment, please enter a note on Compass. Students are to get a late note from the Middle School Office once they arrive to school. 
• If your child needs to leave school early for an appointment, please enter a note on Compass. Students are to collect an Early Leavers Pass from the Middle School office at the start of the day. 

Homework expectations for Middle School students

Year 9: 7 hours per week 

Year 10: 10 hours per week

Key contacts for the Middle School Team

Photos L-R: Head of Middle School: Eleanor Smith, Middle School Program Coordinator: Amanda Ghanem, Year 9 Coordinator: Tim Dobson, Year 10 Coordinator: Deanna Chesterton, Admin: Janine Adey (M-W) & Kylie McCall (Th-F)

We hope our Middle School families have a great break over the holidays, we look forward to seeing you in Term 2!

by Ms Eleanor Smith 

Head of Middle School