Year Nine
Health and Physical Education
This term, our Year 9 students have been active on the field, learning the fundamentals of softball. They’ve been practising skills like pitching, catching, and batting, as well as developing strategic gameplay and teamwork. In addition to our time on the field, students are completing a Personal and Community Safety unit. This unit emphasises the importance of staying safe in various environments, recognising potential risks, and understanding how to respond in emergencies. We’re proud of our students' commitment and enthusiasm as they develop their physical skills and safety awareness!
Big Strides in Our Music Program: Growing Talent and Exciting Performances
Our music program is flourishing this year with remarkable participation and student engagement strides across Years 7, 8, and 9. Students are introduced to fundamental concepts through engaging classroom music sessions and given opportunities to explore instruments and group performances. This foundation has led many to join our expanding instrumental and band programs, sparking even more enthusiasm for music.
We’re proud to announce the formation of three unique school bands, each reflecting our students' diverse talents and interests. These bands have been actively preparing for several exciting performances, including our Information Evening, and both the Grade 6 and Year 9 Graduations. These events will showcase the students' hard work, musical skills, and the vibrant energy that the music program brings to our school community. We look forward to seeing these students shine on stage and continuing to build a robust and creative music culture!
Spanish
Year 9 Spanish students have continued exploring the media world, expressing their tastes and sharing opinions on everything from music to TV shows and movies! Throughout this term, they've learned to describe different media types and share what they like or dislike about them, giving reasons to support their opinions. Using comparative and superlative structures, students can rank their favourites and debate the “best” and “worst” films, songs, and shows. They recently completed their Unit 2 assessment, where they implemented these skills.
Coming up, the class will shift to cultural studies, exploring the traditions of the Mexican festival Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Students will also embark on a movie study featuring Encanto, analysing various cultural elements in the film. Rounding off the term, the class will delve into the holiday season, discovering how Christmas is celebrated in different Spanish-speaking countries.
It’s an exciting time for Year 9 Spanish, which combines language learning, cultural appreciation, and media critique!
HUMANITIES: Exploring Economic Concepts Through Critical Inquiry
In Year 9, we are immersing ourselves in critical economic concepts vital for understanding our economy. We are learning about the business cycle, the circular flow model, inflation, and the essential role of consumers in shaping the economic landscape. We are honing our critical thinking skills as we can explore the intricate relationships between expenditures, interest rates, and economic growth. We look forward to sharing more updates as our exploration continues.
Visual Communications
Our Year 9 students are successfully working on their final video and photo portfolios, marking a significant achievement in their Visual Communications journey. This project required remarkable self-drive, from concept development to technical editing and creative execution, demonstrating each student’s commitment to their craft. The completed portfolios are a source of pride and powerful assets for future academic and professional endeavours, potentially supporting university entrance and showcasing their unique talents. We’re thrilled to celebrate their hard work and look forward to seeing where their skills will take them!
Financial Literacy
We're back for Term 4 and picking up where we left off last term. Over the last couple of weeks, students explored the concepts of debit versus credit, and the dangers of owning credit cards with a high interest rate. We also explored the issue of just paying the minimum amount requested from credit card companies and, ideally, how the debt should be paid off as soon as possible to reduce the amount of interest accrued. Students were also introduced to 'tricks' of the trade as some credit card companies like to entice customers by offering them 'interest-free' periods.
Following our discussions on credit cards, we then flowed into discussions of superannuation and how to best leverage knowledge and understanding of financial literacy to maximise the benefits of superannuation. We also had rigorous discussions involving how extra contributions, no matter how small, can lead to significant rewards in the future due to their compounding effects.
Over the final few weeks of the semester, we will continue to explore the work of Robert Kiyosaki's 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' and Scott Pape's 'The Barefoot Investor' and investigate the differences between assets and liabilities, investing, and entrepreneurship while taking calculated risks. We will also explore ideal savings plans and simple budgeting techniques to further develop the students' understanding and knowledge of financial literacy.
