Middle School
Year 7
The Year 7 students become part of the Years 7 – 9 Middle School structure. We believe that Year 7 students are ready to leave Primary School and enjoy the benefits of additional subjects offered by specialist teachers.
The movement of students into the Middle Secondary School structure will bring some changes to their known school routines. The students are in a single Year level Home Group with two homegroup teachers.
The students are exposed to the seven curriculum areas being delivered at Keith Area School, in accordance to South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability Framework (SACSA).
All students will be involved in two lessons of Social and Study Skills with their Home Group teacher. This involves a social development program called Program Achieve. It teaches and fosters resilience in students through four key areas of success – Organisation, Persistence, Getting Along and Confidence.
Semester 1: Organisation – Goal Setting, Time Planning, Diary Keeping,
Prioritising and Beating Procrastination.
Semester 2: Confidence – Resilience, Accepting Yourself, Risk Taking and Effective Communication Styles, Bullying and Sexual Harassment.
Special Events and participation activities for Year 7 students
- A 5-day trip to Canberra, combined with Year 8 in week 10 of Term 1 has been proposed as Year 7 camp for 2008. The camp will expose the students to educational and cultural activities of Canberra, as well as fostering their personal relationships development.
- SAPSASA Sports – students will have access to the selection processes involved.
- State Literacy and Numeracy (LaN) Test will be conducted during Term 3.
- Students will be encouraged to participate in National Competitions in Mathematics, Science and English.
Curriculum Area
| Arts | 6 lessons / 13 weeks Visual Art |
1 Semester: 4 lessons Drama |
|
| English | 7 lessons |
| Health & Phys Ed | 1 Semester 3 lessons Health |
2 lessons line PE |
|
6 lessons / 13 weeks Home Ec. |
|
| Mathematics | 7 lessons |
| Science | 1 Semester: 3 lessons Science |
1 Semester: 4 lessons Science |
|
1 Semester: 2 lessons Ag Science |
|
| Social & Study Skills | 2 lessons |
| Society & Environment | 1 Semester 4 lessons |
| Technology | 2 lessons: Keyboarding |
6 lessons / 13 weeks Tech Studies |
Year 8
The Year 8 students are part of the Years 7– 9 Middle School structure.
The students are exposed to the seven curriculum areas being delivered at Keith Area School, in accordance to South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability Framework (SACSA).
The students will be in two Year level Homegroups. All students will have two lessons per week of Social and Study Skills development. It teaches and fosters resilience in students through four key areas of success – Organisation, Persistence, Getting Along and Confidence.
Semester 1: Organisation – Goal Setting, Time Planning, Diary Keeping,
Prioritising and Beating Procrastination.
Semester 2: Confidence – Resilience, Accepting Yourself, Risk Taking and Effective Communication Styles, Bullying and Sexual Harassment.
Special Events and participation activities for Year 8 students
- A 5-day trip to Canberra, for Years 7 & 8 students. The camp will expose the students to educational and cultural activities of Canberra, as well as fostering their personal relationships development.
- SASSASA Sports and Upper South East sporting activities – students will have access to the selection processes.
- Students will be encouraged to participate in National Competitions in Mathematics, Science and English.
Curriculum Area
| English | 5 lessons |
| Mathematics | 5 lessons |
| Society & Environment | 5 lessons |
| Science | 5 lessons |
| The Arts | 6 lessons / 13 weeks Visual Art |
| 1 Semester: 4 lessons Drama |
|
| Health & Phys Ed | 2 lessons Health |
2 lessons PE |
|
6 lessons / 13 weeks Home Economics |
|
| Technology | 6 lessons / 13 weeks Tech Studies |
1 Semester: 4 lessons Ag Science |
|
| Social & Study Skills | 2 lessons |
Year 9
The Year 9 students are part of the Years 7– 9 Middle School structure.
The students are exposed to the seven curriculum areas being delivered at Keith Area School, in accordance to South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability Framework (SACSA).
The students will be in two Year level Homegroups. All students will have two lessons per week of Social and Study Skills development. It teaches and fosters resilience in students through four key areas of success – Organisation, Persistence, Getting Along and Confidence.
Semester 1: Organisation – Goal Setting, Time Planning, Diary Keeping,
Prioritising and Beating Procrastination.
Semester 2: Confidence – Resilience, Accepting Yourself, Risk Taking and Effective Communication Styles, Bullying and Sexual Harassment.
Special Events and participation activities for Year 9 students
-
Aquatics Camp at Murray Bridge which develops water sport skills as well as fostering their personal development
-
SASSASA Sports and Upper South East sporting activities – students will have access to the selection processes.
-
Students will be encouraged to participate in National Competitions in Mathematics, Science and English.
-
State Literacy and Numeracy (LaN) Test will be conducted in Term 2.
Curriculum Area
| English | 5 lessons |
| Mathematics | 5 lessons |
| Society & Environment | 1 Semester: 5 lessons S&E |
1 Semester: 5 lessons Ag Science |
|
| Science | 5 lessons |
| Arts | 1 Semester: 5 lessons Visual Art |
| 1 Semester: 5 lessons Drama |
|
| Health & Phys Ed | 5 lessons Health & PE |
| Technology | 1 Semester: 4 lessons Tech Studies |
1 Semester: 4 lessons Home Ec. |
|
| Social and Study Skills | 2 lessons |
Homework
Homework is an integral part of the Middle School teaching and learning programme. The main purpose of homework is to consolidate, practice and review concepts, ideas and skills introduced in class. This could include short and long term tasks.
- In Year 7 the students will have homework allocated for Monday to Thursday nights and with Friday nights being a time set aside for ‘catch up’ purposes. For two nights the students will have four subjects each and on the other two nights three subjects each. Each subject will have an allocated time of fifteen minutes.
- In Year 8 the students will have homework allocated for Monday to Thursday nights and with Friday nights being a time set aside for ‘catch up’ purposes. For two nights the students will have four subjects each and on the other two nights three subjects each. Each subject will have an allocated time of twenty minutes.
- In Year 9 the students will have homework allocated for Monday to Thursday nights and with Friday nights being a time set aside for ‘catch up’ purposes. For two nights the students will have four subjects each and on the other two nights three subjects each. Each subject will have an allocated time of 25 minutes.
A homework timetable will be provided to students and an assessment plan to assist them to plan their homework. When a student is unable to complete a task on the set night this is to be communicated to the subject teacher via the diary.
Diary Use
The diary is a two-way communication tool between the school and home.
The diary:
- provides the facility for students to monitor their progress
- assists students to plan their time to meet due dates for assessment tasks
- acts as a prompt to plan resources to be taken home each day
- provides the means to convey student achievements and mid term progress reports to parents/caregivers
- is the avenue to inform the school of a student’s absenteeism, late arrival, early departures, appointments outside the school structure and concerns about a subject issue.
Students are to take their diaries to all lessons to record homework, assessment dates, reminders and achievement results.
Parents/caregivers are asked to regularly check their child’s diary (daily is the preferred way to monitor your child’s progress) and to sign it each weekend.
The diary will be checked by the Homegroup teachers.
