Years 9 & 10
Middle Years
As our young men move through Years 9 & 10 of their learning, they begin to exercise total control over the structure and key elements of their personalised learning plan. Designed to foster character, confidence and competence, our teachers and support staff are focused on knowing each young man and encouraging them to challenge themselves through being open to a range of new learning experiences that aligns with their passions, talents and future aspirations.
Learning
Year 9 & 10
“Our curriculum in Years 9 & 10 supports the development of engaging learning programs that are personalised, rigorous and relevant for all students.”
– Claudia Graham, Director of Learning Culture (Years 9 – 12)
Middle Years
Years 9 & 10
As our students move through to the next stage of their learning in Years 9 & 10, they begin to exercise some control over the structure and key elements of their personalised learning plan. Designed to foster character, confidence and competence, our teachers and support staff are focused on knowing each student and encouraging them to challenge themselves through being open to a range of new learning experiences that aligns with their passions, talents and future aspirations.
Accelerated Learning Opportunities
We have expanded our VCE options. This means that Year 9 and 10 students can undertake any VCE Unit 1 & 2 subject prior to commencing their VCE program of study.
Students who can demonstrate a high level of growth and achievement will be able to apply for this option. This is part of our Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) options for those wishing to challenge themselves and pursue advanced studies in their areas of interest and passion.
Across Years 9 & 10 students will undertake a minimum of four semester length courses from the following course areas:
Religious Education
The study of Religious Education remains central to who we are as a contemporary faith learning community. This study supports young men to become ethical, thoughtful and informed members of society; it plays an important part in developing good Christians and active global citizens. Religious Education deliberately attends to the spiritual formation of each young man; acknowledging and celebrating the Holy Spirit at work, inviting relationship with God and a Christ-like stance towards others.
The Religious Education curriculum across Years 9 & 10 provides for a deepened relationship with God, right relationships with others, and empowerment to work to create a more just world. Students are invited to explore and celebrate the Catholic story in all its richness and diversity through reflection, prayer and action for the good of others and their world. In very explicit ways the religious dimension of Marcellin College ensures a thorough integration of identity, mission and service into the whole of the educational encounter of every learner.
Mathematics
Mathematical ideas have evolved across societies and cultures over thousands of years and are constantly developing. Digital technologies are facilitating this expansion of ideas and provide new tools for mathematical exploration and invention. While the usefulness of mathematics for modelling and problem solving is well known, mathematics also has a fundamental role in both enabling and sustaining cultural, social, economic and technological advances and empowering individuals to become critical citizens.
The Mathematics curriculum across Years 9 & 10 of learning focuses on developing increasingly sophisticated and refined mathematical understanding, fluency, reasoning, modelling and problem-solving. These capabilities enable students to respond to familiar and unfamiliar situations by employing mathematics to make informed decisions and solve problems efficiently.
Science Thinking
The study of Science Thinking allows young men to experience the joy of scientific discovery and nurture their natural curiosity about the world around them. Science Thinking provides an empirical way of answering interesting and important questions about the biological, physical and technological world. In doing this, they develop critical and creative thinking skills and challenge themselves to identify questions, apply new knowledge, explain science phenomena and draw evidence-based conclusions using various scientific methods.
At Years 9 & 10 students develop a deeper understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry and the ability to use a range of scientific inquiry methods, including questioning, planning and conducting experiments and investigations based on ethical principles, collecting and analysing data, evaluating results, and drawing critical, evidence-based conclusions. Science Thinking allows young men to make sense of the world around them by exploring the unknown, investigating universal mysteries, making predictions and solving problems.
English
The study of English is central to the learning and development of all young Australians. It helps create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. It is through the study of English and key language conventions that individual students learn to analyse, understand, communicate and build relationships with others, literature and with the world around them.
At Years 9 & 10 students are invited to explore a range of genres, texts and strands of their choice. They will also engage with issues and texts that expose them to other cultures, while helping them connect to their own. They will continue to write analytically, creatively, argumentatively and engage in oral delivery of their ideas. Students can begin to increase their choices in English studies as they move into their Senior Years.
Electives
Each young man customises their personalised learning plan by selecting from different electives to broaden academic perspectives, extend passions and dive more deeply. Across the Years 9 & 10 our students undertake a number of options from the following individual course areas:
Humanities
History, Geography, Economics, Business & Enterprise and Civics & Citizenship
Health & Physical Education
Languages
Chinese, Indonesian & Italian
Outdoor Education
Technologies
Digital, Product Design, Engineering, Gamification and Robotics
The Arts
Performing & Visual Arts
Each individual course area offers our young men choice from a number of different course options. Electives are semester in length, except for Languages and Music which are full year courses.
Students in Years 9 & 10 also have an opportunity to participate in cultural and language immersions to China, Indonesia and Italy.
