Year 7 to 10

Year 7

Year 7 is a year of Learning discovery at Catholic Regional College Melton; different subjects, new knowledge and skills, the realization of strengths and weakness in subjects and exciting academic challenges.

Students at Year 7 are offered a diverse learning program that introduces them to subjects across all the Domains. They are given opportunity to develop knowledge and skills that broaden their understanding of a variety of subjects, some of which are not studied in Primary School. They will begin to identify what they love to learn and how they can nurture their love of learning for all subjects.

There is a strong recognition of the individual needs of all Year 7 students and, based on testing conducted at the end of Year 6 and teacher recommendations, some students will be offered places in the Student Support Group, the Core Plus Mathematics Group or the More Able Students Program.

The Mathematics Program Year 7 through to Year 9, aims to target teach our students to improve the Mathematical ability of all students. With a heavy reliance on learning data and pre-testing, students will have the opportunity to participate in a level of mathematics that may be different depending on their understanding and ability in the topic.

The Reading for Enjoyment, Encouragement and Development program, in conjunction with the Renaissance Program, aims to improve the literacy skills of each student, no matter the level they are currently reading at. The Renaissance Program will assess the level at which the student is reading, while the R.E.E.D. program sets aside time during the school day for students to enjoy some reading for pleasure.

Some students will benefit from more help in their learning journey and the College has developed a whole school approach to supporting these students. Opportunities for extra support in learning include our Student Support Group Classes (generally for funded students), English and other Language Dialect (EALD) Program, the Reading for Enjoyment, Encouragement and Development (R.E.E.D.) program, the Reading for Comprehension Program and Homework Club.

Our More Able Student Program (MASP) offers a wider challenge and provides opportunity for extension and engagement beyond the curriculum content in Integrated Studies. Our Mathematics Program at Years 7, 8 and 9 caters to individual needs and provides opportunity for those students who are more capable to be challenged in every lesson. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves in every class through the scaffolding of activities that incorporate higher order thinking and creativity in their thought processes.

Year 8

The Year 8 program continues to offer range and scope across all Domains in recognition of individual learning needs in order to produce students who are confident and enthusiastic learners. The core subjects continue to build student skills and knowledge in an engaging and challenging academic environment where the learner is encouraged and nurtured. Students will continue their study of the Italian Language, while also being exposed to subjects that they may choose to pursue in later years.

Year 8 continues to focus on improving Mathematics learning with the continuation of the targeted teaching approach. The contemporary curriculum at Year 8 offers students the opportunity to continue to improve their literacy skills and nurture a love of reading and writing for academia and pleasure.

Year 9 - The Gadal Learning Program

Gadal, according to Bible scholars means to grow up, to be magnified and to do great things. Our vision for Year 9 students is that they can grow up and do great things; that they can dream and achieve their dreams.

The Gadal Learning Program at Year 9 was introduced in recognition of the fact that the learning and pastoral needs of Year 9 students differ from other year levels. The Gadal Learning program is an exciting initiative that aims to help students ‘to learn, to grow and to discover’. The core subjects of English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Religious Education plus Health and Physical Education, continue to inspire our Year 9 students to accept the challenge of extending their knowledge and skills while developing a sense of themselves in their world.

The ‘Enquiring Minds Project’ and ‘The Rite Journey’ are programs unique to the Gadal Program. The focus of these programs is to support the development of self-aware, vital, responsible, respectful and resilient young adults who are self-motivated, engaged and interested in their own learning. The programs allow for the scope required for the Year 9 learner to pursue their own interest areas and share the learning
experience with their peers and family. The building of strong, respectful relationships between not only students and staff, but students and others in their world, is a strong focus of the Gadal Program and is explored in ‘The Rite Journey’.

The elective program for Year 9 is concentrated around ‘designing, creating and exploring’. Students choose to study a variety of elective subjects including VET Italian, Wood Work, Food Technology, Textiles, Digital Technologies, Art, Media, Visual Communications, Dance, Drama, Music, Global Health and Development, Human Development - The Early Years, Outdoor Education plus Sport and Leadership.

Students continue to be challenged and engaged learners in Mathematics through the targeted teaching approach to mathematics learning. Students will continue to have opportunity to change the level of their mathematics class depending on their understanding of the topic to be taught. Literacy continues to be a strong focus and students are offered the opportunity to continue to improve their literacy skills through a variety of integrated opportunities throughout their Year 9 experience.

Extension opportunities within the Gadal Learning Program are designed to offer students in Year 9 a variety of more challenging activities to extend the breadth of knowledge and skills covered in general classes and the opportunity for acceleration in some areas. Students are extended within the classroom through the scaffolding of learners to apply independent learning skills and creative and critical thinking skills to their learning content. Students are also offered the opportunity to extend outside of the classroom through the opportunity to be involved in a variety of academic competitions, games days, and excursions in a variety of subject areas.

Gadal Parent Handbook 2019 (518 KB)

Gadal Parent Information Evening Feb 2019 (9652 KB)

Year 10

The College offers two distinct pathways are offered at Year 10 to best cater to the pathways of all our Year 10 students: Mainstream Year 10 and the Vincit Program.

Mainstream Year 10 is the academic pathway leading to the completion of the VCE. This Year 10 program has a firm focus on the fact that students will soon enter the post compulsory phase of their schooling, in most cases, a university course. Hence, whilst Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Physical Education remain core subjects, there are a large number of options within this core to best cater for individual learning needs and to acknowledge the growing desire for students to take control of their own education and achieve academic excellence. The Year 10 curriculum is aligned with The Victorian Curriculum and also the VCE curriculum to allow students to be best prepared to study the VCE equivalent subject in the coming year.

Acceleration at Year 10 is achieved through the learning of Unit 1 Religion and Society. This gives students the opportunity to prepare themselves for the expectations of a VCE subject. For those who are interested and capable of accepting a further challenge, there is opportunity for students to select another Unit 1 & 2 study as part of their Year 10 course.

Year 10 Mainstream students participate in various programs designed to introduce them to life beyond school. This includes Work Experience where students are encouraged to seek a position at a place of employment that they may wish to pursue in their future years.

The Vincit Program is a vocational pathway leading to the completion of the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning in Year 11 and 12. This program has a very practical and hands on approach to learning and is offered to students who wish to pursue a pathway in an apprenticeship, traineeship or TAFE study. Subjects in the Vincit Program include Numeracy, Literacy, Education in Action, Religious Education, Personal Wellbeing, Certificate I in Employment Pathways and a VET course of the student’s choice. The opportunity to develop work ready skills are developed in work experience which is completed in Term 2, 3 and 4.