Middle School

You can download a copy of the Year 9 Curriculum Outline here.

On this page you can find out about these topics:

• Middle School Rationale
• Middle School Goals
• Year 7 subjects
• Year 8 subjects
• Year 9 subjects

MIDDLE SCHOOLING – RATIONALE
There is a strong move in educational thinking toward “middle schooling”. For many years, schools have been neatly divided into two main stages, primary and secondary school, with little thought given to the transition between the two.

Teachers and parents have been frustrated that when students move into secondary school, they often become uninterested in learning – and in fact, often taper off and produce work of a lower standard than in their upper primary years.  Some students just don’t seem to want to learn, showing disinterest in the things being studied, portraying negative behaviour and resistance to the traditional school structure.

So what is middle schooling?

It is a response to the recognition that students in the upper primary and lower secondary years are going through a distinct developmental stage.  Changes in society have in many ways created the “young adolescent” with no clear role in family and society.  In recent years there has been increased discussion focussing on these years of schooling as educators have realised that the traditional structures of primary and secondary school are failing to meet the young adolescents’ needs.

 OUR RESPONSE AS CHRISTIANS
We need to question and explore what God’s intentions are for our students in the middle years.   As Christian educators, what should our Biblical response to middle schooling be and how can it better serve the needs of our students?  We must ask what the implications are for the school learning environment and whether Biblical principles be applied through it. 

Every student is created in God’s image (Genesis 1 : 27) and because of this, deserve to be respected and valued.  We need to look for good in each student.  Through Christian education we aim to prepare students to be active workers in God’s Kingdom and therefore need to purposely face students toward God and His Sovereignty over all things.  Just as a mirror reflects whatever it is in front of, we need to line our students up with God so their lives can reflect Him.  Curriculum in the middle school needs to help students uncover God’s intentions for His creation and explore our response in relationship to it.

It is in their young adolescent years that students move through a time of  “searching faith” – many displaying actions of doubt and of critical judgement concerning the understanding of faith handed down from their parents. Throughout this time it is important that the middle school helps students in their searching – used by the Holy Spirit – to assist students to continue on their faith journey on to a point of “owned faith” where they claim Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives for themselves.

 MIDDLE SCHOOL GOALS
At Torrens Valley Christian School we aim to help students in the Middle School to:

Come to know their Place in God’s Creation

Curriculum in the middle years needs to help reveal to students their place in God’s creation – that they have been fearfully and wonderfully formed (Psalm 139) and made in His image.  The middle school curriculum should seek to develop the whole person, directing them towards the Creator, living a life honouring Him.

Sense They Belong To A Community And Climate Of Shalom

Christian Schools exist as an extension of the family, aiding parents in their Biblical mandate in the task of raising children in the fear of the Lord (Pr. 22:6), providing training for all of life.  Van Brummelen in his book Walking with God in The Classroom states that schools are agencies of socialisation – a place where children learn to interact and live as members of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4) in a life of love with one another (Col. 1:6).  Our middle school needs to promote a community ethos of caring, where each student, of whatever ability, is respected and treated as a person who is God’s image bearer and has a place in His plan.

Learn to Share each others’ Joys and Bear each others Burdens

The Christian school needs to reflect a community of carers, living out the scriptural teachings of Romans 12, finding purpose as we function as Christ’s body – sharing together in times of happiness and times of sorrow.  Our middle school “celebration” time allows opportunities for recognition of student achievements and excellence as well as community worship.

Recognise and unfold their God given gifts, developing literacy and numeracy skills

Ephesians 4 teaches us that Christ hands out gifts to each one as He chooses.  The scripture urges us to grow into maturity, developing, shaping and using our gifts as part of His Body.  Christ warned us to use and develop our gifts wisely (Matt. 25 : 14 – 30).  The middle school curriculum needs to provide a wide range of activities allowing students to explore their own gifting and enable growth and development of students’ individual skills.  The introduction of end of semester “activity days” give students the opportunity to explore different elective experiences not usually offered in the curriculum.

Explore and Experience What it Means to be Disciples of Jesus Christ

Christ claims all aspects of life (Col. 1 :15 – 20) and therefore the Christian school is a setting in which students can experience discipleship.  It should not just be a “training place” for this, but actually provide students opportunities to serve one another and develop their leadership skills.  The introduction of a responsive element to each thematic unit provides a structure for this to formally occur.

Study and Come to Know God’s World and the Interconnections Within it

All of creation finds its purpose and place in God as all things were created by Him.  So too – nothing is untouched by the Fall.  As all creation awaits restoration to Him, students need to see and appreciate for themselves the beauty of God’s handiwork and the plan He has to restore ALL things unto Himself.  An integral theme approach to the Middle school curriculum ensures we help students see life as a whole, rather than isolated fragments.  All of life comes from God – there is no “religious” or “secular”. Integral curriculum units help to bring unity and centrality to God as Creator.
Our school Behaviour Management Policy outlines a Biblical foundation for grievance procedures and conflict resolution.

MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM STRUCTURE