Term 3 started with me walking into the building and reading the grand new sign at reception: ‘Welcome to Middle School’. A very important reminder that we are an inclusive environment, dedicated to teenagers. The new messaging continues with House banners in corridors, in appropriate colours of course, and then into the Forum we state our vision of ‘Good Person, Great Learner’ and honour our values of Care, Respect and Growth; special daily reminders for our community.
Apart from a fabulous cameo performance from our The Little Mermaid cast, our Welcome to Term 3 assembly was a wonderful opportunity to encourage students to pause and reflect, to acknowledge their efforts and to inspire. Year 7s were challenged to try something new, Year 8s to talk to someone they hadn’t previously met and Year 9s to engage in activities that involve students from other year levels. Apart from classes, Term 3 presents many opportunities for these goals to become actions. The upcoming Athletics season; lunchtime CRASH programs; the e-sports competition; the exciting Year 8 three-weeks of Hattah, HRC and Rural; the Year 7 Environment camp and the Year 9 ‘Lunch in the Forum’, just to name a few!
It is extraordinary to think that each student completed 10 subjects in Semester 1, each subject with about three summative assessment tasks involving everything from essays to presentations to scientific evaluations to poems, and more. It’s a lot! Navigating all these requirements is demanding and, at times, stressful, yet the resulting growth and independence are wonderful to see. In assembly, we acknowledged this and encourage students to proudly hold their heads up high!
Hopefully there are many vibrant conversations happening with your child as they select their subject preferences for next year. Middle School should be about exploring, expanding and enriching, so there are absolutely no prerequisites. Your child can select any subject; they don’t need any prior knowledge or skill.
Each year, we review our curriculum to ensure that it is contemporary, rigorous and meets the needs of the students. For 2026, we see two new electives from the CARE Learning Area, replacing the core subject. Year 8 Quest: Stories That Shape Us explores how the stories we hear shape the way we see the world. Year 9 Ethics in Action invites students to explore real-life dilemmas. Students will debate different perspectives, beliefs, values and ethical decisions.
There have also been some changes and tweaks made to the English Electives, Year 8 Crafting Comics and Year 9 Making the News, and in Year 9 Drama, Finding Your Voice. We hope these changes enrich our elective program and continue to help create ‘Good People Great Learners.’ Have a wonderful time discussing with your child the many and varied offerings and don’t forget the due date for Subject Preferences is Thursday 7 August.
Meredith Plaisted
Head of Middle School
