“Our school aims to nurture students who will contribute to a better world”
Dear Middle School Parents, It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Camberwell Grammar School.
Our school aims to nurture students who will contribute to a better world. For this to occur, we undertake the responsibility to motivate our students to learn, whilst instilling the confidence to know that they can.
A window of opportunity exists in the Middle School to promote a love of learning: in the classroom, music hall, sports field and within a vast array of co-curricular activities. Camberwell Grammar is a busy place, with boundless opportunities to learn, share and grow.
During this time, our students will encounter many challenges that may appear arduous, and it is our role as teachers and parents to work in partnership, to help them navigate their way through these tasks. Your son will meet dedicated and highly professional staff who will always consider, “what is best for the boys.” The synergy between home and school are crucial in maximising potential.
The middle years of a student’s education also coincide with many significant emotional, social and physical changes. The transition between childhood and adolescence is the time in a young person’s life when they move from having most decisions made for them, to a time when they are expected to take more responsibility for themselves and their peers. Some decisions will not always be the best, so I encourage you to gradually step back to enable your son to learn through his own experiences. The sooner we step aside, the sooner they will start making better decisions through gaining maturity and independence.
The structure of the School reflects the emphasis we place on the transitional years between Primary and Secondary education:
Year 6 is incorporated in the Middle School, allowing for a thorough transition between Year 5 and Year 7. Year 6 students gain a great deal from the vertical House programs with Year 7 and 8, and they become more familiar with specialist teaching and learning programs.
Year 7 is the level at which the School accepts many new students and it is, therefore, an important year of transition for all our students and their families. Establishing new friendship groups and managing one’s time are among the most challenging elements of Year 7.
Year 8 offers the opportunity for our students to take on extra responsibilities and have a role in guiding the younger students, through activities in their House, sporting and music groups. Having a dedicated Middle School allows us to foster and monitor the leadership in these students.
We have developed an innovative curriculum that incorporates a healthy mix of traditional and contemporary subjects. Significantly, our Pastoral Care system is reinforced through this arrangement, so that all of our students receive a high level of attention and care. The Middle School is proud to have Form Teachers who specialise in the education of adolescent boys and will be your first point of contact with the school. Our interdisciplinary approach to our curriculum design allows our teachers to get to know your sons well. The students benefit from the privileged relationships they share with these staff, who will become their learning mentors.
The School’s LMS - DEEDS - contains information on the activities your boys will engage in, all underpinned by our values: Learning, Respect, Integrity, Courage and Optimism; with a preparedness to continually engage a growth mindset. The information provided within DEEDS will hopefully satisfy your queries as they arise; it also contains relevant forms, dates, staffing details and timely information, tailored to your son’s involvement.
I am very excited about the year ahead and look forward to partnering with you in your son’s education.
Warm regards,
Troy Stanley Head of Middle School
We value deeds by our
Our Middle School curriculum is designed for our students: to engage and challenge them; to provide safe structures as they explore their newfound independence; to guide them as they deal with the challenges of an increasingly complex technological world; and to provide them with the skills, confidence and sensitivity they will need in their dealings with others and their decision-making throughout their lives. It is constantly evolving in response to our changing world, students’ interests and activities, and developments in educational thinking, pedagogies, and prerequisites of future employment.
We continue to build collaborative activities, often incorporating design thinking, into core curricula, allowing each student to develop key skills that he will need in his schooling and beyond. Rather than work through prescribed activities, students are given scope to design their own solutions to problems and to work with others in refining their product to meet the demands of the task. Creative solutions involve students adapting technologies and reimagining how materials can be used to suit their purposes.
Personal and Social Development (PSD) course is a key part of our pastoral care program. Weekly sessions enable Form Teachers to discuss key issues with their class about the way they interact with each other in the classroom, the schoolyard and in their online world,
and their attitudes towards others, particularly women. Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness, Personal Strengths, stress management, and the importance of sleep and nutrition are also discussed. Several incursions throughout the year offer students the opportunity to see these issues through different scenarios and media, including theatrical presentations, lectures and role plays.
Embedded in PSD – and throughout our curriculum and our daily interactions with our students – are the School’s values. They are a bedrock for discussions around behaviour, interactions with peers and teachers, and appropriate responses to the situations and changes they are likely to experience at school and throughout their lives.
There are opportunities for students to try their hand at learning new languages, representing their House and School in various sporting activities, or learning a new instrument; students can perform on stage, join various clubs such as chess and Makerspace, and select from a wide range of co-curricular activities, from yoga to horse riding.
Our students also have the opportunity to participate in external activities, including poetry recitations, various competitions in Mathematics, Science and Geography, and in challenges such as the da Vinci Decathlon, Tournament of Minds and Debating.
English and History
Science and Geography
Mathematics
Mandarin
Languages: Mandarin/ Indonesian/French/Latin
Languages): Two from Mandarin/Indonesian/ French/Latin
Music
Drama
Information Technology
Creative Design
Music
Drama
Creative Design Digital Citizenship
STEM
Electives: Music Performance: Music Instrumental – Ensemble Music Technology – Composition
Music Technology – Recording
Drama, Film, Robotics, Visual Communication
“Assessment tasks at each year level enable us to make meaningful comparisons on individual growth”
All students electing to study this subject are placed into carefully selected ensembles where they can work together to learn and experience playing music in small groups. These ensembles are created specifically for the students enrolling in the subject each year and cover a wide range of musical styles – from string quartets to guitar groups, jazz ensembles to vocal groups. This subject is suitable for all, from beginners to experienced musicians, but students must be having regular lessons.
In this subject, students study a variety of compositional styles and techniques, from simple classical styles to contemporary music such as blues, pop and rock. Using carefully structured tasks, students of all abilities create, organise, edit and listen to their own compositions using Sibelius software. The subject is designed so that each composition builds on both their knowledge and skills with the software, whilst learning specific compositional techniques.
Students create audio projects including music, radio segments, film music and advertisements using the industry standard ProTools software. In this subject, the students work in pairs and learn techniques involved in live recording, audio production and film scoring. Projects are mastered into standard formats of distribution used for web and streaming media. This subject is not a prerequisite for VET music, but is an excellent introduction for students interested in pursuing this course of study in Senior School.
Year 8 Film Studies is an introduction to both Media Production and Film Criticism. Students will work individually and as teams to produce media products, and will study the popular television genre of Crime Drama.
In the study of Drama students use their imagination and creativity to produce work which is entertaining, challenging, playful, and, ultimately, performed to an audience. They develop skills of vocal and physical expression, as well as those of analysis and collaboration. They interpret existing scripts, devise original material, and experiment with dramatic elements. In their exploration of a range of exciting and unusual topics, they discover how to operate as both individual performers and members of a cast.
This subject introduces students to the manual and digital production methods used to visually communicate information and ideas. Through a range of design tasks, students explore two-dimensional and threedimensional representation using drawing, construction and computer applications. The design tasks in this course encourage the students to apply creative, critical and reflective thinking as they generate ideas, visualise concepts and produce final presentations. All required materials and equipment are supplied.
Using VEX IQ Robotics kits, students will design and build a robot.
This is a hands-on course where students will learn by doing. Initially, students follow set procedures to build and program their robot. Having familiarised themselves with the VEX robots, students will have the opportunity to adapt their robots to the current year’s challenge. Students will complete design cycles to enhance the capabilities of their robot and improve their results based on feedback from the challenge. In addition to robotics, students will have the opportunity to complete a short unit on Game Development.
Skills developed include design thinking, collaboration with other students and basic programming skills.
Students participating in this elective will need their own laptop.
Students in the Middle School are introduced to four languages other than English including Chinese (Mandarin), French, Chinese, Indonesian and Latin. From Year 7 two of these subjects take place in Semester 1 and two in Semester 2. In Year 8 students select two languages to continue to Year 10 and VCE if they wish.
The Camberwell Grammar Middle School Enrichment Program offers a range of subjects outside the mainstream curriculum designed to stimulate and challenge the more academically able boys in the Middle School. Rather than accelerate students into higher year levels, the Enrichment Program aims to expose students involved to a wider scope of subjects and thus cultivate a broader range of interests. Whilst there is no formal assessment of work covered in the units in the Enrichment Program, small class size and the enthusiasm of the participants allow for continuous appraisal of the work the students complete. Enrichment activities are also included with each subject area.
During the year, opportunity exists for all students to participate in many competitions including, for instance, the UNSW Mathematics Competition. Some students may be invited to attend writing workshops or to participate in competitions for a restricted number of students. Additionally, the School is involved in a number of enrichment activities with other schools in the area. For further details, please contact Mr Paul Double at pkd@cgs.vic.edu.au.
The Learning Enhancement Department employs a variety of strategies to identify students needing additional support, including testing and academic performance, teacher, parent or self-referral. Teachers in this department work with students in a variety of ways. This includes the provision of Literacy and
Numeracy classes focused on explicit instruction and targeted skill development for each student so that they can achieve optimal outcomes. We also provide individual or small group sessions which are designed to target skill development for students who may need additional time and support to consolidate their learning. We are driven by a belief that when provided with such opportunities the boys can and will experience success in their learning.
In addition, to ensure they receive the support they need in all classes, Learning Profiles are created for each student diagnosed with a learning difficulty. Staff liaise with classroom teachers, form teachers or tutors, other support personnel and outside specialists to develop classroom strategies and individual plans and to monitor student’s progress.
The School employs two full time psychologists to assist students in their personal and academic development. They provide support, guidance and counselling to students with academic, language, social, and emotional problems. Our Counsellors also work closely with the Pastoral Leadership Team to develop strategies that enhance resilience, connectedness, and wellbeing.
The Middle School holds an annual BODi Day to explore contemporary issues through lectures and interactive workshops. The day includes adolescent experts in a variety of fields ranging from gaming to yoga to personal training.
“Skills developed include collaboration, testing, and communication”
The PSD program develops skills and fosters attitudes that empower students to adopt healthy academic, social, emotional and physical lives. At the core of this program is instilling the School Values into our daily life at school. In 2017 the School partnered with Swinburne University to deliver an Emotional Intelligence Program that continues into the Senior School.
The PSD Programme aims:
• To satisfy the requirements of instruction in Health and other areas such as personal development
• To enrich the Pastoral Care program in the Middle School by providing Form Teachers with another avenue to develop relationships with the students in their care.
The program makes a significant contribution to preparing students to take a responsible and productive role in society and to develop in them a commitment to life-long learning.
This purpose will be achieved by developing in each student:
• Self esteem and social wellbeing
• Understanding of health and lifestyle
• Communication competencies, including familiarity with, and critical perspectives of, Information Technology eg. Facebook literacy etc.
• Thinking, research and study skills
• Planning, decision making and time management skills.
“At the core of this program is instilling the School Values into our daily life at school.”
Our Co-Curricular further embeds our Pastoral Care framework, helping to develop self-esteem, resilience, leadership and teamwork. Their participation in these activities helps to create a realisation that they are part of something much bigger than themselves. In many
cases students will become part of several groups each year. We believe that their participation in such groups helps to balance their schedule and enhance their academic pursuits.
Orchestras
Concert Bands
Choirs
Chamber Music
Concerts and Musicals
Classroom Music
Athletics
Swimming
House Sport
Year Level Camps
Year 8 Outdoor Ed
Horse Riding
Camps
Tours
Cadets (Trial)
Middle School Production
Senior School Production
Inter-school
Winter Summer Spring
Classroom Drama
Sailing
Whitewater Canoeing
Rock Climbing
Mountain biking
Self-Defence
Coding
Rowing
Sea Kayaking
Sustainability
Autumn Tours
Model building
Chess Sport
Debating
Entrepreurship
Robotics
Coaching
In Year 6 we encourage students to continue with their instruments and offer instruction to those who may not yet have had the chance to learn.
In Year 7, students not already committed to other orchestral instruments may be given one semester of class tuition on a string, woodwind, brass or precussion instrument. Thus by the end of Year 7, every Middle School student will have had tuition on at least one orchestral instrument. These classes are part of the normal curriculum, and provide students with the means to discover any latent musical talents they may possess.
Recommendation is then made to parents that their son undertakes individual tuition as a desirable means of development and encouragement of that talent.
In Year 8, students may select either chamber music, music recording technology, or music composition as one of their elective subjects.
The Music Academy is based on the Music Conservatorium model to support and enrich our musicians and their performance artistry throughout their time at Camberwell Grammar, and access is based on selection only. The Academy offers an opportunity for students to participate in 1:1 or small group tuition throughout the school day as well as masterclasses with the finest musicians from Australia and around the world, performance classes, managing performance anxiety, and preparation for competitions, auditions, and a musical life beyond school.
More information can be found on DEEDS: Music Academy
Middle School students have the opportunity to combine with one of the local girls’ schools, to take part in a major Middle School Production each year. Typically girls from Camberwell Girls Grammar, Ruyton, Fintona and Canterbury Girls join us in these productions. Some students are also invited to take part in the Senior School plays that are also held on an annual basis.
Formal debating is undertaken in Year 7 and 8 as part of the English curriculum and skills are developed in various aspects of the discipline. All students in Year 8 will perform a debate in class, as part of a team. Students will have the opportunity to extend their skills by participating in the Debaters’ Association of Victoria’s Interschool Debating Competition.
The presence of sport in a student’s life adds to their personal development in many ways. The Sport Department’s goal is to foster within all students a passion for sport; a passion that is alive not only during their schooling but for the duration of their lives. To this end, the Sport Department continues to pursue new sports for the students to enjoy, development squads for students to excel in, and overseas tours for students to enhance their sporting experience.
The Sports program is overseen by our Head of Sport, Mr Lachlan Crawford, who works closely with a professional team of coaches and the academic staff to implement a dynamic program aimed at developing the athlete as a whole. Camberwell Sport follows the principles of the Developmental Model of Sports Participation (DMSP) to provide a safe, interactive and friendly environment in which athletes can enjoy the sportsmanship, comradery, and thrill of competitive
sport. The School’s values are at the core of our sports program and serve as cornerstones for the way we practice and play.
Middle School students also have the opportunity to work with our Strength and Conditioning Coach. At this level, programs focus on the ‘whole student’ and are aimed to empower students with the technical skills and knowledge to harness each student’s physical capacity as they progress through their lives. We believe that placing a priority on physical wellbeing plays a critical role in facilitating all other avenues in a student’s life, allowing him to thrive at school and long afterwards.
All students must complete two full seasons of sport each year: Summer during Terms 1 and 4 and Winter during Terms 2 and 3. During Term 3, there is also a third season, Spring, that is encouraged but optional.
The Sports Academy provides a sport pathway encompassing elite athletes, individualised coaching, and wellbeing for all students at Camberwell Grammar School. Various Sports Programs offer tuition for students wishing to enhance their skills, whether they are beginners or highly accomplished, with access to the most experienced and talented coaches and specialists available.
Masterclasses and specialist support in the form of sports psychologists, physiotherapists, media training, and career planning are also offered.
Archery
Basketball
Water
“The main purpose of this camp is for students to get to know their new Form Teacher, as well as other students in their form”
YEAR LEVEL CAMPS
Our students take part in Year Level Camps in Year 6, 7 and 8.
Year 6 – Term 2: Camp Manyung (4 days, 3 nights)
Camp Manyung leads students on a journey of discovery to greater self-awareness, richer understanding of the importance of community and to a greater appreciation of the natural wonders of Port Phillip Bay’s precious coastal environment. Students on this camp will undertake a range of physically challenging and engaging activities including the ‘Giant Swing’, high and low ropes courses, fishing and bike riding.
Year 7 – Term 1: Kangaroobie (5 day, 4 nights)
Held at the Kangaroobie School Camp, Old Ocean Road, Princetown, the camp occurs early in the year to help create strong friendships amongst the students from many different primary schools who come to Camberwell Grammar School at Year 7. They are exposed to new experiences and the potential for new friendships in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. This week provides students with opportunities for socialisation and shared experiences; developing independence and self-awareness; and establishing positive working relationships with their Form Teacher and other teachers within the Middle School. The students are involved in a range of activities including team-building challenges, paddle-boarding, snorkelling, life-saving activities, hiking and camping.
Year 8- Term 1: Surf Camp at Angelsea (Overnight) and Term 4: Senior School Transition at Lake Eildon National Park, OEG Bush Camp Eildon and surrounds (5 day, 4 night)
The Senior School Transition Camp at Lake Eildon, offers the opportunity for students to further develop social maturity through shared experiences and social interaction; to encourage character development and the growth of self-confidence through physical and psychological challenges; to introduce students to new activities allowing them access to environments not previously visited; and to place students in challenging situations where they are required to co-operate as a group in order to meet set tasks. The camp will include ‘journey’ style activities that will challenge the students physically as they prepare for the rigorous Outdoor Education camp in Year 9. The camp is also the centrepiece in the thorough transition program that is designed to ensure the best possible introduction to the staff and the ways of the Senior School. It is manned by Year 8 Form Teachers and Senior School Heads of House, and incoming House leaders attend as mentors.
Year 8 students also participate in an overnight surf camp in Week 2 of the school year. The main purpose of this camp is for students to get to know their new Form Teacher, as well as other students in their form. Each form has their own accommodation for this overnight stay, with most beach activities taking place at Ocean Grove and Anglesea.
All Year 8 students also take part in the school’s outdoor activities in Term 1 and Term 3. The program aims to develop new skills and encourage self-confidence through challenging outdoor experiences. The skills developed through this program are designed to prepare students for the activities at Lake Eildon in Term 4. Students take part in two of the following activities:
• Whitewater Kayaking/Sea Kayaking
• Sailing
• Horse Riding
• Mountain Bike Riding
• Rock Climbing and Abseiling
• Rowing
• Sustainability
Middle School students have the opportunity to join a multitude of trips and tours aimed at embedding their learning and challenging their new found knowledge and skills in a practical setting. Regular trips include:
• Tassie Trek
• Year 8 Cadet Camp (trial)
• Central Australia Tour
Additional Tours also include:
• NASA Space Camp
• Various Sports Tours (eg UK Cricket Tour, Inter-State Swimming, AFL)
• USA Basketball (include under Sports Tour listing
• French, Indonesian, Chinese and Latin Tours
• Galapagos Islands Trip
• Japanese Cultural and Technology Tour
All students in Years 7 and 8 participate in the activities program every Friday afternoon in Terms 2 and 3. Year 6 participate in the program in Term 3. Students can select from a variety of activities with examples including Indoor Soccer, fitness, Outdoor Cooking, Chess or Golf. This program allows students to follow an interest at school or perhaps try out an activity they might not otherwise be able to participate in. The students benefit from this as they interact with others in their immediate age group and they learn to relate to each other in a social context whilst participating in an activity that they enjoy.
The House Competition offers another avenue of support for our students; through Pastoral Care and vertical connections across year levels. Students compete for their Houses in a number of activities throughout the course of the year. Major events include Athletics, Swimming, and Cross Country. House round robin sports include Table Tennis, European Handball, Soccer, Kickball, Ultimate Vortex, Dodgeball, Ultimate Frisbee, and Volleyball. These change and additional activities are offered on a yearly basis.
Students can participate in a range of unstructured and organised lunchtime activities offered by staff. An example of the organised activities on offer include: Table Tennis, Dungeons & Dragons, Coding Club, Chess, Gardening, Christian Group, Gym, Makerspace, and student-led journalism and leadership groups. A timetable is provided on DEEDS.
