Middle School
Bellarine
Campus Year 7 | 2025
Head of Campus Welcome
Christian College embraces the needs and passions of 21st century learners and our students are blessed to have on offer a vast array of new learning opportunities. All students are encouraged to become active participants in their own educational journey, as they are given greater autonomy to learn and a voice to direct where that learning might seek relevance. Christian College is proud of the engaging subjects and pathway programs that we offer our Middle School students, with specialisation and experiential learning being implemented from Year 5.
This course selection handbook provides an overview of the studies available in 2025.
The core and elective offerings are part of the learning landscape at Christian College that aims to support each student to identify their passion for learning, their ability to think, solve problems and to manage their individual learning. We want our students to become well rounded positive contributors through the way that they make global connections and seek to connect deeply with others. At the end of their journey at Christian College, our students will be ready
to make a positive difference to the lives of others, through ‘good work’ that is excellent, ethical and engaged in local, national and global contexts. I look forward to partnering with all families in support of your precious young people, as they look towards their 2025 studies.
Yours faithfully,
Andrew Platt
Andrew Platt Head of Campus
Year 7 Core Subject Overview
The diverse and challenging curriculum at Middle Years is guided by the Australian Curriculum. It offers a breadth and depth of learning opportunities tailored to suit the unique learning needs of our students. Each opportunity develops core knowledge and skills within each subject area, as well as developing capacities in our students within the General Capabilities and Cross Curricular opportunities. Every student will experience a broad range of subject areas within our program comprised of whole year and semester based opportunities, these are complimented by a wide range of elective choices catering to the needs and interests of our learners.
Students in Year 7 will participate in the following core subjects for the whole year:
• Christian Education
• Digital Technologies
• English
• Health and Physical Education
• Mathematics
• Science
• Wellbeing
• Humanities
In addition, the following subjects will be studied for one semester:
• Indonesian
• Japanese
• Music
• Visual Art
Year 7 Elective Subject Overview
It is at Year 7 that Christian College students begin to choose some of their own subjects, in line with their specific interests and areas of passion. Year 7 students complete two elective subjects per semester, for a total of four for the year.
On the back page, you will find a ‘Subject Selection Worksheet’. This is intended to be used as a resource for students and families, while you are considering the subjects on offer. You may like to print it for ease of use.
For the elective subjects in the table on the selection worksheet, rank your top 8 preferences, with 1 being your first preference, 2 being your second preference, and so on. It is recommended that you select your most preferred electives in rankings 1 to 4. However, please note that you may not get your perfect choice of all subjects, so please take the time to list your top 8, in order, carefully.
Subjects identified in this booklet with a double asterisk (**) can be selected for one or two semesters of study.
To formally submit your preferences, please follow the instructions sent to you in your school email account. For students new to Christian College in 2025, please check your parent/guardian’s email account for the instructions.
$ Subject Levy
Some Elective subjects have additional costs beyond the standard College tuition fees. These subjects, as listed in the booklet, include:
• Subjects with overnight excursions involving accommodation and/or other travel expenses.
• Subjects requiring significant resource and/or equipment purchases.
If a student enrols in a subject with a listed levy amount, this cost will be applied to the College Fee Account at the beginning of the year.
Antony Benson Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
THE ARTS
Drama
Drama enables students to imagine and participate in an exploration of their world through the creation of credible characters in real and imagined situations. Students interact with a variety of scripted texts and develop performance and expressive skills through improvisation
Get ready to step into a world of imagination and creativity with our fun and exciting drama elective!
What You’ll Do:
Create Characters: Imagine and bring to life credible characters in both real and fantastical situations.
Scripted Texts: Engage with a variety of scripted texts, and develop your performance and expressive skills.
Improvisation: Build your quick-thinking abilities and explore drama through spontaneous and structured play.
Neutral Mask: Discover the intriguing convention of the neutral mask and use it to develop unique and interesting characters.
Drama as Art: Gain a deeper understanding of drama as an art form, and learn to both make and respond to dramatic works.
Collaboration and Confidence:
Work together with your classmates to stretch your imagination and find creative and entertaining ways to explore ideas through performance. This course is perfect for anyone looking to boost their confidence, unleash their creativity, and have a ton of fun along the way.
Media
The world in which we live is increasingly becoming a digital society with a rich and wide variety of visual digital mediums. Students develop skills and understanding in the elements and principles utilised in the production of media formats.
Students will develop skills capturing still and moving images and develop understanding through analysis of the complexities of story elements in media narratives.
Students produce a variety of digital still and moving images, record sound, and use software to edit, mix and arrange digital materials. They evaluate their own work and learn that media products represent the values and beliefs of the individuals and groups in society who make them, and the audiences who consume them. They will explore their own preferences as audience members and how these influence the types of media they aim to create.
Music Elective **
In this elective, students will learn about a wide range of musical styles while performing on class instruments and/or instruments of their choice. Students learn Rock, Pop, Blues, song-writing and improvisation. They create bands/ensembles to rehearse, perform, compose and record their performances. Each unit of study consists of common activities that develop a student’s general musicianship and performance skills, including: rehearsing and performing; composing and arranging; music theory; aural skills; listening to a broad variety of music; and group performance workshops.
Students who learn an instrument within the Instrumental Music Program will really enjoy utilising their skills in this Music Elective. As well as students who already play an instrument, this elective will cater for students who enjoy music and playing instruments. Students may choose to do this elective for one or both semesters.
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
Food Studies
Being able to safely prepare nutritional meals and snacks is an integral part of our lives. Food Studies introduces students to the processes, utensils and equipment utilised in food preparation. They investigate and apply safe and hygienic food handling procedures within a practical kitchen setting.
Students explore and discuss nutrition and are equipped with the skills to develop responsible understanding of food choices. They apply design thinking and create food solutions based on a variety of needs or opportunities including basic meals and snacks. They develop criteria for success including consideration of sustainable food production and use these to judge the suitability of their ideas, designed solutions and processes.
Subject levy: $30
Product Design | Materials
(Wood, Metal and Plastics)
Product designers invent, visualise and prototype design solutions to problems in the form of new products. Students will investigate the unique properties of a variety of materials and utilise the design thinking process to create solutions based on an evaluation of needs or opportunities. They develop criteria for success, including sustainability considerations, and use these to judge the suitability of their ideas and designed solutions and processes.
Key skills in the safe handling of tools and equipment are reinforced as students apply this knowledge to the practical construction of their designed products and safely produce effective solutions for the intended purpose.
Product Design | Textiles
Textiles are a major component of our material culture. They may be viewed as the products of technology, as cultural symbols, as works of art, or as items of trade. Students explore and manipulate the physical characteristics of selected fabrics and fibres. They will enjoy creating unique textile objects.
Demonstrating an emerging understanding of the design process, students generate and clarify ideas through sketching and annotated concept sketches. They develop plans to manage design tasks, including safe and responsible use of materials and tools, to successfully complete design tasks. Students establish safety procedures that minimise risk and manage a project addressing safety and efficiency in their design solutions.
Systems Engineering
(Robotics / Electronics)
Robotics, engineering and controlling integrated mechanical, electrical and digital systems is an integral part of our modern society. In this subject, students will demonstrate an emerging understanding of the design and evaluation process and analyse how motion, force and energy are used to manipulate and control electromechanical systems.
Utilising Lego Mindstorms, students will develop an autonomous robot that will perform a routine to a chosen theme. Students will also explore and manipulate basic electronic circuits including mechanical switching and motor control and apply practical skills to produce an integrated systems project. Students apply project management skills to document and use project plans to manage production processes.
Students independently and safely produce effective designed solutions for an intended purpose, demonstrating lateral thinking and developing new skills related to the correct use of tools, equipment and construction techniques.
Writers’ Workshop
This subject provides students who love writing creatively with an opportunity to explore and develop their skills in this area. Students will experiment with a range of writing techniques, stimuli and styles, in the creation of written works. They will be provided with learning experiences that will allow them to write authentically and for a variety of audiences and purposes. Students will be challenged in their writing, by both their teacher and peers, and will be encouraged to take risks and work beyond their comfort zone.
SCIENCE
How Does Your Garden Grow?
As humans we all rely on the production and consumption of food. In this subject, students will develop their green fingers in the school garden. They will use this outdoor classroom to develop their critical thinking about sustainability and our environment. This experiential class explores how food is produced. Students are involved in planning out what vegetables to grow and when, correct soil composition and importance of correctly making compost.
Based mainly in an outdoor environment, each student will need to refine many soft skills such as planning, teamwork and communication. They grow their own plants, provide the necessary maintenance to each plant and finish by harvesting the produce they have managed to grow. This subject gives students the opportunity to develop as young learners who are able to think critically, innovate and provide solutions towards more sustainable patterns of living.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Interschool Sport
(Semester 1)
The Interschool Sport elective involves students competing for the school in Netball, Soccer, Hockey or AFL. Each of the sports is offered for both male and female students. The program continues to build on the sporting knowledge and understanding the students have, in addition to developing the skills required for their respective sport.
In Term 1, students will be involved in training sessions and education sessions in preparation for competition in Term 2. During Term 2, students will compete in a round robin competition for their chosen sport, which is conducted by Geelong Independent Schools Sports Association (GISSA).
Subject levy: $55
(Semester 2)
A wide range of sports are offered in Interschool Sport (Semester Two). In Term 3, students have the opportunity to compete for the college in Basketball, Badminton, Table Tennis or Gaelic Football at the Geelong Independent Schools Sports Association (GISSA) competition.
In Term 4, students will compete against other Geelong-based Independent Schools in either Cricket, Tennis, Volleyball, Softball or Water Polo in a round robin competition conducted by GISSA.
Campus Map
Year 7 Subject Selection Worksheet
Subject Notes Rank 1-8
Drama Media
Music Elective
Music Elective**
Food Studies
Production Design - Materials (Wood, Metal & Plastic)
Production Design - Textiles
Systems Engineering (Robotics/Electronics)
Writers’ Workshop
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Interschool Sport (Semester 1)
Interschool Sport (Semester 2) $