• Visiting a school in China

Course Information

• In 2023, Year 9 Chinese is an option subject.

• Each class has 5 lessons per 10-day timetable.

Homework expectations

Students are expected to complete some homework during the week. Your child should be learning at home for a total of at least 60 minutes per weeknight across all subjects. The key to language learning is ‘little and often’.

Homework might include:

• Learning a number of words, verbs or phrases

• Reading and grammar exercises to do or a short paragraph to write.

• Before an assessment, students will be expected to revise their notes or to practise their spoken language.

• Revision of vocabulary learned in class with www.languageperfect.com.

• Completion of assignments started in class

• Catching up on work missed due to absence

• Researching on the internet

Students will purchase a Year 8 Chinese Workbook at a cost of around $10.

Head of Learning Area: Caroline Harding

Queen Margaret College

Year 9 Design (Technology) Programme 2023

Level 4-5 of the New Zealand Curriculum

Year 3 of the Middle Years Programme

Unit Title

Taonga / Digital (First half year)

Digital/ Taonga (Second half year)

Course overview

International Baccalaureate

Proposed assessment date

Criteria A and B – Term 1 Wk10

Criteria C and D – Term 2 Wk8

Criteria A and B – Term 3 Wk6

Criteria C and D – Term 4 Wk5

Technology is about making a difference in our world – through developing designs, products and systems that meet the requirements of a design brief. The Design Cycle is a key development process that is followed at all year levels in Technology. In the Year 9 course, students will cover two major units:

Taonga Pewter Jewellery: Students will have the opportunity to further integrate knowledge and understandings about Maori Taonga (as explored on the Y9 Marae Camp). Students will develop a personalised pewter-based jewellery item for an identified client. Activities in this unit involve carving, casting pewter (lead free / school appropriate), handling workshop equipment, and jewellery making techniques.

Digital Technology

The Digital Technology course starts with an introduction to Digital Design and an exploration what it means to be an informed and responsible Digital Citizen. This is followed by the main unit, in which students apply the design cycle to design a video game to promote awareness of good cause of their choosing.

Course details:

• Each class has 5 lessons per 10 day timetable.

• Each class will rotate through the two different unit topics over the year. Each unit topic will be approximately 2 terms in length.

• Each unit topic may be taught by a different teacher in appropriate timetabled classrooms.

• There is a $30+gst consumables fee for this course. This will be charged to your school account.

Students may also wish to participate in extra outside the classroom STEAM challenges such as the ePRO8 Team Technology competition, Robocup, and Codeclub. Details will be published as opportunities become available during the year.

Assessment Criterion: Design MYP

Over the course of the year students will be assessed according to the following criterion. There are 4 criterion in MYP Design – all based on the Design Cycle.

Each of these criteria will be assessed once in each of the unit topics (ie twice in the year). Students will be given specific assessment schedules for these criteria at the start of each unit.

QMC Technology Safety Rules:

Student safety and wellbeing is paramount at QMC. Accordingly, no student is allowed to operate any equipment without teacher supervision and safety instruction. When using specialist equipment there are some rules to be followed:

• Tie hair back.

• No blazers on.

• Aprons to be worn.

• Safety eye-goggles on if required.

• Covered shoes / PE shoes are acceptable.

• Protective gloves to be worn if needed.

• Persons operating equipment are to be given a clear working space around them. No crowding, talking to or distracting persons operating equipment.

• Students will be supervised always by a teacher if hazardous equipment is being operated.

• Turn equipment off at the wall and unplug from the wall when finished.

• Spaces used must be vacuumed / swept clean for the next person.

Homework expectations

Your child should be learning at home for a total of at least 60 minutes per weeknight across all subjects. To achieve at a high level in this subject, students are expected to complete some homework during the week. Homework might include:

• Carrying out individual project - written, research or design sketching tasks.

• Attending lunchtime workshops to complete any practical work or to access extra help with practical work.

• Catching up with work not completed during class time.

• Online tutorials for keyboard and coding skill development

Theatre Form

Queen Margaret College

Year 9 Drama Programme 2023

Level 4 of the New Zealand Curriculum

Middle Years Programme International Baccalaureate

Unit Title

Techniques and Directing, performance

Journal

Course details

Proposed assessment date

Term 1, Week 9

Term 2, Week 7

Term 2, Week 8

The aim of the course is to introduce students to some key concepts, performance skills, production knowledge and terminology in a practical environment. There is a particular focus on small group collaborative skills and the development of independent work skills as a support to other curricular areas.

Course Information:

• Each class has 3 lessons per 10-day timetable for a half year

• There will be a performance for parents in Week 7 Term 2

Homework expectations

Your child should be learning at home for a total of at least 60 minutes per weeknight across all subjects. Written reflections will generally be completed in class. However, it is vital that when approaching an assessment homework time is used to learn lines.

Teacher in Charge of Drama: Gemma Lowther