Year 9 Parent Information

Night

Role of Support Staff

• SASS staff – attendance, application of extended leave and administrative enquiries, payments over the phone

Online – parents can make payments through our Website,

Absences can be explained by contacting the front office either via email or over the phone.

• Home Room teachers see students on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday each week. The role of the home room teacher is as a mentor and offers initial welfare support. Where possible, the homeroom teacher will stay with their group from year to year.

• They also inform the students of the daily notices. However ,these can be easily accessed by the students themselves through sentral.

• Home Room teachers also assist with our Literacy for Life program which is run by home room teachers on Thursday and Friday each week.

• Counsellor & Learning Support staff – learning and welfare issues. We have 3 professional Psychologists available throughout the week. There is one present at school every day.

Role of Year Advisor

The Year Advisor is the link between welfare resources in the school, wider community, the student and the family.

The Head Teacher Wellbeing will become involved for case management for families and students for significant welfare concerns

Academic and class related issues should first be directed to the teacher, then you may escalate to the head teacher

SPHINX In Year 9 there are 2 selective classes

Wellbeing Focus for 2018

• Student engagement for learning.

•

• Being Organised, School Planner ( Learning Journey Lesson )

• Resilience (Resilience Doughnut)

• Positive and respectful Relationships

• Cybersafety, follow up from Last Years Eyes Open Social Media presentation, we are waiting on final details of a parents information night.

Our focus for the year

TIME Proposed Activities Approx. Cost

Term 1 KYDS Seminars

Police Liaison Officer

Resilience Doughnut

$25 each

Term 2 Presentation from Youth Services such as

Head Space.

Team Building activities “Survivor Day”

Unknown

Term 3 ‘Back Off’ – Self Protection seminar for girls

‘Dare to Dream’ – being your own man for

boys

$20

Term 4 School to work program

Learning Journeys

N/A

KYDS Workshops

• Students will take part in a number of workshops developing increased understanding and practical skills for positive decision making run by KYDS facilitators. This range of issues includes:

Girls Boys

Alcohol and other Drugs Alcohol and other Drugs

Body Image and Self Esteem Anger Management

Bullying and Cyber Citizenship Bullying and Cyber Citizenship

Sexual Health and Relationships Gender Roles and Respectful

Relationships

Resilience doughnut

• Students will take part in the resilience doughnut survey/report as part of the Year 9 PDHPE ‘Survivor’ unit which focuses on wellbeing and mental health.

• This is in addition to the resilience doughnut concepts taught during Year 8 Drama last year which supported building resilience in young people.

• Students completed the resilience doughnut in Year 7 and it will be interesting to analyse the data from both Year 7 and Year 9

‘Survivor’ day/Team building

Term 2

• This will involve a number of activities for small groups to work through including problem solving, following instructions, orienteering and communicating and working as part of a team.

• Student are expected to gain useful problem solving and communication skills and work together as a part of a team throughout the day.

• More information will be sent home once final details are finalised.

‘Back off’ & ‘Dare to Dream’

• Back Off (girls) - A day program of useful information and strategies focused around: self motivation, mental strength, assertiveness and basic conflict psychology .

• Dare to Dream (boys) – A day program of useful information and motivation strategies learning about becoming your own man.

School to Work Program

Learning Journeys

This forms part of our school to work program. Students will create a Portfolio of their work and participate in an interview.

This year students will have one lesson per fortnight dedicated to learning journey.

• Each Year 9 student will compile a personal portfolio to represent their Learning Journey for this year, they will have time in class to reflect on their results and set new goals for improvement.

• They will then, in Week 8 Term 4, present this portfolio to a panel consisting of a KHHS teacher, a community member and a Year 8 student. This is excellent preparation for future job interviews.

Home Work Club

• Monday 3.10-5.10pm with Ms Grant (English)

• Thursday 3.10-5.10pm with Mr Morkos ( Maths)

• Students can start some good study habits early and get on top of their homework with some friends, and get some help from teachers.

• This will also assist them to start a good routine, students can come along and learn how to get organised with their studies.

NAPLAN 2018

NESA are introducing a HSC Minimum Standard. From 2020, your child will need to meet the Minimum Standard if they would like a HSC. The Minimum Standard will be a NAPLAN Band 8 in three areas: Reading Writing Numeracy The first opportunity your son or daughter will have to meet the Minimum Standard is in their Year 9 NAPLAN. If they get a Band 8 or higher in Reading, Writing and Numeracy, then they’ll pre-qualify for the HSC. NESA estimate that many students will reach the standard in at least one area when they sit their Year 9 NAPLAN, but not all.

Year 9 NAPLAN Some students won’t reach the Minimum Standard in Year 9. If your child doesn’t, then they’ll get another SIX opportunities to meet the Minimum Standard before the HSC. That’s two attempts per year from Year 10 – 12. That is plenty of time and opportunity to meet the Minimum Standard before the HSC. Instead of re-sitting NAPLAN tests, they’ll sit the new online Minimum Standards test. It will involve three 45-minute tests which are conducted online, at your child’s school. The skills tested are the same as those mentioned above.

English

• Persuasive Writing Portfolio – In preparation for

NAPLAN

• Close study of a novel and its context.

• Australian poetry and composition of a Portfolio of original poetry

• Shakespeare and a film appropriation.

Inter-class debating, journal writing, wide reading and grammar exercises are embedded in the program.

Mathematics The content studied in stage 5 is spread across Years 9 and 10 and is organised into the three different courses shown below. The degree of difficulty with regards to course content, and depth of understanding required, increases from left to right in the table.

5.1 course

(In most school years the 5.1 course

runs as a 5.2/5.1 course with students

being given varied opportunities to

experience the additional information

that the 5.2 course offers)

5.2 Course

(students doing this course study the 5.1

course content in more depth and study

some additional topics)

5.3 Course

(students doing this course study the

5.2/5.1 course content in more depth

and study some additional topics)

Financial Mathematics Indices Linear Relationships Non-Linear Relationships Area and Surface Area Numbers of any Magnitude Right-Angled Triangles

(Trigonometry) Properties of Geometric Figures Single Variable Data Analysis Probability

Financial Mathematics Ratios and Rates Algebraic Techniques Indices Equations Linear Relationships Non-Linear Relationships Area and Surface Area Volume Numbers of any Magnitude Right-Angled Triangles

(Trigonometry) Properties of Geometric Figures Single Variable Data Analysis Bivariate Data Analysis Probability

Ratios and Rates Algebraic Techniques Surds and Indices Equations Linear Relationships Non-Linear Relationships Polynomials Logarithms Functions and other Graphs Area and Surface Area Volume Trigonometry and Pythagoras’

Theorem Properties of Geometric Figures Circle Geometry ** Single Variable Data Analysis Bivariate Data Analysis

Science

Geography

Topics Studied

• Biomes

• Changing Places

Students will continue to learn how to use Geographical skills and tools. These are important as these skills and tools will then be expanded upon and be part of examinations from years 9-10.

Students will focus on developing their writing skills, with the development of a scaffolded extended response being the focus, alongside the development of writing persuasively.

Students will participate in a compulsory day of fieldwork during the course. There will be a cost involved in this excursion.

History

Topics Studied

• The Movement of Peoples

• Australians at War

Students will continue to learn how to carry out source analysis. This is important as this skill will be expanded upon and be part of examinations from year 9-10.

Students will focus on developing their writing skills, with the development of a scaffolded extended response being the focus, alongside the development of writing narratives.

Students will participate in a compulsory site study during the course. There will be a cost involved in this excursion.

PDHPE

Content covered in theory lessons includes;

• Resilience and mental health

• Health consumerism

• Sexual health, sexuality and contraception

• Respectful relationships

• Students also experience participation in

a variety of sports in practical lessons

Including: softball, European handball,

Gaelic football, ultimate frisbee, dance,

soccer and basketball

Electives

Students in Years 9 & 10 have chosen three electives courses, which they will study across the two years.

Languages – French & Japanese

CAPA – Drama, Music & Visual Arts

HSIE - Commerce, History Elective

PDHPE – Physical activity & Sports, Child Studies

TAS – Food Technology, Graphics Technology,

IT – Timber, IT- Engineering, Textiles Technology,

Information Software & Technology,

Assessment Policy

• Assessment tasks are to be submitted on time

• If a student is away the day a task is due, they must provide an explanation in writing from the parent. Forms are available in the assessment booklet.

• The letter and task are to be submitted on the first day back at school.

• If no explanation is provided, then the student will receive a mark of zero. However, the task must still be completed to complete the course.

• Students and parents will be notified in writing when a mark of zero is awarded.

Extra-curricular opportunities

The more students get involved in school programs, the more they will get out of their education.

Duke of Edinburgh

Christian Fellowship

SRC

Prefects

Music ensemble Programs

Concert Band, Symphonic Winds, Jazz Combos, Chamber ensemble

Music Extension Private Tutoring

Environmental group

Public Speaking

Debating

Toastmasters

Gifted and Talented sports

Chess Club

Table Tennis Club

Stage Crew

Positive Peer Culture Club

Parent Portal

Parent Portal

School Website

www.killarney-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/

Questions

Respect

Connect

Aspire