Table of Contents
About Year 9 Subject Selection
- Advanced options – students can self-elect into advanced options at Year 9
Acceleration options – classes taken from the offerings of the year level above – requires an application (Accelerated Learning Program – ALP) forms can be found on Simon.
Additional subjects are available through Virtual Schools Victoria where necessary.
Accelerated subjects are those undertaken from the possibilities in the year above (Year 10 or 11) and can only be taken following an Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) application. These forms are available on Simon.
Advanced subjects are those taken at the current Year 9 level. Students can self-elect into the Advanced subjects are Year 9 but should only do so if they are achieving highly in that subject in Year 8. In the first semester of an Advanced subject you will cover the core of the Year 9 course and in the second semester you will cover the core of the Year 10 course. This will assist you to apply to accelerate into one or two VCE studies in 2021.
Foundation subjects are designed for students who experience considerable difficulty in the mainstream course of study in Maths or English. Students in Foundation English will be undertaking Pre-VCAL in Year 10. Students in Foundation Mathematics will be undertaking Skills Maths in Year 10. If you have plans to do VCE English, you must be in a mainstream English class in Year 9. If you have plans to do VCE Mathematics, you must be in a mainstream Mathematics class in Year 9.
Science for Life: Students can apply to take this course subject to teacher and parent approval. Students taking this course will not be eligible to take VCE Biology, VCE Chemistry or VCE Physics but can follow a pathway to VCE Environmental Science or VCE Psychology.
Students completing Year 9 Science for Life must complete one Semester of Science in Year 10 from:
- Science in our World
- Creative Solutions
- Psychology
- Enviro Science
Students may also choose to do more than one of these electives.
Note: Please be aware that subjects are run depending on many factors – but in particular student numbers. Should you choose a subject that falls below a school-determined threshold, it will not run and you will be asked to select another subject from the list of subjects that are available. You will be contacted if this is the case for you.
Course Structure
| Domain | |
|---|---|
| Religious Education | Core |
| English | Foundation, General, Advanced, Accelerated Year 10 |
| Maths | Foundation, General, Advanced, Accelerated Year 10 |
| Science | General OR Science for Life |
| Health & PE | Core - 1 semester only |
| Humanities | Core – 1 semester only Choose from: History, Money & Me: Financial Literacy, Legal & Political Systems, Geography |
| DigiSTEM | Core - 1 semester only |
| The Arts | Core of ONE of EITHER Performing or Visual Arts subject. The options in the Arts are outlined below in the elective offerings. Students cannot choose the same Art twice. |
Elective Options
- French or Indonesian
Some students may elect to discontinue their studies in Languages (French/Indonesian) at Year 9.
Students who make this choice should be aware that French/Indonesian cannot be studied in Yr 10/VCE once it has been discontinued as a subject.
Students not studying French/Indonesian at Yr 9 will have two elective choices from the following:
Other Options
- Year 10 elective options required ALP application
- VCE studies VCE studies that are particularly viable for able Year 9 students include Food Studies, Outdoor Education and Environmental Studies and some Performing Arts for students who have been studying an instrument, Dance or Theatre for many years. – requires ALP application
Contact
If I need to know more, who should I ask?
If you have questions about courses and subject requirements:
Ms Gab Mahon – Careers Practitioner
If you have questions about specific subjects:
Ask the relevant Learning Leader who will either answer the question or direct you to someone who can:
- RE Ms Liz Sullivan
- English / Literature / Creative Writing: Ms Jo Ryan
- Science: Mr Craig Canning
- LOTE Mr Eoghan Brownen
- The Arts Ms Jo Ryan
- Humanities Mr Luke Keane
- Mathematics Mr George McMeel
- Health & PE/Outdoor Education Ms Meg Poirier
If you have questions about Pathways:
- VCE Ms Lisa Bolitho
- VCAL Mrs Sarah Clark
- VET Mrs Katie Wilson
- Wellbeing Mr Andrew Damon
- General Advice Ms Kristi Cromer (School Improvement Leader – Learning)
- General Advice Mr Andrew Damon (School Improvement Leader – Wellbeing)
If you have questions about subject selection processes:
Ms Jo Ryan Assistant Principal (Learning and Teaching)
