Scotch College

INTRODUCTION Year 9 — 2012

For most boys the Year 9 experience is one of their most eventful and interesting years at Scotch College, as it is the beginning of their time in Upper School. The year coincides with an important stage of adolescence when boys grapple with the need to determine who they are and how to engage with the world.  Boys have to learn to reconcile the pressures of physical change, peer influence with a more complex school experience and the increasing demands of the formal academic curriculum.  By the end of Year 9 they begin to comprehend and appreciate the importance of setting goals for themselves, for their senior years at School and for their future.

Scotch College offers both a core compulsory curriculum and a number of elective Semester Units in Year 9.  

Boys should consider the Semester Units offered and select a general course with a range of units that will give them a breadth of experience, allow them to identify their academic strengths and interests and learn more about themselves as learners and individuals.  Three elective units may be selected.  Each boy will be guided in the course selection process by his Year 8 Form Teacher, who will act as a mentor on the student’s behalf.  This process will assist each student in his decision-making.  He will be able to obtain advice from not only his Form Teacher but also the Head of Year, the Dean of Studies and Course and Careers Services.  Boys may also seek information from their Class Teachers and Heads of Department.

Year 9 boys are expected to undertake a Language for the full year and the core History unit will be taught in Semester One for approximately half the boys and in Semester Two for the other half.  The structure of Year 9, which is based around a 36 period 6 day cycle, is as follows:

Semester One
English	Maths	Christian Education	Science	LOTE	History	Elective
		Physical Education
		Health Education
6	5	5	5	5	5	5

Semester Two
English	Maths	Christian Education	Science	LOTE	History	Elective
		Physical Education
		Health Education
6	5	5	5	5	5	5

Although boys undertake 3 electives (1 if a second Language is chosen), they are asked to identify 5 electives (3 if a second Language is being selected) which they would be happy to study.  These should be listed in order of preference.  Timetabling is a complicated and complex process that sometimes creates clashes and thus difficulties in meeting all the wishes of every boy.  Nonetheless, meeting each boy’s requests is the goal of the timetabling process at Scotch College.

A planning guide and information regarding the Year 10 program have been included in the appendices at the end of this booklet.  These may be of assistance when designing a Year 9 course.

Please contact Mr. Brian Woolacott, Dean of Studies and or me if you have any queries about this guide or the process of subject selection.

I look forward to working with the class of 2015 as they begin their time in the Upper School and embark on a challenging and exciting part of their school lives.

Mr. R J McLaren

Head of Upper School

rob.mclaren@scotch.vic.edu.au