About the Year 9 Curriculum

As a learning community, Year 9 at Canowindra:

• Recognises the ongoing nature of learning.
• Acknowledges that learning involves taking risks.
• Recognises the variety of ways in which we learn.
• Involves parents and other interested people in our classrooms.
• Encourages talking, writing and doing - parents, students and teachers.
• Encourages participation from parents and students in decision making.
• Recognises that at different times of the year different programs require intense focus and attention,
  which impact significantly upon the regular delivery of the curriculum.
• Ensures a team approach to the development of the whole curriculum across the year.
• Supports one another.
• Focuses on current community issues.
• Exposes students to the world beyond their local community.
• Encourages professional interaction about the learning needs of young adolescents.
• Accepts the concept of life-long learners for all of us.
• Involves teachers involved with collaborative groups of students.
• Provides a supportive learning environment for all.
• Involves students in co-curricular activities.
• Promotes a sense of fun.

The Year 9 curriculum is divided into a range of Core, Elective, Activity, Pastoral, Sport and co-curricular programs, all with fully integrated ICT due to the notebook computer program. Year 9 offers all students a broad range of experiences; from the bush to the city in the Duke of Edinburgh and City Experience Programs, as well as in their local community. Being a stand-alone program, it fosters a close sense of community amongst the students through the emphasis on teamwork and collaboration.

Core programs run during the morning sessions up until the lunch break. Our Focus Week Programs run for eight weeks of the year; two weeks of every term. This adaptation of the Core Program allows for deep focus on one particular topic over the period of a week.

Students select from a range of Elective and Activity offerings which make up three of the five afternoon sessions. Sport and the Pastoral Care Program complete the final two afternoons of the week.

To see the range of subjects on offer please refer to the

Year 9 Course Information Booklet 

For more information about Year 9 , contact the Head of Year 9, Derek Summerton.