Middle School
Terrace Middle Schooling, delivered in Years 8 – 10, acknowledges the special needs of adolescence and strives to provide opportunities for each student to become an independent learner through rich, innovative and rigorous curricular and co-curricular experiences within our faith community. Adolescence is a period with specific intellectual, social, emotional, moral, spiritual and physical needs. Achieving the College’s Middle Schooling goals involves developing multi-literacy skills through cross curricular enrichment; incorporating a balance between student-centred, enquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning and traditional teacher directed instruction; as well as the need to develop students' complex reasoning processes and higher order thinking skills. The integration of technology into the experience of everyday learning and the first hand experience of social and cultural diversity in local and global communities, are unique and very significant ways in which the Terrace Middle School is distinguished.
A special feature of the Middle School is Waterford Place - a purpose-built, self-contained campus which has been designed to cater for the specific needs of the Year 10 students. Among other goals, it acts as the site of transition from Middle to Senior Schooling. Research has shown that Year 10 in particular is a time of “adolescence in transition”, a period with specific intellectual, social and emotional needs. We are challenged by the opportunity to provide the benefits of a small and contained learning community, that despite its physical separation, remains deeply connected with the rest of the College. In meeting the needs of our Year 10 students, consideration has been given to the curriculum and pastoral care structures, the campus ministry program and of course the site itself, which offers a state-of-the art learning environment. There is a strong focus on the pastoral, academic and spiritual development of our Year 10 students as they prepare themselves for their role as Seniors at the College.
Our Middle Schooling and Waterford Place campus facility aims to offer:
- The promotion of Edmund Rice Education and Catholic faith
- Excellence in teaching and learning
- A high level of student tracking and mentoring – academic and pastoral
- Strong relationships between staff, students and parents
- An opportunity to get to know all members of the cohort
- The development of leadership skills
- The integration of technology to enhance and create learning experiences
- Opportunities for Christian Service Learning
- A wide variety of co-curricular experiences
With a dedicated team of teachers working specifically with Year 10 students and ample opportunity for extra tutoring, students have every chance to achieve to their academic potential. Among the academic offerings is the subject “Formation”, which is designed to assist students in dealing with the issues typically encountered by adolescent young men, especially those related to academic progress as well as their social and emotional development. The outdoor education and retreat program complements our programs, providing the opportunity for age-specific challenge and reflective practice.
A highlight of Year 10 is the Immersion experience in Term 3. For the last three weeks of term, classes are stopped and students take part in an in-depth area of practical study via a series of hands-on experiences outside the normal classroom environment. We are fortunate to have the expertise of a number of external providers and universities to assist in the delivery of the Immersion program. Examples of offerings include cryptography, aviation, research science, robotics, Japanese, outreach in East Timor and outdoor education. Immersion remains one of the most memorable experiences of many students’ time at Terrace.
Waterford Place offers one of the most unique and fulfilling experiences a student could hope for, contributing strongly to the overall development of the Terrace Gentleman. It is one of a number of initiatives that makes Terrace such a wonderful school community.
Mr Damien Fall
Dean of Waterford
