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   **__Rationale of It’s __****__ ­ __****__2ME Program __**  Recent Research has shown that students in the Middle Years of Schooling struggle with their motivation and engagement levels and that this affects their learning outcomes. Many students have difficulty making the links between the work they do at school and the real world. After analyzing the research into student motivation and engagement, it has become apparent that: · Students need to form positive, productive, working relationships with their teachers. · Students need to feel a sense of belonging to a group/community · Students need to be given greater choice in their learning. · Students need to be explicitly taught thinking and problem solving skills, so that they can apply these in all aspects of their life. These four factors should increase student motivation and engagement by increasing the students’ belief in their ability to achieve, thereby increasing the Learning Outcomes for Year 9 students at Elwood College.  **__Objective of It’s __****__ ­ __****__2ME Program __** To equip students with the Personal and Academic SKILLS to access THEIR life choices. Methods for achieving this objective: · Explicitly teach thinking and problem solving skills to all students. · Explicitly teach motivation strategies to all students · Explicitly teach effective student academic behaviours to all students. · Measure student engagement through Student Self Assessment on a regular basis in all units. · Provide students with real-life, learning opportunities to use the skills that they have gained at school, through Community Projects. · Provide students with a small team of

teachers who will work intensively with the students, in a dedicated area of the College. **__ The Academic Course __** · ** Term 1 = Identity ** · ** Term 2 = Happiness ** · ** Term 3 = Courage ** · ** Term 4 = Justice ** The aim is to increase the effectiveness of these classes by: · Timetabling these classes as often as possible at the peak learning time for adolescents – between periods 2-4. · Constructing single gender classes, with other groups withdrawn to work in extension and support classes. · A team approach by the teachers to plan effective learning which has a skills focus and links to other subjects, Community Projects, Camps and Excursions. Students will still use textbooks for these subjects as outlined on the booklist. These ‘Skill Builders’ will be written to link ideas across subject areas eg: Science, Geography and Maths. Example: A Science Unit for Term 1 may focus on Genetic techniques for confirming the identity of a criminal, and other Forensic techniques. Students would focus on the science behind the genetic creation and the application of this in a useful way to solve crime. Mon || Tue || Wed || Thur || Fri || Period 1 || Block 1 Skill Builders || Block 2 Skill Builders || Block 1 Skill Builders || Literacy || Block 3 Skill Builders || Period 2 ||^  ||^   ||^   || Numeracy ||^  || Period 3 || Literacy || Numeracy || Literacy || Community Projects || Numeracy || Period 4 ||^  ||^   || Numeracy ||^  || Literacy || Period 5 || Health/P.E || Community Projects || Block 3 Skill Builders ||^  || Block 2 Skill Builders || Period 6 ||^  ||^   ||^   ||^   ||^   || ** Example of Skill Builders ** LOTE Japanese || LOTE French || Science || SOSE || SOSE || Performing Art || Science || Visual Art || Sport ||  __ Community Projects. __ In order to give students the opportunity to use their skills in real life situations, as well as developing a sense of themselves as productive members of the wider community, we are working to develop a range of Community Projects for our students to undertake. These Projects may take many different forms as all Community groups requirements are different. The main objectives of these programs are: 1. That students be able to contribute in a meaningful way to assist groups within our community. (eg: By assisting with tree planting or regeneration of the Foreshore; by monitoring water quality in local waterways; by assisting with activities for younger students either in the classroom or on excursions; by developing programs or information packs for other students to use.) 2. That students produce something of value to the community group , so that their work can continue after their project is finished. (Eg: Developing a website, poster or other promotional material/s; devising effective methods for publicizing the Community group to other students; fundraising for a particular item that the community group needs. 3.  That students proudly present their work to the Community, parents and other students at the end of each term.   These Projects would be completed probably on Thursday afternoons each week and could take a variety of formats such as:  ·  Small groups of 5-8 students going out to work, on site, with an approved member of staff from the Community group.  ·  Groups of students working at school with our staff on a project clearly outlined by the Community Group to meet a need.  ·  Larger groups of 20 students visiting the Community group site, with our staff supervising, on a fortnightly basis to complete a series of workshops to develop a larger Project.  A nominated staff member from Elwood College would be in contact each week to support our students ’ learning and the development of their program. At this stage, we would expect that each Community Project should take about 8 or 9 weeks (one school term) but this could also be tailored depending on the needs of each Community Group.
 * Each Term will have a theme, which will run through all the Units being offered. **
 * All Year 9 students will study Literacy and Numeracy at the same time. **
 * All Year 9 students will study a Language other than English (LOTE) ** unless they have recently enrolled and have no background in French or Japanese, or if they are an English as a Second Language (ESL) student who may need English support.
 * All Year 9 Students will complete 2 periods of Health/Physical Education. **
 * All Year 9 students will select their remaining academic subjects from a series of ‘Skill Builder’ subjects **.
 * A Typical Weeks Timetable – Example Only **
 * Block 1 Skill Builders** ||
 * Block 2 Skill Builders** ||
 * Block 3 Skill Builders** ||
 * Block 3 Skill Builders** ||
 * All Year 9 students are expected to attend the Year 9 Bogong Camp as part of their Year 9 Program. **

Key Contacts for It’s <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;"> ­   2ME Carolyn Murdoch Year 9 Program Coordinator Elwood College Ph: 9531 9566 or 0419 634 346 __murdoch.carolyn.r@edumail.vic.gov.au__ __ Team members: __ Angela Pollock pollock.angela.j@edumail.vic.gov.au Matthew Green green.matthew.l@edumail.vic.gov.au  Rowan Freeman freeman.rowan.r@edumail.vic.gov.au  Chris Bray bray.christopher.a@edumail.vic.gov.au  Nick England england.nicholas.g@edumail.vic.gov.au

Andrew Kinch kinch.andrew.h@edumail.vic.gov.au