Bialik College Middle School Years 6-9
Bialik College’s Jewish Middle School has a strong atmosphere of community and support. The College recognises that adolescence is a period of dramatic personal and social change and prioritise the Pastoral Care program in these years.
What is Bialik College Middle School
From Year 6 through to Year 9 our Year Level Coordinators support each child to discover their interests and become mature in their approach to learning. The Middle School curriculum is deliberately flexible, enabling students the time to delve more deeply into topics in which they become engaged and to take more responsibility for their learning as they progress from Year 6 through to Year 9. Each student from Year 6 onwards, is equipped with a laptop.
Why choose Bialik College for Middle School?
Bialik College offers an incredible opportunity to Year 8 and 9 students to participate in our Co-curricular Programme – The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. This replaces the previous ETGAR program.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award offers a unique and exciting opportunity for your child to escape their comfort zone and develop their resourcefulness, self-esteem and sense of adventure. The Duke of Ed Award is the world’s leading youth achievement award and is recognised worldwide. The Award is recognised and favoured by many renowned global employers and universities.
The Duke of Ed Award can be achieved at three different levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Within these levels there are four award sections, each with a set duration depending on the award level. Students of Years 8 and 9 will participate in the program together on Friday afternoon, and will choose electives within each of the four award sections:
- Physical Recreation (a sport or exercise)
- Service (unpaid voluntary work)
- Skill (non-physical ability)
- Adventurous Journeys (a practice journey and a qualifying journey, both of which are incorporated in our Year level camps)
At the Bronze level, the time commitment for the Physical Recreation, Service and Skill award sections is one hour a week over 3 months, with one section being selected as a major section and extended to 6 months. Students will start the Bronze Award in Year 8 and complete it by Year 9.
This year, Year 9 students will begin their journey in Term 1 and complete their Bronze Award by the end of Year 9. The College will provide opportunities to fulfil the sections of the award at school however, to successfully complete all requirements, students will need to demonstrate a commitment to completing their goals at home and over the school holidays.
Parents play a vital role by providing support and encouragement as children work towards their goals. Some activities are completed outside of class time, so parental guidance may be required to help them achieve the award.
Students spend one term of their middle school years engaged in community service and three terms exploring options as varied as aquatics, building a business, Barista and Café training, Masterchef and robotics.
Bialik is proud to offer world-class facilities for students including an outstanding swimming pool and sports centre housing professional basketball courts, a 25-metre swimming pool and gymnasium. In addition, Bialik offers dedicated gymnastics, tennis, football, hockey, basketball, netball and cricket facilities on campus.
Bialik Middle School students enjoy camps at Mount Buller and Wilson’s Promontory as well as a Canberra experience. A week in the City further develops their understanding of the social and economic challenges Melbournians face.