Middle School

The Middle School (Year 7 and Year 8) provides a vigorous and engaging program which interests, challenges and extends boys who are ready to look beyond the secure and familiar boundaries of Junior School. It is specifically designed for boys who are growing quickly, boys who need lots of hands-on physical activity, boys who can use more freedom, and for boys who respond warmly to understandable rules. These boys are based in a home teaching group in the care of a small team of teachers led by their Class Tutor. Their need for plenty of physical activity is met in the Physical Education classes, in the sports training sessions and in the Middle School Megaquad and play areas for use out of class time.

In addition to the core academic subjects, Middle School boys meet weekly with specialist teachers in diverse subject areas with emphasis on the creative and performing arts. The attitude of each boy is the key to all this, supported by the class tutor, the Year Head, parents and the staff teaching team. We maintain frequent and open communication at all times to assist each boy to reach his potential.

Named for an earlier Headmaster, the Stephens Library in the Junior School and the Middle School caters for boys from Year 7 - Year 8. All boys have at least one lesson each week in the Library. There is an extensive range of fiction and non-fiction is available, and computers for Internet and personal computer account access.

Class sizes

In the Middle School classes are usually 26 or 27 in size.

Chapel

The Chapel of St Thomas, dedicated and opened in 1971 by Bishop Robert Davies, has a prominent position on the Campus and in the life of The Hutchins School. The Chapel is open for private prayer and quiet reflection each day during school time. Each year the Chaplain offers preparation courses to help boys decide whether or not they wish to be Baptised and / or Confirmed. All students and families are welcome to attend any service advertised in the Term Calendar. All boys from Kindergarten to Year 12 attend regular services in the Chapel as part of their school life and an emphasis is placed on students playing a significant part in these services.

Daily Routine

The Middle School is open from 0815.  Parents are requested to inform the School Office (6221 4200) of any absence.

The daily program of the Middle School is:

Assessment

In the Middle School, assessment in all subjects is carried out on a continuous basis as part of the normal teaching program.  Several types of assessment are used. These recognise that boys can have very different skills or ‘intelligences’ and that they should have the opportunity to learn, and to demonstrate that learning, in ways which use their individual strengths.  Boys can expect to encounter a range of types of assessment from conventional written tests to projects or assignments, verbal presentations, computer presentations and video recordings.  There is an appropriate degree of emphasis placed on individual work and collaborative work requiring team skills.

Outlines issued at the start of each unit will set out how that unit will be assessed.  It is important to replace the notion of pass / fail with the more useful goal of mastery of learning, encouraging all boys to strive for their best.

Reporting progress is carried out at frequent intervals, and is always directed to the student.  All reports are diagnostic and prescriptive, indicating strengths and weaknesses and suggesting action which should be taken.

Teachers report on progress through face to face Family-Teacher Conferences with students and parents present, and through written reports sent home with the boys.  Family-Teacher Conferences are scheduled twice per year, but parents are warmly invited to come in for discussion at any time.

Homework

Homework is part of the teaching-learning process and its value is continually reinforced with the students.

Homework significantly extends the time spent on individual subjects, involves and informs parents, makes subsequent lessons more meaningful and useful, allows time to reflect on the work, develops the habit of working without teacher supervision and allows research which cannot easily be done in class.

Middle School boys are required to complete sixty to ninety minutes of homework from Monday to Friday.  If your son is regularly spending significantly less or more time than this, please speak with his Tutor as it may indicate a need to gear the set work more closely to his needs.

Sport

All Middle School boys choose a summer sport and a winter sport, practise with a team and compete in community or school rosters.  The sports offered can vary a little from year to year but usually involve athletics, basketball, cricket, orienteering, rowing, swimming, table tennis, tennis, sailing, surfing and touch football in the summer months.  The winter sports usually available include Australian Rules football, Rugby Union football, badminton, cross country, hockey, soccer and water polo.