The genesis of our initiatives for the Middle Years is based in our mission of Graduating Men of Faith and Learning. The Middle Years, which includes students from years five to ten, have become the current focus of our ongoing project: Curriculum Enhancement at Terrace. Improvements in pastoral care over the last decade through the House system have greatly assisted the quality of the learning environment. Reform of the learning curriculum has similarly improved with diversification of offerings, extension and compaction of programs and great success in our approach to Senior Schooling, particularly in the Queensland Core Skills test. Focused professional development opportunities for staff and the integration of technology into all elements of teaching and learning is part of this process.

The year ten Immersion Units outlined in this booklet are the culmination of over twelve months of planning, and a pilot project in 2001 that has involved all academic staff at Terrace. Throughout early 2000 staff responded to several discussion papers I developed and a project officer was appointed. A Middle Years Committee was formed to work in parallel with the Heads of Faculty to initiate curriculum innovation. These groups of teachers developed goals for the project and began the process of planning units of work, some of which are outlined in the following pages. Units are also presently being developed for years eight and nine. The units aim to address the following key elements of curriculum enhancement at Terrace:

1. The integration of practical, theoretical and reflective learning.
2. Reviewing current ‘lock-step’ progress of late primary, middle school and senior school learning.
3. The further development of flexible learning to assist individual learning.
4. The acceptance that the rhetoric of globalisation, which was a feature of the eighties and nineties, is the reality of the new century.
5. The current review of our ‘graduate at graduation’ focus which indicates growth areas/challenges in the further development of:

• Self-esteem
• Altruism
• Experiential learning
• International experience
• Independent learning skills

1. The concerns of repetition of content in years seven, eight and nine in some subject areas.
2. Our ongoing concern to develop independent learners.
3. The lack of depth in some curriculum areas in the eleven to fourteen-year-old learners.
4. The need for better preparation in research skills for senior schooling especially learning how to learn.
5. The ongoing need to broaden students’ experiences, particularly beyond the traditional classroom.

The Middle Years mission statement that follows informs the future direction of education for our students in years seven to ten.

The year ten students of 2002 have the exciting opportunity to select from the seven Immersion Units outlined in this booklet. In September this year they will embark on an experience that will spark their curiosity and inspire their desire to know more. We believe this will be crucial as our students complete this important transition year and move through to senior schooling.

I look forward to this exciting initiative in continuing to enhance curriculum at Terrace.

With Best wishes,

(Dr) Brendan McManus
COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

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