Middle School

Burgmann Anglican School is committed to providing an educational environment that challenges and inspires each child to achieve personal potential in intellectual, ethical, aesthetic, emotional, social and physical development. It meets individual and common needs by providing a creative and balanced curriculum which aims to produce excellence within a Christian framework.

To be true to this philosophy when dealing with early adolescents, Burgmann has chosen to implement a Middle School Program.

Background

For some time educators have noticed that young adolescents are becoming disenchanted with learning. At a time in their lives when they undergo rapid changes both physically and emotionally and when learning should be at its peak, research has shown that in many cases adolescents' learning slows or even regresses. The term 'alienated' has been used widely when talking about young adolescents and their experience with education. Several factors have been directly attributed to this alienation. They include:

• the sudden move from one teacher to ten or more;
• the perception that the curriculum lacks relevance or cohesion;
• the traditional high school style of teaching is often alienating and boring because adolescents go from sophisticated engaging learning to 'chalk and talk';
• teachers in traditional high schools not knowing the children well. Relationships have a real impact on these students' engagement with the school;
• students moving from room to room and not owning their own space or being able to display their own work.

The exciting Middle School Program implemented for Years 6 to 8 aims to address these issues. It seeks to be a catalyst for each student to:

• engage in their learning;
• be empowered in decision-making;
• build confidence and self-esteem;
• discover individual strengths and needs;
• achieve success.

Curriculum

Making Connections

The Middle School program for Years 6 - 8 moves students from a thematic style of teaching and learning in the Junior School to an integrated, project-based form of learning which relies on negotiation and student-directed learning as strategies to engage early adolescents in their schooling.

Burgmann has developed its own integrated curriculum framework for Middle Schooling. The Burgmann Basics Framework (BBF) draws on the Queensland New Basics to deliver a sequential series of negotiated learning experiences through each of the New Basics Curriculum Organisers.

The 'New Basics' are futures-oriented categories for organising curricula. Essentially, they are a way of managing the enormous increase in information that is now available as a result of globalisation and the rapid change in the economic, social and cultural dimensions of our existence.

Each year level from 6 to 8 is staffed by a year level team consisting of three Core Teachers (one of whom is the Team Leader), a Learning Support Teacher, an Extension Teacher (sometimes a combined role with Learning Support) and the Middle School Teacher Librarian. Using the Burgmann Basics Framework, the Year Level Team guide students through a curriculum negotiation process to develop project-based work that allows students choice and flexibility as they explore the issues, ideas and concepts in each Curriculum Organiser.

The integrated approach removes the boundaries between curriculum areas. Planning learning experiences and monitoring student progress, the Year Level Teaching Team provides workshops and skills sessions to enable students to carry out successful investigations, research or experiments in their chosen learning project. Explicit skilling sessions in English, Mathematics, Science and Information Literacy provide students with the tools they need to accomplish their project tasks with an appropriate level of rigour.

The differentiation of the teaching program to meet the needs of a wide range of learners is a great strength of Burgmann's Middle School Program. The Year Level Team meets weekly to discuss and monitor student progress. The Learning Support and Extension Teachers ensure that the project work developed by the team is accessible to students at all levels, and beyond this address specific remediation or extension needs through special withdrawal or in-class programs.

In addition to the core staff, specialist teachers in Physical Education, Christian Living and Ethical Studies, and Languages Other than English deliver key aspects of the curriculum. A choice of two languages is be offered at this level, Indonesian and French.

Elective studies, taught by specialists, offer choices in satisfying the mandatory requirements of the Department of Education. A choice of four electives are be offered to students each year, of which they must complete two each semester.  The content of these electives is integrated into the students' core learning in order to make continued real connections.

The following table details the curriculum structure for Middle School students commencing with the 2006 Academic Year

Year 6	Year 7	Year 8
Core Subjects	Core Subjects	Core Subjects
Integrated Studies English Skills Mathematics Science Skills Information Literacy Physical Education / Outdoor Ed Insight & Discovery *	Integrated Studies English Skills Mathematics Science Skills Information Literacy Physical Education / Outdoor Ed Insight & Discovery *	Integrated Studies English Skills Mathematics Science Skills Information Literacy Physical Education / Outdoor Ed Insight & Discovery *
Plus one language:	Language continued	Language continued
French Indonesian
Plus a choice of two electives per semester:	Plus a choice of two electives per semester:	Plus a choice of two electives per semester:
Computers and Multimedia I Music I Theatre and Performance I Visual Art I	Computers and Multimedia II Design and Technology I Music II Textiles I Theatre and Performance II Visual Art II	Asian Studies Design and Technology II Heritage Studies Music III Textiles II Theatre and Performance III Visual Art III

* Insight and Discovery is a new, Burgmann specific Curriculum Organiser that will be implemented in 2006, comprising elements of Christian Living and Ethical Studies, Personal Development and Health and Pastoral Care.

By the end of the Middle School Program students will have learnt about their own gifts and strengths, have a positive self-outlook and be ready to select subjects to specialise in during the senior years at the school. They will be empowered learners who have developed a love of learning that will hopefully stay with them for the rest of their lives. They will have an understanding of themselves, their surroundings and their spirituality.

Technology

Technology should be readily available for all students to use as a tool in the learning process. Burgmann Anglican School has equipped each classroom with a number of computers, networked to the school's central server system and permanently connected to the Internet. Students have access to the web and email under close supervision. The school's network can also be accessed from home to receive and submit homework or to work on an exciting project outside of school hours.

The Middle School has access to a bank of digital cameras for media studies, building web pages, presenting work, preparing multi-media displays and developing personal work portfolios in Power Point or digital format.

Each staff member has a PALM hand-held computer that is used for communication and assessment.

Burgmann Anglican School aims to be at the cutting edge of technology and intends to embrace advances in this area where appropriate.

Pastoral Care

Adolescents need good role models to gain acceptance both by their peers and by the adults around them. Middle School students at Burgmann Anglican School have a unique opportunity to develop vital relationships in a relevant and meaningful way.

The Core Teacher is the first point of contact between school and home and has academic and pastoral responsibilities for each student in his or her care. They are responsible for monitoring student progress and wellbeing across all subjects and for communicating with parents regarding any issues or concern which effect a students' schooling.

The school Chaplain works with the core teachers to develop appropriate relationships of trust with each of the students in their care. They will be able to observe any changes in the individual's character, give advice and guidance and provide strong adult role models. The Chaplain has access to advisory and other support services in the wider community.

Through their involvement with the curriculum and through many leadership opportunities, Middle School students become aware of and use their own special gifts. They explore their relationship with God and how their actions impact on others and their natural environment.

The school motto of Grace, Commitment and Wisdom states the values that underpin our curriculum. We accept God's grace freely given as we seek to learn more about Him, about ourselves and about the world in which we live. The school crest places these values in context.