Middle School students bring life and energy to school.
Throughout this exciting time of rapid change and development in their young lives, we at St Philip’s Christian College Port Stephens seek to harness and enhance this energy as students grow into the people God has planned for them to be.
Middle School at St Philip’s Christian College Port Stephens seeks to engage students with school in an array of positive interactions that see each individual reaching their potential.
Through interaction with the staff and programs at the College, students are presented with the opportunity to develop authentic Christian character and leadership. The Middle School journey provides students with a nurturing environment that promotes a lifelong commitment to Christ.
In practical terms, this is exemplified in the following ways:
Throughout this exciting time of rapid change and development in their young lives, we at St Philip’s Christian College Port Stephens seek to harness and enhance this energy as students grow into the people God has planned for them to be.
Middle School at St Philip’s Christian College Port Stephens seeks to engage students with school in an array of positive interactions that see each individual reaching their potential. Through interaction with the staff and programs at the College, students are presented with the opportunity to develop authentic Christian character and leadership. The Middle School journey provides students with a nurturing environment that promotes a lifelong commitment to Christ.
In practical terms, this is exemplified in the following ways:
- Learning is both challenging and exciting
- Students develop a real and genuine connection with school
- Students experience new and challenging tasks
- Students have fun
- Students experience something unique
- Students develop meaningful friendships
- Students are given the support they need from members of staff
- Students discover who they are and feel good about themselves
- Students have the chance to do something special for others
A foundational principle is our belief that our role as teachers extends much deeper than developing the academic learning of students. Whilst academic growth is important and something to which we strive, we recognise that the growth of each child into a confident and secure young adult is vital for a successful future. After all, learning is, ‘For the Whole of their Lives.’
Middle School focuses specifically on the needs of students in Years 5 to 8. Our teachers all have a passion for this age group and an expert knowledge of the personal, social, emotional and academic characteristics of early adolescence. These years are characterised by enormous physical, emotional, social and spiritual change. It is therefore our desire to develop inquisitive minds, a love of learning and a strong connection with school.
True Middle Schooling is about making more than superficial structural changes. It is about making changes that are at the heart of teaching, such as our relationships with the students, curriculum that centres on the needs of students and practices that take into account their requirements and interests. The first underlying principle behind Middle School is that you can’t teach a child you don’t know and therefore positive and meaningful student/teacher relationships are at the heart of Middle School at St Philip's Christian College Port Stephens. Teachers aim to be able to talk with students about issues of importance to them, and generally go beyond a relationship just based on subject content. This takes time and a genuine commitment to the students and their needs.
The second underlying principle is that we must meet the needs of emerging adolescents. Middle School at St Philip's Christian College Port Stephens is working towards developing practices and programs that meet the needs of students, rather than those of tradition.