Current Northside 9-12 parents can login here to the 9-12 classes
Impact of these characteristics in the home
The 9 – 12 child is developing his/her own social self in order to function in the wider community. This can mean an emotional moving away from parents and a fascination with the world beyond their own experience. There can be scepticism about parental views, as the children create their own moral and intellectual identities. No longer are facts correct, simply because Mum or Dad said they were. The 9 – 12 child needs to question, debate, discuss with friends and research independently. Due to increased abilities to imagine, empathise and reason, the 9 – 12 child can become champion of big issues such as the environment or human rights.
How does the 9 – 12 environment support these characteristics?
The 9 – 12 classroom promotes peer interaction and the development of social skills and moral development by:
• class meetings
• opportunities for group work, partner work, debates, discussions etc.
• responsibility for maintenance of the classroom
• child directed and initiated ‘going out’ excursions
• conferencing
• peer teaching
• Peer Support Program
• Presenting literature and other teaching materials which promote interpretive and evaluative discussions
• Providing a prepared classroom environment where the children can explore their ‘practice society’ - adopting roles and handling the issues that arise when living and working with others
• facilitating compromise, open communication, problem solving and restorative behaviours when interacting with others
The 9 – 12 promotes intellectual growth by:
• covering the vastness and majesty of the Universe and the interrelatedness of all things to create a foundation for further learning
• presenting a vast range of subjects (from geology to algebra) to spark student interest and to prompt individual or small group research
• teaching to a child’s strengths
• teaching and modelling of sound research techniques
• giving time and support for students to deeply research areas of interest which can then be presented to peers – sparking new areas of interest for others
• provide opportunities for group tasks and shared projects in which the child negotiates his/her role and explores his/her identity within a group
How can parents support their child in the 9 – 12?
Generally:
• Be aware of the importance of the supportive triangle between parents, school and child
• maintain open communication
• read in front of your child
Morality:
• initiate discussions about a diverse range of topics
• elicit the reasons behind opinions
• discuss choices and repercussions of choices
Creativity:
• provide an encouraging environment that fosters risk taking within limits and thinking ‘outside the box’. This allows the child to develop resilience and a flexibility of thinking.
Sense of Community:
• expose your child to the wider community such as cultural events, art galleries etc.
• ‘Letting go’ within acceptable limits to encourage independence and to communicate trust
How do we prepare students for high school (and beyond) at Northside?
• Individual conferences between Directress and student which highlight academic strengths, learning styles, work habits and self awareness
• Peer conferences
• Specific presentations on the skills needs for higher education (such as note taking, public speaking and debating, essay formats, time management, reading of timetables, the language and skills of exam taking, bibliography and foot noting techniques etc.)
• Starting in Level 5, students are give a taste of homework
• Regular visits and talks by former graduates outlining their high school experiences
• Frequent exposure to the different apparatuses of a science lab and the formal steps involved in scientific experiments
• Regular sessions in the computer lab
• Emphasis placed on team-work and in depth study with end product presented orally to peers.
• Social and organisational skills are refined through ‘going outs’ which are student initiated and driven excursions to the wider community
• Inclusion in the Peer Support Program, which emphasises open communication and conflict resolution skills.
9 to 12 Overview
These are powerful and changing years in your child’s development – intellectually, emotionally, physically, socially and morally. Through their imagination and thirst for intellectual challenge the 9 – 12 child sees the world and their role in it differently. The child moves from a curiosity about ‘how’ to a profound interest in ‘why’ and ‘what if’. They wonder not only about the vastness of the Universe, but the nature of relationships and the concepts of right and wrong. Friendships become crucial as they distance themselves from family. The classroom and peer relationships become a microcosm - mirroring the society beyond.| Below are a list of characteristics we have observed in many 9 – 12 children: • intense fascination with morality and fairness • development of their own individual moral compass and code of ethics • desire for a creative and personal response to learning • need for peer interaction and a sense of community • moving away from family to peer group • interest in ambiguity and puzzles (especially those connected with math, language and social situations) • growing development toward abstraction • can exhibit a hardness of disposition rather than the sweetness of younger years • physical changes (elongation of face and body, pre-adolescence) • desire for increased independence & responsibility • greater awareness of world issues such as the environment • greater capacity for empathy • need for intellectual stimulation and time for deep research • refinement of logical thinking • development of the Mathematical mind and greater ability for flexibility of thinking • desire for a wider environment for learning and exploration • blossoming imagination with an increased capacity for abstraction • ‘brutal honesty’ flamed by a fierce need to know and a keen sense of observation |
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Impact of these characteristics in the home
The 9 – 12 child is developing his/her own social self in order to function in the wider community. This can mean an emotional moving away from parents and a fascination with the world beyond their own experience. There can be scepticism about parental views, as the children create their own moral and intellectual identities. No longer are facts correct, simply because Mum or Dad said they were. The 9 – 12 child needs to question, debate, discuss with friends and research independently. Due to increased abilities to imagine, empathise and reason, the 9 – 12 child can become champion of big issues such as the environment or human rights.
How does the 9 – 12 environment support these characteristics?
The 9 – 12 classroom promotes peer interaction and the development of social skills and moral development by:
• class meetings
• opportunities for group work, partner work, debates, discussions etc.
• responsibility for maintenance of the classroom
• child directed and initiated ‘going out’ excursions
• conferencing
• peer teaching
• Peer Support Program
• Presenting literature and other teaching materials which promote interpretive and evaluative discussions
• Providing a prepared classroom environment where the children can explore their ‘practice society’ - adopting roles and handling the issues that arise when living and working with others
• facilitating compromise, open communication, problem solving and restorative behaviours when interacting with others
The 9 – 12 promotes intellectual growth by:
• covering the vastness and majesty of the Universe and the interrelatedness of all things to create a foundation for further learning
• presenting a vast range of subjects (from geology to algebra) to spark student interest and to prompt individual or small group research
• teaching to a child’s strengths
• teaching and modelling of sound research techniques
• giving time and support for students to deeply research areas of interest which can then be presented to peers – sparking new areas of interest for others
• provide opportunities for group tasks and shared projects in which the child negotiates his/her role and explores his/her identity within a group
How can parents support their child in the 9 – 12?
Generally:
• Be aware of the importance of the supportive triangle between parents, school and child
• maintain open communication
• read in front of your child
Morality:
• initiate discussions about a diverse range of topics
• elicit the reasons behind opinions
• discuss choices and repercussions of choices
Creativity:
• provide an encouraging environment that fosters risk taking within limits and thinking ‘outside the box’. This allows the child to develop resilience and a flexibility of thinking.
Sense of Community:
• expose your child to the wider community such as cultural events, art galleries etc.
• ‘Letting go’ within acceptable limits to encourage independence and to communicate trust
How do we prepare students for high school (and beyond) at Northside?
• Individual conferences between Directress and student which highlight academic strengths, learning styles, work habits and self awareness
• Peer conferences
• Specific presentations on the skills needs for higher education (such as note taking, public speaking and debating, essay formats, time management, reading of timetables, the language and skills of exam taking, bibliography and foot noting techniques etc.)
• Starting in Level 5, students are give a taste of homework
• Regular visits and talks by former graduates outlining their high school experiences
• Frequent exposure to the different apparatuses of a science lab and the formal steps involved in scientific experiments
• Regular sessions in the computer lab
• Emphasis placed on team-work and in depth study with end product presented orally to peers.
• Social and organisational skills are refined through ‘going outs’ which are student initiated and driven excursions to the wider community
• Inclusion in the Peer Support Program, which emphasises open communication and conflict resolution skills.
Last modified: Friday, 7 November 2008, 09:49 AM