MIDDLE SCHOOL HANDBOOK 2026

MIDDLE SCHOOL HANDBOOK 2026

www.kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au

MIDDLE SCHOOL HANDBOOK

2026

Contents Welcome

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Important Information Term Dates

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School Hours

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Period Times

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Contact Details

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Absences

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Timetable Structure

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Community Experience

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Sports Program

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Kingswear Wardrobe

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Celebration

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Resources (Booklists)

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School Managed Device Program

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Individual Differences

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Music Tuition

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Supporting Gifted & Talented Students - SEEK

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Program

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Personal Information

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House System

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The Woods

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Homework Homework Expectations

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Homework Tasks

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Time Expectations & Communication

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Year 7 Overview

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Core Subjects

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Year 8 Overview

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Core Subjects

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Elective Subjects

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Year 9 Overview

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Tasmania Experience

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City Cite

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Service Week

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Core Subjects

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Elective Subjects

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MIDDLE SCHOOL HANDBOOK

2026

Welcome Welcome to Middle School at Kingswood College, where we wholeheartedly embrace our school vision to ‘embolden hearts and inspire minds’. This is a unique time of transition, consolidation, and adventure, where our core values of respect, kindness, courage, perseverance, and excellence are at the centre of everything we do.

Our hope is that, in collaboration with parents and educators, we will continue to build curious and courageous learners who embody the values of our community. We seek to foster inclusion, where every individual is celebrated for their uniqueness and contributes to the rich tapestry of our school.

We are deeply committed to academic excellence and intellectual curiosity. In the pursuit of knowledge, we encourage students to challenge themselves, think critically, and develop a lifelong love of learning. Our learning environment is designed to stimulate growth, ignite passions, and provide a strong academic foundation for future success.

We understand that courage lies not only in academic challenges but also in the willingness to work together and support one another in times of difficulty. Collaboration is a cornerstone of our educational approach, empowering students to face challenges head on, learn from setbacks, and grow stronger as a result.

As we embark on this exciting journey together, we strive to see our students become compassionate and capable leaders who embody our values through their actions. Our shared commitment to academic achievement, personal growth, and community spirit forms the foundation of a thriving and respectful school culture.

Welcome to a place where education is about inspiring excellence, nurturing the individual, and shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

Chrissy Gamble Principal

Lisa Sacristani Head of Secondary School

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Term Dates 2026 Term 1: Monday 2 February - Friday 2 April Term 2: Monday 20 April - Friday 26 June Term 3: Monday 20 July - Friday 18 September Term 4: Monday 5 October - Friday 4 December

School Hours Middle and Senior Schools: 8:20am - 3:10pm

Period Times Greeting

8.20am - 8.30am

Period 1

8.30am - 9.20am

Period 2

9.20am - 10.10am

Recess

10.10am - 10.30am

Period 3

10.30am - 11.20am

Period 4

11.20am - 12.10pm

Wellbeing / Academic Class

12.10pm - 12.50pm

Lunch

12:50pm - 1.30pm

Period 5

1.30pm - 2.20pm

Period 6

2.20pm - 3.10pm

Contact Details Secondary Reception:

9896 1708

Main College Reception: 9896 1700 Email: Secondary@kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au

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Absences

Community Experience

Students arriving late to school must sign in at the Secondary Reception before going to class.

The significance of personal recognition and a genuine sense of belonging for our Middle School students cannot be overstated. Through our Morning Greeting, we prioritise the essential components of pastoral care, community cultivation, and the sharing of daily information. Each group is guided by a Mentor Teacher who also teaches their Wellbeing Group using The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) learning materials.

The morning rolls are completed at the commencement of each school day and then throughout the school day.

A respectful reminder that it is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to personally notify the School via our Compass portal as early as possible when: A student is absent from school; or A student is required to leave early from school during the school day.

If a student is sick and requires three days or more of absence, a medical certificate must be forwarded into the Secondary Reception upon their return.

House Groups further enrich the student experience, fostering interconnections across the secondary school spanning Years 7 - 12. House groups actively participate in diverse extracurricular competitions throughout the year including athletics, swimming, cross country, debating, and House Performing Arts.

Please remember to inform the school if your child will be absent from an after-school activity.

Inclusivity thrives through our variety of lunchtime Clubs, offering a platform for students of varying year levels to explore shared passions. Club offerings evolve to accommodate yearly student preferences and may encompass activities like dungeons and dragons, e-sports, chess club, or debating.

Timetable Structure

We strongly encourage students to engage in all aspects of College life as we seek to develop young people who are well rounded and have a deep sense of belonging.

If a student becomes sick during the school day, they will be required to be collected by a parent/caregiver.

The Middle and Senior School operate on a ten-day timetable with weeks alternating between Week A and Week B.

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Sports Program All students are required to participate in the College sporting program. The program runs on weekdays and there is no compulsory Saturday sport, giving students the opportunity to participate in community sports clubs, or follow personal or family pursuits.

Middle and Senior School students compete in the Eastern Independent Schools of Melbourne (EISM) mid-week sporting competition: Year 7: Mondays Years 8/9: Thursdays Students have the opportunity to compete in many team sports including basketball, netball, hockey, tennis, soccer, table tennis, volleyball and football, softball, touch rugby, indoor cricket, badminton, ultimate frisbee.

Individual events that students can participate in include cross-country running, athletics, and swimming.

There is compulsory after-school sports training for all students: Year 7: Wednesdays Years 8/9: Tuesdays

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Kingswear Wardrobe

Celebration

Kingswood College has a compulsory wardrobe for all students in the Junior and Middle Schools called Kingswear.

Celebration is the biggest occasion of the year for the College and all parents are invited to attend (it is compulsory for Middle School students). Celebration includes several student performances and individual students are recognised for their academic success and cocurricular contributions. Celebration is held in November at Robert Blackwood Hall Monash University.

You must purchase Kingswear items from our providers PSW. The shop is located at 342-350 Springvale Rd Glen Waverley. Please see QR code for website. Students must wear Kingswood College branded wardrobe items only.

Compulsory Items

Resources (Booklists)

There are only three compulsory garments in the wardrobe (to comply with EISM regulations for interschool sport and House events.)

Each year Resource lists are available on Compass detailing what resources students will need to purchase for the following year level. Campion is the supplier of all digital and print editions of textbooks and other resources. Visit Compass for full details.

Comfort tee Casual short House polo Otherwise, students can choose any garments from the range that they would like to wear every day.

A list of items and prices can be found on Compass.

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School Managed Device Program Year 7 & 8, 2026 Our laptop program is run by Compnow. Devices for Year 7 & 8 must be purchased through Compnow via this website.

Year 9-12, 2026 The options and minimum specifications for technology devices for students in Years 9-12 are listed below.

Students in the senior years need to take into consideration their subject choices when selecting a device. Some subjects require students to run programs such as Adobe Creative Cloud Applications.

If purchasing a laptop, both Apple and PC are suitable. The College has Apple Macs in the Media, Art and Music centres, students studying in these disciplines may prefer to have a Mac but this is not essential.

The recommended minimum device specifications are: Apple Mac CPU: RAM: HDD: Min screen size: OSX: Batterly life: Accessories:

1.6GHz 8GB 256GB (min but 512GB or higher recommended 11" 10.13 (High Sierra) or higher 6 hours Protective case

Microsoft Windows CPU: RAM: HDD: Min screen size: OSX: Batterly life: Accessories:

1.6GHz 8GB 256GB (min but 512GB or higher recommended 11" 10.13 (High Sierra) or higher 6 hours Protective case

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Individual Differences

Supporting Gifted & Talented Students – SEEK

Our Individual Differences team collaborates with students, staff and families to provide strengthsbased programs, strategies and support so that every student has the opportunity to experience success at school.

The Student Extension and Enrichment at Kingswood (SEEK) Program has been specifically designed to provide gifted and high achieving students with both academic rigour and a variety of life-enhancing challenges.

The Individual Differences team provide individual programs and Individual Learning Plans (ILP) to assist students in the development of strategies to ensure they reach their learning goals.

We believe that gifted and high achieving students need a differentiated program that facilitates contact with other talented students and gives them opportunities to develop their leadership abilities, interpersonal communication skills, teamwork protocols, and creative self-directed projects.

Students may be identified as candidates for the LINKS program during the enrolment process. In these circumstances the Head of Individual Differences will contact parents prior to the student commencing to discuss the options for support.

Students may be recommended to undertake LINKS support instead of a Language Other Than English (LOTE) as part of their studies.

Music Tuition

While extension and enrichment are embedded across the general curriculum, further opportunities have been designed for high achieving students to interact and work with other students of high ability.

The SEEK Program incorporates excursions, competitions, incursions, clubs, specialist classes as well as withdrawal programs and in-class extension in a range of disciplines including English, Maths, Humanities, Science, Art and LOTE. Participation in the SEEK Program is by invitation.

Kingswood College's Instrumental Music Program is designed to develop an appreciation of music in each student.

Instruction in all branches of the orchestral family is offered. Private lessons are available for 30 minutes, 45 minutes or 60 minutes once a week. Instrument hire is also available. Please see Compass for more details.

Personal Information It is important that the College has up to date information for each child. Information, including learning and medical needs, emergency contacts and consents should be reviewed and updated for each child at the College. This information can be viewed and updated through the Community Portal under School Favourites in Compass.

If your child suffers a medical condition including asthma, allergies or anaphylaxis, detailed information about the condition must be provided to the College.

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House System

The Woods Cafe

The House System is a key avenue for collaboration across all aspects of our community. House Swimming, Athletics, Cross Country, and Performing Arts events are important occasions in the life of the College and are celebrations of the spirit of the College.

The Woods is a café-style food service that provides an exciting menu and range of tasty and healthy options for lunch and snacks. The Woods operates daily, and lunch orders can be placed online. More information, including menu and online ordering details is available on Compass.

All Prep – Year 12 students are allocated to one of four Houses: Brunning (red), Gwynton (blue), New (yellow) and Walker (green) House.

Healthy rivalry exists between each House and all the activities add a wonderful dimension to life at Kingswood College. Heads of House, House Captains and House Leaders oversee the running of each House.

All students are expected to participate in four House Carnivals: Swimming: Term 1 Athletics: Term 1 Cross Country: Term 3 House Performing Arts: Term 3 New students will be advised of their House allocation prior to the start of the school year.

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Homework Expectations Homework is a valuable part of schooling when it is purposeful. It allows for practising, extending and consolidating work done in class. Homework provides training for students in planning and organising time and develops a range of skills in identifying and using information resources. Additionally, it establishes habits of study, concentration and self-discipline.

Homework Tasks

Below are the expected average weekly homework expectations for each year level.

Year 7 Subject

Minutes per week

English Mathematics Humanities Science LOTE/LINKS

60 60 30 30 30

TOTAL

3.5 hours per week

Homework tasks may include the following: Practice exercises: provide opportunities for students to review, revise and reinforce newly acquired skills.

Revision tasks: provide opportunities for students to revise past knowledge and practice past skills in order to maintain their level of proficiency.

Preparatory homework: encourage students to be well-prepared for future lessons. This may involve gaining background information for new areas of learning or alternatively the completion of key tasks from a previous lesson which are pre-requisites to future learning.

Extension and enrichment tasks: encourage students to pursue knowledge individually and imaginatively.

Time Expectations & Communication Homework expectations for each class will be clearly communicated to students via Compass.

Students will be given at least one week’s notice for any homework due, for example a task will not be set on Friday and due on Monday. Providing students with significant advance notice helps them to better understand their homework requirements across each of their subjects.

Year 8 Subject

Minutes per week

English Mathematics Humanities Science LOTE/LINKS

60 60 45 45 45

TOTAL

4.25 hours per week

Year 9 Subject

Minutes per week

English Mathematics Humanities Science LOTE/LINKS

90 90 60 60 60

TOTAL

6 hours per week

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Year 7

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MIDDLE SCHOOL HANDBOOK

Year 7 Overview

2026

Core Subjects

Year 7 marks a significant transition for students as they commence their first year of their secondary school journey. It's a pivotal phase of adaptation, where students adjust to new surroundings, teachers, and subjects. Our focus in Year 7 is COMMUNITY.

Subject

Duration

Art

One Semester

Drama

One Semester

English

All Year

Food Studies

One Semester

The curriculum is designed to provide a strong foundation across various disciplines, nurturing intellectual curiosity and essential skills. Students are encouraged to develop greater autonomy in their learning, laying the groundwork for more advanced academic pursuits in the coming years.

Humanities

All Year

Languages Other Than English

All Year

In addition to academic growth, Year 7 typically focuses on fostering social interactions and friendships, helping students integrate into the broader secondary school community.

(LOTE) Mathematics

All Year

Music

All Year

Physical Education

All Year

Product Design Technology

One Semester

Science

All Year

Wellbeing

All Year

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Year 8

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Year 8 Overview

Elective subjects

In Year 8 students build upon the foundations established in Year 7, while also progressing towards greater academic and personal autonomy. Our focus in Year 8 is CHALLENGE.

In Year 8 students select one elective subject per semester. To facilitate a wider variety of subjects and to foster connection, the Year 8 elective block is combined with one Year 9 elective block. Electives are scheduled for eight x 50min classes per cycle.

Year 8 is marked by a consolidation of knowledge and skills acquired in the previous year, allowing students to delve deeper into subject matter.

Additionally, the introduction of elective subjects offers students the opportunity to explore their interests and collaborate with peers, fostering teamwork and cooperative learning experiences. As they navigate a more advanced curriculum, students are encouraged to take on a heightened sense of agency in their learning, making choices that align with their strengths and passions. Year 8 serves as a bridge between the initial transition of Year 7 and the impending challenges of higher year levels. It is a time of refining study habits, honing critical thinking abilities, and further nurturing social connections, all of which contribute to their holistic growth within the school community.

Animation Coding Creative Writing Debating Drama Film & Media Fitness & Training Game Tactics Music – Group Performance Music – Solo Performance Photography Robotics Textiles Theatre Studies Visual Art 2D Visual Art 3D

Core Subjects

Visual Communication and Design

Subject

Duration

English

All Year

Food Studies

One Semester

Humanities

All Year

Languages Other Than English

All Year

(LOTE) Mathematics

All Year

Physical Education

All Year

Product Design Technology

One Semester

Science

All Year

Wellbeing

All Year

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Year 9

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Year 9 Overview Throughout Year 9 students engage in a series of four distinctive experiential experiences: Tasmania Experience: providing students with outdoor challenges and personal growth.

City Cite: a dynamic exploration of urban environments.

Service Week: fostering a sense of social responsibility.

These experiences enrich students learning beyond the classroom, promoting teamwork, adaptability, and a broader perspective. Our focus in Year 9 is SERVICE. As Year 9 culminates with exams, students are academically prepared for the demands of senior school, and they carry with them a well-rounded foundation of skills and experiences to thrive in the years ahead.

The program is carefully structured to support learning in both formal and informal contexts, encouraging resilience, reflection, and teamwork. It includes full logistics, accommodation, flights, and staffing by both teachers and experienced Infuse leaders.

Details / Timing: Monday 16 March to Friday 20 March Five days, four nights engaging in hiking, kayaking and other activities We hope our students: Grow in their understanding of each other Continue to develop a love for the outdoors Grow in their understanding of their own capacity and ability We will ask them to: Persevere through difficulty Appreciate the environment Build connections with others

Year 9 Tasmania Experience The Tasmania Experience is a 5-day experiential learning program designed for Year 9 students at Kingswood College, crafted in partnership with Infuse Travel. Taking place in Term 1, the program immerses students in Tasmania’s breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and critical environmental ecosystems. It combines outdoor education, service learning, and personal development in a meaningful and adventurous setting.

The itinerary includes visits to iconic locations such as Port Arthur Historic Site, Freycinet National Park, and Bicheno’s wildlife ecology park. Activities range from sea kayaking and hiking to community service projects, with groups rotating through different experiences across the state. Students will engage with Indigenous histories, witness conservation efforts firsthand, and explore Tasmania’s geological and ecological wonders.

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City Cite

Service Week

The City Cite program is designed specifically to help address some of the developmental needs of Year 9 students. Self-esteem will be nurtured by the giving of responsibility. Experiential learning and activitybased programs will help cater for the adolescent's way of thinking and high energy levels. There will be an emphasis on teamwork to balance the teenager's focus on self. At a time when the adolescent can disengage from the normal routines of schooling, the City Cite experience will act as a circuit breaker.

The Service Experience is an opportunity for our young people to spend time in service to their community. For a week in Term 3 our students will participate in a variety of experiences that aim to connect with and serve others. At this pivotal time in adolescents, self is regarded highly (this is a normal developmental phase). Service paves a way for them to explore the benefits of helping others. Studies show that volunteering is a protective factor for young people’s mental health and serves as an important reminder of our place in the world.

The program will revolve around some central themes, with students working within small teams on individual and collaborative research tasks. Students will visit a number of interesting places whilst completing research in the Melbourne CBD. A number of integrated projects and assignments will be set that will need to be completed during the City Cite experience.

The culmination of this program will be a Presentation Evening held on (Thursday 25 June), at 6.00pm in at City Cite. Students will be given the opportunity to present to you the knowledge and experiences they have gained from their involvement in this program. Students will remain at City Cite between 3.00pm and 5.30pm on this day to prepare for their presentations. This evening will conclude at 7.00pm.

Details / Timing: Melbourne: 14 Sept to 18 Sept 5 days service learning in Melbourne (may be some variation to normal school hours) We hope our students: See love as an action Foster hopeful hearts Develop a connection to their wider community Experience the joy of giving We will ask them to: Be comfortable with being uncomfortable Use their initiative Be deeply kind young people

Details / Timing: Friday 12 June to Friday 26 June 11 days at the City Cite campus Presentation Night Thursday 25 June 6pm We hope our students: Grow in independence Learn about the complexities of the beautiful city in which they live Develop confidence in themselves We will ask them to: Work collaboratively with each other Problem solve Work under time pressure

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Elective subjects

Core Subjects Subject

Duration

English

All Year

Humanities

All Year

Languages Other Than English

All Year

(LOTE)

In Year 9 students select two elective subjects per semester. Electives are scheduled for eight x 50min classes per cycle.

Animation Coding Creative Writing

Mathematics

All Year

Physical Education

All Year

Drama

Science

All Year

Film & Media

Wellbeing

All Year

Fitness & Training

Debating

Furniture Design Game Tactics Global Chef Make, Bake, Create Music – Group Performance Music – Solo Performance Photography Robotics Textiles Theatre Studies Visual Art 2D Visual Art 3D Visual Communication and Design

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355 Station Street, Box Hill South, Melbourne, Victoria 3128 +61 (0)3 9896 1700 secondary@kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au KingswoodCollege.vic.edu.au

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