To facilitate personal and spiritual development of students, our school community promotes and fosters a well‐founded spirit of faith, hope, confidence and optimism in all students for their futures.

In order to promote these goals, the Curriculum has:

• Sufficient flexibility to allow each student to reach their potential.
• A comprehensive range of wellstructured RE programs, activities and experiences such as Feast Day celebrations, paraliturgies, masses, retreats.
• Programs for the physical development and personal health and fitness of students such as Health Education, Physical Education, Dance, inter House and inter School sport.
• A Camp/Excursion program which gives students direct experience of situations and activities, develops social skills, provides personal challenges, promotes individual growth and provides a basis for the creative use of leisure time.
• A relevant Pastoral Care programme which fosters creative and purposeful approaches by students to the challenging world by experience.
• Creative and meaningful approaches to learning that will challenge students to meet their goals.

The Curriculum also ensures that all other studies in the College are developed and taught in ways which reflect the attitudes and values being developed within the Religious Education programmes.

BASIC AND ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

In order to do this the College has developed Curriculum Frameworks which are broadly focused, expecting individuals to take increased responsibility for their own education. This can be achieved through learning modules which encompass:

• Collecting, analyzing and organizing information
• Communicating ideas and information
• Planning and organizing activities
• Working with others and in teams
• Using mathematical ideas and techniques
• Solving problems
• Using technology

CURRICULUM STRUCTURES

The curriculum at St Joseph's College is divided into three areas:

• Years 7 and 8.
• Years 9 and 10 (Vertical Organisation)
• Years 11 and 12 (Victorian Certificate of Education [V.C.E.]/Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning [V.C.A.L.]/ Vocational Education and Training [V.E.T.]).

During the first two years of schooling at the College, all students undertake a prescribed course studying Religious Education and a breadth of subjects. The subjects studied are:

Years 7 and 8

• Religious Education
• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Humanities
• LOTE - Italian/Mercy Works
• Physical Education

Electives:
* Food Technology
* Drama
* Textiles
* Dance
* Art
* Music
* Design & Technology

* Specialist Music

Years 9 and 10 - Vertical Organisation

At Years 9 and 10, students have the opportunity through Vertical Organisation to do an extraordinary variety of courses (over 70 units are offered).

The extremely flexible nature of this system offers increased potential for all types of students and enables students to do subjects at more than one level - including V.C.E. A balanced education is ensured by stipulating a certain minimum number of units (M.N.U.) in each of the Key Learning Areas.

As with V.C.E., all subjects are given the equal time allotment of 5 periods per week.

Rationale for Vertical Organisation

The primary purpose of offering a vertical organization system at the College is to allow for the learning development of each student as an individual and to offer a breadth of educational opportunity.

In order to do this the college has developed curriculum frameworks which are broadly focused, expecting individuals to take increased responsibility for their own education.

Students must choose a minimum number of units (MNU) from each of the following Domains:

• Religious Education (MNU = 3)
• English (MNU = 4)
• Mathematics (MNU = 3)
• Science (MNU = 2)
• Technology (MNU = 1)
• L.O.T.E. (MNU = 0)
• Humanities (MNU = 3)
• Health and Physical Education (MNU = 1)
• The Arts (MNU = 1)

Years 11 and 12 - V.C.E./V.C.A.L./V.E.T.

At Years 11 and 12, students undertake their V.C.E. as prescribed by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). Subjects will be offered based on student demand.

Subjects that are currently available are:

• Accounting
• Art
• Biology
• Business Management
• Chemistry
• Dance
• Design and Technology
• Drama
• Economics
• English
• Food Technology
• Further Mathematics
• General Mathematics
• Geography
• History
• Health and Human Development
• Industry and Enterprise
• Information Technology
• Information Systems
• International Studies
• Legal Studies
• Literature
• LOTE - Italian
• Mathematical Methods
• Music Performance (Solo)
• Music Performance (Group)
• Physical Education
• Physics
• Psychology
• Religion and Society
• Religious Education - Art
• Specialist Mathematics
• Studio Arts
• Theatre Studies