Year 7 and 8 is an important time for students as they embark on a new academic journey, face new challenges, and experience personal growth. They are exploring a wider range of subjects, developing critical thinking skills and becoming more independent.

Year 7 students are eager to make new friends, participate in extracurricular activities and discover their interests and passions. 

Year 7 and 8 students study Japanese. The aim of this course is to develop competencies and understandings of the Japanese language and culture, using the four language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.

In the first couple of weeks of Term One, Year 7 students spend three days at Camp Howqua. This is a great opportunity for the students to make new friends and enjoy a variety of activities including horse riding, high ropes, flying fox, archery and a survivor course.

Another highlight in Year 7 is taking part in Let’s Find Our Voice. The Let’s Find Our Voice program is a wellbeing project that brings community members together with students from FCJ College to form a community choir. This choir practises for eight weeks before performing a concert for everyone involved. This promotes a sense of purpose, altruism, and the character strengths of kindness and leadership. 

In Year 8 the students travel to Melbourne to watch a musical theatre performance. This opportunity offers students a multidimensional and immersive experience that stimulates their creativity, empathy, and appreciation for the arts while fostering important life skills.

The focus of the Year 9 program is an Inquiry Learning Model designed around Project Based Learning and increasing student engagement.

A stand alone program for Year 9 students enables greater flexibility around projects and delivery of curriculum. Year 9 is also the first opportunity students have to choose their elective subjects.

At Year 9 all students study our project based learning (PBL) program. This is a specially designed course which integrates the areas of English, Humanities, Positive Education and Religious Education. Throughout the year students will cover the necessary components of each subject as described in the Victorian Curriculum, however, they will do so within projects which aim to engage students and develop 21st Century Learning skills.

The outcomes for students in this program are:

• Critical Thinking – students are asked to think creatively and innovatively, analyse, synthesize and apply new information to concepts.
• Teamwork skills – students need to cooperate and manage relationships appropriately to achieve a common goal.
• Literacy skills – along with the skills normally covered in a mainstream English class, students are required to deconstruct an understanding of how to complete a task, focusing on reading and writing. This helps students to make the connections between subjects and to realise that literacy skills are not only for the English classroom.
• Presentation Skills – Students present their projects to a variety of audiences in a confident manner using a wide range of resources to enhance the presentation.
• Organisational Skills – Students must meet deadlines by planning their projects, holding each other accountable and setting achievable goals.  

A highlight during the year is Year 9 Camp at Happy Valley. This camp allows students to develop crucial skills such as collaboration, communication, leadership, problem-solving, and resilience. It promotes a positive team spirit, appreciation for diversity, and personal growth, while fostering a fun and memorable learning environment.

Year 10

For Year 10 students, this year is crucial as they start to make decisions about their future academic pathways.

Year 10 students engage in more specialised subjects, honing their skills and knowledge in areas of interest. Year 10 is a time for self-discovery, exploration of career options, and setting goals for their future endeavours.

Each Year 10 student participates in the Morrisby Career Analytics Testing program to create an individual Career Profile. This gives a detailed report for each student to guide them towards a suitable career path based on their strengths, abilities, preferences, motivations and personality type.

Year 10 students also have the opportunity to participate in Work Experience Week. This is an opportunity for students to gain first hand exposure to the working world and explore potential career paths. 

A highlight for Year 10 is visiting the Melbourne Holocaust Museum as part of their Religious Education studies. The museum is committed to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and educating visitors about its historical significance. Through exhibits, artefacts, survivor testimonies, and educational programs, the museum provides a comprehensive understanding of the Holocaust’s impact on individuals and society as a whole. It serves as a platform for fostering awareness, empathy and a commitment to human rights, encouraging our students to reflect on the past and actively work towards a more compassionate and just future.

Year 11 & 12

Students are offered a wide range of subjects and can tailor a program to match student interests and career aspirations.

This can be by completing the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), VCE Vocational Major or the Victorian Pathways Certificate.

We believe that every student deserves guidance and support in exploring their future career paths.

Our dedicated team of career advisors are here to assist students in making informed decisions about their educational and professional journeys.
See our careers advisors for any questions on careers or planning your pathway.

Anne-Maree Joyce — ajoyce@fcjbenalla.catholic.edu.au

Jamie Morrison — jamie.morrison@fcjbenalla.catholic.edu.au

At FCJ College Benalla we believe in the importance of the individual and the uniqueness of each student.

We are committed to providing a range of experiences that respond to the needs and abilities of all individuals. Our aim is that all students achieve growth in their learning. Within our curriculum students have the opportunity to focus both the core curriculum and areas of interests. Students are encouraged to explore and prepare for future endeavours both through their studies and extracurricular activities.

Opportunities exist for students to extend themselves through such programs as fast tracking (studying VCE Units 1&2 in Year 10), school based apprenticeships, history club, ICAS Mathematics competition, Japanese speech contest, school production and sporting events. Students with extra learning needs are identified both through our induction process and through monitoring school data and parent and teacher feedback.

Once identified, our NCCD team consisting of the Director of Learning Diversity and the Learning Leaders, with support from our Learning Support Officers, create personal learning plans for students which detail adjustments to be made for the student. These plans are evaluated at least twice a year in consultation with teachers, parents, and the student.