Gleeson College Curriculum Guide 2026 - Middle Years | 16 Year 8 Subjects Welcome Learning at Gleeson College Gleeson Staff Contacts Year 7 Overview Subjects Year 8 Overview Subjects Year 9 Overview Subjects LEARNING SUMMARY: Students participate in Religious Education within the subject Faith and Living, where they develop enduring understandings through the Crossways Curriculum. They learn about the foundations of the Catholic faith, with a focus on Gleeson 10 and values, and world religions. Students reflect on role models, empathy, forming their personal values, aspects of belonging and safety through the Made in the Image of God (MITIOG) framework, and engage in the Year 8 Reflection Day. Students holistically develop their skills and dispositions across a range of pastoral care and personal development topics, including House Identity, the Resilience Project and the mandatory Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum. They explore future career pathways and reflect on their development of the Key Capabilities as part of the ‘SPARC’ program. ASSESSMENT: Students demonstrate their learning through authentic practical assessment, multimodal tasks, and reflective writing. FAITH & LIVING LEARNING AREA: Religious Education LENGTH: Full Year SELECTION: Compulsory DANCE LEARNING AREA: The Arts LENGTH: Semester SELECTION: Elective LEARNING SUMMARY: Students explore Dance as a creative and expressive art form, learning how to communicate ideas and themes to an audience through movement. They develop their understanding of Safe Dance Practice, the Elements of Dance, form, structure, and stagecraft. Students are introduced to a variety of dance genres and techniques, building their confidence and skills. Students also have the opportunity to choreograph their own dance piece. Students are expected to change into their PE uniform at the start and end of Dance lessons in Year 8. ASSESSMENT: Students demonstrate their learning through performance, reflection, and research tasks. DESIGN & TECHNOLOGIES LEARNING AREA: Technologies LENGTH: Semester SELECTION: Elective LEARNING SUMMARY: Students further develop their skills, knowledge, and confidence in using tools, machinery and equipment. Through hands-on projects, they apply problem-solving skills within the design process, using CAD software to plan and produce a variety of products using various materials, including wood and acrylic. Students explore key construction techniques such as rebate and housing joints and are introduced to multi-part assemblies and technical drawings. The course also includes an introduction to industry-standard documentation, helping students build foundational skills relevant to future pathways in design, technology, and engineering fields. ASSESSMENT: Students demonstrate their learning by completing practical activities and investigations.