Grade 8 to 9
In Grade 8 and 9, our goal is to continue to foster a deep love for learning, nurturing and developing young minds to be greater thinkers. Learners are trained in the skill of ‘how to think’ rather than ‘what to think.’ We are dedicated to creating a space of belonging through a diverse and specialised curriculum in an ever-changing world. Our learners engage in a vibrant and innovative environment that encourages critical thinking and problem solving, independent inquiry and risk-taking, but also encourages collaboration and communication. Together, with our academic and cultural program, educators are focused on a holistic approach to learners’ emotional and social well-being.
Towards the end of learners’ Grade 9 year, learners and parents attend a Subject Choice Evening to assist learners in choosing subjects for Grade 10 that allows them to step into their preferred career and future.
Subjects Offered
Learners continue to strengthen their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. They also engage more with literary texts and begin to develop aesthetic and imaginative
abilities in their Home Language
Afrikaans focuses on developing skills like writing, speaking, understanding the language and interpreting one’s own views.
isiZulu First Additional Language highlights, clarifies and refines the most important concepts as described in the Subject Assessment Guidelines (SAGs) for isiZulu First
Additional Language. Learners get a thorough look at the mechanics of how to approach the poetry questions and apply grammar rules in isiZulu.
Mathematics is a problem-solving activity taught in an environment where learners learn from both their teachers and their peers, where learners feel safe to make mistakes and be encouraged to formulate ideas and verbalise their thinking. The assessments in Mathematics are diverse, ranging from the traditional tests and examinations to alternate assessment strategies which demand conceptual understanding rather than routine processes.
Breadth and depth of thinking are nurtured as learners are introduced to the Accounting Model and the Accounting Cycle. The curiosity of learners is evoked as they learn to differentiate between a variety of business transactions. They are taken on an adventure of processing these from Source, through Journals, Ledgers and finally to Trial Balance level.
Business Studies encompasses business principles, theory and practice that underpin the development of entrepreneurial initiatives, sustainable enterprises and economic growth. This subject will build a strong foundation for those students who wish to move on to further study and training in specialised areas such as management, international business, marketing, accounting, information and communication technology, or entrepreneurship.
Creative Arts provides exposure to and study a range of art forms including dance, drama, music and visual arts. The main purpose is to develop learners as creative, imaginative individuals who appreciate the arts and who have the basic knowledge and skills to participate in arts activities and to prepare them for possible further study in the art forms of their choice in Further Education and Training (FET).
Our learners have weekly Digital Literacy lessons that seek to develop traditional IT skills such as typing, word processing, hardware and software essentials and presentation
skills, as well as future-focused skills such as computational thinking, coding, virtual robotics and digital mapping.
Drama studies integrate both practical experiences and the study of specific texts. Our practical work develops communication, interaction and representation. We explore how dramatic and theatre elements are selected and combined for the purposes within diverse contexts. Drama students will acquire specific abilities to express themselves and communicate through learning the skills of improvisation, vocal and physical communication, interpretation and expressiveness, the creation and presentation of performances, and the analysis and interpretation.
Geography covers topics like Settlement, Climate and Geomorphology. We are not only teaching facts and skills the curriculum requires but creating opportunities to understand and accept differing cultures. We cross curriculums, using Mathematics for measurement and calculations, and Natural Sciences, studying vegetation.
History develops learners’ research skills and enhances their ability to understand and use a source, be it oral, written or audio-visual. While equipping the learners with the knowledge and essential life skills like critical thinking, we also aim to develop a passion for understanding the past. Using a variety of resources, over the three years, a number of historical topics are covered including but not exclusively: The Anglo-Zulu War, Genocide in Cambodia and the Holocaust and World War I and II and their relevance today.
Life Orientation aims to develop productive and well-centred young people, who are able to lead themselves and others by focusing on the following topics: development of
the self in society; social and environmental responsibility; democracy and human rights; careers and career choices, study skills & physical education (PE).
Natural Science covers Life and Living; Matter and Materials; Energy and Change; and Planet Earth and beyond. Learners plan and do simple investigations and solve problems that need some practical ability. The main task of teaching is to build a framework of knowledge for learners and to help them make connections between the ideas and concepts in their minds. An appreciation of the history of scientific discoveries, and their relationship to indigenous knowledge and different world views, enriches our understanding of the connections between science and society.
Physical education is used to lay a foundation of competence in various physical skills, which create confidence to participate in physical activities and promote healthy
living. They work both individually and in groups/teams to nurture sportsmanship and teamwork.
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