Stage 5 (Years 9 & 10) Subjects
WELCOME TO STAGE 5
Year 9 marks the beginning of Stage 5, where you continue studying core subjects and choose electives that reflect your interests and strengths. These choices allow you to explore new areas of learning and begin shaping your future pathways.
Your learning across Year 9 and Year 10 contributes to the Record of School Achievement (RoSA), which is your official NESA credential at the end of Stage 5.
Stage 5 Mandatory Subjects
During Years 9 and 10, the following subjects must be studied:
English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Personal Development/Health/Physical Education
Stage 5 Elective Options
During Years 9 and 10, students choose three different electives:
- 200 hours of Elective 1
- 200 hours of Elective 2
- 100 hours of Elective 3 (studied in Year 9)
200 Hour Elective Options
100 Hour Elective Options
Elective Options (200 Hour):
Our 200 hour elective options are listed below:
Course Description:
The Year 9 & 10 Drama course offers students the opportunity to channel their imagination into action within the Drama space. Through exploring, enacting, and interpreting real and imagined people, worlds, and experiences, students deepen their understanding of the world. The course includes improvisational games, group and individual performance development, exploration of mime and physicality, voice techniques, and script interpretation for workshops and performances. Students will learn and apply the Elements of Drama through making, performing, and appreciating dramatic works.
Aim:
- To develop skills in character creation through physicality and voice.
- To enhance collaborative skills through group work.
- To learn written response techniques explaining playwrights’ meaning and intent.
- To gain experience in interpreting scripts and creating coherent performances.
- To encourage self-assessment and reflection via progress logbooks.
- To build confidence in performing before an audience.
Fees:
Students pay a course fee of $20.00 per year.
Excursions:
- Participation in class workshops focusing on script interpretation.
- Excursions to live play performances and workshops.
- Viewing of HSC Drama performances at ‘On-Stage’ at the Seymour Centre, showcasing outstanding group and individual performances from NSW schools.
Equipment Required:
n/a
Course Description:
Stage 5 languages aim to empower students to engage meaningfully with speakers of the language and to appreciate linguistic and cultural diversity.
In Years 9 and 10 of language learning within the NSW curriculum, students further develop their communication skills in Japanese and deepen their understanding of the language and culture. Students learn to communicate more confidently and fluently, using a broader range of vocabulary and structures to express ideas, opinions, and experiences in increasingly complex and authentic contexts.
Aim:
- Enhancing listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in the language.
- Developing intercultural understanding by exploring comparisons between cultures.
- Applying language skills to real-world situations, preparing for lifelong learning, travel, work, or further study.
- Building independence as language learners and using language for social interaction, inquiry, and practical purposes.
Fees:
Students pay a course fee of $40.00 per year (which also covers the purchase of the iitomo textbook).
Excursions:
- Students in Year 9 participate in an excursion to the city for a Japanese lunch and cultural experience.
- Year 10 students may have the opportunity to attend a 12-day study tour, including visiting our sister school and immersing themselves in Japanese culture.
Equipment Required:
Students use the iitomo textbook, which is supplied by the school upon payment of course fees.
Course Description:
Students engage in a wide range of physical activities to develop key understandings about how and why we move, as well as how to enhance the quality and enjoyment of movement. They are encouraged to participate in new and diverse sports, allowing them to apply their skills and thinking in different ways. Physical Activity and Sports Studies (PA&SS) provides students with an interest in physical activity the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and skills beyond the compulsory PDHPE course.
Approximately half of the course is devoted to practical activities, providing students with hands-on opportunities to develop skills and apply their learning.
At Colo, PA&SS can be studied as either a 100-hour (1-year) course or a 200-hour (2-year) course.
Possible topics covered in the course are listed below:
Year 9 Topics:
- The Body in Action
- Physical Fitness
- Nutrition and Physical Activity
- Coaching
- Modified Games
- Fitness Testing / Bootcamp
- Court Games
- Mini Games / Coaching
Year 10 Topics:
- Australia’s Sporting Identity
- Lifelong Leisure and Recreation
- Technology and Enhancing Performance
- Event Management
- Lifelong Activities
- Modified Games
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Volleyball
- Mini Competitions
Aim:
To enhance students’ capacity to participate effectively in physical activity and sport, leading to an improved quality of life for themselves and others.
Fees:
Students pay a course fee of $40.00 per year.
Excursions:
There may be possible excursions that could involve a cost, including surf school, first aid training, and assisting at sporting events (including those at local primary schools).
Equipment Required:
Students are required to wear the Colo High School PDHPE sport uniform and appropriate footwear for practical lessons.
Additionally, students should bring classroom equipment such as an exercise book, stationery, and a laptop.
Elective Options (100 Hour):
Our 100 hour elective options are listed below:
Course Description:
This course is designed for students passionate about Mathematics or those wishing to extend their mathematical capabilities. It offers an engaging exploration of matrices, geometry, and various advanced problem-solving techniques. Learning activities include individual and group problem-solving exercises, discussions, interactive simulations, and participation in the AMT Enrichment Program. Emphasis is placed on developing communication and teamwork skills alongside strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills to prepare students for higher-level Stage 6 Mathematics courses.
Aim:
- To introduce fundamental concepts and operations in matrices and their applications.
- To explore various branches of geometry, including Euclidean, projective, and non-Euclidean geometries.
- To engage with the AMT Gauss Enrichment Program, developing skills in similarity, congruence, Pythagoras’ theorem extensions, spreadsheets, and Diophantine equations.
- To study Pascal’s Triangle and Combinatorics, including binomial expansions, number theory, and the Fibonacci sequence.
- To investigate fractals through Sierpinski’s Triangle and their broader applications.
- To prepare students for future STEM careers and advanced mathematics studies.
Fees:
- Gauss Enrichment Program registration and text: $56 (fixed cost)
- Optional AMT Mathematics Challenge Competition (Term 2): $27.50 additional cost
Equipment Required:
BYOD
Course Description:
Students engage in a wide range of physical activities to develop key understandings about how and why we move, as well as how to enhance the quality and enjoyment of movement. They are encouraged to participate in new and diverse sports, allowing them to apply their skills and thinking in different ways. Physical Activity and Sports Studies (PA&SS) provides students with an interest in physical activity the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and skills beyond the compulsory PDHPE course.
Approximately half of the course is devoted to practical activities, providing students with hands-on opportunities to develop skills and apply their learning.
At Colo, PA&SS can be studied as either a 100-hour (1-year) course or a 200-hour (2-year) course.
Possible topics covered in the course are listed below:
Year 9 Topics:
- The Body in Action
- Physical Fitness
- Nutrition and Physical Activity
- Coaching
- Modified Games
- Fitness Testing / Bootcamp
- Court Games
- Mini Games / Coaching
Year 10 Topics:
- Australia’s Sporting Identity
- Lifelong Leisure and Recreation
- Technology and Enhancing Performance
- Event Management
- Lifelong Activities
- Modified Games
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Volleyball
- Mini Competitions
Aim:
To enhance students’ capacity to participate effectively in physical activity and sport, leading to an improved quality of life for themselves and others.
Fees:
Students pay a course fee of $40.00 per year.
Excursions:
There may be possible excursions that could involve a cost, including surf school, first aid training, and assisting at sporting events (including those at local primary schools).
Equipment Required:
Students are required to wear the Colo High School PDHPE sport uniform and appropriate footwear for practical lessons.
Additionally, students should bring classroom equipment such as an exercise book, stationery, and a laptop.
Students, please watch the video we have prepared to guide you through the process of making your elective selections.
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