Domain - English

Our College Theme, ‘Let your light shine for others’ has been a continued source of inspiration for our team and has been particularly relevant to 2020. The English Domain continued to work collaboratively to meet the ever-changing demands of the year, adapting programs in recognition of student feedback and best practices. Overall, there was an emphasis on paring back assessment tasks, and going deeper into the structure of longer written responses. Student responses affirmed these decisions, with many reporting greater confidence in writing essays and a real sense of achievement in completing these challenging tasks.

Our focus on promoting literacy and a love of reading has guided our programs throughout the year for Middle School students. Year 7’s were once again engaged and challenged by our Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) competition, with our top ten readers recording over one thousand minutes of reading per week - an admirable effort! In addition, a highlight of the year has been the Year 8 ‘Slam Poetry’ unit which provided the cohort with a unique means of asserting their opinions and illuminating personal growth. At the Year 9 level, the Holocaust unit was highly engaging. Students were inspired to complete wider reading associated with the topic, and the creative writing which followed demonstrated insight and empathy.

The Senior School English classes were an opportunity for teachers to shine a light on how news is reported as well as draw parallels between schoolwork and current events. At the Year 10 level, the study of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird provided a thought-provoking point of comparison with the growing Black Lives Matter movement. Our theme this year implies that it is imperative to be visible, and numerous Year 11 English as well as Additional Language students took up this challenge in their passionate persuasive speeches on issues such as travel restrictions and the wearing of masks. In a similar fashion, the VCAL class’ thoughtful ‘Letters Against Iso’ to individuals in aged care facilities underscored the importance of small acts of kindness and sparked positive connections within our local community. English Language students examined how our use of language indexes our multi-faceted identities and can be a means of asserting power. Emily White (Year 12) noted that ‘although Standard Australian English is an easy way of creating connections and promoting an effortless communication across cultures, it may also be one of the many ways ethnic groups within Australia are being silenced and partially erased by the majority.’ As a teacher, it is comforting to see compassion and understanding develop throughout the year, as well as students’ increasing willingness to share unique understandings of contemporary discussions and debate.

Nicole Biggelaar English Domain Leader

The Ocean

(excerpt from Year 8 Slam Poetry) The pristine beaches, once beautiful and clean, We filled them all up but that wasn’t enough, Cause we kept on coming back to run, jump and splash And we kept on leaving our plastic, junk and trash. So, the earth began shaking, As the creatures began to cry, But we didn’t listen, To the Earth going dry, As we dump all our sewage, chemicals and waste, The water is slowly dying And soon, so will our race.

Monique Enriquez Year 8

Ignition

(excerpt from creative fiction modelled on Cate Kennedy’s short stories) The swathes of grass ripple silver as waves running before a moonlit wind, gusts buffeting the silky tops of the lush green swell, but dark figures seep into its depths like spilt oil, slick and deadly. Ironic. Our small group closes in on the oil refinery. This is the biggest statement we’ve made. Too soon, my minute for moving forwards is up, and I have to drop and be still again. I can feel the searching gaze of the camera pass above our bowed forms. If you truly want the concealment of night, you must not be static, but meld into the shifting that surrounds you. I lilt as the wind stirs me. The lengths of grass above my head shiver as if in the wake of a scythe.

Poppy Adams Year 11