It has certainly been a productive year in the English Learning Area and students are currently working on a range of different tasks as the year draws to a close.
In Year 7, classes are preparing to write an analytical essay on the film, The Hunt for the Wilderpeople whilst the Year 8s are finalising their multimodal presentations on The Book Thief. Year 9 students meanwhile are preparing their oral presentations on Romeo and Juliet. At Years 10 and 11, students are busily preparing and revising for the English exams that commence in Week 8.
VCE English teachers are currently designing curriculum to reflect the significant changes to Year 11 (Units 1 and 2) English as a result of the new Study Design for 2023 and beyond. Our current Year 10 students will learn more about this in their forthcoming VCE English Orientation. We are confident that the changes will be engaging for students and develop their sense of agency and voice when responding personally to texts and creating their own responses.
Thank you to families for supporting your daughters to read, view, engage, reflect, plan and write this year.
One Year 8 English class has shared some of their short descriptive responses to phobias:
Claustrophobia
'It will only last 30 seconds' I tell myself, '30 seconds.' The monster arrives, the metal doors slowly open beckoning me inside. I take one small step after the other, dread fills me from head to toe as I enter the elevator. DING! the doors shut, my life ends. The lights begin to flicker, the walls come closer as if the elevator is desperate to crush me to death. My lungs are frozen, my eyes are filled with the sea of the ocean and my legs lose all feeling. I can’t breathe, I can’t see, I can’t feel. DING, ding, ding!
Ava O. Year 8 LWH
Ornithophobia
It was a beautiful day for a walk. The sun was beaming on my chest and the sky was free from clouds. I could hear the leaves crunching under my feet and feel the delicate breeze. It was peaceful, until…. A bird soared through the sky almost touching the ground. I could feel my heart and lungs working as if they were trying to power a whole city’s electricity. The sinister creature lands right before me. Its dark, royal feathers contrasted its bright terrifying eyes that were so blue they invited you like a sea to dive in. I didn’t realise I was staring at it until it pounced viciously at me. Ringing that irritated my ears, vision slowly weakening and a body that froze, I fell to the ground losing all consciousness.
Tilly C. Year 8 LWH