English Year 7, 9, 12 - T4 2020

Assalamu aleykum all,

Alhamdulillah we have come to the end of another fruitful year. This year has had its ups and downs but our students have managed to pull through all the challenges they were faced with. I pray 2021 will be a lot smoother and our students will continue to strive to reach their full potential.

Year 7:
This term, year 7 students were introduced to drama. Students learned about the many dramatic techniques that are used to analyse drama texts. They were exposed to many extracts from contemporary drama pieces to the classic Shakespearean texts. Students were given the opportunity to write their own drama texts to present in front of their class.

Year 9:
This term, students were involved in a film study of the famous dystopian film 'The Matrix'. Students refreshed their knowledge of cinematic techniques and were able to apply their skills and understanding to analyse the film. Students were also asked to analyse the film 'The Gladiator' and compare the two texts. The concept of the transformation from an unwilling hero to a willing hero was delved into very closely, where students were expected to write a well-developed essay highlighting the protagonist's development.

Year 12 English Standard:
This term students commenced their year 12 HSC course, where they involved in studying the Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences. Students analysed the various human experiences presented within George Orwell's '1984' and presented a speech where they had to bring in a related text that was connected to a focus theme. Students have now moved on to their study of Module A: Language, Identity and Culture.

Year 12 English Extension 2:
This term our students have been involved in an extensive research assignment, where they have been asked to build the foundations for their Major Works. Throughout this course, our students will be working towards producing sustained and polished texts that will be assessed for their HSC. Students have been challenged but at the same time stimulated, as this course is very much self-driven where the teacher acts more as a supervisor or facilitator than an explicit instructor. Our students have successfully completed their first assessment task, their Viva Voce, where they have pitched their Major Works within a 20 minute presentation.

I pray we all enjoy this well-earned break and look forward to seeing all of you in 2021.
Assalamu aleykum