English

Ms Rachel Deligiorgakis – Leader of Learning – English

Across the semester, students have been steadily building confidence in their writing and deepening their understanding of how language shapes meaning. In English all our students have been busy writing. Students in all years have been experimenting with structure, tone and style, and through this, learning to make deliberate choices as writers. This focus on craft has strengthened their ability to communicate effectively and has laid strong foundations for the diverse units of study undertaken not just in English, but in all their subjects.

Our Year 11 English teachers were excited to introduce the new Stage 6 English syllabus to our students, who responded with equal enthusiasm. Students in English Studies completed a new unit, Australian Voices, in which they conducted interviews exploring migrant experiences and designed personal crests to represent the stories they uncovered. In English Standard, students analysed the film The Truman Show, learning about the diverse possibilities of storytelling in the film medium. Year 11 Advanced undertook a comparative study of postcolonial narratives, examining Shakespeare’s The Tempest alongside the Indigenous Australian anthology film We Are Still Here to compare the way narratives of colonisation shape and reflect societal attitudes and values.

Our junior students have also explored a rich variety of texts and ideas. Year 7 began their high school English journey with a range of short stories, before they immersed themselves in Tristan Bancks’ gripping novel Detention, developing insight into how authors craft characters to invite us into experiences outside of our own. Year 8 brought great energy to their study of Jack Davis’ Honey Spot, demonstrating enthusiasm and flair as they acted out key scenes and explored themes of identity and cultural understanding. Year 9 deepened their appreciation of the bildungsroman genre through S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, examining how young adult fiction can illuminate the complexities of adolescence. They also entertained their peers (and their teachers) with highly persuasive speeches about how to improve their school experience. Year 10 challenged themselves with their first close study of Shakespeare, analysing how ambition, power and moral choice shape the tragic arc of Macbeth.

Students across the school also benefited from a number of enrichment opportunities beyond their regular classroom learning. Year 12 Advanced students attended the Sport for Jove symposium on The Tempest and Hag‑Seed, gaining valuable insights through live performance and academic discussion. Year 7 concluded their study of Detention with a hands‑on drama workshop, allowing them to see how written stories evolve into staged productions.

We look forward to another semester of reading, writing and literary discovery ahead!