English

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The English department offers a sound but innovative curriculum which develops students’ literacy skills while at the same time offering them enriching experiences.

English in the Junior School

Year 7 – core subject, 4 periods per week, all yar.

Year 8- core subject, 4 periods per week, all year.

Year 9 – core subject, 4 periods per week, all year

Year 10 – core subject, 5 periods per week, all year.

English in the Senior School

Year 11, VCE Units One and Two- core subject, five periods per week, all year.

Year 11, VCE Units Three and Four – core subject, 5ive periods per week, all year.

English Literature is also offered at years 11 and 12.

Year 11 VCE English Literature Units One and Two – 5 periods per week, all year.

Year 12 VCE English Literature Units Three and Four – 5 periods per week, all year.

Foundation English VCE Units One and Two

For students who find difficulties with the standard, academic English curriculum, an alternative is offered to English Units One in the form of Foundation English.  This is centred around ensuring students have literacy skills to cope in the real world.

English as a Second Language (ESL)

ESL Units One – Four is also offeredto students whose native language is not English.

Literacy Program

A literacy program is offered for students in years seven and eight.  This program involves the immediate identification through testing of students with literacy needs     when they enter the school.  Students are then given individual help by volunteer tutors from the community.  This program is overseen by the literacy co-ordinator.

Bridging the Gap Program

Needy students are given further help by volunteer students in year 10 helping them develop their literacy skills one period per week.

Assessment Areas 

English covers the following assessment areas:

1. text response
2. issues
3. writing
4. oral

 These are not taught as discreet areas, but as overlapping skills.  To engage and enrich the students a wide range of extra experiences are offered:

Competitions

1. The Australasian Writing Competition
2. The Australasian English Competition
3. MS – Readathon

Excursions

Many excursions are undertaken which involve students in the community and give them real life experiences.  For example, students in year 7 visit the museum and speak to survivors of Auschwitz (this relates to the novel “Number the Stars” which students study.

Reaching out to the Community

Students in senior levels interview residents from Eventide Homes about their real life experiences.

Students in junior levels interview primary students and create picture story books and poetry books for them.

Guest speakers

A wide variety of guest speakers are invited to speak to the students e.g. The poet Geoff Goodfellow spoke to the students, and Vietnam war veterans speak to the students when they study novels based on the Vietnam war.

Experts Invited Into the Classroom

When students are studying certain themes, relevant experts are invited into the classroom to work with students e.g. At year 9 students study “The Outsiders.”  A major theme of this novel is grief, and the school psychologist is invited in to explore this theme with the students.

Specialist Workshops

Junior students have the opportunity to work with professional writers and develop their skills, and cartoonists are invited to develop the students awareness of visual language.

Senior students have authors of VCE English text books, such as Ross Huggard, address them on the skills required at VCE.

Camps

A camp is offered at Longrenong for senior students which provides intensive instruction on VCE.

Films and Plays

Students are given the opportunity to view relevant films on a large screen, and to attend the plays which are studied on the curriculum. 

Students are also exposed to several plays performed by visiting companies.

Encouraging excellence through Cento

Students are encouraged to submit writing pieces to “Cento,” a professionally published magazine of the best of our students” work.

Debating

Students are involved in debating competitions with other schools.

Access to Resources

Students have access to a wide range of novels through the school library.  They are encouraged to read widely.  This library is stocked by a librarian with a keen interest in adolescent literature, who continually liaises with the English staff to purchase stimulating novels.