As always, there’s lots happening in our English classrooms and our Learning Area. One highlight, amongst many during the last term, was the English, Literature and EaL/D Conference which we held at the College for all our Year 12 ATAR students. Students were treated to a rich selection of sessions on topics that included: Recognising Ourselves: National Literatures and Perspectives, The Evolution of the Superhero, Voice: Find it and Use it, Fiction in a Flash and Close Reading: Unpacking the Practice and Product.

Our presenters included Claire Jones and Josefine Wang, from the English Teachers Association of WA, and our own Kate Campbell and Melanie Postmus. Literature students attending the session with Josephine Clarke were gifted with a signed copy of her poetry anthology, Recipe for Risotto.

We were pleased to offer the students this academic conference which gave them an opportunity to sample university-style presentations and prepare for their ATAR examinations. All the students and many presenters and staff shared a delicious morning tea professionally prepared by our wonderful College canteen staff and this, no doubt, contributed to the very positive feedback we received from the students about the Conference.

This term, we are looking forward to a performance by actors from Poetry in Action for our Year 7 students and a Picture Book Residency our Year 8 students at the College and of course, Book Week. A small group of students from Years 7, 8, 9 & 10 continue to enjoy the opportunity of attending the Literature Centre in Fremantle, once a term, to meet an author and develop their own writing as part of the Young Writers Collective.

The CBCA theme for Book Week in 2021 is Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds. CBCA We encourage everyone to share stories and read widely. Many students are currently reading their class novels which include the following titles: Nevermoor, The Trials of Morrigan Crow, Don’t Call Me Ishmael, The Secret River, Freedom Ride. We encourage everyone to borrow books from libraries and our students to take advantage of the audio and ebooks available from our College library and enjoy reading and learning.

Stay safe

Mrs Donna Dennis
HoLA - English