Teaching and Learning - English
Welcome to English in 2024 at St John Paul II College!
We are delighted to be continuing our focus on developing students' reading and writing skills as we seek to ensure our students are critical and creative thinkers.
Students in Year 8 will be investigating the adventure and fantasy genres across a range of text types and we are looking forward to seeing students' creativity as they work on adapting texts from one genre to another.
Our Year 9 classes are examining themes of strength and courage in fiction and non-fiction texts and can look forward to an in depth study of documentaries next term.
In Year 10 students are learning about the importance of personal voice and speaking up on what matters, as well as preparing for the transition to Senior Study next year by engaging in close analysis of a range of text types. We encourage Year 10 students in particular to ensure they are reading widely and engaging with current affairs texts.
In Years 11 and 12 students follow the prescribed BSSS Units and develop their skills according to these frameworks. We encourage all senior students to read widely and engage with current affairs to assist them as they engage with a broad range of content. Students in their senior years are expected to study English. This can include re-reading and annotating class texts, researching the context of texts and authors under study as well as practising their writing skills independently and under timed conditions.
The English Faculty Team for 2024 is as follows:
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Year 8 English |
Emily Brak, Kathryn Kinnane, Kirstie Gibson, Georgia Combes, Andrew Moss |
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Year 9 English |
Tahlia Rodden, Sacha Jeffrey, Georgia Combes, Andrew Moss, Kathryn Kinine |
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Year 10 English |
Louise Byron, Jessica Stokman, Georgia Coombs, Kathryn Kinine, Sacha Jeffrey, Tahlia Rodden |
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Year 11 English T |
Kirstie Gibson, Tahlia Rodden |
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Year 11 Literature T |
Kathryn Allan |
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Year 11 English Essentials A |
Emily Brak |
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Year 12 English T |
Jessica Stokman, Kathryn Kinnane, Lachlan Arundell |
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Year 12 Literature T |
Kirstie Gibson |
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Year 12 English Essentials A |
Emily Brak |
What can you do to support your child in English?
Whatever their year level, please encourage your child to be reading around their interests and for enjoyment. This could be comic books, graphic novels, autobiographies, or current affairs - whatever they are interested in. There is growing evidence to support the link between reading for enjoyment and increased student outcomes.
What opportunities are coming up?
The What Matters Writing Competition run by the Whitlam Institute is now open! Students are encouraged to enter, raise their voices and respond to the simple prompt of ‘what they think is important or needs to change and why.’
See the link for further information: whitlam.org/whatmatters
Kirstie Gibson
Leader of Learning and Wellbeing
English Faculty and Ferré House