English - Semester 1 wrap up.
That’s a Wrap for Semester 1 English!
It may have been the end of term, but English learning was at its most creative in Week 20 when our inaugural Year 9 Documentary Film Fest kicked off the week.
On Tuesday, 1 July, students, parents and members of the JPC community came together to celebrate the academic achievements of our Year 9 documentary makers.
In the space of seven weeks, our Year 9 students planned, researched, scripted, directed, shot, produced and edited their documentaries. The films showcased students, teachers, family members and friends, highlighting how they live out the values of justice, peace, courage and truth. The winning documentaries were selected by the Year 9 cohort, their teachers, and Dr Wattam.
The English Faculty hopes this awards ceremony becomes an annual event where we can celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students.
Congratulations to all our Documentary Award Winners for 2025, and a special shout‑out to Ayra Ahmed and Luka Spoljaric for their incredible design work on the promotional posters for the evening.
Most Popular Documentary
• Alicia Campbell
• Michael Vitharana
• Xavier Labutte
• Calvin Phan
• Sebastian Wilson
• Sukmanhjot Singh Kahlon
• Kossia Kuol Deng
• Kayden Koncz
• Lachlan Finn
• Ethan George
• Jason Gamal
Most Entertaining Documentary
• Bowen Sharples
• Devdath Gemini
• Nate Ball
• Kayd Wheatley
• Joel Gahan
Most Wholesome Documentary
• Anabel Bein
Best Cinematography in a Documentary
• Samuel Fankhauser
Best Sound in a Documentary
• Kate Kim
Best Editing of a Documentary
• Baldeep Kaur
• Zoey Phan
Best Writing for a Documentary
• Nahla Siebert
Best Exploration of Values in a Documentary
• Mahitha Mathews
• Saba Rushton
Best Documentary
• Mila Ilievski
Dr Wattam Achievement Award
• Alice Butt
Meanwhile, our Year 8 students wrapped up their novel study of I Am Malala, culminating in a visual representation of a section of the text to showcase their understanding of its core themes. Year 8s then hosted a gallery walk for the Year 9/10 Graphic Design class, who lent their acute design eye to each visual piece. Check out their use of symbolism below!
God will send another earthquake to punish us all
A depiction of the 2005 Kashmir-Pakistan earthquake, as told in the autobiography I am Malala.
This piece depicts the earthquake that Malala had experienced when she was only 8 years old. The earthquake, a 7.6 magnitude, devasted many in the region. The Taliban saw this earthquake as an opportunity to manipulate the people into believing this was a punishment from God. This piece depicts the Taliban taking control of the radio and told that girls going to school was the reason for the earthquake. This experience gave Malala an insight into the Taliban’s true motivations and made her fight even harder for girls’ educational rights.
Thanking God
This is a depiction of Malala praying for all she had and thanking Allah for everything. We decided to depict this part of the book, as it reflects her relationship with Allah and how grateful she is for everything in her life. The quote we used reflects this picture because Malala told herself to thank Allah for everything in her life and be grateful for every last minute of education before she wasn’t allowed to go to school. We believe this picture shows the viewers that Malala is grateful for everything in her life, and will keep fighting for education because she loved education and wants everyone to have the opportunity to go to school, like she did.
Kat Allan
Assistant English Coordinator