Year 7 News

French: learning together

by Linda Kay, French teacher

We are enjoying learning French together! The new course - Quoi de Neuf  - is nicely paced and has achievable activities. Students are showing enthusiasm for French songs and are participating thoughtfully in discussions about the changes which are being suggested for schools in France (no phones at school and the introduction of school uniform). They have performed some impressive role plays with lots of Gallic gestures and are conscientiously using Quizlet for vocabulary learning.

The highlight of the lessons still seems to be working in teams with Quizlet Live - it is a lot of fun and promotes positive interactions. Students work together in teams (which are frequently shuffled) to interpret vocabulary and grammar questions and then decide who has the right answer.

Language and Literature: refugee journeys

by June McKenzie, teacher of Language & Literature

‘If, by reading, we are enabled to step, for one moment, into another person’s shoes, to get right under their skin, then that is already a great achievement. Through empathy we overcome prejudice, develop tolerance and ultimately understand love. Stories can bring understanding, healing, reconciliation and unity.’ – Archbishop Desmond Tutu

In Language and Literature, we are investigating the plight of refugees across the world. Students are researching, discussing and recording different refugee stories over time. The journey to a safer place has many common themes. Currently we are focusing on the journey of Enaitollah Akbari. When a ten-year-old boy's village in Afghanistan falls prey to Taliban rule, his mother shepherds him across the border into Pakistan but has to leave him there all alone to fend for himself. Thus begins Enaiat's remarkable and often punishing five-year ordeal. Fabio Geda records this true story in the novel, In the Sea There Are Crocodiles.

Students listened to a reading of the novel, recording significant aspects of this journey through text and graphic representations of the information. They are creating A4 posters for each of the stages of Enaiat's journey.

Community event: Refugee Week 17-23 June 

The Refugee Council of Australia has chosen #WithRefugees as the theme for Refugee Week 2018 in Australia. Today, more than ever, we need a global movement to demand the safety and rights of refugees are protected. In Australia, it is the responsibility of our government and each one of us to ensure people forced to flee from their homes can live with dignity and hope.

A ‘refugee’ is a person - boy, girl, woman or man; not a label but a human being with a beating heart just like all of us. The refugee experience can be prolonged or it can be fleeting. Today there are more refugees than ever and only by standing together #WithRefugees can we begin to change this.

Refugee Week provides an opportunity for the Australian public to recognise and better understand the courage and contribution of refugees; people from across the world who have sought and, in some cases, found safety in Australia. Hearing their stories during Refugee Week reminds us that these powerful people are defined by so much more than their past; people who today are making many valuable contributions to Australian society and who show immense courage and resilience.

Refugee Week is an opportunity for ordinary Australians, advocates, faith groups, schools, politicians, organisations, artists and communities to show their support and stand #WithRefugees. From food to sport, from discussion to music, Refugee Week in Melbourne includes a diverse selection of events and activities.

Click here for events and click here for the refugee film festival.