English

Year 9 Author Experience

Mark Smith (The Road to Winter)

Mark Smith, author of our Year 9 class novel The Road to Winter spoke to all Year 9 students last week. Mark’s story is an interesting one; having grown up in a large household without access to much reading material, Mark had no interest at all in reading or writing. A terrible horse-riding accident and a broken neck left him bedridden and changed the course of his life, as he immersed himself in books and developed a passion for writing.

Mark gave some good tips on the writing process, provided insights into the life of a writer (rewarding, but a hard slog with limited financial payoff) and answered some thoughtful student questions.  Students are now developing their own narratives based on a secondary character from the novel. 

QDU Debating Round-Up

Our debating teams are currently in Round 4 of the QDU Debating Competition. Our teams (Year 8, Year 9, Year 11 and Year 12) have had a mix of wins and close defeats and have grown significantly through feedback from adjudicators, weekly meetings, and the support of their coaches. We are particularly proud of our Year 9 team who received praise from the adjudicator for their courtesy and support of their opposition. He said it was the best display of 'sportsmanship' he'd seen in a debate in a long time.