LANGUAGES
YEAR 7 DANCING
On Wednesday 5 December, all Year 7 German students participated in a German Folk Dancing lesson by arguably the best German Dancer in Australia. Rowan Classen appears regularly on TV shows such as The Today Show, The Living Room and The World Cup Show on SBS. He performs and teaches the popular type of dancing called `Schuhplattler´ or ‘slap dancing’ in English.
This dance originates in the Alpine regions and involves a high energy combination of stomping, clapping and striking the soles of your shoes, thighs and knees with flat hands. The students managed to master this dance in just one lesson. His method made it easy to learn and hard to forget! Everyone really enjoyed dancing and he was very impressed with the level of energy and enthusiasm of our students.
Frau Paal
German Teacher
YEAR 9 - WAFFELN BACKEN
It has been a big year in Year 9 German. Students have produced short films, spoken with native speakers, learnt a range of new grammatical concepts and as an end of year treat they made waffles. The catch: the recipe was entirely in German.
A skill that our students have learnt is to make sense of written texts, even when many of the words appear to be unfamiliar. Obviously, the stakes for a correct translation were very high given that our stomachs would suffer any misunderstandings. Their Waffeln were served with Nutella, Eis, Schokoladen Sauce und Marmalade. They were delicious, a testament to their German skills.
Giving our students authentic opportunities to use their language skills is a big part of our languages program at McKinnon. Our students certainly enjoyed the fruits of their labour.
Herr Kamener
German Teacher
BONJOUR TOUT LE MONDE
On the Wednesday 5 December, the Year 9 French classes went on an exciting excursion to the Bergerac Restaurant in the city. We were all very excited and nervous about the French meals we were about to eat. Of course, we knew we were going to eat snails (a.k.a escargot) and we were all doubting whether we would try it or not.
After a long journey to the station, we finally arrived and were seated in a formal manner and we patiently waited for our first meal. For entrée, we had a baguette with butter, then came everyone's most nerve-wracking meal - snails. Some of us ate it by itself, others ate it with bread and some didn't try it at all, some loved the snails, while others weren't such a fan of them. Afterward, we had the main meal which was either chicken and potato mash or steak and mash. Finally, we were served with dessert, which was either crème brûlée or a chocolate cake.
We all had an awesome time and were grateful for the amazing experience and cannot thank Madame Jimenez and Monsieur Casey for taking us and giving us the experience of eating snails and trying French foods.
Jordyn Freeman
Year 9 Student
FRENCH RESTAURANT
On Wednesday 5 December, a group of enthusiastic French students journeyed to Bergerac, a beautiful French restaurant located in the heart of the city. The calm weather made the usually exhausting train ride to the venue easy and stress free. After a long and exhausting walk in the city, we finally reached our destination and were delighted by an authentically stunning restaurant.
As we entered the restaurant, we rushed to our seats, ready to indulge a quintessential three course meal. Many of us were astonished as cooked snails were brought to us, and despite their unappealing appearance, they were delicious. The main course, which consisted of chicken or steak, potato mash and a complementing sauce, was appetizing and everyone was pleased. To finish of a wonderful meal, we devoured either a luscious chocolate tart or a classic crème brûlée. The kind waiters made us feel welcome as some even stopped by for a conversation, giving us a chance to put our French speaking to the test.
It was a lovely experience and a satisfactory end to the school year. We headed back to school filling up the trains with chatter and laughter as we were filled with delight from such a great meal. A huge thanks to the teachers who made this wonderful excursion possible.
Klaudija Zidonyte
Year 9 Student
FRENCH EXCHANGE 2018
Bonjour from France! We arrived in Nice on Friday 30 November and have been having a magnifique time ever since. Our group of 16 students and two staff members are joined by a group from Northcote High School who also have an exchange program with our sister school, the Centre International de Valbonne. Even more importantly, we are joined by Mrs Binnion who has travelled to France with us. She has enjoyed coming to the school and experiencing the program first hand.
The students were happy to reconnect with their exchange partners and to meet their host families. They are noticing many differences between French daily lives and what they are used to. The students are enjoying their nights and weekends with their host families. Many have been exploring the region (Cannes, Nice, Antibes etc) and others have gone as far as Paris, Lyon, Rome, skiing in the Alps and Barcelona during their weekends.
During the week, we have been going to the French school. The teachers there have put together a busy schedule with special lessons to improve understanding of French language and culture. They are also following their exchange partner to different classes. We have also been on several excursions already: the perfumeries of Grasse, the town hall and markets of Valbonne, old towns like Villefranche sur mer and even an afternoon in Monaco.
French school days are long with most students starting at 8am and finishing at either 5 or 6pm. There are lots of differences between the two systems and lots for our students to get used to (no uniform, long bus rides, no lockers, no chromebooks). It is quite tiring, the length of days and the constant listening to and speaking French. However, it is also a lot of fun. The students are making the most of the experience and learning so much already.
We leave France on Sunday 23 December and will enjoy every minute until then.
Ms Kellie Dickson
French Exchange Co-ordinator
CHRISTMAS CAROL
The most famous song of all times ...
is a Christmas Carol. For 200 years, ´Silent Night, Holy Night´ - ´Stille Nacht Heilige Nacht´- ´Douce nuit, sainte nuit` has crossed borders and overcome crises. The song has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects and connects people no matter what their origin, age or religion is.
200 years ago, Joseph Mohr, a priest from Salzburg, who wrote the text, and Franz Xaver Gruber, a teacher who wrote the melody, performed this song for the first time at the St. Nikola Church in Oberndorf near Salzburg in 1818.
The original song had six verses, today only the first, second and sixth are sung anymore.
The Languages faculty would like to extend to the McKinnon community
Best wishes for a peaceful festive season and
a happy, healthy and successful new year!
Andrea Fowler
Head of Languages