English News
CREATIVE WRITING SUCCESS
Zeana Cole (Year 10) has been named as a finalist in the nation-wide Write4Fun 'Unleashed' competition, for her poignant short story 'Poppies'. This is an impressive achievement, as only 10 poems and 10 short stories were selected from more than 3,800 entries. Zeana's short story will be published in an anthology to be released in March 2023.
Congratulations, Zeana!
Poppies
I rise with the setting of the sun, and reach out, as I always do, to touch the last of its shimmering rays; the last of the light; and remember for a moment the life I had before. Then the light fades, and as the darkness creeps across the fields, I turn to greet my comrades. Each night we dance beneath the moon, and we tell great tales; legends of good and evil, of mighty heroes and fearsome villains, and of those who were somewhere in-between. We sing, and we laugh, and we remember joy; but sometimes I begin to remember too much, and I see the ragged clothes of my brothers, the flesh torn apart by fear and hate, the empty eyes and quiet hearts. And then I forget again, and all is well. Sometimes people come to visit us; they cry over the stakes others plunged into the soil long ago, and crush our souls beneath their feet. We are tied to this place, and are always able to return, but can never leave. Our eternity is long, and always much the same, but we are free of our pasts, for which we are grateful; who we were before matters not. As morning nears once again, I sense a young child standing nearby. She seems entranced by my soul, crouching down to admire it; she is so innocent; she should not be here. Just as the first light of the sun rises over the horizon, she leans down and pulls me from the ground. As I feel myself begin to fade, I thank her for giving me a glimpse of the bright world above, even if it is only for a moment. She smiles down at me, and though I know she has no idea what she holds in her hands, as she caresses the soft petals of my heart, I find myself smiling back, up at the lone figure in the sea of red.
Zeana Cole
Year 10
ICAS English Competition
Under the strong advice of the English domain to put our brain cells to use, several English classes competed in the 2022 ICAS English competition. Before I participated in ICAS, I expected to suffer through a series of convoluted and uninteresting questions, but it was surprisingly entertaining.
The competition required us to solve various problems - unlike squabbles with siblings, these are not the sort of problems you can solve with sugary bribes or parental intervention. Instead, the competition called for the essential skill of understanding and evaluating texts. This competency is necessary for not only ICAS English but for our existence in a modern world filled with language. ICAS English challenged our literary abilities beyond the classroom and imparted recognition and encouragement of academic success upon several students including Jeevesh Chopra, Lola Sargasso and Jazlyn Yap, who received medals for their efforts. ICAS English provides a platform to demonstrate literary skills; it is a stepping stone to achieving more extraordinary things in life. It represents an unconventional but effective way of exposing ourselves to a wide variety of texts and honing the skills needed to navigate our world of words.
Jazlyn Yap
Year 12