English

Year 8 Writing Elective

The Year 8 Writing elective began last year with the study of rhythm and rhyme in poetry. Here is a sample from the first week of class. 

Autumn is a season 

that comes with a reason 

while others are hot and cold 

Autumn is quite bold. 

Lexi 

Year 8 

Term 1 Reflecting and Analysing 

Our Year 8 and 10 English students have been studying empathy building texts during Term 1. Both ‘Auggie and Me’ and ‘Because of You’ have a multitude of themes that students have explored in class. Here is a snapshot of what these texts taught them:  

Our Year 8 students reflected:  

‘Auggie and Me’ illustrates how a person is not always fixed to one character. It shows and explains how people can change, that if someone gets lost that they can find the right path. I always believed that people are capable of change and ‘Auggie and Me’ supported these ideas. Julian did consider how Auggie was feeling and I believe he was close to feeling empathy; however, he needed one final push. This highlights that people have the capacity to be kind, they need the right people to lift them and see the world outside their own. The text inspired me to believe that there are good people out there and some just need more time to become that person.

Alice V 

Year 8

‘Auggie and Me’ taught me not to judge people for how they look and to be inclusive and kind to others. It shows that people can redeem themselves, even at the lowest points, just like Julian did. Overall, 'Auggie and Me' inspired me to be a better person and to not base our perspectives of people on their looks, but instead their personality. 

Willem 

Year 8

'Auggie and Me' is what I believe to be a great representation of why you should always be kind in life. It shows how being kind can help change the course of someone’s life, even years in the future. People change and so does life, but you should always choose kind. 

Ted C 

Year 8

The Julian Chapter, in Auggie and Me highlights how you should never judge a book by its cover and that dislike and hatred can be strongly overtaken by respect and kindness. After reading this story, I think many people would be able to relate, whether it's because they have been bullied themselves or they have made mistakes in their past and this book has made them rethink how they have treated others. I believe this story really tells us about how everyone is different and it's never too late to be kind.

Willa G 

Year 8

Here are some wonderings from our Year 10 cohort:  

In Term 1, we read Pip Harry's novel 'Because of You', a very thought provoking text. This novel gave me a deeper insight into homelessness and made me wonder how much of what we know about homeless people are simply misconceptions or stereotypes?

Nina

Year 10 

Having read 'Because of You' by Pip Harry, my perspectives about homeless people changed entirely. Prior to reading it I didn't even think about homeless people let alone even realize them on the streets. However, now I can't walk past them without thinking about their circumstance and what could've gotten them into that situation. Also I used to believe that everyone got themselves on the streets from bad decisions only, but many of them may end up on the streets because of bad circumstance. Thomas C 

Year 10

In Term 1 we read 'Because of you' By Pip Harry. What the novel left me thinking about was the fact someone's life can fall apart in a matter of weeks from looking like you're succeeding in life to being drowned out by the harsh reality. 

Harvey C 

Year 10

Having read ‘Because of You’ by Pip Harry my perspective has changed about a few of the themes. The novel highlighted that anybody can fine themself homeless. Some misunderstandings are that most people becomes homeless over addictions however the novel proves that that's far from the truth. Another theme this book displayed was the power of support and friendship and having help at the right time by the right support can really help you get through anything. 

Angela

Year 10 

Having read 'Because of You' by Pip Harry, my perspectives about homeless people have changed pretty significantly. Before covering this topic, I definitely felt empathy for individuals in these rough situations but I did make generalisations such as assuming all homeless people are drug addicts or mentally ill. However, there are so many other reasons out of a persons control. I also was unaware of the huge population of unseen homeless people, the ones who aren't sleeping rough but are in their cars, or in an overcrowded boarding house, or couch surfing. Through the several different characters in the novel, all of whom have vastly different stories, it really showed me the nuances of homelessness, it's not a black or white issue. It also made me think about how poorly homeless people are looked upon or are treated and how the main "solutions" seem to be keeping them away from public areas through homeless spikes, armrests on benches and sprinklers. It was a very enlightening unit of work and I understand the importance of learning it in school. 

Navya 

Year 10