LANGUAGES

HECHO EN MÉXICO 

On Tuesday 15 October all Year 9 Spanish students were invited by Miss Remont and Miss Gomez on an excursion to a beloved local Carnegie Mexican restaurant called Hecho in Mexico. We were exposed to a bit of street-Mexican culture and food such as burritos, quesadillas, and jarritos soda as we attempted to use our Spanish speaking skills. 

Beyond the delicious food, this visit gave everyone a deeper appreciation for the culture and traditions behind the dishes because for many of us it was our first time dabbling in this type of cuisine. Additionally, we were able to form a deeper connection with the people and stories that we hear about when learning Spanish which enriched our future learning. From the colourful tables to the kind smiles we received; our experience was truly made in Mexico. 

Overall, the two Spanish classes had fun finally indulging in some chocolate dipped churros before we all embarked back to McKinnon.

Louise & Olivia Roadcap, Year 9

2024 FÊTE DE LA SCIENCE FRENCH EXCURSION

On Thursday 17 October Madame Rémont and a group of eager French students set off for Swinburne University for the annual Fête de la Science, with six exciting activities to explore, all relating to both Science and French, most even with native speakers.

The first activity that we completed was based around Mars rovers. In this activity, we had to work in a team of four and guide a robot around a Martian grid of rocks and gold using French words.

The next activity that we did was learning about a concrete 3D printer, in this activity, we listened to a concrete specialist tell us all about concrete and the 3D printing process. And then we had lunch at a wonderful cafe.

After lunch, we had an amazing 3D film about our solar system in English and French, which was fantastic with the film going through each planet and its properties. This was one of the best activities with a wonderful lady running it who was happy to answer our questions. 

The second last activity was learning about water management and the government platypus program which had a platypus expert and a French exchange student talking to us about their water tank program which aims to help protect the platypus’s environments and make their lives better. Finally, we had a VR biology experience which allowed us to see the nerve system, bones and blood streams. It was truly amazing to see all of this right in front of our eyes.

On behalf of all of the students we want to say thank you to Madame Rémont for taking the time to look after us, and thanks to Swinburne University and Alliance Francais for hosting this wonderful event. 

James Davidson, Year 9

 2024 BERTHE MOUCHETTE COMPETITION

Now that the Berthe Mouchette Competition is over, we would like to invite you to read a student’s reflection on the event. 

Jennifer Lynd

Languages Learning Area Manager

The Berthe Mouchette Competition was an opportunity for students who expressed interest in French. The Berthe Mouchette Competition was available for students from primary level to students in Year 12. The two components of the competition were Speaking and Writing. The writing was only available to students in Years 9-12. 

Being a Year 8 enthusiastic about the French language I signed up for the competition and practised the poem. The poems were varied in difficulty for each year level. The poem which I was assigned was relating to the athletes competing in the Olympics. Each time I read the poem I could feel my pronunciation getting more authentic. 

When the day had come to recite the poem in front of the assessor, I could feel each individual bead of sweat on my forehead. I walked into the room, respectfully greeting the assessor in French. Thank god the assessor was behind a screen because my legs were shaking like sticks in the wind. I recited my poem with a quivering voice trying to pronounce the fine details of each word. After a stressful 120 seconds, I walked out of the room recovering my breath. After the Berthe Mouchette Competition, my French has improved and so has my interest in the subject. 

The Berthe Mouchette Competition was a great opportunity and a challenging experience for all students involved.

Dishan Shanmuganathan, Year 8