Middle School

Time to Reflect

In our fast-paced world, finding moments to slow down and reflect can be challenging, especially for our young students.  This term, our Year 9 Religion students have embraced the opportunity to pause and contemplate.  As part of their studies, they engaged in a reflective exercise where they wrote heartfelt prayers for our school community.  This reflective activity allowed the students to not only express their thoughts and feelings but also to develop a sense of empathy and solidarity.  They realised the power of prayer and the importance of taking time to think about the well-being of others.  We are incredibly proud of our Year 9 students for their thoughtful and sincere contributions.  Let us take a page from our Year 9 students' book and remember the importance of slowing down, reflecting, and supporting one another in our community.

em to be compassionate leaders in our diverse world.

Ms Hannah Hale

Religion Learning Leader

Macbeth

As a part of our study of Macbeth, a troupe of actors from Eagle’s Nest Theatre visited our Year 10s and performed for them the Scottish play.  The performance was an engaging and authentic way to support students’ study of Shakespeare and helped them clarify and further their understanding - a play, after all, must be performed.  But don’t take my word for it, here’s what our budding young Shakespearen scholars had to say:

The Shakespeare performance was enjoyable and enticing to watch, from the portrayal of characters to the interesting stage direction.  The ability of the actors to play multiple roles as well as utilise the space was impressive.  The opportunity to ask questions and hear the interpretations of various aspects of Macbeth from the actors themselves was insightful and useful in our final analysis assessment.  As we were able to hear and see diverse perspectives and analogies, this performance was overall exciting and inspiring to watch. 

- Wynter Challis

The actors in the Shakespeare performance captured the emotions and behaviours of each character differently to how we originally perceived them.  For example, they showed how Lady Macbeth was loving towards her husband and supportive of him, rather than how she used and manipulated him to reach her dark desires.  The theme of guilt was explored, and when I asked questions about it, they provided me with detailed answers. They elaborated on how guilt affects Lady Macbeth and Macbeth differently, and how it drove them to their downfalls.  This was a very insightful experience!

- Kylah Ginnane

The Shakespeare performance was a very helpful experience and greatly benefitted my study.  I loved how the actors always made us laugh and were always doing something funny with their faces.  It made me feel inspired to write about the characters and their experiences in a 21st century context and explore their universally experienced emotions. The opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session helped me analyse Lady Macbeth's intentions and guilt.  Overall, the performance was a wonderful experience and I loved their kindness in helping us write a better essay. 

- Siona Sarma

We were lucky enough to view the play Macbeth performed live for us, and this assisted us in visualising parts of the play and to understand the motivations of the characters much more.  We were able to analyse and consider the events in a more in-depth way.  I enjoyed the characterisation of Lady Macbeth and Banquo and found the interpretation of their motivations and characters very interesting.  It was an amazing experience that would be valuable for any class learning any of Shakespeare’s works. 

- Kayla Hanley

Mr Andrew McLeod

English Learning Leader