English & Languages 

A week of books and writers

I wish to thank all of the staff and students who embraced this year’s Festival of Writers, making it one of the best celebrations we have delivered thus far. In particular, thank you to the fabulous English Department for the imagination and creative joy that they brought to the festival.

We hosted a veritable smorgasbord of workshops for students – such as the Year 7 Fairy Tale Workshop, delivered by local writer Prema Arusu, whose poetry and short stories The Book of Sea Monsters and Vampire Squid fit marvellously with our recent exploration of Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales. 

Our Year 10 students were graced with a compelling, hands-on Macbeth workshop that invited them to extend from page to stage, focusing on how theatre companies physically present characters and ideas, extending from tell to show. We are deeply indebted to the talented team from The Black Swan Theatre Company for the beautifully tailored workshop that they prepared. 

Year 11 ATAR students were presented with a workshop from the Holocaust Institute of Western Australia that provided context to their study of Art Spiegelman’s acclaimed graphic novel Maus. While this workshop was confronting, for some of our students it provided a deeper context in which to consider this novel. The Black Swan Theatre Company also delivered a page-to-stage workshop on Hamlet for Year 11 ATAR Literature students, rounding out the series with a final workshop to come - by Claire Jones from the English Teachers Association of Western Australia, presenting to our Year 12 ATAR Literature students in the lead-up to their mock examinations.

Book Week also included a Book Swap, Poetry Scavenger Hunt, Book Week Quiz, Design Your Cover Page Competition, The Rock Star or Writer Quiz and the Flash Fiction Competition. The Library Team provided generous support through A Week of Reading and to the Staff Dress-Up. Particular mention is due to Annie Demosthenous, from the English Department, who made herself into the dangerous yellow car from The Great Gatsby and to Lisa Quartermain from Marketing who turned herself into nine-year-old Russell from the animated film Up.

Congratulations to the following students, who were awarded prizes after participating in the Book Week Parade: Abbey Brewer, Miu Kanemitsu, Haena Kim, Aiyshah Sultana, Chloe Huynh Sienna Karl, Frankie Rowcliff, Jethro Field, Chloe Zhang, and Henry Bell. Mandela 6 and Gandhi 7 won their respective quizzes.

Having awarded all the prizes and signed off on another year of Book Week, I would like to acknowledge two discoveries. 1: If you choose to dress yourself as an obscure symbol, like a lamp, from a 101-year-old novel, you can count on having to explain yourself at least twenty times that day. 2: Nobody looks good in a helmet, not even David Bowie.

“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us."  - The Great Gatsby.

Damien Kerrigan

Head of Learning Area - English

Dim sum makes learning fun

Our Year 8 Chinese students spent a sunny morning out and about in Northbridge at an excursion involving 10 schools, organised by the Chinese Language Teachers’ Association of WA. We all came together in the heart of Chinatown to learn more about Chinese culture and to use the language in authentic contexts.

Our day began with a walk to VHT Perth Supermarket. At this large Asian grocery store, students completed a scavenger hunt and bought an array of snacks for recess. We ate these at Washing Lane, named after the Wah Shing family who manufactured furniture in the area between 1898 and 1968. Being on foot allowed us to spot Chinese characters on signs and peer into shop windows. 

A highlight of the day was undoubtedly the interactive lion dance workshop at the Chung Wah hall on James St. We joined our friends from John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School to learn about lion dancing and try the routines for ourselves. Some of our students were even fortunate enough to wear the lion costumes and play the percussion instruments. This hands-on activity gave us an appreciation for the skill, focus and athleticism that lion dancing requires.

We took advantage of the fine weather and enjoyed a rest break at Northbridge Piazza. This was the perfect time to kick a footy or to try to keep a shuttlecock in the air. This ancient sport, called jiànzi, is popular among the young and old alike in China and is often played in public parks. 

Our dim sum lunch at Fortune 5 on James St was both delicious and plentiful. Many students tried something new or enjoyed old favourites, such as fried rice. The lunch began with a quiz that tested our knowledge of China’s history and geography. One of our students, Flora, won a prize!

After lunch, we had the privilege of attending a presentation by Kaylene Poon, a fourth-generation Chinese-Australian who has worked tirelessly to research and record the history of the Chinese community in W.A. Having grown up next door to the Chung Wah hall, she had many fascinating stories to share with us. Kaylene told us about Moon Chow, the first documented Chinese migrant in W.A. His story began with a shipwreck that left him stranded in Fremantle in 1830 and ended tragically when he was fatally struck by a horse and cart. His death led to the introduction of road rules and speed limits! Kaylene graciously gave up her time to educate us and answer our questions.

Overall, the excursion taught us that we don’t have to venture far to put our language skills into action. We can start in our own communities! Thank you to the CLTAWA, Ms de Witt (Foreign Languages Coordinator) and Ms Harris (Education Assistant) for their support. 

Tamsin Sykiotis

Teacher Librarian