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English News

End Of Term 2:

English News

As Semester One draws to a close, the English team would like to acknowledge the wonderful work taking place across all year levels. 

With a focus on deepening analytical thinking, nurturing creativity, and strengthening core literacy skills, our students have engaged with a broad range of texts and activities. Here’s a snapshot of the term: 

 

Mainstream English Classes 

  • Year 7: Students have delved into the eerie world of Coraline, exploring themes of bravery, family, and identity through rich discussions and creative responses. 
  • Year 8: The classic novel Holes has sparked curiosity, with students examining character development and the intertwining of past and present narratives. 
  • Year 9: Having completed their study of Hatchet, students are now transitioning into a Growing Up unit, where personal growth and adolescent challenges will be key themes. 
  • Year 10: Students have been introduced to Argument Analysis, developing skills that will form the foundation for success in VCE English. 

Advanced English Classes 

  • Year 7 Advanced: Through Trash, students have explored themes of poverty, corruption, and justice while honing their skills in analytical writing. 
  • Year 8 Advanced: A study of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has offered insights into neurodivergence, fostering empathy and critical engagement with perspective and voice. 
  • Year 9 Advanced: Students have taken on To Kill a Mockingbird, examining justice, prejudice, and moral growth through a literary and historical lens. 
  • Year 10 Advanced: A dual focus on Argument Analysis and Fundamentals of Grammar is equipping students with the technical and analytical precision necessary for VCE. 

VCE English 

  • Year 11: Students have explored the iconic Australian film The Castle and are currently crafting their own texts under the theme of Crisis. Oral presentations are also underway. 
  • Year 12: With Sunset Boulevard as the core text, students are analysing filmic elements and representations of fame, delusion, and decline. Their creative writing is shaped around the theme of Personal Journeys, and oral SACs have begun. 

 

What’s Coming Up 

  • Exam Feedback: With exams completed, the focus now shifts to feedback and consolidation. Teachers are encouraged to use this opportunity to target key growth areas as students enter Semester Two. 
  • South Oakleigh College Inaugural Writing Competition: We're excited to launch our first-ever whole-school writing competition. Stay tuned for more details on how to get involved. 

Welcome Semester 2! A new semester brings new opportunities to put feedback into action, refine our practice, and continue fostering a love of English in all its forms. Thank you to all staff for their continued dedication and creativity. 

 

Victorian High Ability Program – Term 2 Highlights 

This term, Masaki Ng, Alexander Archer, Harrison Cook, Carlos Gaitan, Seth Hall, Harry McKinnon Spyros Saisanas, Divyam Setia and Mars Cruickshank were selected to participate in the Victorian High Ability Program (VHAP) in  English. 

 

This Department of Education initiative provides enrichment opportunities for high-achieving students, allowing them to explore advanced content beyond the standard classroom curriculum. 

 

In English, students engaged in high-level discussions about texts, explored authorial intent, and refined both their analytical and creative writing. The program focused on expanding students’ thinking, encouraging deeper interpretations and sophisticated responses to literature. 

After nine weeks, the program came to an end. The outcome was incredibly valuable,

 

The VHAP program ran for nine weeks and was delivered online by specialist educators. 

 

Our students embraced the experience with curiosity and confidence, demonstrating excellent commitment to their learning. 

 

We congratulate all participants on their achievements and look forward to seeing how they continue to extend their learning in the future. 

2025 Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge

 

The Challenge is still on till Friday 5th of September. Plenty of time to get those 10 Premiers’ books under your belt including 5 of your personal choice. Sign up now if you haven’t already!!

Remember this challenge is all about helping young Victorians discover new books, and the SOC library is fully equipped with all the new releases, best sellers, biographies, graphic novels, classics etc etc

And this year the Challenge is even more special – celebrating its 20th birthday!

Over the past 20 years, more than 4.5 million young Victorians have taken up the Challenge – and we’re thrilled that you're joining them. If you're looking for more – you can follow the official Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge Facebook page and join a community of participating parents, teachers and families or even better visit the SOC library.

 

Good luck to everyone picking up a book this year, and most importantly, happy reading!

https://www.booktopia.com.au/victorian-prc-titles-2025-high-school/series12119.html

All available in the SOC library and on our eBook platform

 

Logging in with an eduPass account 1. Go to the Challenge application.

2. Select the School/Student button.

3. Select the eduPass login option. This will redirect you to the eduPass authentication page.

4. Enter your username and password. This will redirect you back to the Challenge application.

If your eduPass details are incorrect, speak to the library manager. (same login as Teams)