Department News

Languages Department

As we begin our language learning in Term 2, we are shining a spotlight on four Year 8 students who are currently studying Chinese Mandarin. Their responses give us an insight into their language learning experience. Here’s what they have to say:

My name is Lola Abraham

When did you start learning Chinese?

This year (2023)

What aspects of learning Chinese do you enjoy?

When we get to practice our pronunciation one on one with the teacher

What aspects of learning Chinese do you find challenging?

The tone marks on the letters because it is hard to remember them as they are so similar. 

How would you explain the Chinese language to someone who has never studied it?

It is a pictorial language that is quite fun to draw.

What have you learned about Chinese culture during your study of Chinese?

I have learnt that there are appropriate gifts for different ages and some of them are disrespectful. It is a cultural experience with many different food types and celebrations to explore.

What would you say to a student who was thinking about learning Chinese?

Make sure that you are willing to study hard and put in the effort. It will get easier the more that you study and remember.

Why do you think it is important to learn a second language?      

Then you can understand another culture and you can broaden your understanding of the language. You can also impress people who already know the language.     

My name is Zahra Oh

When did you start learning Chinese?

I started in year 5 at Primary school and decided to continue on with the language in High School to deepen my Chinese language understanding.

What aspects of learning Chinese do you enjoy?

I enjoy being at the Zoom lesson as I can thoroughly interact with my teacher and get real-time feedback.

What aspects of learning Chinese do you find challenging?

The pronunciation is an aspect that is challenging as there is a big difference from the English language.

How would you explain the Chinese language to someone who has never studied it?

It is difficult to learn any new language but it is rewarding as there are so many benefits to learning a second language, one being widening your global perspective.

What have you learned about Chinese culture during your study of Chinese?

We have learnt about the many festivals in Chinese Culture. We also have studied the gifts people receive for birthdays in China.

What would you say to a student who was thinking about learning Chinese?

I would say to give it a go! Chinese is a fun language to learn as well as there are teachers to help and encourage you.

Why do you think it is important to learn a second language?

I think it is important to learn a second language because it can have so many benefits for you and others. These include improving your memory and boosting brain power.  It also can connect you with understanding other cultures and people around the world.

Safira Sutarto

 When did you start learning Chinese?

 07/02/23

What aspects of learning Chinese do you enjoy?

I enjoy how in some lessons, we have the opportunity to learn in class on our own, using Education Perfect and Meg-Languages, while in other lessons, we are fortunate enough to have Zoom meetings with teachers from the other side of the globe.

What aspects of learning Chinese do you find challenging?

Some difficult aspects of learning Chinese would have to be learning characters, the unique structure and the pronunciation system with “tones”

How would you explain the Chinese language to someone who has never studied it?

The way I would explain the Chinese language to someone who has never studied it would be all the key highlights of learning it and the positive aspects when using it in the real world. Having to learn all the ways of pronouncing, writing and memorizing would be worth it to be able to interact with people from other cultures and ethnicities through one language.

 What have you learned about Chinese culture during your study of Chinese?

The things about the Chinese culture, that I learnt were famous cultural landmarks, some of which are listed in the UNESCO world heritage list, such as The Forbidden City, The Great Wall of China, the Temple of Heaven, and Tiananmen Square, not to mention its major cities as well as Shanghai and Beijing. Another part that I have learned about Chinese culture is their holidays and the traditions they celebrate, even learning about some features that would be considered bad luck in their culture.

 What would you say to a student who was thinking about learning Chinese?

I would encourage her/him to give it a try, informing them of all the main benefits such as earning more knowledge, improving your IQ and getting to know the culture.

Why do you think it is important to learn a second language?

I think it is important to learn another language because it gives you many opportunities in the future, allowing you, to have a higher chance of securing a job, socializing with others and building connections.

I am Jordana Agus

When did you start learning Chinese?

I began learning Chinese this year (2023) for languages. 

What aspects of learning Chinese do you enjoy?

I enjoy learning new vocabulary and learning how to use it in everyday scenarios such as introducing myself or a friend. I also enjoy learning the concepts because it makes it easier to create our own sentences with the words that I have learned.

What aspects of learning Chinese do you find challenging?

I find remembering what tone marks to place on top of the letter, challenging because they look similar. 

How would you explain the Chinese language to someone who has never studied it?

The Chinese official writing system is the characters which is a pictorial way of writing as each character can be seen as a drawing of a particular object. The pinyin is used to help us learn the pronunciation of the word. 

What have you learned about Chinese culture during your study of Chinese?

I have learnt about the prominent landmarks and monuments in China. This includes the terracotta warriors, the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and many more, each with a special meaning behind it. I have also learnt about appropriate gifts as a birthday present, for example, a newborn baby can be given a longevity lock to ensure a long life. Also, a gift that is appropriate for all ages would be the red packets with money or peach buns. 

What would you say to a student who was thinking about learning Chinese?

I would say that Chinese is an enjoyable language to learn if you continue to revise the vocabulary that you have learnt so that you are familiar with it and their meaning. A good way to do this would be to create flashcards with the pinyin/character on the front and the English translation on the back. Although Chinese vowels have a different sound to English ones and some letters are pronounced differently, with practice and time you will get used to it. 

Why do you think it is important to learn a second language?

It is important to learn a second language because it allows you to learn the culture and values of other nationalities and it also improves your listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Learning a second language can also make it easier to learn another language and improves your memory, attention span as well as your problem-solving skills and concentration. 

Janine Christofides

Head of Languages

Music Department

The Music department is currently preparing for our end of Semester concert “Swinging Down to Rio” on 16th June. The concert will feature our Junior Orchestra, College Orchestra and College Choir. More details to come soon!

Our Junior music classes are currently working towards their performance assessments this term. To assist the girls with their preparation, students in Years 7 and 8 can now take violins home to practice. We hope the girls take advantage of this opportunity and are able to show you what they have been learning in class so far!

This year we teamed up with the Drama department and took our elective classes on an excursion to see Hairspray the Musical. We love taking the students to see live performances and this one did not disappoint. It was a fun, colourful and lively show and the students really enjoyed the experience!

Jacqui Hanniffy      

Head of Music   

P.D.H.P.E Department

P.D.H.P.E programs aim to enable students to develop the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that are required to lead and promote healthy, safe and active lives. 

In particular, the practical component of P.D.H.P.E, known as Physical Education, aims to promote physical activity, health, fitness and overall well-being amongst our students. To achieve these goals, practical lessons in P.D.H.P.E often include a variety of activities such as team sports, individual sports, fitness training and outdoor activities. These activities can help students develop a range of physical skills, including hand-eye coordination, balance, endurance, strength and flexibility. 

In addition to the physical benefits, physical education can also have mental health benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, improving mood and self-esteem and promoting social networks and teamwork. P.D.H.P.E programs play an important role in promoting healthy lifestyles and supporting the well-being of our students. 

With this in mind, the P.D.H.P.E Department is now full steam ahead with our Personal Development, Health and Physical Education programs for Term 2. Here is what we are up to in our practical lessons:

Years 7-10 P.D.H.P.E

P.D.H.P.E students across Years 7-10 have now started a practical unit on Athletics, in preparation for the College Athletics Carnival. Students have been learning about the correct technique for high jump and athletics throws, such as shot put, discus and javelin. It is always wonderful to see that the girls are keen to get points for their house at these events on carnival day. 

Students in Years 7-10 will also engage in a variety of units on Fitness, where they will participate in numerous fitness activities, such as exercise circuits, HIIT classes and various measurements of fitness. Fitness measurements will include the beep test for cardiorespiratory endurance, the Illinois agility run, standing long jump tests for leg power, the sit and reach test for flexibility, and further testing on reaction time, strength, speed, balance and coordination. Engaging in fitness measurements and comparing results with age norms is a great way for students to identify their areas of strength and areas for improvement in their fitness levels. It can also help them to set goals for themselves and work towards achieving those goals. We hope to see improvements in fitness levels for all of our students by the end of Term 2!

Years 9 and 10 PASS Elective Courses

For the first time, our 10 PASS students will have the opportunity to participate in two new units of work: Circus Skills and Skate! We are excited to introduce these into the PASS course.  Circus skills are a fantastic way to develop strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination. Many circus skills also require students to work with other students to execute a routine or perform a skill. This will help to develop teamwork and communication skills that can be useful in other group work or team sports. 

Learning to skate can be quite challenging. With qualified instructors we aim to break down the barriers to skating for the students, with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, giving students a pathway to gain skills and confidence and to understand skatepark etiquette! For these lessons, students will be provided with protective equipment and skateboards and will participate in skate obstacles and learn to ride in an easily accessible and safe way.

Our 9 PASS students will be participating in the practical unit ‘Recreational Pursuits’, which will correspond with the unit of work they will be studying in a class called ‘Lifestyle Leisure and Recreation’. Here the students will be provided with opportunities to participate in lifelong recreational and leisure pursuits such as yoga, pilates, tai chi, table tennis, ultimate frisbee, croquet and finska, to challenge the perceptions they hold about the value of leisure and recreation activities as viable and rewarding forms of physical activity.

Years 11 & 12 PDHPE

As we head towards the end of the semester, our Year 11 & 12 P.D.H.P.E and CAFS students will be preparing for their upcoming assessments. We wish them all the best as they study and prepare over the coming weeks. 

Vanessa Culhane

Head of PDHPE