Teaching & Learning

Year 10 English

Please enjoy a sample of the Year 10 writing portfolios:

Letter To Home 

By Rain L

Marina stared quietly at the letter, biting her nails profusely to the sound of her heart pounding heavily, filling the deafening silence. The letter had arrived in the mailbox earlier in the morning but she had put it aside up until this moment, nervous but excited with anticipation of what was inside the letter. She could feel the pressure of every beat pushing up against her chest, like it was ready to burst out at any moment and break the silence that filled the air. Trying to find a distraction to ease the nerves, she stared out of the kitchen window, towards the setting sun that had begun illuminating rays of crimson and gold against the evening sky, tinting the clouds ever so slightly with glimmers of orange, matching the sand that laid beneath. 

Through the corner of her eyes, amidst all the trees, one stood out to her like a sore thumb. Marina noticed a fallen gumtree from the near distance that had fallen brutally onto the front fence, from the strong storm that occurred the night before, causing it to stagger backwards from the sudden pressure. The tree had broken into two halves, with the hard fibrous strings wrapped around parts of the root plate that had exposed onto the soil surface. Even from afar, the smell of the sweet, minty, camphorous eucalyptus leaves filled the kitchen air. The scent was sharper than usual from the tree barks of the fallen gum tree that emitted its scent. She closed her eyes, drawing in a big breath to capture as much of the eucalyptus aroma as possible, feeling its therapeutic properties slowly trickling into her body working to ease the irregular beats. Marina glanced back at the table, staring at the letter which had made its way onto the other side of the counter from the wind's breeze. She stared at it for a little while longer before deciding to reach over the table to finally open it. 

She didn’t know what to feel, an assortment of emotions were rushing through her head, unable to express a definite one. She  was happy when she received the letter earlier in the morning from the mailman, but as the day went by, now evening, she was nervous and feared to find out the unknown contents hidden inside a thin piece of paper. Multiple thoughts began to pop into her head, and her heart started to race again. Was it going to be what she anticipated? Or would it be news that she dreaded never wanting to receive? Taking in another dose of eucalyptus, Marina calmed herself down before using the tip of nails to glide through the seal of the envelope. 

This was the moment… She placed her hands inside, grabbing the letter out and began reading what was written inside. She placed her pointer finger onto the letter and moved it, following every word she read out loud, feeling the smoothness of the ink that made it slightly easier for her to move it along the rough letter that felt like sandpaper against her fingernails. Marina came to a halt, an immediate ease began to kick in, something had caught her attention, it was a small drawing of a callistemon flower with the words “always my little flower” written below. She swept her finger across the drawing again, longingly giggling to herself, unable to stop smiling long enough to concentrate on the present. Marina leapt off of her chair and started twirling and dancing over to the other side of the kitchen and back. She'd never been so thrilled to receive a gift, let alone a letter. But this was different, It was more than just a piece of paper; it was from her husband, and it provided answers to the questions that had been tormenting her all day. She was able to confirm that he was safe and alive despite being miles away in the midst of a bloody battle. Marina continued to twirl for another minute before pausing to recover her breath and reread the letter. She wanted to write back, she wanted to prepare something special, something warm to send to her husband. She walked over to the collection of books where she kept all her homemade recipes and searched through page by page until she found what she was looking for. Red cross biscuits... sweet, buttery, and chewy made with rolled oats and touches of desiccated coconut, it was one of her husband's favourites. 

After putting the cookies to bake, Marina leaned back against the oven, her back brushing against the oven door, feeling its warmth radiating within her. She softly placed them on her chest, trying to find the missing warmth she desired but couldn't. She never got a chance to say goodbye to her husband as soldiers broke into their home unannounced and hauled him away right in front of her eyes. She felt powerless at the time, unable to do anything to stop them. Her heart began to race as she wondered if her husband was well, if he had been hurt or injured, but all she could do now was to hope for was that these cookies, coupled with rosemary and eucalyptus leaves from the garden, would offer him with some warmth and bring him a little closer to home.

Unnamed Story

By Sienna F

The breeze was overbearing, it made my ears feel hollow, almost like a seashell, drowning out all other sounds. For some reason I could still hear the red dirt stained with my brother and sister's blood crush under the wheels, exploding as the wheels ran over the uneven surfaces. My eyes felt heavy, like the buckets of water mum used to make me carry from the farmhouse, somehow I still remember that through all the other things. I wanted to close my eyes so bad, the urge to do so was so compelling. Just to sleep and dream of a better reality. I didn’t want to face them, not yet at least. Although I was tired, my stomach churned in anxiety. I was bouncing my leg up and down in anticipation, waiting for the moment where the hairs on my arms stood on end from familiarity. I leaned my head against the arch of the car window, every pothole we drove over causing my head to bounce against the glass causing me to wince. I let my eyes follow the passing trees, vanishing so quickly like the moments I spent without them, so close yet so far at the same time. Still in a trance by the vibrant blur of green, I let my fingers glide over the leather of the car door, trying to find a dip in the smooth surface indicating I had found the window lever. I let my fingertips hover over the cold metal and brass, deciding whether or not  I wanted to put the window down. 

The strong breeze overcame my senses, immediately coming as a shock to my system, waking me from my sleepy state. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion and concentration, it finally hit me that I might not be what they wanted. I had changed so much from what I remember as a little girl. I changed too much. I’m not gonna be who they want me to be, they aren’t going to love me after all this time…Did they even miss me? Did they even fight to get me back after all these years?To be honest,  I don’t remember what my last memory with them was. Hiding under the tractor out back, covered in rust and cobwebs from the lack of attention, that was until my ankles were yanked like a dog and I was gone. I remember the red dirt burning my hands as they dragged me across the barren ground. The faint scars that remind me of my fighting. If only I knew what I know now back then… that it would take more than me just running away to fix the problem. 

I ran my tongue over my bottom lip, tucking my top lip under my bottom teeth. Biting hard, trying to get myself to feel some sort of pain, trying to wake me from the daze I was so deeply in.  I pushed my head back against the headrest, sighing, taking a deep breath in, trying to calm my building nerves. My hands bunched the hem of my dress that laid on the mid of my thighs. As I rolled my head to the side, the sun pierced through the window gap at a bright angle, forcing me to squint my eyes. 

I sat up trying to avoid the direct radiance of the sun, and then, that's when I saw them, the trees, the tall native eucalyptus. So secluded they were, standing taller than anything else around, the only being to stand here after all these years. It brought me comfort. To know that some things don’t change. Your mind, your self consciousness, tends to convince you that the only consistent thing in life is yourself. However, when you see outside that confinement,or more so, when you look past your own self, you find, sometimes, things do stay the same. I couldn't help but let the corners of my mouth raise ever so slightly, closing my eyes, finally breathing in. The smells of dry, arid hot air and eucalyptus mixed in with the smell of burnt bush filled my nostrils. Even after all these years, it still smelt the same, and I recognized it. This feeling I was engrossed in, was a feeling I had never felt after being taken away. Nostalgia. 

Without realizing it, I was starting to break out into a full beam smile. My smile lines creasing into my face unpractised by the movement, for the first time in years. I stuck my body out the window, my waist stopping me from tipping out of the moving car, I arched my back, letting the wind pick up hair, brushing it away from my face. I was smiling, I was fully smiling. The hot sun beat down onto my skin, illuminating something inside of me I hadn’t felt since I was a young tidda. Little tears pricked in the corner of my eyes, blurring my vision. I held my breath for that moment, letting all the sounds and smells overwhelm my senses, then I released. Every bit of anxiety in my body leaves from every crack and crevice possible. I felt at peace at this very moment, I felt content. And I was okay.

The car started to slow, the wheels dispersing the rocks beneath finally halted. I abruptly tilted my head to the side while still half hanging out of the car window. There they were. Standing on the worn -down veranda that looked to be peeling with 20-year-old paint. The woman's hands clutched tightly against her chest. The taller man's arm was thrown around her shoulders in comfort. My lips parted, no air escaping my lungs, I was frozen, and the same appeared to happen to them. My eyes were enlarged, darting all over, I couldn't see straight, but then, a word I hadn’t heard in what felt like eternity found my ears. 

“M-Miki…?”

I was finally home.  I wasn’t leaving this time. 

Melbourne Travel Brochure

By Jack Y

Humanities

National History Challenge

Congratulations to William D for his entry entitled "War in the Asia-Pacific: What were the causes and long and

short-term consequences of the Wars in the Asia-Pacific region (1937-1945)?". He is in the running for some serious prizes- stay posted.

Victorian Schools Parliamentary Convention

Diego S and Henry Clarke represented CHS at the recent parliamentary convention, debating the topic of representation quotas in elections. 

Jaan Butler

Year 11 History Guest Speaker

In History, year 11 students have been learning about the Cold War, in particular, the Berlin Wall. They had the opportunity to ask Ilona Gurter questions about her life on the East side of the Berlin Wall.  Ilona lives in Canberra and so students participated in a Q and A session over zoom. Not only did Ilona live in East Germany, she also witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall and was able to provide unique insight into this period of History. It was fascinating to hear about these historic moments first hand.

Amanda Haan

Year 11 Mentors

In Week 8, the Year 11s were given the opportunity to lead a lesson about one of Coburg High’s core values, that being: community, excellence, integrity or curiosity, and to teach the Year 7s what one of those values mean. They were split into groups of 5-10 and given the task of creating a presentation and teaching the Year 7s, what these values mean, how they can be represented, and the benefits of displaying these values. The Year 11s and Year 7s had a great time with the engaging presentations, which included activities such as Kahoots and other fun games. This activity allowed Year 11 students to develop their leadership skills further and gave the Year 7s the chance to better understand Coburg High School’s core values, and how they can implement these values to create positive change.

Joshua R

English Language

In Term 3, English Language students considered the changes that have occurred in English from its development as a Proto-Indo-European language to the globalised influences on English today. They explored some of the major events that have helped drive English along its way, such as the invention of the invention of the printing press, the creation of the dictionary, the impact of invasions and incursions and how English has been influenced based on societal changes. Leading into term 4 we have begun looking at the impact English has had in a globalised context, and what this means in terms of language endangerment and death.

Pictured here are students conducting scribe work such as would have occurred prior to the invention of the printing press, with some lucky students able to emulate the efficiency of the printing press using customisable stamps. 

Did you know?

Between the time of the invention of the printing press until the time Samuel Johnson published his English dictionary the sounds of English underwent a systematic change, specifically with its vowels.  Unfortunately, the spelling system had been mostly standardised by the end of this three hundred year shift, which accounts for some of the inconsistencies we have in English with the way vowels pronounced compared to how they appear in the written form.

Selina Dennis

Food Technology

The Food Technology students have been cooking up a storm in the kitchen. The year 9s have been perfecting their dumpling making and the year 10s made nutritious Mexican bowls and delicious focaccia learning about yeast!

Spiced beef taco bowl with beans and vegetables

Serves 1

Ingredients:

Spiced beef:

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 brown onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 150g beef mince
• 1/4 cup chicken broth (¼ cup water and ¼ tsp chicken stock powder) 
• A pinch of sea salt
• 1 tbsp Taco spice mix  

Toppings and base:

• ½  cup cooked quinoa or brown rice
• ¼ punnet of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• ¼ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup canned corn kernels, drained and rinsed
• ¼  carrot, grated
• ¼ cup handful grated cheese (more if you wish)
• 1 handful fresh coriander leaves
• 1 handful sliced spring onion
• ¼ avocado, mashed
• 1 tsp lime juice 
• 1 handful plain corn chips (look for varieties made from just corn, oil and salt), to serve
• Hot sauce (for those who like heat), to serve

Method

1. Add olive oil to a pan and heat over medium heat on the stove. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook until soft.
2. Add garlic and cook for a minute, add mince and taco mix and cook until brown. 
3. Cook quinoa by placing ½ cup of quinoa in a pot with ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat and set the pot aside.
4. Then add the broth to the meat mixture, stir and simmer until it becomes a thick sauce.
5. Prepare your additional ingredients such as: 
   - Draining the black beans and corn kernels
   - Grating the carrot
   - Chopping the coriander and spring onion
   - Mashing the avocado
6. Arrange all ingredients in the bowl, this can be done in different sections or by layering them. Serve with corn chips and lemon wedges.