English/Mathematics News
English News
It has been another productive term in the English faculty, with each year group remaining engaged and inspired through a range of interesting texts and topics.
Our Year 7 and 8 Young Achievers classes have been working through a novel study of ‘Hana’s Suitcase’ – a moving true story about a family’s experience during the Holocaust. The students have been inspired by the perseverance shown by these individuals in times of such darkness. Their learning has been supported by a visit to the Sydney Jewish Museum where they engaged with the various exhibitions, and listened to the testimony of a Holocaust survivor. We are very much looking forward to their multimodal projects due at the end of term.
Mainstream Year 8 classes have just concluded their study of their ‘Coming of Age’ unit where each class studied a novel dealing with various issues about growing up. They are to be commended on their mature approach to the topic and their diligence in preparing for their essay task. Year 9 have engaged with poetry that explores a myriad of global issues. They have been challenged and affirmed by their investigations and as a result, have strengthened their critical thinking and creativity skills. Our Year 10 classes explored how meaning is made in documentaries, and have recently begun a new topic based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
Our Year 11 students have just submitted their multimodal tasks based on their prescribed texts. Standard students studied a topic called ‘Contemporary Possibilities’ wherein they explored texts that raise a number of different societal issues in mediums such as podcasts and film. Our Advanced students completed a topic called ‘Narratives that Shape Our World’ which looks at how culturally important texts, such as Citizen Kane, The Great Gatsby and the Secret River comment on, affirm and challenges our values and attitudes.
I speak for the whole faculty when I say I am a little saddened about how quickly this term has passed. For us, it means that we are in our last module with our Year 12 students, and working towards final preparations for their Trial HSC and HSC exams. We’ve been impressed by their motivation and desire to continually improve.
What Matters?
We have just received some exciting news in the English faculty. Year 9 students Tram Nguyen and Yasmine Webb have both made the shortlist for this year's What Matters? writing competition. This is a nation-wide competition where students are challenged to submit a piece of writing highlighting what matters to them.
This is the 2nd year in a row Henry Kendall High School has had a student shortlisted in this competition. Congratulations to Tram and Yasmine, as well as Ms Selsby (teacher of Tram) and Miss Fitzgerald (teacher of Yasmine) for supporting their students with their entries.
Tram wrote about fiction and imagination in an engaging persuasive response, while Yasmine submitted a beautiful poem about small tokens of kindness. You can find their responses at the following site, under the Year 9/10 Shortlisted entries.
https://www.whitlam.org/what-matters-2019-shortlist
We'll find out if they have received first place or runner up in the coming weeks.
Mr Blake Wawrzyk
Head Teacher English
Chess Challenge
On 19 June Henry Kendall High School competed in the Central Coast division of the Inter-school Chess Challenge. The school was represented by John Batuyong, Kasm Al Rubayi, Cooper Schoch and Joshua Ghali. Well done to these students on the way they played the game!
Mathematics News
It has been an extremely busy term in Mathematics. Years 7 – 10 (Stages 4 and 5) completed their Term 2 assessment tasks in weeks 3, 4 and 5 and have since engaged in feedback and self-reflection processes. All students have access to an online mathematics program called MathsOnline, which involves practicing skills and concepts learnt in class in order to deepen understanding. Students are encouraged to utilise this resource for further revision opportunities at home. Important: if students lose/forget their passwords they simply need to ask their Classroom Teacher for it again.
Year 11 and 12 (Stage 6) mathematics students have also just completed their Term 2 Assessment Tasks in Weeks 9 and 10. Results will be distributed to the students first week back in Term 3. Students are expected to engage in a feedback process to determine where weaknesses lie and what areas need further revision in order to attain a deeper understanding of skills and applications. Students are welcome to make appointments with their class teacher in order to help determine the most suitable form of revision as we lead up in to the next assessment tasks in Term 3.
For Year 12, the next assessment task is the Trial HSC and all students are strongly advised to treat the upcoming holiday period as a break to STUDY/revise/refine skills. Similarly, for Year 11, this break should be utilised to engage in revision for the upcoming Year 11 Final Examinations at the end of Term 3.
Ms Jo Knight
Head Teacher Mathematics