English at KSC

2019 Enlgish

It has been an exciting and challenging year in English at Kurunjang Secondary College.

It has been a hectic year for VCE students, and in particular Year 12 students, who had been working hard all year to prepare for the final exam. Students covered a range of texts along with developing their analytical and written skills. I would like to thank the students for their perseverance and effort throughout the year and on behalf of the Year 12 English staff we wish them the best for their future.

For the current Year 11 students, Year 12 can be a daunting and stressful prospect for many students. We recommend that they make the most of the year and work closely with their teachers and peers to help support themselves and others throughout the year.

In 2019 we have been working on developing student writing and in particular low-stakes writing where students have more freedom in the choices around writing and in particular creative and persuasive forms of writing. We have introduced a writer’s notebook in Year 7 and 8 and this allows students to focus on writing for 15 minutes twice a week in their English classes. This has given teachers a great insight into the writing skills of their students as well as enabling positive feedback in relation to their writing strengths. We are hoping to expand this into Year 9 in 2020.

Another area of focus that we have had in the English domain is vocabulary and in particular the tiered approach to vocabulary. We are teaching students to think about the words they use when developing ideas and how to add levels of sophistication to their writing. This will allow them to express themselves more clearly and add insight to their writing. In order to achieve success and develop their vocabulary students should be aiming to read for at least thirty minutes every night.

-Mr Hill