English and Literacy

This term in English students have continued to refine their reading and writing skills, crafting stories across a broad range of genres; from comedy narratives and fairy tales, to explorations of the issues experienced by immigrants or people of diverse backgrounds living in Australia. As a faculty, we are proud of the way our students have engaged with, discussed and created texts that reflect their growing understanding of the world around them. 

7 & 8 English

Our students in Years 7 & 8 are in the process of composing creative writing stories. Year 7 students have spent Term 1 examining the elements of fairy tales, and are now creating their own. In Year 8, students have been studying comedy short stories and exploring all the different types of comedy, which they will now use to inspire their comedy writing. 

We encourage you to ask your student about their creative writing, and to have a read of their final copies. Sharing stories is just as important as writing them, so it would be wonderful for your student to be able to share their story with you.

9 & 10 English

In Years 9 & 10, students are beginning persuasive writing units. This work aims to teach students the importance of the language they use when trying to convince an audience to share their point of view, a valuable skill that they will be able to draw upon for the rest of their lives.

To support your student, encourage them to discuss their work with you. It is helpful for students to tease out their thinking on an issue, understanding the facts and different points of view before deciding where they stand. Students also need to practice supporting their point of view with arguments, and doing this with an adult they feel comfortable with will assist them with their work in class. 

11 & 12 English

VCE students are working towards their next SAC, a language analysis of a persuasive text. In this task, students must analyse how an author has used language to persuade an audience to share their point of view.

To achieve success in this area of study, it is crucial that students are exposed to lots of persuasive language. Encourage them to read online newspaper articles and watch the news so that they are up to date with current affairs. 

The more exposure students have to persuasive texts, the better they will be able to interpret how the authors of those texts have used language to persuade. 

Literacy

We have tested the reading comprehension skills of all students from Years 7-10 so that we can track their progress throughout the year. 

This information allows teachers to gain a clear understanding of how their students read and understand texts. From there, teachers design learning programs that target students at their point of need.

Please motivate your student to take their tests and assessments seriously and to do their best. If they do, we will have an accurate picture of their learning and can help them develop their skills. 

As a teaching staff, we are passionate about improving student literacy across the College and look forward to working with your student to improve their speaking, writing and listening. 

QuickSmart

This is the 3rd year that John Fawkner College has been running the QuickSmart Literacy program. Past students and their families have indicated that it is a valuable program that is both enjoyable and a great opportunity to improve literacy and to become more efficient readers.

We have finished testing, selecting and interviewing our new students and are ready for another awesome year of improving their reading and comprehension skills!

We practice our reading in pairs, to build student confidence and skills. This is done in a variety of ways: the reading aloud of selected texts, reading sight words and focus words, and by completing crosswords and word searches. 

There will be incentive prizes for the students in the program including “Student of the Week”, awarded to the student who displays our school values consistently during QuickSmart sessions.

This year, at the end of the Term IV, students who have successfully completed the program get to have morning tea with the Principal, so watch this space for more news from the Quick Smart Team.

If any parent/guardian have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call the school to discuss.

“The more you that you READ, the more things you will KNOW.

The more that you LEARN, the more places you’ll GO.”      

Dr Seuss

With some words… like, I went back and read a book I’d read before, and a lot of the words I didn’t know before QuickSmart, now I know most of them. It’s because of the reading passages that we do. First we learn the hard words, with the flash cards, and then we know them all the time; it’s just in your head.”        

Layal Khaldie, 2019 QuickSmart student.

Ashleigh Hudson

English Domain Leader