English

Galway Debating

We are proud and happy to announce that our Junior Debating team has won the Junior Division of the competition. Year 8 students Hayley R, Monica C, Maddison C and Sofia C (awarded best speaker twice in the finals) argued beautifully on the day; congratulations to these eloquent and mighty champions! Our other Junior team, comprised of Maryam T, Sabrina C and Sophie H, were also in the finals and represented the College nobly. We cannot wait to see what is in store for Galway Debating in 2019 – student participation in this event is always so inspiring!

Miss Sarah Howells (Junior Coach) &

Mr Anthony Politini (Intermediate Coach)

Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award

Sofia C and Sabrina C as well as Year 9 students, Tariro M and Sha’uri L participated in this year’s Legacy Public Speaking Award. They presented both a prepared and impromptu speech based on topics using flair, emphasis and well-honed presentation skills. The Award encourages students aged 12 to 14 to “appreciate the ideals of Legacy – voluntary service, caring, mateship and remembrance” (as published on the Legacy website). We are proud to announce that Sofia C won her division and Sabrina C was proclaimed runner-up in this very same division. We look forward to seeing what September holds for Sofia, when she presents at the preliminary finals. Well done to all who participated!

Mrs Belinda Jarvis-Dymond

Public Speaking Coordinator

VCE Englishes

A note to students moving from Year 10 to Year 11 and their Parents/Guardians. There are now three Englishes available to study as part of the VCE: English, English Language and Literature. English offers a beautiful bridge from the study in Year 10 to VCE and fulfills many a prerequisite for tertiary study; English Language is quite niche and offers learners a more ‘Linguistics’ based course and Literature allows for a gorgeous foray into texts and an engagement with them including inspiring and creating opinions and interpretations based on them.

It has been a pleasure to speak with the Year 10 students as they decide which English and/or combination of two Englishes will best compliment their VCE course. The presentation at the beginning of Term 3 in Brookhill Assembly on the subjects is on My Aitken (in the Year 10 Topics page, under ‘Subject Selection’). Within VCAL, students complete ‘Literacy’, a domain that VCAL Coordinator, Mrs Lilley, has and can discuss with applicants.

Mr Anthony Politini

Head of Faculty English