In and out of the classroom

Meet the Author

On Friday 7th February, Year 12 English and Year 11 Literature students were fortunate to hear from Australian author Cate Kennedy about the way she approaches short story writing and to inspire them to write their own stories in response to their set texts (Like a House on Fire and Dark Roots).  Cate’s stories are quirky and deal the seemingly insignificant moments ‘after the event’. She encouraged students to choose the minutes in characters’ lives, to focus on the character rather than the event and, most importantly, to persist with their writing. 

Cate managed to capture the creative spirit of all students for over an hour and was incredibly generous with her time, staying well after the conclusion of her presentation to sign books, discuss students’ own writing ideas and explain the basis for some of her more personal stories.

Meet a Scientist Event

Students from John Monash Science School heard from some of Australia’s top women in science at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne last week to learn more about exciting and rewarding careers in science.

The annual Meet a Scientist event held by the Women’s recognises the United Nation’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science on the same day, and saw presentations and demonstration from staff at the

hospital.

The students heard from the Women’s phenomenal researchers and doctors, who are making a real difference to the health of women and newborns. It’s a great opportunity for the students to come to the hospital and think about the sort of impact they could have with a career in science.

Year 11 Literature

The Year 11 Literature class has been studying the Arthur Miller play ‘A View from the Bridge’ which is an exploration of family and honour within Brooklyn in the 1950s.

In order to highlight the significance of key moments from the play, the students worked together in small groups to develop a ‘tableau’ which is a theatrical technique in which actors freeze in poses that create a picture of one important moment in the play. Their sophisticated understanding of Miller’s play was captured in the images they created, as well as the explanations they provided to the class.