Read more to hear about what has been happening across Secondary School over the past few weeks.
Head of School Update
Mr Jonathan Brayshaw
I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the many parents and carers of Year 7 students, who were able to attend the Year 7 Homeroom Teacher Interviews last Thursday afternoon.
Your active participation and engagement made the evening a tremendous success. The interviews were intentionally designed to provide an opportunity for parents and carers to share helpful information and valuable insights about their child. I would like to thank parents and carers for their input as this helps our teachers to better understand the individual needs, strengths and areas of growth of each student.
As we move forward, please know that our lines of communication are always open:
If you need to contact your child’s teacher, the first point of contact should be with the Homeroom Teacher.
For matters about student wellbeing or information about Year level programs, it is best to reach out to your child’s Year Advisor & Stage Coordinator.
For serious concerns involving your child, or for issues pertaining to more than one Stage or a group of students, it is best to contact the Head of Secondary.
We look forward to meeting with you at the next parent evening for Secondary School.
Year 10 English Storytelling
Mrs Emily Van Bentum
In Year 10 English this term, students have been embarking on a journey, delving deep into the heart of storytelling and the timeless narrative structure known as the Hero's Journey. We began this unit with an overview of the stages that constitute this universal storytelling framework, which has shaped tales from ancient myths to modern cinema. Through this, students learned about how this narrative cycle is not only the core of quests and adventures, but also resonates with personal growth and transformation.
After learning about these stages from the Call to Adventure to the Return with the Elixir, students were given a task to apply their knowledge and use their creativity through a storyboard activity. With the challenge of either inventing their own stories or reimagining well-known texts through the lens of the Hero's Journey, our students demonstrated remarkable creativity.
One notable storyboard was created by Shanyni Reifler & Meghan Pratt in 10P. They decided to write their own story about the ‘Danger Noodles’. This story follows two noodles who save their population from the shapes that have recently invaded and are trying to take the flexibility of the cat noodles for their leader. They do this by abducting noodles. Bowie (bowtie cat) is sent to prison for refusing to join the army but ends up having to fight anyway. Bowie is encouraged to do this by the mentor, Topha (top hat cat). Bowie meets Eing and together they fight back and free their people from the shapes. Afterward, they inspire other dangerous noodles to do what's right.
The diversity of their storyboards was a testament to their imaginative capabilities, as they blended their original ideas and perspectives, with contemporary ideas. As we continue to navigate through literature and storytelling, it's clear that our Year 10 English students are not just learners, but emerging storytellers, ready to craft their own tales of adventure, challenge, and triumph!
