Years 8 & 9 English – Shakespeare’s Works

The Year 8s and 9s studied Shakespeare. As an introduction to this unit, a theatre company came out to perform scenes from the playwright’s most well-known plays.

“This was a valuable experience and was very entertaining.”

“They explained what iambic pentameter is. It was helpful as it is kind of hard to understand Shakespearean plays.”

While studying Taming of the Shrew students wrote creative responses to the play. Students were asked to imagine what it was like during the 16th century for men and women, so that they could have a better understanding about some of the characters’ actions… some of these characters do some strange things in this play, like arriving four hours late to their own wedding or saying the sun is the moon.

Enjoy a small sample of the students’ work:

Baptista Minola’s Perspective by Halima

Doesn’t she want to be a good wife and have children? Why does she want to destroy our family’s reputation? Why is Kat such a devilish, selfish, wayward shrew?

I strongly believe in arranged marriages and that Katherine should get married.

Marriage is the unification between a man and a woman. Marriage in a noble family also benefits the families while maintaining their financial and social status. Katherine needs to get married. It is a crucial part of a woman’s life; to be a subordinate wife and to bare children for the husband. A woman needs to know her place in society, uphold her family status and in Katherine’s case, be disciplined.

Katherine’s Perspective by Manahil

I will despise my grey-haired father if he dares to arrange my marriage. I decide who I want to marry and when. Marriage is an important part of someone’s life especially a woman and this decision cannot be snatched away from me. Even though I might not seem like the type to marry, nevertheless it is every girl’s dream to meet her Prince Charming. Marriage shows whom you are going to spend the rest of your joyful, buoyant and loving life with. It should be me who makes this decision of marriage and only me. Arranged marriages should not be and I strongly believe no one should determine my marriage with someone, and not even my wrinkled old father can decide this for me.

Years 8, 9 & 10 Visual Arts

Students undertaking the Years 9 & 10 art elective visited the National Gallery of Victoria to enjoy an exhibition showcasing the Gallery’s triennial. We saw many contemporary artworks.

Sneak peek inside the Year 8 art classroom. This term we focused on landscape painting and learning to paint with different tints and shades.

Secondary Girls’ PE

This term we have had quite a few challenges with the weather, however we have still found plenty of time to train for the interschool netball competitions. The Years 9 & 10 girls have already had the opportunity to compete in netball during week 6 and they have shown a huge improvement from last year, so well done to them. The Years 7 & 8 girls competed during weeks 9 & 10. We have also begun our Melbourne City soccer clinics in which the girls really enjoyed the opportunity to train with a professional soccer coach who has already shown them a lot of new skills.

Earlier in the term the Year 8 girls were lucky enough to go on a horse riding excursion over two weeks, in which they learnt a lot about general farm life and behaving around animals. Focusing on horses they learnt to saddle them up, feed them, brush them, how to lead a partner on a horse and ride the horse, and how to safely dismount. Some of the girls were really brave in overcoming some fears, and they also learnt a lot of new skills.