2005 English Week
English Week (2/5/2005 – 6/5/2005) at Vermont Secondary College is
a time of celebrating the teaching and learning of
English as students develop and consolidate skills in
their on-going study of English.
The tradition at the school of celebrating our
students’ achievements continues with our focus on
the theme determined by the United Nations. The
theme for this year is the International Year of
Physics. Importantly, we recognize that physics
provides the foundation for our continued
development of our understanding of nature. This
has led our students to think about technological
progress and education, and of course, noting that
this year is the centenary of the scientific discoveries,
of Albert Einstein. The theme provided a framework
for students to participate in a process of reflection
and creativity.
In keeping with this at Yr 8 we extended our unit of work on Inventions asking students to design an invention for a competition. Round 1 involved students presenting their invention to their peers with the best two presenting at an interclass level (Round 2) during the week. A panel of two judges from Science and the Arts decided on five presenters who will then go on to Round 3 and make their presentations to a panel of parents who work in the field of Science, during Open Evening (24 May). All the presenters will be awarded movie vouchers with the winner receiving a CD voucher. We would like to thank all the Y8 students and their parents for their support as the quality of the design of the invention and the promotion of their model was of a high standard.
As part of our Visiting Authors Program we have Boori Pryor, an author, to address the Yr 8 students on Wednesday, 4th May. He will talk about identity as they study the text The Snake-Stone. For our Year 12s we organised speakers to help students understand the context of the novella, Dispossessed. A farmer presented a PowerPoint with images of his farm and farming life, bringing the text alive. Our second speaker grew up on a farm and he explained the impact of the deregulation banks had on his family farm.
Marcellene D’Menzie
English Coordinator