25 Jun 2020
Term 2 has been extremely busy for the students at Merriwa Central School, with our Year 12 cohort working hard in preparation for their trial examinations next term. The HSC Standard English class is currently completing their Craft of Writing module, and have been reading and composing a range of imaginative, persuasive and discursive texts. In Modern History, students have been studying the Conflict in the Pacific, and have developed a keen interest in Australia’s involvement in World War 2. Our Year 11 students have been working equally as hard, composing essays about the novel A Monster Calls in English, and looking at the American Civil War in their Modern History classes.
In junior English, Year 9 have been brushing up on their survival skills through their study of John Marsden’s novel, Tomorrow When the War Began. The class have enjoyed looking at a range of survival texts, and have been left to consider what THEY would do when faced with such a difficult situation.
Year 8 English have been studying The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do, and even had the opportunity to compose their own autobiography in class. Students enjoyed recalling their favourite memories, and enjoyed sharing some funny stories about their lives with the rest of the class. Within the unit, Year 8 have also been looking at the experience of refugees within Australia and around the world, and have developed empathy and compassion surrounding people’s different experiences.
As the term comes to an end, students are reminded to return any novels they have finished back to the library, so that they can be used again next year. Students are also encouraged to keep practising their reading and writing at home over the holidays to ensure they come back to school in Term 3 fresh and ready to learn.
Last term, the Year 8 English composed their own poems, based on a topic of their choice. The topics students wrote about ranged from bull-riding, hunting and sports, to family holidays at the beach and student’s favourite television shows.. Overall, I was extremely impressed by the standard of work that all students produced, and the creativity and effort that they put into the task. Here are some excellent examples of year 8’s work:
Bull Riding by Brooklyn Blackadder
Once the gates open, the big bull bucks like there’s no tomorrow
The Ropes get tighter, the bull bucks harder
Dust flying, sweat dripping, fans screaming
His eyes are a wild untamed jungle
Fierce, determined and anxious
The bull can smell his fear as it hangs in the air like a thick cloud of smoke
Will he make the eight?
He can feel the bull’s anger
As it spreads through his entire body
Rope burning against the glove
Chaps swinging in the air
Spurs digging a little harder
Bang! He hits the ground
Stars by Elisha Drury
Stars sparkling in the silent night sky,
Shimmering so bright while the world is asleep,
Feeling so sleepy but I want to cry,
Thinking of the memories I want to keep,
They’re almost close enough to clutch,
And hold in my right hand,
But I know I’m just thinking too much,
So now I’ll just stare from where I stand.