Learning
English
The English department offers a wide range of analytical and creative activities to students. They learn about and produce visual, written and oral communication. In the junior school we encourage a love of literature, with a focus on thinking skills and incorporating technology into units. We have recently developed a unit on digi-poems for Year 9 and take all Year 10 classes to Capital E to script and film their own news shows.
We start offering NCEA credits in Year 10 with an Achievement Standard in delivering a speech and a Unit Standard in wide reading. As well as offering English at Levels 1, 2 and 3 (compulsory at Levels 1 and 2) we have an alternative course at each level which enables students to learn and gain credits at a pace better suited to their abilities. The alternative courses have a mixture of Achievement and Unit Standards.
News
2009
Department Member has Book Launch
English teacher, Saradha Koirala, had the official launch of her book of poetry in August.
Poetry Published
Four students had poetry selected for the NZ Poetry Society anthology of student work.
Scholarship Exam Successes
The department kept up its solid results in the Scholarhip results, with two more Scholarships from 2008 announced for English.
Poet Performance and Workshop
In Term 2 a select group of students got to listen to and work with Tusiata Avia.
Student Published
Kate McIntyre of Year 12 got a poem published in a NZ secondary schools journal.
Spelling Bee
The school Spelling Bee ended in a dramatic draw, then Gisela Kristono went to on perform admirably at the regionals, getting out on 'synergy'.
2008
Katherine Mansfield Creative Writing Competition Winners Announced
The winners of our annual creative writing competition have been announced. The senior division was won by Marcella Dorgan-Guy, with special mentions to Georgia Gray and Lily Reid. The junior section was won by Amelia Petrovich, with special mentions for Irina Macovei and Mamaeroa Munn. Both of the winners showed a mature awareness of how narrative perspective and structure can be used creatively.
Year 9 Debating Competition Finalists
The final of the debating will be between 961 and 954. It will be some time early in December.
Last year the department had our inaugural Year 9 interclass competition and this year we have continued the tradition. The semi-finals have seen 909, 954, 910 and 961 progress and the finals will be held later in the term. Topics have included 'That NZ should have boycotted the Beijing Olympics' and 'That genetic engineering should be the way of the future'. Year 12 student Julia Wells, who was in the Wellington Secondary Schools Regional Debating Team, has been our adjudicator and she is very excited at the level of talent coming through.
Katherine Mansfield Creative Writing Competition
Entries for this year's school competition closed at the beginning of Term 4. There were 16 entries for the senior division, which is well up on previous years. Every year we get an indepedant, published author to judge the entries and this year we have Helen Rickerby. She is an Wellington poet who has two published anthologies.
International Competitions and Assessments for Schools
1153 entered this international English competition and gained some great results. Catherine Ireland and Lily Uivel were awarded High Distinction and Kate Manners and Wilhelmina Boag got Distinction certificates. Seven other students got Credit awards and, as a whole, the class was well above the national average for this test.
Spelling Bee
Charlene Leong, Year 9, was this year's winner of the WEGC Year 9 Spelling Bee. She and three others went to the regional competition at Wellington College and one of them managed to make the final round of 20 before she was eliminated.2007 Scholarships
Five English scholarships were gained in 2007. Two of these were at Outstanding level.Progression
|
Year 9 |
Year 10 |
Year 11 |
Year 12 |
Year 13 |
|
English Reading Literacy |
English Reading Literacy H |
English Alternative English |
English Alternative English
|
English Alternative English H
|
H : May begin at this level
n : Ends at this level
bold type : Compulsory subjects
= : Complete at either level, but not both
Related Pages
Career Paths
Kiwi Careers Website
Here are the career paths recommended for students who have an interest in studying English.
