It has been a busy month in English with senior school students completing their exams and the middle school students working diligently to complete their required assessments before Semester 1 reporting.

There are 11 students from the Year 9 academic extension class who are participating in creative writing workshops at the Fremantle Literature Centre. They attend one session a term with well-known Australian authors. This term the workshop was run by Holden Sheppard the author of Invisible Boys. He led the students through activities which focussed on character development, plot and setting. He shared with the students the importance of writing authentically and sharing ideas.  He also shared the message that ‘it doesn’t have to be perfect’. The students loved hearing excerpts from his novel and had an opportunity to buy a signed copy. This is the fifth year our school has been involved in the program to develop a passion for creative writing.

Members from the Cotherstone Press recently had the opportunity to work with Mr Henry during their fortnightly meeting. Students read extracts from Tim Winton's Island Home and used this as inspiration to write about locations where they feel a sense of belonging.  This activity looked at ways to describe the landscape in interesting ways by developing a detailed understanding of place. The Cotherstone Press is KSHS's writing group that meets every two weeks on Monday afternoons. New members from Year 7 through 12 are welcome. Interested students can speak to their English teacher or Mrs Adams in the English office to find out more about joining the group.

Nicolee McNally
English Teacher