The English Department are delighted to welcome our new and returning students to the 2021 school year. We have a few new faces within the teaching team; we welcome CJ Hanson, Michelle Aslett and Claire Connor into the department, and we also welcome back Sarah Adams from maternity leave.  The English staff have been very impressed by how quickly and efficiently the students have settled into the school year after an interrupted beginning. Across the year groups, students are preparing for, or have just completed, their first assessment. Students are encouraged to keep important dates and homework for English in their diaries and develop effective personal organisation strategies. Resources and course outlines detailing important dates have been uploaded onto Connect for both students and guardians to access.

The Year 7s have made an excellent start to their high school career and the teachers are seeing some fantastic work from students analysing and writing fantasy texts.

Our Year 8 students have been investigating sustainability this term and are looking at the importance of making good decisions that protect the environment. They have been focussing on their reading, viewing and listening skills. The students in Miss Connor’s class enjoyed participating in a group investigation activity. The pictures below are examples of the ideas they came up with.

Some upcoming opportunities that students are encouraged to be involved in:

Join the Cotherstone Press. This is a creative writing group which meets fortnightly. It is for anyone from Year 7 to 12 who has a keen interest in creative writing and is interested in getting to know other people with similar interests. Exciting workshops will be run by English teachers and we would love to see you there.

Participate in the Reading Challenge. The Reading Challenge is a connect community that is open to all students across the school. It encourages young readers to write reviews on books they have enjoyed across various genres. To contribute or read recommendations from people your own age, talk to your English teacher for how you can become involved.

Should you have any questions regarding an English curriculum matter, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or Karen Stuart, Head of English Learning Area.

Nicolee McNally
English Teacher