There are so many ways to tell a story – novels, poetry, film and music are just a few examples.

The pitch of a violin, the beat of a drum, the tempo of piano scales – all these instruments can makes us feel something. These emotions can then form the basis of a narrative.

Writing an imaginative piece based on music was the challenge set for our Year 7 students. The task, which was designed in conjunction with our Music faculty, required students to listen to Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and compose a short story inspired by this piece. Students were then required to read a section of their story over the piece of music (which they had learnt to play in their music classes). Attached are two audio pieces from Isaac Mitrevski and Andre Abdulnour.

Year 7 D have been using the interactive website Padlet, by sharing their thoughts on reading, along with reviews on the book they are currently reading. They engaged with their peers’ reviews, leaving comments on whether they would read the book but also reviewing each other’s writing! Many students picked their next reading book based on these reviews, making it a valuable learning tool.

Storytelling through novels is the current focus of our junior classes with Year 7 concentrating on the concepts of themes and structure. Year 8 is looking at the science fiction genre, and Year 9 is understanding how perspectives can convey values and ideas.

Poetry is another ways stories are told. In Year 10, students are experiencing the brutality of World War One through the words of Wilfred Owen, and Year 11 Standard are delving into the Australian migrant experience of Peter Skrzynecki.

Mrs Guest
Assistant Head of English