High School: Christmas comes early this year

High School: Christmas comes early this year The weeks are flying by, with Christmas decorations up earlier than usual as Term ends a week earlier than it did last year. Plenty is happening before that, beginning with Friday's Loy Krathong Celebrations. Also, Year 11 and Year 9 students will soon make important decisions about their 'Subject Choices' and 'First thoughts' for Senior Studies/(I)GCSE Option Choices.

The weeks are flying by, with Christmas decorations up earlier than usual as Term ends a week earlier than it did last year. Plenty is happening before that, beginning with Friday's Loy Krathong Celebrations. Also, Year 11 and Year 9 students will soon make important decisions about their 'Subject Choices' and 'First thoughts' for Senior Studies/(I)GCSE Option Choices.

The weeks are flying by, and we’re into the last four weeks of term, with Christmas decorations up earlier than usual as term ends a week earlier than it did last year.

We are still planning a range of physically-distanced, virtual and hybrid Christmas activities to end the term, and will let you know more about these in a future Newsletter.

We have plenty happening before that, however, beginning with Friday’s Loy Krathong Celebrations.

Friday is also publication day for  Year 7-10 Grade Reports, which will be followed by Year 10 Parent/Student/Teacher Meetings next week - Ms Chrissy and Mr Josh will email further details very soon - and then Year 7-9 Parent/Student/Teacher Meetings the following week.

Over the next two weeks, Year 11 and Year 9 students will also be ending the first phase of their Senior Studies/(I)GCSE Option Choices, submitting their First Subject Choices/First Thoughts on Friday 26th November and Friday 3rd December respectively.

Pei Pei (9i): Pei Pei's work is part of a unit where students are studying the emergence of the whodunnit (murder mystery) genre of novels in the 19th Century. Students have read a number of examples of this genre, including Agatha Christie's works, Sherlock Holmes and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. This piece of work was produced when Ms Joy had asked students to demonstrate their understanding of the features of this genre. As you can see, Pei Pei has demonstrated her excellent understanding of the genre but also her ambitious vocabulary and developed understanding of sentence structure. Excellent work, Pei Pei.

Abby (11e): Abby is new to St Andrews and has really impressed her English teacher, Mr Andy. As part of the course, students have read John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. In preparation for starting at St. Andrews, Abby had already read the text independently and then created this outstanding piece of analytical writing. I am sure you will all join me in congratulating Abby on such a fantastic start!

Ramona (Sr): In Year 12 English Language and Literature, students are currently studying representation, and its importance, in the traditional media. Ramona's excellent analysis of the representation of women in print media, especially glossy magazines, is indicative of the high-quality discussions and analysis that Year 12 English Language and Literature students have enjoyed over the course of this unit of work. Ramona stood out for Mr Phil due to the evident passion in her personal response and the perceptive insights she brought to bear. Well done, Ramona!

Kira (8b): Kira impressed all of us in the English Department with the spooky apocalyptic cityscape she created for the Year 8 Dystopian Literature unit. Already a skilled writer, Kira has created a dystopian landscape that would make Suzanne Collins or George Orwell quiver…

Serena (11d): In preparation for her critical essay on Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, Serena wrote a review of an imagined performance of the play in the style of The Guardian's Culture section. Serena's work showcases an erudite and masterly understanding of the text itself but also the complex ideas and abstract concepts that permeate it. Demonstrating a lively engagement with the ideological roots of the text and the socio-historical influences on its writer, this review also suggests Serena's growing confidence in writing in a range of text types.

Beatrice (Sr): As part of the same unit of work on representation in the media described in the paragraph about Ramona’s work above, Beatrice created an inspired print advertisement representing a group that is ordinarily not represented in print media: the elderly. Beatrice's work is both witty and deeply serious. Beatrice has executed the form perfectly, packing tons of meaning into as few words as possible, whilst also demonstrating a strong personal engagement with the topic: the invisibility of certain groups in the media. Bravo, Beatrice.

Mr Eoin - Head of English

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