Week 38
John
In week 38, the students finished their projects.
Rose
This week, students wrapped up English topics for Year 9.
Cecilia
This week, students worked on grammar practice and did Film Study.
Week 37
John
In week 37, the students began their Animal Farm based group projects.
Rose
This week, students finished Animal Farm.
Cecilia
Students worked on vocabulary and grammar practice.
Week 36
John
In week 36, the students sat for their end of year examination and enjoyed the inter house sports day.
Rose
This week, students sat their EOY exam.
Cecilia
This week students sat for their end of year examination and participated in the MGS games carnival.
Week 35
John
In week 35, the student completed a letter writing exercise based on Animal Farm.
Rose
This week, students read independently, quizzed themselves and wrote on a chosen theme. Students also competed in a Chapter 7 and 8 Kahoot quiz.
Cecilia
This week we focused on revision in the form of comprehension questions, figurative language and parts of speech for the end of year exams
Week 34
John
In week 34, the students finished reading Animal Farm, and began looking back at the major themes in the novel.
Rose
This week, we continued reading. Students looked deeper into the allegorical nature of the novel, and considered state control in North Korea.
Cecilia
Week 33
John
In week 33, the students continued reading Animal Farm and answered advanced comprehension questions. They also completed a class quiz.
Rose
This week, students continued reading the novel and wrote a journal entry from a chosen character.
Cecilia
Week 32
John
In week 32, the students continued reading the novel and also wrote a narrative.
Rose
In week 32, students read on in Animal Farm and completed a character chart.
Cecilia
In week 32, students continued reading the novel and wrote a report, they also worked on their vocabulary.
Week 31
John
In week 31, we continued reading Animal Farm, wrote diary entries and took a quiz.
Rose
This week, we continued with the novel and completed speaking and writing activities.
Cecilia
In week 31, we continued reading the novel and compared the contents of Major's speech to the Seven Commandments, Students also did reading and writing activities connected to the novel.
Week 30
John
In week 30, we began reading Animal Farm and completed a new vocabulary based story.
Rose
This week, students read Chapters 1 and 2 of Animal Farm. They made connections between events in the story and the Russian Revolution, and made predictions.
Cecilia
In week 30, students read Chapter 1 of 'Animal Farm' and noted the key points in Major's speech, they also learnt the names and characteristics of the animals on the farm and did a spelling quiz.
Week 29
John
In week 29, the students learnt about the Bolshevik Revolution and allegory in preparation for reading Animal Farm.
Rose
This week, students looked at the concept of allegory and acted out scenes involving power imbalance.
Cecilia
In week 29, students learnt about the Russian Revolution as an introduction to the book 'Animal Farm',They also listened to Major's speech and commented on how it is similar to the concept of communism.
Week 28
John
In week 28, the students completed their Checkpoint Examinations.
Rose
In week 28, the students completed their Checkpoint Examinations.
Shalini
Week 27
John
In week 27, we had to change our plans as the exams were postponed by a week. We covered newspaper article writing and comprehension.
Rose
This week, we had an unexpected extra week of Checkpoint practice. We reviewed key skills and practised beginnings and endings of fiction and non-fiction.
Shalini
In week 27, due to the change in Checkpoint examination dates, we spent the week reviewing key skills for both the fiction and non fiction checkpoint papers.
Week 26
John
In week 26, we continued our Checkpoint revision for the final week.
Rose
This week, we continued our Checkpoint revision, focusing on Summaries and the pacing of stories.
Shalini
In week 26, we continued our Checkpoint revision, focusing on literary devices and answering checkpoint style, paper 2 comprehension questions.
Week 25
John
In week 25, we practised further comprehension and fiction writing in preparation for the Checkpoint examination.
Rose
This week, we continued preparation for Checkpoint, focusing on timing and using context to infer answers.
Shalini
In week 25, we practiced further comprehension and writing in preparation for the Checkpoint examination.
Week 24
John
In week 24, we continued or exam practice, this week focusing on Paper 2.
Rose
This week, we continued exam practice, focusing on the extended writing tasks.
Shalini
In week 24 , we continued Checkpoint exam practice, focusing on writing.
Week 23
John
In week 23, we continued our exam practice by completing Checkpoint style comprehension
Rose
This week, we continued preparing for Checkpoint using the 2019 Specimen Paper.
Shalini
In week 23, we continued preparing for Checkpoint by completing and reviewing the specimen paper.
Week 22
John
In week 22, the students continued practising past papers in a controlled fashion.
Rose
This week, we worked through a specimen paper for Checkpoint, focusing on comprehension.
Shalini
In week 22, we did extensive practice on reading comprehension. We also looked at a variety of sentence openers to make our writing more interesting.
Week 21
John
In week 21, the students completed a checkpoint past paper at a controlled pace. The paper was reviewed extensively.
Rose
This week, we acted out a scene from Macbeth and carried on reading. Students completed various exercises relating to character and plot.
Shalini
In week 21, we looked at figurative language and how to use them effectively in narrative writing.
Week 20
John
In week 20, the students completed their Unit Test. The students were given feedback on the text. Later in the week, Checkpoint came into focus.
Rose
This week, students completed an assessment in which they wrote an essay on a chosen theme in Macbeth. We also discussed the difference between appearance and reality.
Shalini
In week 20, students completed an assessment on Macbeth. We also completed our reading on Act 2 of the play and discussed the theme, 'guilt and conscience.'
Week 19
John
In week 19, we finished reading Macbeth and began looking at themes and motifs.
Rose
This week, we continued with Macbeth, focusing on theme and characterisation.
Shalini
In week 19, we looked at themes that lie within Macbeth.
Week 18
John
In week 18, we viewed the play up to the end of Act 3. The students also created comedic mini plays.
Rose
This week, we continued reading Macbeth. We analysed and annotated some important quotations.
Shalini/Barbara
In week 18 , we completed Act 1 of the play Macbeth and we analysed some important quotations.
Week 17
John
In week 17, we paraphrased four scenes and performed the scenes in today's language. The students also looked at the relationship of good versus evil in the play.
Rose
This week, we watched a film version of Macbeth, laying the base for a reading of the text. Students identified key characters, themes and plot events and are building up a bank of key words.
Shalini/Barbara
This week, we started Macbeth, STs conducted a CSI investigation, followed by close analysis of ACT 1, scenes 1-4.
Week 16
John
In week 16, we read Act 1 of Macbeth and created a summary of each scene.
Rose
This week, students prepared and performed short plays in which they modernised the open sequence of Macbeth.
Shalini/Barbara
This week, we practised writing summaries, and completed some work on vocabulary.
Week 15
John
In week 15, we began Macbeth and focused on the skills necessary to understand Shakespeare's figurative approach.
Rose
This week, we visited the requirements for Checkpoint.
Shalini/Barbara
In week 15 we got introduced to the different components of the checkpoint English paper . We focused on summary writing and constructing paragraphs for essay writing.
Week 14
John
In week 14, we created mini playscripts of key moments in Of Mice and Men. We later performed the mini plays.
Rose
This week, we wrapped up our Of Mice and Men unit. We also completed some festive vocabulary activities.
Shalini/Barbara
This week, we researched evidence to support statements based on the book Of Mice and Men. We also went through themes in the novella and completed some graded writing.
Week 13
John
In week 13, we consolidated our comprehension of Of Mice and Men by writing letters to Aunt Clara informing her of important events.
Rose
This week, we watched the film version of Of Mice and Men. We discussed and found examples of foreshadowing. The class played a Kahoot quiz made by one of the students.
Shalini/Barbara
This week, students revised their exams,; furthermore, they learnt about the theme of loneliness and women's social status in 1930s' America through Curley's Wife's eyes.
Week 12
John
In week 12, we completed a unit assessment and reviewed the results.
Rose
This week, students completed a written assessment on Of Mice and Men. Some students worked on their book covers and blurbs, while others made comprehension questions for a Kahoot quiz.
Shalini/Barbara
This week, student completed a written assessment on Of Mice and Men. We also continued learning about other characters in the book.
Week 11
John
In week 11, we finished reading Of Mice and Men and discussed the major themes and sub themes of the novel.
Rose
This week, we learned how to write an essay. Students finished their creative writing and read in pairs.
Shalini/Barbara
This week, we completed 4 sections of the book. We looked at essay writing strategies in view of the forthcoming exam.
Week 10
John
In week 10, we continued reading Of Mice and Men and developed our understanding of themes and symbols in the novel.
Rose
This week, we read on and discussed key themes in the novel. Students continued with their creative writing. We went to the library for our fortnightly personal reading session.
Shalini/Barbara
This week we looked at main characters, and described relationship between them. We also discussed the plot for first 2 sections.
Week 9
John
In week 9, we continued reading Of Mice and Men and focused on protagonists and antagonists.
Rose
This week we continued reading the novel and began some creative writing from the point of view of a migrant worker.
Shalini/Barbara
This week we completed reading first 2 sections of the book. We looked at the description of the main characters, discussed relationship between them, and looked at language connected with the setting. Students also started working on creating their portfolios.
Week 8
John
In week 8, we began reading Of Mice and Men with a particular focus of descriptive writing to create setting and early characteristics.
Rose
This week, we continued reading Of Mice and Men. Students worked in pairs to create a set design for a chosen setting in the novel.
Shalini/Barbara
This week we completed work on vocabulary and literary devices in chapter 1. We also looked generally at the outline of the plot.
Week 7
John
In week 7, we completed working on the Modern World and began preparations for the read of Of Mice and Men.
Rose
This week, we considered the different reasons for forced migration in preparation for reading Of Mice and Men. We began reading the novel, looking at the opening characterisation of our key characters, George and Lennie.
Shalini/Barbara
In week 7, we started looking at the novella 'Of Mice and Men'. We conducted a series of activities which made STs aware of the context in which the book was written.
Week 6
John
In week 6, the students read and answered questions relating to the stresses of being a teenager. The students also completed a role play about an argument between a parent and teenager.
Rose
This week, students chose and researched a topic relevant to modern society. They made notes in preparation for writing a report.
Shalini
In week 6, students gave their speeches and they were assessed through peer evaluation. The students were also introduced to the novel 'Of Mice and Men' by researching and preparing a short presentation about life in America during the 1930's ,to help familiarise themselves with the context of the story.
Week 5
John
In week 5, students practised summarising an article about modern waste and diets. Later in the week the students completed their first assessment.
Rose
In Week 5, students completed comprehension tasks. They also wrote fictional journal entries, inferring meaning from a text we read as a class. Students sat their Unit 1 assessment.
Shalini
In Week 5 , students were given a task of writing persuasive speech script to be presented next week, based on a topic of their choice. Students also completed their Unit 1 assessment.
John
In week 4, we focused on punctuating passages and completed art related comprehension tasks.
Rose
In Week 4, we read a short story and discussed how context clues affect interpretation. Students wrote poems in recognition of upcoming Peace Day.
Shalini
In Week 4, we practiced summarising a passage through the use of semi-colons and we also looked at the techniques involved in writing a discursive essay.
Rose
In Week 3, we prepared speeches related to art. We also read and responded to non-fiction.
Shalini
In week 3, we learned about the functions of semi-colons and colons and how to use them appropriately in a sentence. We also read and responded to a non-fiction text
John
In week 2 we looked at the traits needed to write discursively and persuasively. We also worked on improving vocabulary.
Rose
In week 2 we wrote Haiku, aiming to present vivid "snapshots" of nature. Students peer-edited one another's fictional accounts of an Eighth Wonder of the World.
Shalini
In week 2 we looked at rhetorical devices and practiced using them by writing a short persuasive essay about our views on the purpose and value of art.
John
In week 1 we set targets for the year ahead and choose reading books that need to be read within three weeks.
Rose
In Week 1, we discussed and debated the matter of what constitutes art. We compared Picasso's earlier and later works. Students also wrote about a fictional Eighth Wonder of the World.
Shalini
In week 1, we wrote down our goals for this academic year . We also had a whole class discussion about what constitutes art.