It’s hard to believe Term 1 is almost over – what an interesting start to the year it has been!

Student’s across the College are busy completing assessment across all English, Humanities and Languages subjects. As parents and caregivers, you can support your child by ensuring they are attending as much as possible, getting plenty of rest and nutritious food, and by encouraging them to seek support early.

English Homework Club will continue to run until the end of term, and student’s can access support with drafting and editing right up until their due dates. This service has been so popular over the last two weeks that our wonderful Humanities staff, led by Mr Shaw, have been offering Humanities Homework Club too! I love to see students making positive choices to maximise their chances for success, and I am sure as parents you will join me in thanking our English and Humanities staff for the time they volunteer to support your children.

In English:

Year 7 and 9 students have been developing their persuasive writing skills – they can be very persuasive! Our Year 8 students have been working with poetry as a stimulus for descriptive writing, and they are focusing on writing using all of the senses to create vivid word pictures. Students also had the opportunity to learn from a guest speaker, hearing the history of Australia first hand. Our Year 10 General and Extension students have been considering the place of ‘classic literature’ in contemporary society – they have very passionate views about the world they live in, and more importantly the world they want to live in, if we take the time to listen. Lastly, our Year 10 Foundation students have been considering how film techniques are manipulated to represent individuals in particular ways.

In Humanities:

Our Year 8 students have been learning about landscapes, particularly mountains. They have consolidated their knowledge of topographic maps, using Playdoh to demonstrate their knowledge of contour lines representing elevation, showing they understand the connection between the model and the Cross section. They have created travel brochures educating tourists on the features, value, and uses of mountain landscapes, drawing on their geography skills of BOLTSS maps and Cross sections.

Our Year 9 History students have been learning about the Industrial Revolution and it’s impact on the modern world. They have been busy creating town plans for a rapidly changing world, working a production line, creating recruitment posters for some of the worst jobs in history - including leggars, buffing lass and soap making, and creating matchboxes promoting the benefits of buying products following more ethical production practices. They have developed their skills of analysis, using a range of sources to understand what it was like living and working during the industrial revolution – hopefully now they understand that emptying the dishwasher isn’t actually that bad!

In Year 10 History, students have been learning about WWII, developing their understanding of the historical and social significance of the Treaty of Versailles and the policy of appeasement. Part of their study has focused on the Holocaust, including listening to Jewish testimony and creating 'found poetry' from primary sources including diary entries to understand the personal impact of history and develop empathy. Focusing a little closer to home, students have also studied Australia's involvement in the war, focusing on the impact of the fall of Singapore and Australian POW experiences, to the cultural significance of Kokoda.

In Japanese:

Our Year 7 and 8 students have not only been learning Japanese language, but have been immersing themselves in the culture and traditions of Japan. All class experienced dressing up in traditional summer kimonos and sipping on ocha (green tea). Thank you, Mrs Ezzy for bringing in the summer kimonos! We are also continuing to strive for 1000 paper cranes, with Lorelei making our smallest crane yet – a new Ripley Record! Japanese is also leading innovation at Ripley, with the support of Mr Sogartha, our students have put their technology skills to the test, filming assessment with use of the green screen; another way to immerse students in the geography of Japan despite the limitations of travel. 

We look forward to another busy and exciting term after the break. Wishing everyone in our Ripley community a safe autumn break ?