English classes have started off with a real hiss and roar in Term 1, as have the extracurricular activities on offer within the faculty. Students have showcased their vibrancy and creativity both in and outside of classes. Some of the senior courses have been busy preparing and delivering speeches and vlogs; others are now scripting and rehearsing short films following their film studies. Juniors have had opportunities to write in a range of genres following from studies of Māori and Pacifika stories and poetry.

Scholarship

Keen to build on the success of last year’s scholarship programme, with six students gaining scholarship in English last year, Mr Paul Weggery launched the scholarship programme early in Term 1 with students from Years 9 to 13 exploring the great works of the First and Second Generations of Romantic Poets. Students have also been given a chance to research and present poems from these great writers and provide their own analysis. A highlight this term was the class acting out Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner with Mr Weggery playing the albatross with cricket pads for wings!

Debating Success

On the weekend of the 25th and 26th of March, Cashmere participated in the Canterbury Schools' Debating Tournament. Our Year 11 team, Hanna North, Anouk Hector-Taylor and Naomi Wilson, were there to gain experience and learn more of the art of meta-debating. Our Year 13 team, Ethan Jackson, Rowan Matthew and Ben Ellis, had their eyes on the final.

On the first day of the tournament, teams had four debates. With only 30 minutes to prep for each debate and speaking times of six to seven minutes, the pressure was on. Round five was held on Sunday morning, and then we had an anxious wait for the semi-final break. Pleasingly, our Year 13 team broke into the semi-finals at the top of the table on four wins and the highest overall speaking points.

The semi-final against St Margaret's College was judged by three adjudicators. The moot was: This House, as New Zealand, would pivot away from the Chinese Trade Market. Cashmere won in a unanimous decision. Advancing to the finals, Cashmere faced St Andrew's College debating the moot: This House would ban the use of AI in warfare. As the negating team, Cashmere debated valiantly, but we lost to the affirming team in a split decision. For the second year in a row, Ethan Jackson was selected as a member of the Canterbury Squad. He will travel to Wellington later in the year to represent Canterbury at the national tournament.

Writing

Local poet Sara Qasem visited the kura early in March. She shared powerful pieces of her own work on identity and self-determination. Our writers and kaiako wrote Clarihew, a fun short form, and then dove deeper, writing poems about those things that make us human, that unite us and often divide us.

To be so by Mithali Manoj
To be able to love and be loved
Like a dove, I soar.
To be able to cherish and behold
My heart is my secret compartment.
To be able to shield like a cloud and weep like one
My life is clay and I sculpt it.

Slam poet, and Cashmere Alum, Claudia Jardine ran a session 'for the talkers'. This was held on the stage in the PAC and students collaborated on a few pieces of writing before putting together a solo piece. By the end, everyone had performed poetry to the group.

Octavia Cade ran our final workshop for the term. Current UC writer-in-resident, Octavia is a PhD in Science Communications and a prolific author of sci-fi and horror. Our writers worked on their powers of persuasion collectively. Next, they considered the logical ramifications of specific technological, political or societal changes as a catalyst for story. Bursting with ideas, our young kaituhi spent the remainder of the session writing and sharing their freshly-hatched stories.

Throughout the year, there will be further opportunities for our young writers with more workshops and visiting authors. Other classes, such as Year 9s will work on their speeches, and we look forward to seeing many of our ākonga perform their speeches at our iSay Spoken word event in early Term 3.

Mr Brett McKersey
Head of Faculty