Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history ~ Plato

Our students commenced their English study this term by engaging with poetry. This medium of carefully crafted expression activates richness of imagination and intense emotion. Moreso now than ever before. In a world of complexity and change, our study of poetry is making sense of what is happening around us.

War Poetry enabled our Year 10 students to empathise with the human condition through the dehumanisation of the war experience. Our students’ mature and insightful discussions made the study of War Poetry more meaningful this year.

Year 9 explored the personal impact of life choices and engaged with self-reflection. The poetry studied was a springboard for deep contemplation as they pondered their own ‘roads’ to take.

Expressing these thoughts through Slam Poetry offered a dynamic and creative medium for these inner explorations. Year 9 ENGA were asked to compose a slam poem within 10 minutes and then to perform their creation in their individual way. What was on students’ minds?

COVID

Everyone in isolation,

Lots of frustration,

Plenty of sanitation,

The desperation and the devastation.

All of this because of COVID.

Supplies are running out,

And Coronavirus is about,

Toilet paper is hard to come about,

Let's hope this will turn about.

All of this because of COVID.

Everybody getting sick,

All of these politics,

People shopping with a click,

People overseas are homesick.

All of this because of COVID.

By Evan N.

Improvisation and experimenting with ‘slamming’ made for an exciting lesson for our aspiring slammers-rappers!

Slam Poetry...

When it comes to doing slam

I’m going to bam

While eating ham

With a side of strawberry jam

With my friend Sam

Might go watch the new Batman

Post a pic on Instagram

Of me in Amsterdam

With Spiderman

Fought Sandman

And is allied with Ironman

Might take a flight to Japan

To eat a clam

And this slam poem goes out in a bam!

By Chaimy.

Our Year 8 students developed a deeper understanding of the craftmanship involved in creating and appreciating poetry. The distinctive Australian landscape was a backdrop for student appreciation of our prolific composers of Australian poetry.

As part of Harmony Week celebrations at HBC, 8ENGA took time to reflect on the fact that they belong to their country, Australia. Students were inspired by Dorothea Mackellar’s poem, My Country written in 1908.

My Country, I Belong

I love my sunburnt country

This ancient land I call home

Cultures a plenty

Many have made my Australian home.

It's where we belong

I’m Pratishtha,

Although I grew up in Nepal,

I love Australia,

My friends and the people y’all,

म सम्बन्धित छु

Ciao, mi chiamo Augie,
appartengo all'Australia,

sono nato e cresciuto qui.

Born and bred in Australia

I know my home, NSW,

appartengo.

My country, Australia

my one and true love

I Abdul, ana antami

We are different

But we are the same,

I Michael 我属于

I’m Jansen and my heart belongs to the land

To her beauty and inspiration

To negara saya, saya milik

Jas Martin pripaǵam to Australia
A land of aqua blue seas.

Core of my heart, my country is home.

My name is Adam

The country I belong to is Australia

Its endless gum trees standing lush and tall,

I love it when the leaves float and fall.

My home is Australia and China,
but I belong to both.

I love Australia’s scorching sun

I love China’s ice and snow

I’m Raymond Wu Ruiming and

Wǒ shǔyú liǎng zhě.

I’m Reuben, to Australia,

To mo dhùthaich, buinidh mi

I love the sun burned grass

and the dry, dirt of dust.

I love her endless crystal clear coastline

and burning fires, then rainfall.

A land of opportunity

and a shelter for some.

People come from around the globe

Now mates and all belong.

I, Nathan belong to Australia

From its landscapes, to its people,

She welcomes us in harmony.

Tôi thuộc về Úc.

I, Caleb Shǔyú to China
and love my country Australia

I want us to Shǔyú

To let the voice of peace spread

To show love and tolerance,

to let hatred no longer create tragedy

may we belong forever in harmony

and let war go away.

I’m Michael, I love Australia,

And I know wǒ shǔyú

We love our Country,

and Australia’s cultural harmony,

With respect we all belong.

We welcome our bubbly Year 7 students. We have become acquainted with their unique personalities and personal stories through their autobiographical writing. Students considered ‘who’ they are, their connections with others and the wider world.

To be in Australia means that I'm part of a multicultural country that celebrates other cultures by bringing them together. I'm from the sunny beaches of the Cook Islands to the freezing cold England, and I'm proud to be a descendant of these countries.

By S.

Harmony week can be celebrated by sharing people’s stories and what languages they speak or countries they come from. Australia is a place for people to grow and to learn many different ways- to know how life works around them …

By E. 

The English Faculty would like to thank the parents/carers and students who continue to support our Wide Reading program as it attempts to foster the life-long appreciation and love of reading for pleasure. Our students’ imagination, creativity and expression is thriving here at Hurstville Campus!

Ms Papageorgiou

Relieving Head Teacher English