On 29 August, a rainy Friday afternoon after school, I approached with some trepidation- the presentation of Year 12 English Extension 2 Major Works to a public audience.The HSC Extension 2 Course requires students to submit a substantial composition in the form of a Major Work as well as a Reflection Statement. These Major Works need to be Imaginative, Investigative, Interpretative and /or Analytical and can take a variety of forms. I wondered whether our 11 students could sustain the interest of an audience by sharing some of their composing journey and reading extracts from their Major Works. My fears were allayed, however, when the girls began to share their inspirations for writing, the challenges they overcame and the insights they discovered about themselves as learners. There was a palpable and obvious sense of pride in their work. Their enthusiasm and passion for ideas was infectious and their reading of extracts was well received. Some shared their understanding of postcolonial, global and feminist theorists, whilst others talked about the literature that had inspired them such as Orwell’s ‘1984’, Fay Weldon’s ‘Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen’ or Dante’s ‘Inferno’. Others still, were inspired by courses they had undertaken previously like the ‘Mind and Morality’ course offered by Sydney University or the Preliminary Extension English course that had piqued their curiosity about classic texts and their modern manifestations. As I listened I realised that these students had had rich and diverse learning experiences which was affirmed in an email I received from the parent of one of the students, part of which I will share with you.
‘My sincere thanks for this afternoon’s fabulous opportunity and ‘showcase’ which you provided for the Ext 2 girls to be acknowledged and affirmed for their projects. …the diversity of theorists, ideas and inspirations for the girls’ works is a testament to the challenge and intellectual rigour of the senior English program.
You must have been so delighted by the way the girls conveyed their engagement with their work, as well as with their confidence and ability to articulate something of their ‘story’.’
A link to the program for the afternoon is included. Read about the sophisticated concepts the girls were exploring in either a critical response (5,000-6,000 words including a 1,500 word Reflection Statement) or a short story (6,000-8,000 words plus a 1,500 word Reflection Statement).
Julie Kadir
English Ext. 2 teacher
