Scotch College

Head of Department

Mr Barrie Burton

Department News

2008 Sir John Monash Memorial Lecture

Monday 18 August at 7.00pm, Boykett Room, Cardinal Pavilion. This year the Lecture will be presented by prominent Australian social researcher and novelist, Hugh MacKay. Information and booking details.

---

2006 VCE Results

Congratulations to the Class of 2006 for achieving record VCE English results!

The results across all VCE English subjects were outstanding, demonstrating once again that boys at Scotch can and do achieve at the highest levels. These are the best results in recent history and rightly consolidate the English Department’s well-deserved reputation for quality teaching and individual care for all boys.

There were some particularly strong results at ‘the top end’, with some of the highlights being:

• The highest percentage of boys scoring 40 or more in English in the past 6 years. (34.3%)
• Two boys achieved the ‘perfect’ study score of 50 in English.
• 62% of Literature students achieving a study score of 40 or more.
• Another increase in the number of boys scoring 40 or more in English Language (Up to 32% from 23% in 2005, and 12.5% in 2004)

Beyond this, it is extremely exciting to see that our second cohort of VCE Media students have achieved strong results, with one boy being awarded the VCAA Top Screen Award.

Once again, congratulations to the boys and English staff for their efforts throughout 2006 and in previous years which together have brought about such pleasing outcomes.

Detailed breakdown of the results and some comparison with previous years.

---

New English Department Staff.

Scotch College proudly welcomes Jessica de Campo as a full-time permanent appointment to the English Department. Jessica is already known to boys at Scotch after completing a placement at the School in Term 3 last year and also through her involvement in the Scotch College Indigenous Student Support Program. She comes to us with a strong academic pedigree, having achieved a first class honours degree and receiving the Chancellors Prize for academic excellence. We look forward to her sharing her talents, skills and passion for teaching with us. We also welcome back Alice Cook who, while teaching across a range of subjects, brings an expertise in English and an exciting interest in media and film studies.

For more details about these and other members of the English Department go to the “Meet the Department”.

---

DEAR - Drop everything and read

DEAR poster (220k), 'pdf' format

All Year 7 and 8 students participate in the DEAR program of reading for twenty minutes, period 3, each day.

Wordsmiths

A new Scotch College writers' club was launched in 2004 called ÒWordsmithsÓ. Keen and/or able writers from all Year levels who register their interest to join the group qualify to attend a series of special writing events throughout the year. Members of ÒWordsmithsÓ are also kept informed of various writing competitions and events via email and the Learning Point.

Boys Reading

Research into the reading habits, interests and practices of Scotch College students, to investigate what motivates students at Scotch College to read, what factors inhibit reading. Report by Warwick Barry and Marion Meirers, 1998. Available for download in Adobe 'pdf' format. (804k)

Classes

Year 7	English
Year 8	English
Year 9	English Core Support
Year 10	English Extension English Film and Media Literature
VCE	English Language English/ESL Media Literature

		Articles in Great Scot
		Harvard Professor visits English Department Research pays off for Dr Watkinson Drop Everything and Read Reading Survey Analysis		September 2005 December 2004 April 2004 December 1998