In Year 7 and 8 English students are given the opportunity to experiment with different forms and types of writing.
This term in Year 7, students are reading the classic story The Secret Garden. It is about a young girl called Mary Lennox who becomes an orphan and goes to live with her uncle in England. She experiences loneliness but also growth and change.
During some of their writing sessions students were asked to describe in their exercise books a time when they felt lonely.
The following is an example of our Year 7 students’ writing:
I stare at the wall, thoughts rushing through my head. The downstairs door closes, and now I know… I’m all alone. I replay the fight I had with my mum earlier that night. My heart begins to pound. My hands begin to sweat. My eyes begin to feel heavy as though I haven’t slept in years. I blink my eyes, but when I wake up the time has changed. It was now three am. My feet pick me up and drag me down the hallway. With all hope, I peek into my parents’ room. It was true. They really are gone. I fall to the ground with fountains or tears dripping down my cheeks. If only the government didn’t declare world war three they may be still here. I stay on the floor, clutched up in a ball for hours and pray. But it’s no use. They will never come back. And it’s all my fault.
Mia (7CCR)
In Year 8, students have explored gothic writing inspired by their study of the play Frankenstein.
“I have never seen such a thing. Something so completely unusual. Ugly. Terrifying,” stated a villager by the name of Jacob.
“Oh my. No words can describe my fear”, stated another villager.
I stood stiffly and could not process my thoughts or build up enough courage to speak. I was panic-stricken.
“What is this thing?” I thought to myself, then turned to the villagers.
“It's a MONSTER. A living creature. A threat to mankind”, stated Jacob.
I ran into my carriage and slammed the door shut. However, reality approached me. I couldn’t leave. I had nowhere to go. I couldn’t go anywhere at all.
The Monster knocked on the carriage door. My face turned red and blotchy. My eyes were bloodshot, my eyelids puffy. My voice was croaky and I couldn’t let out a word. Not a single word. I held my breath, long and hard.
The Monster punched his hand through the window. Glass shattered and exploded onto the footpath. It was the end for me and a new beginning for the Monster. He wrapped his arms around my throat and refused to let go. I couldn’t let out a word as my world turned to black….
Tiffany (8MKY)
At a shadowy and murky lake where the sun never shone, Frankenstein’s little brother, William, was playing in the grass with the fat and ugly toads. From the shadows the monster saw him and wanted to join him…
“Hello child. What are you doing here alone by the dark and gloomy lake?” the monster asked as he approached the boy.
“I’m just playing and waiting for my big brother, Frankenstein!”
“Your brother is Frankenstein? What is your name, little boy?”
“My name is William! I can’t see who you are. Do you want to play with me?”
The monster slowly walked closer to William, but as he moved into the light, William backed away, scared by his disturbing and terrifying facial features. The monster’s face was ugly. He had stitches on his neck, face, arms and legs. He looked like a human sized doll that had adjustments. The monster interrogated William for information about Frankenstein before grabbing him by the arm and dragging him towards the lake.
“Heeeeeeeellllppppp meeeeeee!” William screamed with horror as his life flashed before him.
The monster pulled William into the greenish coloured lake. “HEEEEEEELLLPPPPP!!!” William screamed again, but only the monster could hear him.
William was too weak to fight the monster. After a couple of minutes the monster pulled the lifeless body of William out of the water.
“Now I have all the secrets I need.”
Chloe (8MKY)
A lady stood there. Still. Scared. Shocked. She was holding an empty bucket. It was supposed to be filled with water, but in her fright, it had all spilt out. Across from the lady stood a tall, muscular and ugly creature, it looked like a Monster. The lady was pale, pale as anyone could be at the sight of a Monster. The alleyway was dark, it smelt like rotting food and as she stood there the lady felt a shiver run down her spine. During the day this dark, wet and haunted street would be full of busy people but at night it turned into an empty alleyway, a place where the darkest secrets hid.
Loren (8MKY)