To look forward we must first look back.

Term 2 Semester One was a challenging time for all members of our school community. In undertaking their studies students had to adapt quickly as did the English staff. On behalf of the English teachers at St John’s I would like to thank the parents and students for their hard work, commitment to studies and communication with all teachers. It enabled us to do our job, that is to improve the reading, writing and thinking skills of our students.

As we move forward in Term 3 we do not know what awaits us but there will continue to be a focus on developing core skills. To that end, I remind all students and parents about the importance of home reading. There is no mystery to becoming a strong English student. Students that read regularly and widely open up a wide world of words and situations that stimulate the mind and expand their knowledge. There is a wide selection of texts available in the library for students to borrow and I encourage them to make the most of this resource. I also encourage students to let Mrs Allchin know if there is a particular author or text they'd like the school to purchase.

Year 12 moves into a demanding part of their high school experience. First, I would like to applaud the Year 12 students for their diligence. In the coming weeks I encourage students to revise class notes, access 2019 markers comments and the syllabus rubric on the NESA site. If time permits, reading texts again will also enable students to look at the texts through a sharpened lens. As we do revision in class in the lead up to the Trial HSC, I encourage all Year 12 students to seek and take on feedback and direction given by the English teachers.

To students in Year 7-11, I encourage you to set goals for your study of English this semester. I encourage you to take on board advice given at parent teacher night interviews at the end of last term and set about improving your skills.