2022 Highlights
Debating
Warners Bay High continued its proud tradition of excelling in debating in 2022. The school’s Stage 4 debating teams competed with distinction in the Premier’s Debating Challenge. The debating students overcame the added challenge of competing through digital means as they enthusiastically engaged in planning, speaking, and rebutting as they continued to develop their prowess in public speaking.
All of our debaters presented well-constructed arguments and displayed effective collaborative and communication skills. The debaters’ excitement about future opportunities indicates continued success throughout 2023.
Runway Run Away
Music, Drama and Tech students created a wonderful performance called ‘Runway Run Away’ centred upon the efforts of a daring detective duo attempting to unravel a crime mystery. The performance supplied twists and turns and an unexpected ending. Audiences were astounded with the effort put in by the students. It was a great opportunity for all students to participate and engage in the creative arts. A massive amount of work was put in by senior students, Music, and Drama teachers and all the people behind the scenes, making this play a ‘runaway’ success!
Sherlock ‘Escape Room’
During Term One, Year 11 studied the module: ‘Contemporary Possibilities’ with a focus on the BBC’s ‘Sherlock’ series. Students explored the genre of crime fiction through a study of author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, then proceeded to immerse themselves in some detective work of their own through an interactive ‘Escape Room’ run by the English Faculty. Year 11 employed their knowledge of the elements of crime fiction in order to solve clues and break successive locks on their crime solving journey. All students readily engaged in this crime solving adventure which highlighted the skills and challenges encountered when uncovering the truth.
Year 10 Auteur Podcasts
An Auteur is a director who has a unique and recognisable style that often reflects personal contexts and experiences. Year 10 investigated the works of Tim Burton and reflected on his ‘Burtonesque’ style, demonstrated in well-known films such as ‘Edward Scissorhands’, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’. Year 10 developed an understanding of how Burton’s context influenced thematic concerns, characterisation and societal comment. Students combined their knowledge of Burton’s intentions with the language of film to create engaging podcasts. The podcasts highlighted an excellent depth of knowledge and provided interesting insights about this famous director.
Year 8 Cultural Perspectives Interview
Year 8 students had enjoyed learning about a variety of cultural perspectives in the classroom during Term Two. Students undertook a formal task that reflected their creative and critical abilities. The assessment task involved students working in partnership to highlight a chosen perspective reflected through the character in a narrative. Students developed interview questions and also posed as characters to showcase cultural knowledge explored throughout the term. These students had a variety of delivery modes to choose from and all interviews provided interesting and thought-provoking perspectives. Some students utilised technology to film and edit presentations of a professional quality. Students focused on delivering high quality presentations that reflected dedication to their learning.
Hamlet Performance
Year 8 discovered the life and works of Shakespeare during Term 4 through a study of some of his most famous plays. After looking at such masterpieces as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummers Night Dream, King Lear, and Macbeth - The EEE class developed their knowledge of Hamlet and skilfully adapted the play into a performance piece which was performed to an appreciative audience. The development process saw students tackling tasks such as script adaptation, stagecraft and developing character whilst creating their backdrops. The dedication towards this extension of the unit was outstanding, as were the students' efforts during their performance. All teachers and students who witnessed the show were amazed by the skill of the students.
Creative Writing Portfolio
Throughout their time in Year 8, students in the elective, Creative Writing participated in the creation of an individual writing portfolio, highlighting their strengthened ability to produce and refine engaging pieces of imaginative writing in a variety of genres such as fantasy and science fiction. All students worked tirelessly and embraced the opportunity to challenge themselves with extended pieces of writing. The students displayed commitment and as a result submitted high quality pieces of work to their teacher who had the joy of reading the wonderful creations of her class.
