» English

Click here for an overview of English: Aims and philosophy Beyond the classroom De Beers English Olympiad The curriculum Department staff

 

The English department is justifiably proud of its recent results:

• Matric results 2010: 30 A grades
• Cambridge A Levels: Kirara Sate achieved 100% for English Literature

Welcome to the English Department at St John’s College.

Aims and philosophy

The English department plays a key role within the school. We are in a unique position to be able to stimulate intellectual, emotional, social, political and academic growth. As teachers our role is to confront pupils’ sensibilities, challenge their values and expose them to different and often conflicting viewpoints. It is also essential that we develop pupils’ oral and written communication skills and develop a life-long love for reading and learning.

 

Beyond the classroom

The best of our boys’ creative writing is published in the Scribbler, edited by a small “boy” committee under the watchful eye of Ms Joy de Souza. The best of the writing inevitably finds its way into the prestigious English Alive.

2010 saw St John’s writers win all sections of the South African SACEE writing competition.

The Decimus Society, now not limited to the top ten academics, has extended its ambit to those who wish to go beyond the curriculum.  Nick Daves, editor-in-chief of the Mail and Guardian, was 2011’s first guest.

The film society also exposes pupils to unconventional and thought provoking films twice a term. This year saw a screening of Catfish, After Life and Coq au Vin – all thought-provoking films on a variety of interesting themes.

In the 2010 de Beers English Olympiad Chris Grose (UV) was placed tenth and Reshard Kolabhai (LV) nineteenth in the top 20 rank order out of 6314 Olympian entrants.  This year, Muhammed-Ismail Bulbulia is placed in the top 50.

St John’s continues to shine at debating. The team of Michael Macklin, Andy Petersen, Mohammed Kaskar, Nabeel Seedat and Scott Hunt reached the semi-final, defended by Pretoria Gils High. The St John’s team was defeated in the final by Pretoria girls high. Michael Macklin was awarded best senior provincial debater 2010. Michael has subsequently been chosen to represent South Africa in debating.

Old boys, Garikai Nyarawata and Michael Fargher who co-founded the African Schools Debating League are both recipients of the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University.

Public speaking activities continue with full participation in the Speech and Drama Guild (SA) Speaking Festival. Kai Brummer won the 2011 Senior Impromptu and Michael Macklin the O’Dowd medal for prepared speaking.

 

The curriculum

 

Matric
The school follows the IEB Matric syllabus, details of which can be found at www.ieb.co.za

 

Remove (Grade 8) to Lower V (Grade 11)
The department has designed its own curriculum in line with the National Curriculum and IEB guidelines. Remove and Lower IV (Grades 8 and 9) act as bridging years to help the pupils settle in, while Upper IV and Lower V (Grades 10 and 11) start to prepare pupils for the demands of Matric and NSC. We are confident that the curriculum we offer blends the best of the old with the best of the new. We pride ourselves on the fact that most year groups at the school study two Shakespeare plays a year, together with exciting contemporary works. Reading programmes in both Remove, Lower IV and Upper IV have been very successful in generating a culture of reading at the school, with reading projects in other years continuing this tradition.

St John’s has been invited by the IEB to be a pilot school for the roll out of the Advanced Programme English examination in 2012. We have 35 pupils who have embarked on this exciting literature based course. This year we are covering the Modernist school of poetry, South African 21st Century  poetry as well as a variety of novels and drama texts over and above the core NSC syllabus.

 

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

The role of the academic support centre has become more influential in the life of the school under the expert eye of Ms Sue de Witte. Her role is to co-ordinate appropriate academic support for College boys.

 

 

English department staff

Wendy Young
Head of Department – English
BA (Rhodes) PGCE (University of Zimbabwe/London)

 

 

 

Joy de Souza		BA UED Natal
Sue de Witte		(Learning support)
		BEd (Hons) (Wits), BPed (Rhodes), Cambridge CELTA (RSA) (London).
Lee Mattiuzzo		BA (Ed) Wits
Richard Venter		BA (Hons), HDE Natal
Paul Emant		BA HDE (UPE)
Matthew Taylor		BA (Hons)(Wits) PGCE (Wits)
Denise Cambell		BA HDE (UCT)
David Cambell		BA (UPE) HDE (UCT)
Sharon Hale		BA (UCT) Grad. CE (University of Rhodesia)