Southlands Elective Showcase

Year 7 -12 Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Embark on a compelling journey with Dawn as she navigates the complexities of living with arthritis, revealing her resilience and adaptability amidst the trials and triumphs of managing this condition. From grappling with intense stomach pain triggered by medication reactions to finding relief through physiotherapy and organic remedies like turmeric, Dawn's narrative unfolds with authenticity and courage.

Through the lens of her own experiences, Dawn illuminates the struggles of mobility and isolation she faced in school, only to discover a supportive community at Camp Freedom—a sanctuary where young arthritis sufferers like herself forge lifelong friendships and find empowerment amidst adventure and camaraderie.

Meet Darcy, Flynn, Jordan, and Zarissa—fellow warriors in the battle against arthritis, each sharing their unique journey and insights into resilience and strength.

As Dawn and her peers strive for independence and confidence, organizations like Musculoskeletal Australia, Arthritis and Osteoporosis, and JAFA offer essential support and resources, paving the way for a brighter future.

With Camp Freedom now recognized as a Duke of Edinburgh-approved activity, Dawn's story becomes a beacon of hope, inspiring others to embrace their journey and rewrite the narrative of arthritis with courage and determination.

Arthritis- Dawn Milligan _8312_.docx.pdf

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Year 7 -10 Classics Elective

Our First student projects are just starting to come in and I am delighted with the quality of work I have received. The Year 9s explored the possibility of Beowulf as a Christ figure and if he is still relevant today. Emily is in Year 9 has been doing Medieval Classics and just finished Beowulf. Below is a sample of her exemplary work.

Year 8s are also doing Greek Myths and our Year 10s are looking at 'Empire a history' text, followed by Jane Austen' Pride and Prejudice.

Year 7 -10 Creative Writing

This year, ACC offers a full year long Creative Writing course which is rich in content and gives students regular writing practise to get their creative juices flowing! The course ran as a 6 month course last year but much more content has been added this year to make it even more engaging and well-rounded for students. They cover important things like:

• narrative conventions which includes different types of characters (and how to write great dialogue), setting (and how to create mood), themes, plot structures and the different types of points of view;

• literary devices and linguistic features which covers things like how to use imagery, similes, metaphors, descriptive language, adjectives, strong verbs etc.;

• different types genres including sci fi, adventure, fantasy, horror, comedy, historical fiction, poetry, play writing and others;

• reading other people's short stories to learn from the masters

• a writing prompt every week to challenge them to put into action what they have learned

• and so much more.

This program will help students to improve in their understanding of how to write a great story and all of the elements involved in that. They are also encouraged to email their work to me so that I can give them feedback to further hone their work. 

I hope you enjoy reading one of the pieces of writing I received in Term 1 from Emily Hayward in Year 8 which was inspired by this writing prompt: Choose a hero that you really like. Think about what their strongest heroic quality is (e.g. self sacrifice, strength, morals, care etc.). Now, think about the opposite of that quality and write a scene where a character shows that negative quality (e.g. selfishness, weakness, immorality, cruelty).

Lesson 6 Writing Prompt

- Hero: Rapunzel

Strengths: Loyalty, caring

Loyalty -> Disloyal, traitorous

“Where are we going?” I asked, Luna purring quietly by my side.

“It’s a surprise,” Judith continued at the front of the group, pushing away the low

hanging leaves in front of her face. The only person behind me was Alex, who was in the

process of destroying his nails with his teeth.

“Are you alright?” I asked him.

“He’s anxious because he doesn't trust her,” Eliza responded from in front of me. “And

I don’t either.”

I glared at her, then looked back at Alex.

“You have to admit, she is being kinda weird,” he said, continuing to bite his nails even

more aggressively. It stayed silent for a while with the exception of the sound of

brushing past the thick vegetation surrounding us.

“We’re here,” Judith led us out of the forest and into an open field, with grass as long

as my knees.

“Why are we here, may I ask?” Eliza narrowed her eyes at Judith. My instant reaction

was to defend her before I saw Judith look away, fiddling with her hands. The sound of

rustling assaulted me as multiple armoured figures rose from the grass.

“Judith what’s going on?” my voice wavered as I slowly backed away. Suddenly I found

myself bumping into another figure. I frantically looked around for an opening but they

seemed to block any idea of escaping.

“I’m sorry, I just-” Judith sighed and looked at the ground before continuing. “They

offered me a pardon if I handed you in.”

Eliza launched herself at Judith before one of the soldiers grabbed her and pulled her

arms back.

“Why would you do this?” I choked, holding back tears. She stayed silent.

“I told you,” Alex whispered through tears.

And I should have listened.