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nurture the sense of student ownership for the physical
library, we are also providing access points to new, exciting
and diverse online resources. I am grateful to all staff for
their support and willingness to embrace these new ideas.
Mrs Julie Purcell,
Director Library Resource Centre
Language Other Than English
(LOTE)
In the LOTE Department in 2014 there has been much to
celebrate with the introduction of new programmes and
many achievements.
‘We love China so much.We will miss everyone we met.’
WeChat message from Year 10 students on exchange
to China.
According to the Chinese Zodiac 2014 is the Year of the
horse. In Chinese, people say,
meaning ‘
Succeed
upon arrival (with a horse)
.’ As the year unfolded, we
witnessed a number of significant events which took place
in and out of the Chinese classrooms at Ruyton. The
learning and teaching of Chinese remained dynamic and
exciting, with students’ linguistic and intercultural
competences expanding by completing assessment tasks
and participating in cultural activities.
As part of an exciting initiative in 2014 all girls in Year 3
have Chinese lessons five times per fortnight. To cater for
the needs of these inquisitive minds we have chosen not to
use commercial textbooks but instead we compile or write
our own teaching materials. Apart from learning the basic
elements of the Chinese language, girls have also had
opportunities to try Chinese cooking, dancing, music,
painting and calligraphy. Their dancing performances at the
Junior School Assembly showcased how well they have
been immersed in Chinese culture. They also loved using
the iPad apps to revise and expand their learning. At the
Chinese Afternoon Tea held in Term 3 parents were positive
about the learning opportunities provided and said that
their daughters kept talking about Chinese at home.
In another initiative an exchange programme for Year 10
students has been established with Nanjing Foreign
Language School (Xianlin). This is the third sister-school
relationship we have in mainland China and Taiwan. In July,
two students and one teacher from Nanjing came to
Ruyton for a three-week exchange and in September four
Ruyton girls visited Nanjing and three of them stayed for
three weeks to experience Chinese school life. In addition
13 girls and one teacher from Sheng Kung Girls’ School were
hosted by us in March.
In our daily teaching and learning we have focused on two
new strategies to improve student learning in Chinese. In
the Senior classes we oversee students’ work samples in
VCE classes and devise strategies to extend and support the
girls. In the Junior classes we have explored the use of apps
to enrich student learning, such as using Book Creator,
Quizlet, iMovie, Tellagami and Puppet Pal.
Other significant events have included Chinese Culture
Week and the Chinese Reading Competition in which one
Year 7 student won third prize at State level.
The French Department has also enjoyed a challenging and
stimulating year. To add to existing programmes, French
Week and annual visits from exchange students, there have
been significant changes this year. French Club and La
Petite Bibilothèque (Little Library) have been established in
the Junior School, new courses have been created in Year 9
and Year 10 to adapt to changing student needs, and a
range of new technologies have been embraced. Students
and teachers of Prep-Year 7 have enjoyed the new
possibilities for language learning provided by iPads in the
classroom, while Year 12 students have studied the impact
of new technology on our lives and on French society as the
theme of their Detailed Study.
In the Junior School and in Year 7, apps like
Bitsboard
,
Move
‘n’ Match
,
Explain Everything
, and
iMovi
e have been
particularly useful for helping students attend to language
structure, to demonstrate and share their understanding by
illustrating text, and to create their own media. Some of
these apps have also been useful in Year 8-12 classes,
accessible either online or on student iPhones. All Senior
School French students use online resources such as
Languages
Online, Ecoutez Bien, Quizlet
and
Quia
for
vocabulary, grammar and listening practice. Other online
resources such as
Linoit
and
Infuse Learning
allow students
to effectively share ideas and collaborate in the classroom.
Students are also now able to produce increasingly
sophisticated media of their own, with MacBooks
transforming the standard PowerPoint presentation to
professional-looking iMovies, and Apple TVs allowing for
easy sharing of these in the classroom.
French CelebrationWeek was once again a week of fun
events, food and cultural enrichment timed to include a
celebration of Bastille Day. Highlights in the Junior School
this year included a performance of
Sleeping Beauty
from
Carrousel Bilingual Puppet Theatre and dressing with a
touch of French. Dress ups have also become a tradition for
Year 12 students and teachers during FrenchWeek, as they
Annual Report 2014
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