The 2023 Chronicle

ENGLISH

Head of Department: Mrs Tanith von Mayer Staff: Mrs Mary McMichael, Mr Doug Rodger, Mr Grant Ball, Mrs Sally Cahill, Mrs Peta Roberts, Mrs Claire Hornby, Mr Herman Visagie Further Studies English: Mrs Peta Roberts, Mrs Sally Cahill Part-time Staff: Mrs Katherine Cass, Mrs Lieschen Harrison, Mrs Wendi Erasmus Intern Staff: Mr Jayden Gengan, Mr Thabani Mchunu, Mr Sifiso Shabangu, Mr Thokozani Ngcobo, Mr Anele Cebo valuable addition to our department. 2023 also saw the opening of the new English classrooms. The natural light and striking views of our Reserve create a welcoming environment, fostering an ideal setting for learning and collaboration. Every day, in the English Department, is beautiful. Midway through the year, our English intern, Jayden Gengan, opted to embrace the United Kingdom’s lifestyle for a few years, leading to the inclusion of Mrs Lieschen Harrison as an E Block English teacher. Her creative contributions have enriched our department. The English Department looks forward to 2024 with a sense of welcomed stability. A SUMMATION OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE 2022 IEB ENGLISH EXAMINATIONS: A t the onset of the year, we welcomed Mrs Claire Hornby to our team. Her passion for teaching English, coupled with her innovative teaching approach, marked a

Dr Borain, and then Mrs Roberts, took over the mantle from Mr Dennyson – a legend of Michaelhouse. We have certainly missed his weekly visits and witty corridor-comments. The Further Studies English boys were, however, in good hands as reflected in these results. Our 72% average is well above the IEB national average of 67% and this is testament to the staff and boys who use the few timetabled lessons to good effect. Reuben Baldry is to be congratulated on his outstanding 82% for Further Studies English. Commencing in B Block, the course has seen 15 boys flourish under Mrs Cahill’s guidance this year. The hope is that they will sustain this level of focus and energy, potentially forming the largest matric Further Studies English group if they persist until the end of A Block. The IEB examination, taking place in November of the boys’ A Block year, consists of a three-hour paper of three essays: the first responding to prose and drama/ film, the second addressing selected immersions of poetry, and the final one requiring a creative and philosophical response grounded in their individual reading history. Boys are provided with the chance to partake in the English Olympiad, a demanding self-study programme culminating in an open-book examination. The theme in 2023 was Care and Compassion , and the anthology, titled A Better World , encompassed a collection of poetry, prose, plays and short stories. In the 2023 competition, 16 Michaelhouse boys participated, competing against candidates from 277 national and international schools. Particularly noteworthy was Luke Kaufmann’s exceptional achievement, earning a Diamond Award and securing the sixth position nationally. This accomplishment stands as a testament to his outstanding ability and we are immensely proud of him. The A Block set works are dictated to us by the IEB. The 2022 novel choices were Margaret Attwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and The Theory of Flight by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu. Both novels are compelling stories that intricately weave together themes of power, oppression, freedom and belonging. These were coupled with the Shakespearean drama The Tempest . The remaining Blocks also delve into a blend of African and Western literature, as we maintain a dedicated focus on exploring a diverse array of texts. Building upon the pleasing results observed in 2022, we have continued with the C Block module choice. We did introduce thematic and text changes for 2023 and, at the end of D Block, boys were given the opportunity to select from the following modules: “Worlds Apart” (featuring The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald and 1917 ), “Murder Mystery” ( Lightseekers by Femi Kayode and Murder on the Orient Express ) or “Sport” ( Flat Water Tuesday by Irwin and Beyond the River ). These personalized modules, incorporating novels, films and poetry, reinforce the notion that academic performance often improves when students have some autonomy in shaping their studies. Reading, or the lack thereof, remains a concern for us. It impacts not only academic performance but also aspects of cognitive and emotional development. Beyond the enhancement of vocabulary

YEAR NO. AVE A

B

C

D

E

% A, B, C

2022 2021 2020

116 68% 110 74% 108 70%

15 31 60 8 29 46 30 5 15 52 34 7

2 0 0

91%

95,5% 93.5%

Joshua Hadley-Grave was the top Michaelhouse achiever with 86%, while four boys are commended for each attaining 84%: James Asherson, Reuben Baldry, Adrian Hill and Peter Woodland. English Home Language continues to be, statistically, one of the most difficult subjects in which to get an A with only 15% of all IEB candidates who write the exam achieving this target. Further Studies English is an optional extra for boys with a passion for English, especially literature. The IEB syllabus offers them a chance to grapple with complex poetry, prose and drama/film, facilitating a nuanced response to literature within a comprehensive context. The 2022 results are as follows:

YEAR NO. AVE A

B

C

D

E

% A, B, C

2022 2021 2020

7 7 8

72% 71% 74%

1 1 2

3 3 4

3 3 2

0 0 0

0 0 0

100% 100% 100%

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