English department
What a year! In a very busy schedule, a few events stand out.
Year 8 had a special treat with the visit of performance poet Paul Cookson. Cookson has published a number of volumes of lively, fun verse and has appeared on television. He visited the Dunluce School library to perform for Year 8 and what a routine it was!
Cookson is a splendid poet, but he is a first class comic and story teller too, making a very entertaining afternoon for Year 8 and their English teachers. He writes about everyday things and his poems are designed to be read aloud and performed. His subject matter ranges from the strange behaviour of teachers, (not that Dunluce teachers are at all strangely-behaved), to tribute poems for football heroes like George Best. Cookson really knows how use language and anyone who thought that poetry was irrelevant or that poets were boring had a big surprise.
This was also the year of the competition. Several of our pupils had their poems selected to be published in the poetry anthology “Talking About My Generation”.
The NEELB organised a reading event called the “One Book Project”. Schools all over the Board read “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas”. As part of the project they added a creative writing competition based on some of the themes in the novel. 10A2 had only a fortnight to write, redraft and type their stories. The competition was tough with so many schools involved, yet not one, but 2 of our pupils enjoyed real success!
Christopher Archibald’s story about an escape from a Japanese POW camp was “highly commended”, while Emma Mc Keary’s moving tale of one family’s journey to Auschwitz was runner up in the whole competition! Congratulations to both and I have to tell you that many of the other stories submitted were also of an outstanding standard. Well done 10A2!
Yet perhaps the most outstanding event came towards the end of the year. A team of Year 10 pupils spent hours after school putting together a promotional package for The Young Direct Marketing Awards. The team, comprising Samantha Young, Erin Mc Peak, Megan Chambers and Aaron Chambers, had to put together a direct marketing package for the RNLI. Aaron provided expert advice and research on the work of the lifeboats; Megan’s artistry was put to good use in the design, while Samantha and Erin interviewed Mr. Mitchell the deputy coxswain of the Portrush lifeboat for insider perspective. It was a great combination.
The team were invited to the awards ceremony in The Magic Circle Headquarters in London! Mrs. McCartney and Mrs. McIlveen travelled with the team in June to see the sights of London and pick up our award. To be honest we thought we might receive a commendation at best. We had no experience of the competition, the standard was very high and the 12 schools also invited to the awards ceremony included a large private school in Edinburgh and The Sunday Times State School of the Year 2007! We were just glad to be invited.
When they read out that Dunluce had won silver we were so shocked! We stood on the stage with our trophy and certificates unable to believe our good fortune… but really delighted as well. This was the highlight of the year and a day to remember forever.
Next year we’re going for gold.
