OUTSTANDING STUDENTS

Maewill English College acknowledges students who have made outstanding contributions to the school through their hard work and participation in school life.

The following students are all outstanding students:

Marilene

Suburb: Fairlight
Age: 20
Home Country: Switzerland
When did you arrive in Australia? 12 September 2002
When are you leaving Australia? I don’t know yet, but for sure I’ll stay 9 more months
Why are you in Australia? To learn English, to try and live without my parents and to get to know another country
Hobbies and Interests: I love drawing, being with people, reading books, learning and laughing
Favourite music: Classical and rock for thinking, R&B and hip hop for dancing
Favourite Movie: I don’t have a favourite kind of movie. I’m very open but I don’t like fighting-movies or combat movies
Favourite Food: I really like Chinese food. Again I’m open about it. I like a lot of kinds of food
What are your future ambitions? It’s a good question. I don’t know yet, but I want to start university in one year’s time. Then I’ll try to find my way.
What’s the meaning of life? Enjoy the present moment!!

Piece of Writing: A Limerick
by Marilene

There is a fat policeman from York
Who is a big superior at work
He said to the guys
They could have a good rise
If they stopped calling him “the fat pork”

Louise

Suburb: Narraweena
Age: 21
Home Country: China
When did you arrive in Australia? 26th May 2003
When are you leaving Australia? Three years later
Why are you in Australia? To study
Hobbies and Interests: Listening to music, reading, travel
Favourite music: Pop songs
Favourite Movie: Gone with the wind
Favourite Food: Chinese food
What are your future ambitions? To become a doctor
What’s the meaning of life? To try is to win

Piece of Writing: Study and Exercise
by Louise

Nowadays competition in society is becoming more and more intense. People, not only businessmen, but also students at school, want to improve themselves. Therefore, they spend a lot of time in their business as well as at study. However, students even spend no time playing, they just spend all their hours in their courses.

Some people think that more study and less sports can take a student to the top of the class, but as far as I am concerned, although studying is important for students to get a high mark, sports is also useful in one’s study. Generally, playing sport is the power for everyday studying. No matter if you are a child or an adult, after you have played for a while, you can recover the fatigue caused by a long time studying. In addition, sport is always played outdoors, thus, you can take a deep breath of fresh air. It can ease your strain after studying.

Also, the oxygen in the fresh air can make your thoughts more clear, as well as giving you a good memory. Another benefit of playing sport is that sports can strengthen your physique, making you healthier. As we all know a good body is the most important thing in life. Can you imagine how one person can manage his study with a weak physical condition? For example, doing morning exercises can give you a healthier body, and you can spend more hours doing your study.

Also, playing sports is a type of communication, only using our body without words. Take playing football for example, you can contact all of the players with one ball. It will be easier to make friends in a game. In conclusion, studying combined with regular sports can make you study more easily and comfortably. Therefore, playing sport is not a waste of time, but actually improves your study, making you more energetic.

Frank

Suburb: Beacon Hill
Age: 16
Home Country: China
When did you arrive in Australia? April
When are you leaving Australia? I don't know
Why are you in Australia? To go to High School
Hobbies and Interests: Rap and football
Favourite music: Eminem
Favourite Movie: Titanic
Favourite Food: Korean food
What are your future ambitions? To become an engineer
What’s the meaning of life? It's good to look good but better to feel good!

Extract from Student Report:

With a great sense of humour, Frank has a definite presence in class; he is a very keen learner and is always conscientious. He works well in groups and socializes well with other students. Frank is a bright and cheery student who will cope very well within a new school climate and his eagerness to please will endear him to the staff.

Piece of Writing: Newspaper Interview
by Frank

What music has influenced your style? When I was five years old I was interested in Italian music. I liked it very much. I think it has influenced my whole life. I can’t live without it.

When did you start singing? I started singing when I was twelve. Maybe you think that is old for studying. That’s false. Singing is different from playing the piano or playing the violin. Because singing in “bel canto” is hard to study and understand. You should wait for an older year. Eleven or twelve is ok.

Do you ever get a sore throat? That’s an interesting question. I sing in bel canto so the throat is not important. We sing using the stomach and head.

Is your family musical? Yes, my mother can play piano very well, and my grandmother is a music teacher in a university.

Tell me about singing in front of 10,000 people. That’s fantastic! It makes me feel excited and powerful. I like it very much.

Emily

Suburb: Dee Why
Age: 17
Home Country: China
When did you arrive in Australia? 06 March 2003
When are you leaving Australia? 06 March 2007
Why are you in Australia? To study English
Hobbies and Interests: Playing badmington and swimming
Favourite music: Pop songs
Favourite Movie: Star Wars
Favourite Food: Chinese food
What are your future ambitions? To become a translator
What’s the meaning of life? Live a life which is different from others!

Extract from Student Report:

Emily is an enthusiastic and engaging student who works well in class with her peers. She contributes well and is willing to give her opinion during a class discussion when asked. She has clearly understood what she must do in order to become a successful student in an English-speaking environment and with her determination will surely succeed in High School.

Piece of Writing: Memories of Childhood
by Emily

Outside
The sky is really dark
Winds blow bitterly
Thick ice sliding
Old people in slow motion doing morning exercises

Inside
The window is closed throwing the cold out
Warm air conditioner on keeping the temperature cosy
Inactive child doing nothing but lying in bed, depressing
Hot coffee steaming
A new day starts suddenly.

Maria

Suburb: Dee Why
Age: 16
Home Country: China
When did you arrive in Australia? 09 February 2003
When are you leaving Australia? 2006
Why are you in Australia? To study English
Hobbies and Interests: Singing and Travelling
Favourite music: RNB
Favourite Movie: Star Wars
Favourite Food: Chinese food
What are your future ambitions? Get a good job
What’s the meaning of life? Live a colourful life

Extract from Student Report:

Maria is a gentle and thoughtful individual who shows a clear intellectual capability which is perhaps beyond her years. She mixes well with all nationalities and ages, which makes her a popular student among both peers and teachers. Her natural curiosity means that Maria works very hard to make sure she understands all the relevant points being taught. She shows a level of intellect and broad mindedness about the world that she is living in. She will continue to do well throughout her academic career.

Piece of Writing: The P.E. Exam
by Maria

I am 16 years old now, so I’ve done the midterm exam in China. The midterm exam includes Chinese, Maths, English, Natural Science experiments and P.E. All the exams are hard to pass, but the P.E. exam leaves the deepest impression on me. I’m a girl who is weak in P.E. I can’t run for a long distance, or I’ll vomit. I also don’t have a good jumping ability. I actually admire the people who jump more than two metres. So it’s very hard for me to get good marks.

When we began to train, I ran for 1200 metres per day after school. I often felt too tired to walk. I think it’s the most difficult challenge in my life. After four months it was time for the P.E. exam. It was cloudy that day. We wore sports clothes and got ready for the exam. I was so nervous, because I was afraid of failing the exam. I remember the mood when I was standing at the starting line, looking at the running track. With the sound of the whistle, we began to run. Everyone was serious; there was no facial expression on my face. I just wanted to run, run, run. I wanted to reach the finishing line.

When I finished 600 metres I felt too tired to run any longer. I felt my blood burning, I just wheezed. There was just 100 metres left. I tried my best to run faster. Finally I passed the finishing-line. I’d got the best result. I came first! This was an unusual experience in my life. I know that if I have confidence I can defeat any challenges.

Nobu

Piece of Writing: Working in Australia
by Nobu

I’m working at a high school as a cleaner. The school is not too far from my house, so I can get there quickly. I usually start work at 4pm, but my boss said it doesn’t matter if you come a little bit earlier or later than 4pm. He just wants to make sure I’m actually there.

Before I worked in this job, I worked in a restaurant which is located very close to my house. I worked there as a kitchen hand every other day. My task was so hard and dirty, so when I came back home my clothes stank of food. But my boss and the chef and assistants were very sympathetic and gentle. So they helped me when I was too tired to do something.

Being a school cleaner was very strange for me in the beginning. Because in Japan students have to clean all their own classroom when they are finished. But I could get the job because Australian students don’t clean their classroom.

At first I pick up all rubbish bins and then vacuum all classrooms which are about 30. Then I clean two toilets and I can go back home. At the beginning when I started to work, I felt very tired but now I am used to working here. I think I will be able to work here longer than my last job.

Ming (Mitchell)

Piece of Writing: Learning how to dance
by Mitchell

On the afternoon of January 30, some of the students of Maewill English College went to the Warringah Academy of Dancing. Of course, I was a member of the dancing learner group. That was my first formal dance class in my life. In fact, that was a great harvest. I learned a lot from dancing, and found I was so clumsy while I was learning how to dance.

That was a hot day. We arrived there at one o’clock. We walked to the upstairs of a low building. The dancing teachers were waiting for us - they were a friendly couple.

At the beginning they performed their dancing. They danced very well, like a couple of angels. Then they taught us how to step. It seemed very simple, but I found it was very difficult while I was trying to step the right point. I was always stepping at the wrong point or the fast music threw my step into confusion. Not only me, but some other boys’ movements were very artificial. Everyone was laughing and joking. The atmosphere was so happy.

After we finished learning how to step, the teachers began to teach how to joined the simple steps together and used these steps to dance follow the music. It was the hardest part of learning dance. I couldn’t control my feet. Every step was wrong, I just moved with my partner. But I couldn’t step as well as a good learner. We changed the partners in order to make sure that everyone had average progress.

Everybody was very happy and excited, although we didn’t dance very well. Everybody has only in mind that learning to dance was just for fun. Everybody had a happy day. I hope I can go there again soon. I like it, because this is a very important skill for surviving in this society.

Tiger

Suburb: Beacon Hill
Age: 17
Home Country: China
When did you arrive in Australia? 12/Oct/2003
When are you leaving Australia? I’ve no idea. I haven’t planned
Why are you in Australia? For a better education
Hobbies and Interests: Tennis, table-tennis, badminton, golf, reading, thinking, learning
Favourite music: Rock, Yan Zie’s music
Favourite Movie: Matrix
Favourite Food: Eggplant
What are your future ambitions? Enter a brilliant university. Be an outstanding PhD student.
What’s the meaning of life? Be myself, a real tiger

Piece of Writing: MEC Halloween Party
by Tiger

Halloween Day was a completely new and exciting festival for us. When we arrived at school, the teachers had already changed their clothes. They were in strange long and black gowns like those which belong to witches. Furthermore, they wore big and strange hats, which had long white hair at the back. Obviously, everybody was so excited that we were looking forward to the party.

After some interesting guessing games, we were all in the hall. Mae said in a low and mysterious voice `First we will talk to a dead man!’ We were shocked! I could feel the atmosphere threatened our heart. We stood close to one another and hand-in-hand in a circle. Everyone’s eyes were frightened and full of dread. Suddenly, the light flashed and turned off! And then Mae became just like another person. When we asked questions, the person whose soul was in Mae pointed to answers on the magic paper. Everyone couldn’t believe what was happening. We were speaking to a dead guy.

After some funny and ridiculous questions, Mae turned back to herself. It was indeed an incredible spiritual adventure. After Mae, Avyssa and Steve connected with dead guys’ souls, to our delight a delicious meal was waiting for us. As we were exhausted after this experience, everyone enjoyed this sumptuous meal so much.

We liked the Halloween party, especially those of us who have never experienced this kind of festival. We had found a fresh world full of stirred unknown things waiting for us to discover. We enjoyed this exploration, this process of adventure. Meanwhile, we have to appreciate those who helped us find this world, our dear and respected teachers.