English Language & Literature and Music

English Language & Literature

Literature Department aims to develop students who are confident and empathetic communicators, discerning readers with a love for reading and creative inquirers.

Recognising the importance of cultivating articulate communicators, our department introduced PVLEGS as a school-wide model for developing oracy skills. We also nurture class EL Champions who are given various platforms to speak, such as leading the class in speaking activities. During the Secondary 1 Lit Alive! Programme, students collaborate to bring their favourite scenes from drama texts to life as actors and actresses, while learning about perspective-taking and having plenty of fun too! When our students are in Secondary 2, they attend a writing workshop conducted by our ELL Department teachers. We also identify and nurture students with an interest or flair for writing to assume roles as student reporters. At Secondary 3, our students engage in lively debates on current issues, honing their persuasion and critical thinking skills.

As part of our 30th Anniversary Celebrations this year, our Sec 2 students participated in the JVS30 Project. They conducted research on their community and shared their insights through a school assembly presentation. This experience not only allowed them to present their findings to their peers but also helped enhance their public speaking skills and build their confidence. Furthermore, to instil in our students the love for reading and English Literature, we invited Dr Dennis Yeoh, Lecturer from the National Institute of Education, to give an engaging talk to our students about the myriad genres of literature texts that they can explore.

JV-nites are encouraged to be avid readers through our structured reading programme which comprises weekly reading & speaking lessons, subscription of newspapers and magazines, as well as curated reading articles.

To immerse our students in rich learning and promote a love for English Language and Literature, we also organised the ELL Week where students were engaged in many enriching and exciting activities, such as Fantasy Adventure, Dramatisation, Flash Fiction and poster design. The whole event culminated in an assembly programme with brain-teaser quizzes which the students thoroughly enjoyed

Furthermore, to broaden our students’ exposure, we provide opportunities beyond the school for students to grow through various competitions. In 2023, our students Adrienne Goh and Gwyneth Yang attained a Bronze award in the prestigious Queen’s Commmonwealth Essay Writing Competition.

Music

The Music department seeks to engage all our lower secondary students in experimental learning and performances in a safe and conducive environment. JV-nites are exposed to various instruments, ranging from keyboards, guitars and ukeleles where they will present their performance in their own classes. We continued with exploration of film music. Students were exposed to the concept of foley and saw the relevance of its work in film music. Besides this, the department engaged the students using Bandlab where they can explore the use of loop music. Our secondary Two JV-nites then composed using original loop. The department is hopeful that these programmes would help students learn confidently and go the extra mile for themselves.