Senior School

Year 12 Drama − Blithe Spirit

After months of rehearsals, the Year 12s took the stage for their production of Noel Coward’s 1941 beloved masterpiece, Blithe Spirit. Blithe Spirit tells the tale of a haunting. A writer invites a clairvoyant to his home to conduct a seance for inspiration for his latest book but chaos ensues when she accidentally conjures up the ghost of his dead wife. Working on this classic piece of theatre was a wonderful experience for the entire cast and crew. We were blessed with the most beautiful set, designed and constructed by Cornerstone staff, Zoe Ferguson and Michael Stanbury and the costuming by Year 12 student Tiah Hough was absolutely exquisite. The performances were a hit and the audiences extremely receptive, loving the farce and comedy of this hilarious story. We loved bringing a bit of magic into the theatre and it was a fitting send off for our talented year 12 Drama student’s final performance.

Kristen Doherty

Drama Resource Manager

Year 12 Nutrition

On Monday, 22 August the Year 12 Nutrition class went to the Adelaide University’s Waite campus. Below is an excerpt from the Excursion letter: The School of Agriculture, Food & Wine at The University of Adelaide offer food & nutrition science workshops for school students. Our Year 12 Nutrition students have the opportunity to visit the School of Agriculture, Food & Wine where they will take part in a workshop about the Sensory Evaluation of Food. This workshop is intended to support the SACE 2 nutrition subject and will take place at the University of Adelaide Waite campus. A sensory evaluation delves deep into the science of describing how our senses perceive different foods. The lecturer that ran the workshop was Dr James Ralph.

Colleen Bradfield

Teacher

Year 12 Rock Climbing

On Sunday, 4 September a group of 16 students and 2 staff members headed to Victoria’s Mount Arapiles for their Rock Climbing expedition. “It was a really fun experience and allowed us to step out of our comfort zones.”

William King

Throughout the camp we had mostly blue skies and our students had a wonderful time building their rock climbing skills while challenging themselves. Each student undertook a multi pitch climb allowing them to experience many new climbing elements - with having to remove gear and work closely with the instructors to complete it successfully with their partner. “The camp was the most rewarding and challenging Outdoor Education expedition. The feeling when completing multi pitch and persisting and compelling challenging climbs with other students and the support from each other was amazing.” Matthew Armitage and Harrison Dawes The camp allowed for the students to each develop their knowledge in outdoor setting and each student growing closer together and developing connections and relationships with their peers. Overall, the 2022 Year 12 Outdoor Education students enjoyed the new experience and was rewarding and helped them all develop skills for their life. “Thank you to Mrs Danielle Bradley, Mr Joel Liddicoat, Dave and the other instructors from outdoor adventures system for the successful and rewarding expedition for the students.”

Danielle Bradley

Outdoor Education Teacher

Year 11 Music

On Friday, 26 August the Year 11 Music class attended Where Emus Roam the Streets, a performance written by Mark Ferguson, featuring Mark Ferguson (piano), Ciara Ferguson (vibraphone), Kyrie Anderson (drums), Jamie Ferguson (trombone) and Bonnie Aué (double-bass). The program consisted of 10 contrasting songs composed and recorded by Mark Ferguson, that although primarily revolving around jazz, incorporated classical and Indigenous Australian themes. Each song had their own individual story that took the audience on a journey. The opening song, Adnyamathanha Dawn, captured the essence of the picturesque sunrise of the Adnyamathanha land. There were many memorable moments of the performance, and the songs really demonstrated the full capabilities of all the featured musicians. Highly irregular time signatures such as 13/8 were used and Kyrie Anderson’s drumming utilised unique percussive elements throughout (she used the back and front of her sticks and brushes, in addition to her hands). Solos from all the featured musicians were inspiring and highly enjoyable to watch. On behalf of our class, we would like to thank the music staff (Ms Zerner and Mr Janus) for taking us on the excursion and the performers for providing the show. Liam Carver and Seb Tonkin Year 11 Students

Year 11 State Theatre Day

The English teachers were pleased to take the Year 11 students to view a performance of Chalkface by the State Theatre Company on Thursday, 11 August. Chalkface was a comedy which explored the conflict between St Jude’s longest serving teacher and a recent graduate known as the “child whisperer”. We were excited to be able to attend this event after two years of absence due to COVID-19. Chalkface opened many avenues of discussion with our English classes. The use of satire highlighted current educational issues such as teacher burnout and the increase in bureaucracy which can hamper successful educational outcomes for students. While the messages in the play were serious, the audience was able to laugh at the insider view of a school staff room. Year 11 English student Isaac Moore described the production as, “witty, comical and well-performed.” The highlight for him was the relatability of the characters and wellconsidered plot which explored the personal challenges of each teacher and their ability to overcome them. As an English Learning Area, we value opportunities for our students to see live performance and look forward to attending the State Theatre Company’s State Educate initiative again next year.

Karin Hempenstall

English Learning Area Leader

Year 12 Tourism

On Monday, 29 August the Stage 2 Tourism class visited the Adelaide Zoo to assess the viability of the attraction. Whilst experiencing adverse weather conditions, students still made the most of the occasion, and were able to make observations, collect evidence and speak with keepers, volunteers and tourists alike. Students are to be commended on their attitude and behaviour on what was quite a soggy day!

Casey Patterson

Humanities Learning Area Leader