DRAMA SHOWCASE
D U K E O F E D I N B U R G H ’ S I N T E R N AT I O N A L A W A R D
Canoeing for Gold
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ndertaking the renowned Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a challenge embraced by many Santa Sabina students and making it to Gold Award level takes tenacity and determination while allowing the development of skills and true grit. For many participants the Adventurous Journey component is the greatest challenge, particularly at Gold level where a three- to five-day trip is required. In the Easter holidays of 2021 seven students successfully undertook a four-day canoe journey along the Kangaroo River, camping in the bush at night. Days were spent paddling, sometimes against a strong headwind, using compass and maps to pace the journey and decide on the best rest spots for lunch and for overnight. The joys of being in the natural world, surrounded by wildlife, were offset by the sobering effect of visible remnants of the 2019/2020 bushfires in the area – sooty black tree trunks amongst new shoots of vibrant green. According to the College’s Coordinator of Outdoor Education & Experiential Learning, Christopher Walker, ‘the girls recalled the highlights of the journey as simply
‘We ensured that it was humorous and that we modernised the sonnets to connect with the audience’
being in the natural world, enjoying the peace and solitude found when canoeing, and the friendships that continued to grow from shared experiences.’ Mr Walker believes these students are now ready to ‘Shake the World’. Gold participant Tiana Pangallo of Year 11 made the most of the experience, reflecting: 'I feel like the camp component for a lot of people, even me in the beginning, is like "It's only a short trip and then I'll never have to do it again". However, what I've gained is that this is something that can not only connect you with the physical environment around you, but also with the people you are with. You will get what you make out of the trip and this was why having such a positive mentality throughout was so beneficial for us and really made the expedition.' Easter in Kangaroo Valley
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EVELYN DRINIAS Year 11 student
Love was in the air!
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arly in the year the Drama students of Year 11 collaborated with the String Ensemble to give an amazing musical and theatrical performance of Shakespeare’s sonnets for the College community. It was a special experience for the performers from Year 11 to undertake their own investigation of
Shakespeare. ‘We ensured that it was humorous and that we modernised the sonnets to connect with the audience’, said Evelyn Drinias. According to Bella Merlino, the performance included impromptu interpretation to enhance traditional theatrical techniques which they had been studying in class.
ENCOMPASS READERS CAN ENJOY THIS BRIEF VIDEO OF PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS:
It was marvellous to be back in live performance mode and share the talents of our performing arts students with the Santa Sabina community.
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ENCOMPASS 2021
ENCOMPASS 2021
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