Arts & Activities Fall 2017

Arts & Activities

Fall 2017

BAKING No previous skill kneaded! In this combined junior/senior activity, students will learn some basic baking skills such as baking breads, cakes and cookies and will also have the chance to get creative with some special projects.

As part of the service aspect of this activity, the baking group creates goodies to be shared weekly with a Duncan-based organization, Meals on the Ground.

Each baker is also responsible for ordering and organizing ingredients and equipment twice each term.

BOAT BUILDING Boat building is one of the oldest forms of engineering, concerned largely with the construction of hulls, masts, spars and rigging.

Boat building students will enjoy a hands-on approach to boatbuilding by working with Shawnigan’s fleet of floating vessels.

Students will be introduced to boat repair and maintenance and will also have the opportunity to undertake a major group project of their own design. No experience is necessary to take part in boat building, though it can help.

DANCE In this combined junior/senior performing art form, dance students study hip-hop, jazz and contemporary dance styles. Each class includes warm-ups, stretch and strengthening and choreography.

Dance appropriate wear is a requirement for this physical class and there is a costume fee associated with this activity.

Shawnigan dancers perform at the Shawnigan Night of Dance, Barre None Recital and the Fine Art Concert.

DIGITAL ARTS Digital art is a new media art form where the artist uses digital technology as an essential part of the creative process. Digital art can be purely computer generated or taken from other sources, such as scanned photographs or vector graphics.

Digital arts students have the opportunity to thoroughly explore the world of Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

Each student will learn how to apply elements of design in their own self-directed illustrations. From creating visual graphic pieces for a story book to designing an album cover, the group will progress from simple conceptual shapes to detailed digital drawing.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY Digital photography students will learn the basics of digital photography and printing and take part in at least two field outings in order to gain experience photographing different subject matter.

This year, the group will be involved with the new Shawnigan News Network, a social media communications program. Digital photography students will participate in some news assignments and will have the opportunity to post their photographs to the new “Stag On The Run� website in addition to participating in several showings of their work.

No experience is necessary but students are required to rent, borrow or buy their own DSLR camera and printing paper.

E-CLUB Members of the E-Club participate in a host of environmental service activities, so a passion for environmental welfare is a must. Activities, such as hatchery management, habitat restoration projects and tree planting, take place on campus as well in the wider community.

Occasionally, students will be engaged in field trips and activities that are outside the normal Monday/ Wednesday time slot. Past examples of these kinds of field trips include working with Parks Canada staff on habitat restoration projects in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and shoreline clean-up at Mill Bay as part of the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-Up.

FIGURE SKATING Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs or groups perform freestyle movements including jumps, spins, lifts and footwork on ice. It is the oldest sport on the Olympic Winter Games programme, first included at the 1908 London Games and again in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium. Figure skating represents an elegant combination of art and sport, testing athleticism, style and technical skill.

Figure skating at Shawnigan offers skaters the opportunity to develop fundamental skating skills in the areas of ice dance, free skate and interpretive skating. Interested skaters may also choose to pursue synchronized skating or pairs skating.

FILM PRODUCTION Introduction to Film Production explores the process of digital storytelling through various student-led film projects made by utilizing iPhones, GoPros, DSLRs and MFT cameras.

Completed projects will be streamed on campus, posted online and presented throughout the year at selected social events. Advanced Film Production is a follow-up course designed for those students who wish to expand on a personal production, develop an idea into a movie, learn the professional craft of filmmaking as practiced in Hollywood, and possibly submit entries into film festivals for competition.

Preference will be given either to those with an existing original idea ready to develop, shoot and work through post production to final exhibition, or anyone with a deep passion for filmmaking.

FLY TYING Fly tying beginners start by learning the different families of flies and how to tie them using a variety of materials. They are also taught basic casting techniques. Advanced students learn to tie more advanced patterns and are able to fill up their fly boxes with Western and local flies.

Fly tying students have the opportunity to try out their fishing skills on the School’s own Lake Omar, on Shawnigan Lake and locally in the Cowichan region as well as further afield to locations such as Tahsis, a premier ecotourism destination on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Under the careful tutelage of Mr. Jean-Jacques Receveaux, fly tying students are able to learn fishing skills and enjoy outdoors experiences that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

HAPPY BODIES & HEALTHY MINDS The Happy Bodies & Healthy Minds activity offers a space for stress-relief, reflection, sharing and support, and spirituality, amidst the busyness of a Shawnigan life. The main goal of the activity is to positively shape the lives of students by helping them build a healthy self-image and give them a welcome break from the stresses of daily life. Students will learn how to build a regular meditation and gratitude practice and will participate in a variety of other activities focused on holistic wellness.

Discussion topics, including positive self-esteem, healthy body image and intuition will be echoed throughout activities, and the small group size is intended to create a safe space for sharing and connecting. This activity provides gentle and informative coaching in healthy lifestyle and coping skills that students can benefit from during their time at Shawnigan and in their lives after graduation.

HOMEWORK HELPERS The SLS Homework Helpers are a team of energetic senior students who are interested in working with local elementary students in an educational setting. Not only do the little students develop skills in homework and music, they also look up to our tutors as role models. Tutoring is pursued in a one-toone setting after school, focusing on basic math, reading and writing skills, social studies, science, and modern languages.

Homework Helpers will promote partnership that supports the social, emotional, and academic growth of our younger students. Homework Helpers also counts towards volunteer hours for university.

LIBRARY This fine art service program helps with library tasks such as shelving returns, shelf reading stacks, processing new books, repairs, administration, creating displays and digital content and similar assignments as needed. Students also take turns to engage in a reading program that has been established at the on-campus Montessori daycare.

This activity helps the students feel involved in and care for their on-campus library and the collection of books therein. While involvement with this program will hold particular interest for students who are interested in engaging with and promoting literature and literacy, everyone can benefit from the interesting combination of practical and creative tasks encompassed by this activity.

MODEL UN Model United Nations provides students with the opportunity to discover, debate and analyze global issues with other students. In addition to attending Model UN conferences locally, nationally and internationally, our student leaders work as committee chairs and overall organizers of the Grade 10 Model UN, Shawnigan House of Commons (SHOC) and ShawMUN. At last year’s ShawMUN conference, we hosted over twelve schools (200 students) with 7 different committees to choose from. Although most of the program is focused on preparing for Model UN conferences, some introductory activities to debating are integrated into the first term. Students must commit to at least two off-campus conferences throughout the year and also participate in ShawMUN. Students who participate in this fine art walk away with many skills, including greater confidence in their public speaking and research skills and a greater ability to build consensus with others on complex issues and talk knowledgably about world affairs.

MODERN MUSIC EMSEMBLE This activity is all about freedom in muscial expression and making music as a group with any instrument. Students have the opportunity to choose genres, improvise, rehearse and learn how to perform for an audience. We will also take advantage of performing opportunities on campus and beyond.

All participants can expect to be challenged as musicians and collaborators, confident in the knowledge that the ensemble group is a safe place to make mistakes and try new things on the road to making great music together.

MUSICAL THEATRE Students involved in Musical Theatre will audition, rehearse and perform in a full-scale Broadway musical. This activity presents a great opportunity for students who relish performance, acting, singing and dance to get involved with a vibrant, like-minded group and put their creative energies into a wellcrafted and energetic performance.

There’s also the opportunity for a number of students who are more interested in behind-the-scenes work to head up the production team and work in tandem with the professional stage crew at the McPherson Playhouse in Victoria. This year’s production, Cabaret, will run from January 25-27, 2018 at the McPherson Playhouse.

PEER ASSISTANCE AND LEADERSHIP At Shawnigan, the Peer Assistance and Leadership (PAL) activity is specifically designed to expand students’ understanding of mental health and how mental health interacts with and influences people’s physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Participating students build and practice skills to help them effectively support peers who are experiencing distress and would like to talk to someone. Following PAL Certification training, students explore in more depth an assortment of activities that promote mental health, such as expressive arts therapy, yoga, meditation, energy and intuitive healing, and sand play therapy.

POD & RADIO CASTING Pod & Radio Casting is a fine arts program designed around the delivery and production of speech arts.

As this is an evolving and dynamic Fine Art, the exact nature of the content will be determined through collaboration between instructors and students. A focus will be placed on learning the intricacies of speech arts with the goal of producing a self-directed podcast or a radio broadcast (maybe even a live broadcast!).

Broadcasting, podcasting, speech writing and debate, among many other disciplines, will be considered.

Students interested in any of these areas should consider taking this option.

POTTERY Pottery is an ancient art that consists of forming shapes or figures from ceramic (often clay). The clay is then heated at a high temperature in a kiln to remove water from the material, allowing it to set and harden into the desired shape.

Shawnigan potters learn hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques as well as different decorating and firing techniques. During the first term, assignments will be given to students, but during the last two terms, students have the opportunity to generate their own projects and explore creative selfexpression.

PUPPET THEATRE PRODUCTION Puppetry is an ancient form of theatre that was first recorded in Ancient Greece in the 5th century BC. It involves the manipulation of puppets—inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure—that are animated by a human called a puppeteer. The puppets themselves are used to tell stories, with the puppeteer often providing the voices or the narration for the story. Puppets can be complex or relatively simple in design and are made with a wide variety of materials, depending on their intended usage.

Shawnigan Puppet Theatre Production students explore theater production with hand puppets. They design, build and animate individual hand puppets and work collaboratively in small groups toward the production of a final show. Students may write their own script or parody original stories. Students are also encouraged to produce in any language or combination of languages.

RECORDING ARTS Recording Arts students gain a comprehensive overview of recording arts and participation in recording sessions. Students involved in this activity will be among the first to be fully trained on Shawnigan’s new, state-of-the-art, world class recording studio under the experience tutelage of Steve Smith, an industry great with over 42 years of experience.

For more information about the Recording Arts program • Listen on YouTube • View our Facebook page

ROBOTICS Robotics is a discipline that incorporates mechanics and electronics, along with computer science. This course will have students involved with science, technology, engineering, math, (STEM) and design skills in an interdisciplinary manner.

Initially, students will deconstruct a complex robotic system in order to better understand it, and move on to design, program and build a VEX-based robot to complete a specific task. Students will design and build increasingly more complex robotic systems and have the opportunity to enter local and international competitions throughout the course of the year. In our first three years, our teams have qualified for both Provincial and World Championships!

SCULPTURE Sculpture is a branch of the visual arts where the artwork is produced in three dimensions. Traditionally, sculpture used carving and modelling techniques, but the art has evolved to embrace more freedom in materials and techniques.

Sculpture students will explore and learn about various materials and their corresponding techniques to create 3D art. Materials may include soapstone, papier machĂŠ, wire, clay, cement, plaster, wood and paper. Students will learn about and apply different techniques to their sculptures, including carving, assembling, casting, constructing, and modeling. Projects might be thematic (animals, human form, or a specific idea) or generated from the material or technique.

SEARCH AND RESCUE Search and Rescue offers an unparalleled opportunity for students to learn advanced rescue techniques, achieve internationally recognized wilderness survival and rescue certification, and use those skills in full rescue scenarios.

Advanced rescue techniques include rope rescues (rappelling and retrieving), swiftwater rescues, and wilderness first aid. Students can work towards internationally recognized search and rescue skills certification. Each year there is also the opportunity for up to 4 locally based students, aged 16 or older, to interview for placement with the Shawnigan Lake Fire Department (SLFD) as junior members. Selected students attend weekly training sessions with the SLFD and become fully trained, certified firefighters.

SERVICE Service learning is an educational approach that combines learning objectives with community service, often in conjunction with local agenices, in order to provide a practical learning experience while addressing community needs. Integral to the success of service programs in schools are structured opportunities for reflection on these experiences that are built into the program itself.

The Shawnigan Service Fine Art entails various hands-on service opportunities. These include working and playing with physically and mentally challenged teenagers, serving meals to the homeless population of Duncan, and visitations to seniors in care homes throughout the area. There are also a number of onetime only volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

SEWING No experience is necessary to join this activity where projects can be chosen to fit interest and skill levels.

Students involved in sewing will learn about sewing pattern symbols and instructions, gain skills in selecting patterns and appropriate fabrics, learn how to operate a sewing machine and serger, learn how to use other sewing equipment and tools, and become familiar with basic sewing terms and techniques.

Students who enjoy this activity the most are often precise and patient and able to persevere through to the end of a project.

SHAWNIGAN NEWS NETWORK During this inaugural year, the Shawnigan news network team will be involved in setting up a social media /communications program and website. This project will include creating a blog for the school, writing posts about any and all campus activities, taking photos and reporting on upcoming events using a variety of social media platforms. We will work with the other arts and activities classes, sports and academics to collect stories and information.

The goal of this program is to learn and practice journalism basics, to encourage students to think critically, and to help promote and raise the profile of our student, staff and whole School activities.

STAGE CREW For students who like the idea of being involved in theatre, but prefer being behind-the-scenes as opposed to on the stage, the Stage Crew group offers creative students the opportunity to be involved in all the light and sound aspects of the various presentations and performances that take place during the year, such as Founder’s Day Cabaret and Musical Theatre.

The Stage Crew’s largest responsibility will be in heading the stage management team for this year’s musical, Cabaret. This activity is a great way to be involved in a beginning-to-end creative process with a like-minded group and to learn more about the diverse roles involved in stagecraft and the specialist, technical aspects of theatre.

STOP MOTION ANIMATION Stop motion is an animation technique where the creator physically manipulates an object in small increments between individually photographed frames so that the object appears to move on its own when the series of frames is played as a fast sequence.

The Stop Motion Animation group at Shawnigan focus on experimentation and storytelling using a variety of techniques and materials, including plasticine, sand, chalk, whiteboard, cut-out paper, and found objects. As part of the learning process, students touch on every aspect of filmmaking, from script to screen.

STUDIO ART The Studio Art group engages in the self-directed creation of 2D art, using materials such as pencil, watercolours, acrylic, and chalk.

A sketchbook or folder for ideas is a must as there will be a strong focus on idea generation and creativity.

TEXTILE ARTS Textile arts are arts and crafts that use a variety of diverse fibres to create practical or decorative objects.

With a myriad of materials to use, unlimited conceptual possibilities and a rich artistic history to explore, contemporary textile artists are able to create diverse, eye-opening, imaginative artistic and practical pieces.

At Ms. Witt-McNie’s studio at Whippletree Junction, the Shawnigan Textile Arts group uses individual and group discovery to explore tactile techniques including knitting, weaving, dyeing, shibori, embellishment and needle felting. Students will require a sketchbook and a collection of printed personal photos and ephemera to begin and should expect their artistic motivation to be challenged.

WOODWORK Woodwork encompasses several interconnected crafts including cabinetry, wood carving, joinery, carpentry and woodturning, all of which involve making items out of wood. Woodworking students at Shawnigan have the opportunity to create projects of their own design using all shop tools.

There are a number of benefits, aside from the creation of useful and aestetically pleasing items, that make woodwork a great activity for young people, including creative thinking, problem solving, scientific investigation and the development of mathematical skills and spatial awareness. Being able to design and see a project through to completion can help teach planning and persistance, while being able to make functional and attractive objects for personal use or as gifts can help students achieve a real sense of self-satisfaction.

YEARBOOK For creative-minded students, joining the Yearbook group provides an opportunity to learn photography, photo manipulation and publishing layout skills using software such as Photoshop and InDesign.

Participants in this group will work collaboratively to create a vibrant snapshot of life at Shawnigan that graduates will look back on for years to come.