An Artist’s View of the ISA Art Show

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Erin


by Olivia, Grade 6
I really enjoyed the art show. You could see all the different types and styles of art from different perspectives and different people. The kinds of art ranged from watercolour, to clay, to acrylic, to paper mache and lots of others. There was art from kids in kindergarten to Grade 7 or 8. Even though it was quite a drive out for some people, it was a beautiful day outside. There was art from kids at our school, also art from St. Margaret’s, Selkirk Montessori, St. Patrick’s, and many others too. Also making the art was fun too!

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Athletics Review: From the Water to the Pitch

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Darin Steinkey

Photos by Ann Fenje

April 18, 2012

Rowing
by Susanne Walker-Curry

On Saturday, the SMUS rowing team attended the Maple Bay Regatta. It was the first regatta of our spring competitive season on the west coast. We raced against local clubs (Maple Bay, Nanaimo, Gorge and Victoria City) and schools (Claremont, Brentwood, Shawnigan and Gulf Islands). The team was fortunate to have some sun and warm temperatures with a little wind thrown in for good measure (it is Vancouver Island, after all).

Event

Result
Lwt Girls 2X, Novice Girls 4X+, Junior B Mens 1X, Lwt Girls 1X, Lwt Mens 1X, Lwt Girls 4X, Novice Girls 2X

Gold
Lwt Mens 4X, Mens 1X, Lwt Womens 1X, Junior B Boys 4X+, Womens 4X, Mens 4X, Mens 8+

Silver
Junior B Boys 2X, Lwt Mens 4X, Lwt Girls 2X, Junior B Boys 1X, Lwt Mens 2X

Bronze
Junior B Girls 2X, Junior B Boys 8+, Lwt Mens 2X, Junior B Boys 2X, Lwt Mens 1X

Fourth
Girls Junior 1X

Fifth
Junior B Boys 4X+, Girls 2X, Lwt Mens 2X, Lwt Mens 1X

Sixth

Girls Division: 3rd
Boys Division: 1st
Overall Team Standing: 2nd

Congratulations to the entire team — it was a great weekend of racing! Thank you to all of the parent supporters.

Our next racing event will be the Brentwood College Regatta, April 27-29, at Brentwood College School in Mill Bay, BC.

Junior Girls Soccer
by Kimie Waneck

The Junior girls soccer team came into their first league game last week with only two practices as a full squad, but dominated their match against Spectrum. The team demonstrated strong communication, crisp passing, and a killer instinct.

SMUS maintained possession for much of the first half and become comfortable on the field. Jenna Dhillon and Sam Colby controlled the midfield while Sam Biberdorf shut down Spectrum in the back. With the help of the outside midfields Yasmin Roudsari was able to make a few runs in the first half, but the score remained tied at zero at halftime.

In the second-half, the girls came out strong and hungry for the lead. Yasmin converted a beautiful cross from Sam Colby to put SMUS up 1-0. Spectrum turned up the intensity, but SMUS continued to battle hard. After a scramble in front of the net, Sarah Taylor scored a picture-perfect header to insure the win and a strong end to the match.

Shinai Sorensen was a solid keeper, shutting down Spectrum throughout the game.

We’re looking forward to a great season. Well done girls!

Senior Girls Soccer
by Nikki Kaufmann

The Senior girls soccer team kicked off their season this past week with two home games against strong opponents. Having just come together after a long break, the results were not in the girls’ favour. However, the team is showing great potential. Erin Hope, Claudia Wheler and Colleen Wong all netted goals for the SMUS side this week. The team is looking forward to a busy week of soccer with two league games and the UVic High School Classic Tournament.

Junior Boys Rugby
by Ian Hyde-Lay

The Junior rugby squad played its first match of the spring term, battling well against All Saints Bathurst from Australia before finally succumbing 38-26.

In a fast, free flowing match featuring ten tries, the visitors jumped out to a 19-0 lead before SMUS pegged back one score as the intermission drew near. In the second half, the margin remained between 12 and 19 points, though SMUS did manage three excellent team tallies. One in particular, which saw the ball moved from one end of the field to the other and from sideline to sideline, featured some superb ball handling and support play.

In the forwards, Captain Zach Kahn worked tirelessly at openside flanker, while props Abe Kharaghani and Dante Morandin made most of the hard yards around the rucks and off the first receiver. Leading the backs, centre Max Pollen again displayed superb tackling form and made several telling breaks also. Michael Baart ran well and kicked three fine conversions. At both wing and scrum half, Carson Smith played intelligently while Owen Sudul continued his solid form at full back.

The team now embarks on a very demanding two-week patch with league games against Claremont and Oak Bay in addition to exhibitions with Shawnigan and Collingwood.

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Scholar in Residence: Gwynne Dyer’s Less Dire View

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Darin Steinkey

by Darin Steinkey, writer

In his first visit in five years, journalist, author and military historian Gwynne Dyer spoke about his book Climate Wars this Thursday. Visiting as part of our Scholar in Residence program, Gwynne spoke to Senior School students and faculty about what he believes will happen if humanity doesn’t reach a deal on emission caps and begin to reign in our runaway dependence on fossil fuels. Gwynne, whose most recent book is Crawling from the Wreckage, struck a relatively hopeful note and feels it is possible to make large changes.

In the video below, Gwynne speaks with Grade 12 student Madison Hadfield about what students can do, why politicians aren’t all scoundrels and why nuclear power doesn’t frighten him.

For more information and to buy Gwynne’s books and read more of his writing go to his website.

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Demi-Gods and Goddesses Descend on SMUS

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Erin

by Elise, Grade 7
Learning about Ancient Greece doesn’t have to be boring. Before Spring Break, the Grade 7 students were given the creative assignment to create a poster board including what they learned about Ancient Greece. We created t-charts (two-column comparisons) and essays in socials class; the best part was being able to choose what topic we would research and write about.

In English class, we wrote a narrative piece. We created a demi-god and great adventures they would face. All of this of course had a twist: we had to incorporate the topics we wrote about in our socials t-charts and essays. The project was self-paced, which gave us more of the feeling of independence which becomes more important as Middle School students get older.

Here’s what other students had to say about the project:

  • “I feel the project touched on all different types of skill sets, like writing factual essays or decorating a poster board. Because the project was self-led, it made you pay more attention and learn new things at the pace you need.” -Jillian
  • “I liked the narrative piece the most because it was interesting and open-ended.” -Joshua

The experience included being able to write about what you want, create pieces the way you want and to show off your creativity in every way possible. The project was an imaginative way that the teachers came up with for the students to learn new material, while still following the grade curriculum, and show it all off in an artistic way. I felt it helped me and others learn better as it was an interactive, exciting activity.

Student Narratives: Excerpts

“I never fit in; I’ve known that since I was just a little girl. All the other kids could sit quietly in class and listen to every word that slithered out of our teacher’s mouth. I always got punished in school, because apparently I didn’t behave. When I went home and told my father about the days that I would receive punishment, he would just tell me he was sorry and it wasn’t my fault. My father never looked sadder than when I would tell him I had been punished, so I never pushed anything on him, but it made me very angry to hear this. I would spend my days in school drawing pictures of the life I wished I could live. Little drawings of what I thought the Olympics looked like. In my mind, the Olympics were glorious events and games, sports and activities. I always wished I could go to the Olympics. Although what I truly wanted was to take part in the games. No punishment that I received at school could be worse than not being allowed in the Olympics.” – Chloe

“I saw them coming, a horde of men so vast they were as wide as the eye could see. They came and fought but it was hardly fighting, for every Spartan we killed two more would take his place. They trampled our army like we were only children and slaughtered all men in sight, but me. They took me to their filthy palace and, before I knew it, I was sitting in the dank dim dungeon underneath the dining hall where the Spartans were feasting to victory. While I myself was slowly starving, smelling the tantalizing food and wine.” – Joshua

“That’s my mother’s story of why my father is gone. She tells me the same thing every time I ask. It’s far-fetched. Come on, really? The goddess of wisdom, being outsmarted by a god no more than a guard dog for the dead. He has no common sense, he has no brain and he’s virtually dead himself. No way she would be outsmarted by him. When I was little, she convinced me to eat my cucumbers, the one vegetable I won’t eat under any circumstance. That woman works mind tricks. Now she expects me to believe that my stupid great uncle out smarted her. She would have found a way to get my father back, but she didn’t. I don’t believe her at all. The one thing that I am sure of is that she loved my father. I only want to know why he left. I wasn’t even born, or at least that’s what mom told me. Also, he’s a world-famous fighter, he would have fought Hades off. He wouldn’t just let himself be taken away. The goddess of wisdom should at least be able to make up a believable story line. My dad’s still out there, but he wasn’t captured. He wants me, I know it.” – Elise

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ISA Art Show Highlights Junior and Middle Artwork

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Erin


by Angelina Agathoklis, art teacher

Anyone can attend the annual Independant School Association art show this Saturday and you can see plenty of SMUS pieces on display. The show gives independent schools the opportunity to share their students’ artwork with each other and the community. Each participating school showcases approximately 35 pieces of student work from Kindergarten to Grade 7. With a variety of student art ranging from painting to clay the ISA art show art is always vibrant and bursting with creativity. The artwork in the show this year from the Junior school includes a variety of styles and media, ranging from Impressionist-style paintings, playful collages to intriguing word art!

ISA Art Show
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Saturday, April 14th
West-Mont Montessori School
4075 Metchosin Rd

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Parents and Students Get a Chance to Act

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Erin

by Jennifer Fraser, English teacher

Next week, Scholar in Residence Kayte Summers, actor and drama therapist, will conduct two interactive workshops next week: an afternoon session for students and an evening session for all actors and non-actors alike (parents, teachers, students, friends). The workshops will explore the roots of the creative process and connect theatre training with personal creativity.

“Drama therapy is the intentional use of theatrical action techniques as a therapeutic process,” explains Kayte. “The emphasis is on the participants’ experiences; it offers a playful methodology which facilitates creativity, spontaneity, imagination, emotional connection and often transformation.”

Theatre and therapy have been inextricably linked since the beginning of time. In her drama therapy/theatre workshops, Kayte offers a unique blend of the Stanislavski Method acting training combined with a Jungian-based drama therapy.

“The exercises will be interactive and playful with no direction of the actors’ (or others) performances,” says Kayte. “The workshop offers ways to explore the characters, their worlds and their relationships.”

Kayte firmly believes that everybody can act. Acting training simply highlights and intensifies what we already know – about relationships, emotions and interactions – simply from being human. In the student workshop, our young actors will work to find the emotional and relational parts of their psyches which they need to access for the character they are playing. The open evening session will run without a script, relying on stories from participants own lives.

“Everyone can join in,” says Kayte. “If the students wish to continue their exploration of their character in the evening work, they can certainly do so.”

Come and join in this playful opportunity to access and develop our consciousness around acting and performance.

Scholar in Residence: Kayte Summers
Wednesday, April 18, 7:00 pm
Copeland Lecture Theatre

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Athletics Review: Rugby and Regattas and Provincials, Oh My!

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Darin Steinkey

2012 Rugby Tour
by Ian Hyde-Lay

On March 16, 38 boys, comprising the bulk of the Senior and Junior rugby squads, along with four staff, departed for a 16-day tour of Argentina and Uruguay.

In every way, starting with the splendid organization of Eliot Anderson and featuring absolutely superb 25°C weather throughout, the tour was hugely enjoyable and a real success.

Each team played five games, against a cross section of schools and clubs in the two countries. Indeed, from San Marcos and St. George’s, two private institutions in Buenos Aires very much along the lines of SMUS, to the powerful Duendes RFC in Rosario, and then to Areco RFC on the Pampas, the tour had a little bit of everything.

Both teams played well, with the Senior squad — led magnificently throughout by Jeff Nishima-Miller — winning three of its five contests. Indeed, the performance, albeit in a losing cause, against Duendes, was one of the 1st XV’s finest in the past decade.

At the Junior level, two wins from five was a fair return, with all the games, bar Duendes, closely contested. The highlight was a gutsy 7-5 victory in Montevideo against Colegio Semanario. Captain Zach Kahn and newcomer David Boroto were just two of several players who performed particularly well.

For a detailed report on the tour, please visit the trip blog.

Both teams now look forward to matches against city, Island and provincial competition.

Rowing
Spring Break didn’t keep our athletes away from some serious training. As our rowers enter the major racing season, about 40 students (including boarders from Europe, the Caribbean and Eastern Canada) returned to school early to participate in training camps organized by Suzanne Walker-Curry. They are preparing for regattas in Maple Bay and Brentwood along with Rowing Canada Trials in April. The month of May sees the team travel to Windermere, Shawnigan Lake and finally the National Championships, or “Schoolboys,” in Ontario.

Be sure to check the Athletics Review for updates and pictures from all of these regattas.

Senior Girls Basketball
by Lindsay Brooke

The Senior girls basketball team competed at the AA Provincials before the break. Having qualified through the challenge game, the team was faced with a less than favourable seeding in the tournament. SMUS was ranked 9th, setting up an opening round matchup with the #8 seed and host school, Sahali of Kamloops. SMUS beat Sahali earlier in the season by six points. It was bound to be a tough game and opening with the host school is never easy.

The game was tight from the opening tip off. SMUS trailed 22-21 at the half and was struggling to find any rhythm on offense. Sahali pulled away in the final two minutes of the game, finishing off the Blue Jags 49-40. It was a good effort, despite shooting only 25% from the field. Madison Hadfield led the team with 13 points and pulled down 6 rebounds. Abbey Piazza and Allie White chipped in with 9 points. Piazza was named the team’s player of the game.

SMUS would need to recoup in order to make a push for the consolation championship and a best 9th place finish. This would be the new goal for the team. In the second game of the tournament, SMUS faced the 16th seed, Abbey Collegiate of the Fraser Valley. This game was no contest, as the Blue Jags ran away with the lead in the opening quarter. Piazza led all scorers with 18 points, White finished with 12 points and eight rebounds and garnered player of the game honours. Kate Cluley heated up from downtown, nailing four 3-pointers, and senior wing player Ali Pollen added seven rebounds.

In the next game, SMUS faced the South Okanagan Hornets. SOSS featured a provincial team guard and dangerous swing player. Trailing most of the game, the Blue Jags relied on the steady 3-point shooting of Sophia Ducharme. Piazza locked down on the SOSS guard and late in the fourth quarter a little bit of magic fueled a comeback win for the Jags. In arguably the team’s best game of the season, SMUS secured the win 79-68, treating a packed gym to some high level basketball. Piazza finished with 23 points, White added 12 points and 11 boards, Rachel Sibbald was a hound on defense and finished with 13 points and nine boards. Ducharme netted player of the game honours.

Right where they wanted to be, SMUS squared off with valley team Abbey Christian for 9th place. In the Egg Mcmuffin game, the Blue Jags once again relied on a late game push to secure the victory. Piazza finished with 20 points. White finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, while Hadfield had 10 points and Sibbald finished with 8 points in the win. Rachel Sibbald continued her strong defensive play and earned player of the game honours.

The Blue Jags placed in 9th spot and played their best basketball of the season. Abbey Piazza was recognized with an hounourable mention all-star, a well-deserved award for her best basketball to date. The team is sad to lose Grade 12 students Madison Hadfield and Ali Pollen. Both brought valuable qualities to the team and they will be difficult to replace. However, the future is bright for this group, as they will contend for the AA title next season. Great job team!

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Rugby Tour Wrapping Up

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Erin

As the SMUS rugby tour winds down this weekend, catch up on their adventures by visiting the blog at blogs.smus.bc.ca/rugby.

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Melodies From the Middle School

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Erin

by Donna Williams, Head of Music

Anyone who was fortunate enough to be at UVic this Monday evening, was treated to an eclectic outpouring of music by the SMUS Middle School music program. Every student in Grades 6 through 8 was represented in this concert, both in the choirs and in the instrumental ensembles.

The concert began with the Grade 8 Choir singing “Hey, Soul Sister” one of the most loved pop tunes in popular music history. It was followed by the haunting hit song from the 70s “Through the Eyes of Love” and featured a beautiful solo sung by Grade 8 student Ethan Otto.

Listen to “Hey, Soul Sister”: 01 Track 1

Next up was the Grade 7 Choir, singing “Greensleeves” with beautiful harmonies and an expressive line and following it up with the softer song “Bright Eyes.” The Grade 6 Choir ended the choral part of the program with an audience favorite: a medley of songs from The Sound of Music. All three choirs were expertly prepared and led by Duncan Frater and accompanied by Wendy Silver, a last minute replacement who was clearly up to the task.

Listen to “Bright Eyes”:05 Track 5

The bands, led by Ian Farish, came next with the Middle School Jazz Band leading the way. They began with “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” – starting with a gospel style and moving into a strong rock’n'roll beat. This was followed by “Cantaloupe Island,” which featured many strong solos performed by some brave and accomplished soloists. The Grade 6/8 First Year Band were also on stage and joined the Jazz Band in spirited renditions of “Louie, Louie” and a Cuban tune called Mambo #5 which had the audience clapping along with the music. Always a good sign!

Listen to “Canteloupe Island”:08 Track 8

The Grades 7/8 Combined Band was very strong and played the theme music from the popular western The Magnificent Seven. This was followed by a lovely lullaby and the Spanish piece “Andalucia.” Dancers Jordan Kerr and Josie Tamburri choreographed their own dance to this evocative piece and performed it with grace and finesse.

Listen to “Andalucia”: 03 Track 3

The strings program presented the last section of the concert. Mary Smith introduced each piece by way of a well-chosen poem. She said that she was inspired to do so as a response to the creative writing that was included in the program. The original poems in the program were written by Mr. Pollock’s class, and they were a great read while the stage crew quickly set the stage for each section of the concert.

The Grade 6 Strings performed a rhythmically dynamic piece called “The Gauntlet” and finished up with a hoedown complete with stamping feet and lap drumming. They were followed by the Grade 7/8 Combined String Orchestra who played a stunningly rich sounding Carmen Suite. Jennifer Fisher, the other Middle School strings teacher was also on stage to help with the tuning and to perform with the ensemble.

Listen to “Carmen Suite”:06 Track 6

It was then time for the full orchestra to play “Scheherazade,” beginning with a very difficult, and perfectly executed, violin solo by the concert master, Luke Erasmus. The strings played by themselves again in a piece inspired by Singapore called “Lion City.” It presented some unique sounds and they shared the stage with a couple of beautifully ornamented Chinese Lions. The entire concert ended with a rousing rendition of the “Radetzky March” by Johann Strauss, in which the audience again joined in clapping.

Listen to “Lion City”:08 Track 8

Congratulations to Mr. Frater, Mr. Farish, Mrs. Smith, Ms. Fisher and to all the student musicians for a wonderful evening of music. It was a delight.

More photos are available in the photo gallery.

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SMUS Shows LGBT Pride

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Erin

Video by Darin Steinkey

by Erin Anderson, editor

Last week, SMUS celebrated Pride with a lunchtime concert, Pride merchandise and a special presentation from Grade 11 student Sydney Fraser, who talked about contemporary issues faced by everyone under the LGBT spectrum. The Pride Alliance sold t-shirts, socks and buttons to students who wanted to show off their Pride and shared facts on the history of LGBT acceptance, bullying and what their council is all about.

In her talk, Cracking the Binary, Sydney explained a lot of the terminology around different gender identities and sexual orientations, as well as how schools can create a more welcoming environment for students who identify along the LGBT spectrum. The Pride Alliance also made a video themselves, highlighting the difficulties faced by LGBT teens in North America and explaining what having Pride means.

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