Our Class 6 students recently completed the Yellow Lantern public speaking program, culminating in the presentation of their speeches last week - a wonderful display of courage, insight and humour. Yellow Lantern is a national provider of public speaking school programs and speaking clubs for kids, with an emphasis on positive self talk, empowered speech and celebrating personality.

There was a good variety of topics, from animal rights, climate change, bullying and the empowerment of women to model trains, making tiramisu, wave pools, and why we should not fear sharks. There were philosophical speeches about the power of friendship, the bridge between astronomy and astrology and why money can’t buy happiness.

This year, because of crowd restrictions, parents were unable to attend the speeches at school, but the event still carried enough excitement and anticipation to test the nerves of most of the students. They certainly rose to the occasion and presented beautifully written speeches. With thanks to Gemma West from Yellow Lantern who was the facilitator this year.

William Keyte
Class 6 Teacher

Last week, our Year 11 Drama and Entertainment Industry students, performed their production of The Woman in the Window by Alma De Groen to appreciative audiences of students from Years 9 to 11. Unfortunately we were unable to invite parents and the wider community to this year's event. But a film was made for parents, capturing the wonderful performances and stagecraft.

"We were very impressed by the students' interpretation of what is quite a complex play," said parent of one of the performers, Catherine Bartlett. "The staging, lighting and music were quite spectacular and Charlie and Flynn did an exceptional job on the lighting design.”
 
Kumari Ellis was another parent who wrote to express her delight at what she described as an “amazing performance". "I honestly was so impressed with the production, the set, the design, the lighting, the professional standard of the experience, and then the play itself. What a fabulous play! It really was profound. And all the more so for these times we find ourselves in.

“Everyone was exceptional. That they managed to learn and remember so many lines was incredible. It was a treat to go out and see great theatre so well done [and] also a timely reminder of how fortunate we are to live with free speech, to be able to write what we feel to, and all the rest.”
 
The production was an absolute pleasure to direct. I want to thank these talented students for their hard work and perseverance, and for their dedication to making the production a success. I also want to thank Flynn for being there after school so many times, and being so committed to making our technical dreams a reality.

I particularly want to thank Charlie Gill for all his work: designing the lights and vision and calling the show as stage manager, as well as the hours of work he put in after school and on weekends in order to make the show beautiful. Charlie is passionate about this work and has purchased his own lighting and vision equipment which he generously lent to the School for the performances. His participation in The Woman in the Window was invaluable.
 
April Galetti
Drama Coordinator

This year marks the 20th year of Wearable Arts at Shearwater and it's inspiring to see the way the culture is embedded in the very bones of the students. There is a collective wisdom passed on from year to year, becoming richer and deeper - it's an incredible thing to witness.

This year's event, Dragon Days, began its incarnation in December, when the draft concept was developed. In the early weeks of Term 1, students from Years 8 to 11 formed working groups for Production, Technology and Design, and began the brainstorming process which radically transformed much of the original content. It was a real pleasure to work with these students and see the way they embodied the creative process of WAVE - everyone's input was valued and contributed to the shaping of the whole.

Designing the poster is always an exciting process, with a Year 11 student (or, in the case of this year, two students) chosen to be the face of WAVE. Our models this year represent the characters of the Phoenix and the Dragon, with a nod to biker culture. Work commenced mid-February on the characters' garments, with textiles students, staff and volunteers all drawing, cutting, painting, sewing and styling leather, feathers, scales and claws.

Photography and Multimedia students organised and shot the campaign in early March (see below) and Year 9 student Miro Salom did an amazing job designing the poster. As always, it was a fabulous collaborative student-led process and a lot of fun.

With the shoot out of the way, the next step was to nail down the section descriptions. The individual sections of WAVE form the structure of the event - representing stages in the story, as well as providing guidelines and inspiration for designers to develop their competition garments. This year, five sections were decided on after much discussion about the format and feel. The students brainstormed dozens of possible themes; a lot of ideas fell through and others merged.

Year 11 student Gemma Susanna-Davies was responsible for Suitably Splendid (the suit section), and also a major contributor to Met Gala @ the House of Dragon Five (the recycled section), along with Year 9 student Tiehj Kerry. Gemma said she felt valued and appreciated for her creative input. "I really enjoyed being able to convey my ideas," she said.

Textiles and Design Teacher Vanessa Sheath says this kind of real life production industry learning is invaluable for the students. "By following a brief, working to a photo shoot deadline and designing with a strict budget, we are giving students the most amazing hands-on experience," said Vanessa. "They are really cementing their skills in areas of individual interest, allowing them to decide if this type of work could be a future career path they want to pursue."

Dragon Days is scheduled to be performed from November 4 to 7. What the show looks like this year will depend on what restrictions are in place. But while it might be different, you can be sure it will be incredible.

With deep appreciation for, and on behalf of, the students, staff and volunteers who have been involved in the development of this year's competition (during strange and difficult times), we encourage you to unleash your imaginations and design a garment for WAVE 2020, Dragon Days. All the information you need to enter can be found on the WAVE website. 

Let the games begin!

Josh Rushton
WAVE Director

​Year 11 Drama has been rehearsing The Woman in the Window by Alma De Groen. The play is about freedom of speech and is set in Russia in the 1950s and Australia in the year 2300. We will be using Year 10 student Charlie Pierre's design talents in vision-mapping and lighting to bring the play to life. But for now, we are staying open about how and when it will be performed.

Working on Zoom has been a great way to get into the meaning of the play and the intentions of the characters, without having to focus on the staging and the students are having a great time trying out their Russian accents. I am really enjoying the process of working with the students in this way and we are all finding it rewarding in a challenging time. 

April Galetti
High School Drama Teacher

After the School received a very generous donation to enable us to purchase a grand piano, Music Teacher Ross Nobel and I immediately and fortuitously found an amazing Petrof grand piano online at the Theme and Variations piano store in Sydney. We knew straight away that this fabulous instrument was the one. It is quite large - much larger than a baby grand but smaller than a concert grand piano. 

The move happened very fast, and the Petrof is snugly stored away in its new home in the School Hall, while it settles down after its trip from Sydney. What a gift to our piano and music students, choirs, eurythmists, and the whole community, who will have many opportunities to enjoy it in the years ahead.

Ken Naughton

​Students from Years 9 and 10, as well as Year 11 Drama students, enjoyed an interactive performance about bullying by Byron Youth Theatre last week. Developed by actor and activist Augusto Boal in the 70s, Forum Theatre is a kind of theatrical game in which the audience become spect-actors. After the first performance, audience members are invited onto the stage to take on a character, in order to change the outcome in a way that can be empowering for both bystanders and victims of oppression, but which is still realistic or possible.

Our students responded enthusiastically to the performance, putting forward ideas of other possible outcomes and sometimes getting up and taking on a character role. The performances were humorous, empowering and thought provoking. Here is what our students had to say about the experience: It was great how they involved the audience; Really interesting; Very engaging because it allowed the audience to become involved and therefore it became more personal; The acting was great; I really liked it because those situations really do happen and it's good to be shown in a safe way; It was very entertaining and the acting was very good.
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It was also wonderful to see many of our students participating in Byron Youth Theatre. Director Lisa Apostolides is doing a wonderful job of creating important theatre. 

April Galetti 
Drama Teacher