Performing Arts: Performance and Instrumental News

Public Speaking Teacher

At the end of term 1, Ms Jessica Sherman left us to prepare for the arrival of her baby. We thank her so much for her excellent work with our public speaking students and wish her all the best with her new duties as a mum.

This term we welcomed our new public speaking teacher, Laura Farrell, who is very excited to be working with our students. Laura has a Bachelor of Music Theatre from The University of Melbourne ( Victorian College of the Aarts). She also has a Post Graduate Diploma of voice studies from The University of Melbourne. We look forward to seeing our public speaking students perform later in the year.  

Swimming sports

At the recent swimming sports we were entertained by a number of students. It was great to see students come to the music area, pick up a guitar and sing. Nerves were certainly not a problem in this area. In the gallery of images you will see a photo of Laura Kitchingman performing on the day.

New Woodwind Teacher

At the end of term one, we sadly said goodbye to our saxophone/clarinet teacher, Grace Weiderman, who took up a permanent teaching position at a Melbourne school. We wish her well and we shall miss her very much.

Luckily, we have replaced Grace with our very own Mrs Veronica Marrie who will take over Grace’s students. Mrs Marrie is very experienced and I am confident that the students will thrive with her tuition.

 New Talent

It is wonderful to discover new talent in the college.  

Storm Randall from year 8 is one of our new discoveries and he has already sung at a whole school assembly and recently performed with Sean Malone at a fundraiser for Project Compassion (picture in the Gallery). I am sure we shall be seeing more of Storm and Sean.

St Patrick’s  Day concert.

Last term, to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, our year 12 music class was invited to perform in the Fitzroy gardens to over 2,000 Catholic primary students. Special thanks to Mrs Leonie O’Brien who accompanied us and was an excellent roadie.

We were so proud of our students who performed so professionally and they were an absolute credit to our college. It has taken a while to get over the adulation of the screaming crowd and the exhausting signing of autographs!

Lee Abrahmsen-Vocal teacher.

Recently our vocal teacher, Lee Abrahmsen - Soprano, returned to Melbourne Opera to perform the romantic lead, Isolde, in Tristan and Isolde.  The reviews of Lee’s performance were outstanding and we congratulate Lee on her fabulous portrayal of Isolde (pictured 'on stage' in the Gallery).

Lee also sang the national anthem from the roof of the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day!

Easter Liturgy

Congratulations to the Mr David Rock and the  VCE drama students who acted the passion of Christ at our Easter Service. They performed beautifully and set the scene perfectly  for Holy Week. Go to our Photo Gallery page (Our School section of the website ) to see photos taken during the Liturgy.

Open Day

Open Day this year was such a success but a very busy one for the performing arts department.The performances commenced in the gym as the guests waited for the information sessions. Under the direction of Mrs Marina Brown, the choir performed beautifully to the waiting crowd.

Under the direction Mrs Veronica Marrie and myself, the orchestra played a couple of pieces and they were followed by the year 12 band. Dance routines were held in the dance studio with Ms Kate Lehmann and Mr David Rock held some drama performances in the theatre.

The Year 12 courtyard was also buzzing with a variety of buskers and I do congratulate them on coping with the weather conditions.  

Geelong’s Best Busker!

Congratulations to year 8 student, Arielle Renton-Gibb for reaching the finals of Geelong’s best busker. Arielle performed (see the photo Gallery)her own songs and accompanied herself on ukulele.

Well done Arielle!

Choose wisely   

 Over the many years that I have been teaching, I have become very aware of many students taking music lessons in the community from people proclaiming to be qualified teachers.

Parents, please be careful when choosing your music teacher. It takes many years and examinations to obtain teaching qualifications in the performing arts area. You cannot claim to be a qualified music, dance, drama teacher just because you can sing, dance, act or play an instrument.

Technique starts from day one and if taught incorrectly, can be very difficult to correct .

I am aware that there are many musicians who are extremely talented and may have been performing for years but have no qualifications. I am sure they could offer much to your child’s development. You may have a musician in your area who is talented and gives private lessons. If this person admits to not being a qualified teacher but having a lot of experience as a musician, this is fine as you know where you stand.

On the other hand, if they state that they are qualified music teachers, please inquire as to where they obtained their qualifications. If you were building a new home, I am sure you would not employ a person who has only completed Year 12 woodwork to be in charge.

Music lessons are not cheap and I believe that for the money you pay, you should want the very best for your child.

It is also extremely important that if your child chooses music as a subject in Years 9, 10 & VCE, that they are heading in the right direction with their technique, theory, performance skills and ability to read music.

In VCE music, performance is allocated 50 percent of the final study score. Students must prepare many scales and exercises for the two technical sacs. It is essential that their instrumental music teacher is preparing them well for these important sacs .

There are many fabulous performing arts teachers at our college and  in the Geelong area. Please consider them in your choice of teacher.

Instrumental Music Lessons.

Instrumental music lessons are well underway and students are busy rehearsing for the approaching concerts. The college ensembles are rehearsing each week and new members are most welcome.  Any student interested in joining an ensemble may come and see me in the performing arts office.

Students wishing to learn an instrument may obtain an instrumental form from the Performing Arts office.  

Coming Performances

Vocal Night:  Monday May 7^th, 7pm – Potato Shed.

Senior Citizens Concert: Tuesday May 8^th, 10.30am – Potato Shed

Looking forward to seeing you all at our coming performances.

Yours musically,

 Mrs Linda Pape Performance & Instrumental Coordinator

Open Day Tour Guide - Six Years in a Row!

Congratulations and thank you to Year 12 Arrupe Leaders, Riley Taylor and Brent Keast who have acted as tour guides for the last 5 years and 6 years respectively.

 I am sure all who have been guided around our school on Open Day by these students over the years would support me in acknowledging what outstanding role models they both are.

 Anthony Gravener  Student Leadership Development Coordinator

Baseball Australia

We would like to congratulate Brock Wells (12 Francis) on his selection in the National Under 18 Baseball team that travelled to America during the Term 1 break.

Baseball Australia announced the latest group of talented athletes travelling to the 2018 Spring Training Program, which gives 30 young Australian’s the chance to gain exposure and experience in the United States Baseball Programs.

The team travelled to Phoenix, Arizona between the 6-15 April where they participated in games as well as showcasing their skills to a multitude of professional and college scouts. 

We wish Brock all the very best in his endeavors to play Baseball at the highest level and congratulate him on such a wonderful achievement.

Mr. Joe McLean  Year 12 Coordinator.

2018 Saint Ignatius College House Cross Country Carnival

Thursday 26th April 1.30pm

Time: Normal Timetable. Lunch finishes at 1.15pm and all students assemble in their respective House areas on the oval for official opening ceremony and competition briefing. First race will begin at 1.30pm.

Age Groups: 13 Years (Born 2005, 2006) - 14 Years (Born 2004) - 15 Years (Born 2003) - 16 Years (Born 2002) - OPEN (Born 2001, 2000, 1999)

Uniform: Normal PE uniform is to be worn by all students for the whole day. Students are encouraged to wear a running t-shirt during their race that matches their House colour. A number of different singlets and bibs will be available at the start line.

Participation: Attendance is compulsory. Absentees (non-runners) will be checked. It is expected that ALL students participate. Cross Country Day is about participation and having fun. Not everyone will be able to complete the whole course running but everyone can have a go! An absence will be treated with the same penalty as missing a class. Your ‘House’ will more likely take out the carnival if you have more runners competing than other Houses!

Points for your House: All students who compete will earn points for their respective Houses. ‘Top 10’ finishing students for each age group will earn maximum points.

Age Champions & School Champion: Age Champion Medals (male & female) will be awarded to students who win their respective age groups.

Asthma Medication: Students with asthma should have their personal reliever medication with them when they run.

Drink Stations: There will be two drink stations on course. Students wishing to utilise these drink stations will need to bring their own personal drink bottle to fill while they are running/walking.

The Course: The course starts on our main oval. After 150m runners will head up Gillies Road, cross Anderson Road and then head towards the Drysdale Pony Club. For about 300m runners will need to jump over a number of obstacles before heading out on the new Lake Lorne running track which passes the iconic Drysdale Train station. Runners will then enjoy a good 1km of running on the gravel track that hugs the lake. After exiting this track, runners will head up Peninsula Drive until the main entrance of our college. After waving to Saint Ignatius, students will continue along the back driveway of the school before turning left at the performance arts block and make their way to the inflatable arch of the finish line. Total distance is 3.50km!

Check out this link for a birds eye view of the actual course: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_acy2X0tfk&t=94s 

Canteen: Will be closed after lunch. However, VCAL students will be selling sausages in bread ($2) and cans of soft drink ($2). Be sure to bring your small change!

OUT OF BOUNDS: Homerooms, buildings and green basketball courts are out of bounds and no ball games are allowed during the carnival time. When students are not competing they are to be around the football oval precinct.

Year 12 Retreat

Although only a few weeks into the academic year, our Year 12 students took some time out to reflect on their life journeys, where they have come from, and where they are heading towards on the annual Year 12 retreat at Don Bosco Camp at Safety Beach. 

The retreat was the perfect opportunity for students to enrich their faith, from strong friendship bonds and remove themselves from the fast paced world we live in. 

Students had time, space and structured activities to discover themselves and each other over the three days. Activities based on personal and communal reflection and sharing allowed students to make the most of time away from the classroom and other commitments. Both nerves and excitement were present between both groups of students, unaware of what to expect for the three days that were to follow. 

There was plenty of time for fun and activity, with the students engaging in activities such as, Yoga, Art, Mindfulness Activities, Team Challenges, Group Performances and Beach Walks. The students also had the opportunity to hear from two extraordinary individuals from the Jesuit Social Services program called “Just Voices”. Both presenters were refugees and were able to speak about their own challenges, hardships and injustices that have occurred in their own lives. 

Each presenter passed on a message to the students, which was powerful and inspiring for students to build upon in their own lives.Having enjoyed delicious and plentiful meals, and having experienced some unique and memorable moments, our students are hopefully now ready to face the challenges that Year 12 presents to all. 

There was plenty of time for chatting and enjoying one another’s company and time to show their appreciation amongst peers to express gratitude and admiration.

I would like to genuinely thank all the staff that gave up their own time with their families to support the students on this wonderful experience and for also making a positive contribution in the lives of our Year 12 students during their time away.  

Special thanks to: Mr. Paul Lewis, Mr. Michael Timms, Ms. Tenille Thomson, Mr. Johnny Clatworthy, Ms. Julia Hall, Mr. Byron Mitchell,  Ms. Ruth Nolan, Ms. Andrea Dart, Mr. Anthony Gravener, Mrs. Anna Oliver, Mrs. Kristin Williamson, Ms. Kirsty Allan, Mrs. Alicia Deak, Ms. Bronwyn Tegousis, Ms. Stacey Learmonth and the staff at Don Bosco Camp.

Mr. Joe McLean  Year 12 Coordinator.