The workshops were physically demanding and challenged our students to push into a ‘flow state’, as they explored exercises drawing from Viewpoints, Suzuki, Butoh and Frantic Assembly techniques for devising.
Scott Wings is a passionate physical theatre artist, performance poet and storyteller. He brings with him an exuberant energy that could not help but leave a smile on everyone’s faces. During the session we learnt many techniques and we cannot wait to apply them to our own drama performances!
We began to get to know each other by learning each other’s taste in food. There was lots of lasagne and rows of sushi! Then we learnt about each other’s favourite sport exercises/stretches...which we quickly realised was a mistake. As we went around our giant drama circle, we reached a patch of people who decided that push-ups were the best thing to do at the crack of our academic dawn (9.00am for those unaware).
We then embarked on an exercise called ‘Lanes’, where five people had their own imaginary, parallel lanes in the space. We were given four gestures that we could do, including a ninja jump, sprinting down our lane, sitting and lying down. This exercise required the actors on stage to ‘listen’ to each other and understand each other’s energies, which we soon came to learn is a viewpoint called kinaesthetic response. This lead to incredible moments of synchronicity where the actors on stage would all jump at the exact same time. This technique was very beneficial in warming up our bodies, minds and improvisational skills.
After completing these exercises, Scott explained to us the concept of spatial relationships. He provided us with some very straightforward information: your characters can either stand extremely close or extremely far apart. This armed us with the knowledge to explore kiss or kill moments as well as quite tragic isolation. The only thing we had to avoid at all costs is what is known as ‘bus stop’ spacing, that awkward position when you are in the same place but you do not really know each other- let's just say not the most dramatic or exciting position.
We then moved onto an exercise called Zen garden. This exercise was quite the juxtaposition from the excitement of the morning! In Zen Garden, performers had the freedom to move around the stage and take on the form of moss (lying on the ground), a rock (sitting down) or a tree (standing up). This allowed for a whole new world of creativity. Scott then subtly hinted that maybe we should apply what we’ve learnt and think about the audience. Where is the focal point? What needs to be supported? Oh, and also, remember kinaesthetic response as well as trying to create the most creative and interesting shapes as possible between actors!
So, what did all of these exercises have in common? Viewpoints! Scott Wings taught us about the 9 viewpoints which were adapted for stage by a woman named Anne Bogart. Bogart devised these viewpoints as spontaneous actions between actors to develop a relationship between their characters. The 9 viewpoints include the aforementioned spatial relationship and kinaesthetic response, as well as shape, gesture, repetition, architecture, tempo, duration, and topography (floor patterns). In the various exercises, Scott got us to focus on applying these viewpoints using our bodies to inform our choices.
The true highlight of the day, however, was the infamous dance battle. Students showed off their skills, strutting down the room and intimidating the opposition with their unmatched abilities. The standout performer of the exercise had to be a certain very enthusiastic young woman, who defied all odds and broke the system by joining the Year 9 team, when she herself was in Year 10. This particular student brought a vigour and unprecedented energy to the task, astounding the opposing team and teachers with her unmatched and boisterous dance moves, which wowed the crowd. No one will forget this truly incredible experience. A shout out also goes to a Year 9 student for busting out a front flip in the dying moments of the battle.
We harnessed the energy of the dance battle and moved on to a storytelling focus. Splitting up into groups, we each told our life story to each other within a minute. The challenge? We also somehow had to keep our audience entertained! Afterwards, Scott gave us some advice on enhancing our body language and gestures to match the tone and content of our stories.
Overall, this was an enlightening day of creativity as we homed in on the fundamental skills of viewpoints and explored physical storytelling techniques. Thank you, Scott Wings, we are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you as an Artist in Residence. You were hilarious to be around and a truly inspiring teacher from whom we learnt a lot.
The Somerset Creek Conservation Project will rehabilitate approximately 2.6 hectares of land surrounding Wyangan Creek over the next five years. This aligns with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, which aims to enhance biodiversity and fight climate change worldwide by massively scaling up the restoration of degraded and destroyed ecosystems. The restored areas at Somerset will create habitat for local native wildlife and also provide students with an outdoor classroom for nature play, scientific investigation and a whole range of other educational activities.
The most important piece of advice for future Year 10 students is to begin your personal project early and set goals. Over the summer holidays, I kick-started the planning process by meeting with Naomi Edwards from youth environment group, Intrepid Landcare. After designing a general outline, we worked on a detailed mind map to identify the steps required to organise a successful event. This has helped me to maintain focus and keep on track.
Over the past few weeks, I have helped the team from Regen Australia to prepare the site for planting and started to see my ideas transform into reality. I also had meetings with Councillor Glenn Tozer, Saraya Robinson from Gold Coast City Council and Mrs Jenny Tobin from Clover Hill State School, who all offered invaluable advice and assistance. Throughout this project, I have received incredible support from the Somerset College leadership team, my teachers, the MYP Sustainable Spartans Committee and many other people within the Somerset community. This has given me the confidence to engage with adults about real-world issues.
The Somerset Community Tree Planting Day on Saturday 11 May promises to be a really fun event, which will involve the whole community in taking action for conservation. There will be 2,500 native trees to plant, a sewing bee to make fabric pouches for rescued joeys and a free sausage sizzle. CAS hours will be available for MYP students.
Please register for your free tickets here.
My goal is to create a children’s book to educate and influence the development of a strong female identity in the 21st century.
Last year through studying the suffragettes in my third unit of Global Thinking, I became familiar with the concept of gender equality and the problems that women face all around the world. But I was more perplexed with the phycology and philosophies that surround this modern issue. Through discussion with feminist authors such as Fiona Hall, Violet Grace and Cath Crowley during Storyfest, I came to have a deeper understanding of what a strong female identity looks like and feels like and with the new gender equality movements at the moment such as the, ‘Time's Up’ campaign, I wanted to play my part in creating change. But, I know that it isn’t the Somerset College community that needs change, it’s our world which is why I have decided to take the task of translating my picture book into two other languages – Italian and French and maybe even more!
I am a young woman surrounded by amazing role models who are already making great change with my generation – and I know this because I see them every day in our own Somerset College community. However, I wanted to do something different, I wanted to reach out to the younger kids and start to create conversations. I feel that through my research, I have found that the gender categorising that we see is really encoded in us since a young age and found it important that if we were really going to make change, it needed to start in young kids having an understanding of what a strong female identity is. Through reading with Somerset Prep students and attending Clover Connect, I really started to get a feel for what a picture book should sound like and sound like. As an avid reader myself, I much enjoyed my time spent with the kids.
The title of my book, A Little Bird Told Me follows the line of a girl who pushes past the stereotypes because she knows that sometimes things just aren’t just her. She knows that she is brave, bold, independent and strong and sometimes she just doesn’t want to be like the others.
As I come to the end of my MYP journey, the writing of my picture book has been very worthwhile in my reflection and to see how I have changed from beginning my MYP journey. I have begun to look outside the Somerset community and become more of a globally minded person. As I work towards my goal, I become more of an inquirer, more of a thinker and more knowledgeable. I have now completed all my illustrations and I am currently editing my book into the correct formatting for publication. I can’t wait to share my picture book with the Somerset community.
With reports of adolescent stress reaching epidemic proportions, concerned parents are left searching for ways to prevent or minimize pressure. But a growing number of psychologists are pushing back against the modern view that stress is wholly unwanted and unhealthy. While chronic or traumatic stress can be damaging, psychologists say normal, everyday stress — in the right dose and viewed through the right lens — can be helpful, pushing adolescents to grow beyond their limits and setting them up to thrive.
Ask any great performer on the field or stage, and they’ll tell you a healthy dose of stress is key to reaching peak performance — but too much of it can make you choke. Researchers say it’s often how a person interprets a high-pressure situation, rather than the load itself, that influences how they experience stress.
Continue reading the full article, Don’t worry about your child’s everyday stress. It may be helping here.
Details are below:
All students are required to wear polished, black leather school shoes to the College with their Day or Formal Uniform. 'Skate style' black shoes, even if they are leather, are not appropriate.
Students are required to wear their APS Somerset shirt and shorts to the College each Friday of term. Students are required to wear running or cross-training shoes for Sport. Again, 'skate style' shoes are not appropriate and cannot be worn.
Girls who choose to wear earrings may do so, wearing one pair in the ear lobe only. Earrings in other areas of the ear must be removed.
Please join with us to ensure the high standards of College uniform are maintained as we begin a very exciting Term Two.
You can view our Uniform Handbook here.
Jayde McKinnon represented Somerset in show jumping and combine training. Jayde rode two rounds, placing in both. She was fourth overall in the 80cm show jumping. Jayde and Eddie competed in the combined training 80cm and came fifth after dressage. They were third place overall out of a tough group of 16 riders.
Sophie Kruger competed in show jumping at her first big competition. She found it a challenging and exciting experience and she is looking forward to the next competition.
Sofia Miller and Silkwood Star of Hearts competed in Show Pony Intermediate and came fourth!
The competition was a fun few days away with different schools from the region.
At the conclusion of the event Netball Australia announced their National Squads. Rylee was selected and named in the 17/U squad who will attend the National Squad Camp at Netball Australia’s Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra. Athletes selection was based on performances over the six-day tournament and an assessment of their potential to become future Diamonds.
Fantastic news Rylee! Well done and massive congratulations!
Type on the line above then press the Enter/Return key to submit a new search query