High School Theater Arts

Grade 9 Theater Arts

In the Grade 9 Theater Arts class, students studied George Orwell’s classic tale, 1984. The use of setting, character development and plot were investigated in the play; together with the major concepts and themes of the text. The class explored characters through staged readings and experimented with the use of motivated blocking for a character in a scene.

In the unit, students also delved into the work of the famous theatre practitioner Stanislavski and explored the way his acting theories can highlight different elements of a theatrical piece, such as acting style, scene setting, mood, use of props, lighting and sound. Students studied some of his acting techniques in more detail; focusing, in particular, on the theory of “experiencing the role”. This was explored through dramatic exercises and in acting work during the unit. The group were also able to demonstrate their understanding of Stanislavski’s acting theories and focused upon the objective of the character within key moments of the text. It has been a pleasure to see the group connecting so positively and successfully as a group in Theatre Arts.

Grade 10 Theatre Arts

In Grade 10 Theatre Arts, the group have been exploring the world of Mime. The students began their study by delving into how an actor can communicate a message to a given audience though non-verbal communication. The group experimented with basic mime activities, followed by the exploration of character emotion without words and finally to the creation of story with the use of mime only. Throughout their journey in the topic of mime, students had the opportunity to create pieces of theater, revealing strong skills of non-verbal communication. Research of mime techniques, famous mime artists and examples of successful mime were incorporated into the unit, which enabled students to become more proficient in this art form.

Students are currently developing skills in directing a piece of mimed theatre in the lessons. The class has been learning about different styles of directors, as well as the history of directing and what the role of a director in the theatre is. In the unit, individual students have the opportunity to devise a short piece of mime, based on the theme of technology, with music as the starting point to the drama. The end result is sure to be creative and well-motivated.   

 

 

 

Middle School Physical Education

Our Middle School Physical Education classes have been working enthusiastically and with much motivation. Middle School students from Grade 6 to 8 have been fully engaged in the lessons and have proved themselves to be excellent learners. This has been fantastic to see and we look forward to this continuing throughout the semester. 

The Middle School classes meet once a week for Physical Education and once a week for Swimming.  In all lessons, students engage in warm up activities, stretching, and learn through practical activities; particularly on how to work together as a team. Students have been learning about floor hockey, basketball and  have been working on improving their skills and abilities in these sports. Students also have the opportunity to actively participate in team matches. In the Swimming classes, students have been focusing on breaststroke, which is one of the many swim strokes they will learn this year.

 In addition to the regularly scheduled Physical Education classes, Middle School students are able to participate in Basketball, Soccer, Ping Pong, Badminton, and other sports during their daily lunch recess. The SIS pool is used for the ASA: Beginner Swimming and also for the regular Swim Team. Varsity basketball and badminton teams make use of the gymnasium  after school throughout the week.