Daily Notices

This term the year 12 Dance class have been developing their understanding of hip hop and street dance with their Dance teacher Sam Wood Rawnsley. The outcome of this learning will be a NCEA performance assessment. Unitec and WSCW Dance Alumni Taniora Motutere has returned to share his extensive movement knowledge and teach two short sequences of movement. Students have learnt some fundamentals of popping and hip hop choreography. We are also fortunate to have Sherrick Martin return again this year bringing his experience in hip hop, commercial and contemporary dance. He is currently working with this rōpū on Afro beats and Dancehall movements.

WSCW Dance students benefit from observing and working with professional artists based in TAPAC, our performing arts venue. Last week, Samoan choreographer Tupua Tigafua returned to TAPAC to rehearse his work ‘Shel We’ before it tours NZ and Australia. Year 11 and 13 Dance were invited to join Tupua and his 4 male dancers in one of their morning warm-ups. On Friday afternoon students from Waiorea and the Dance and Drama classes watched ‘Shel We’ – a “comedy tragedy” inspired by Shel Silverstein’s poems. Fa’afetai tele lava Tupua and Le Moana for sharing your work with us.

Dance students have attended two other shows this term! Year 11-13 were in awe of the incredible dancing, sound and lighting in Auckland Arts Festival international dance performance ‘Revisor’ at the Aotea Centre. Year 10-13 Dance students were particularly moved by ‘He Huia Kaimanawa’, a dance that explores the “resurfacing, reclaiming and honouring of te reo Māori.” Ngā mihi nui Bianca for visiting the Year 10 Dance class and talking about the dance before the trip.

In the final week of 2022, our Arts Departments shared a very special celebration of Junior Arts here in TAPAC theatre. Our foyer and theatre were filled for two sold out shows!  Thank you to all of the kaiako and tauira who worked very hard at the end of a busy year to bring this event to life.

Ma whero ma pango ka oti ai te mahi

Amazing images captured by the wonderful NinaG Photography.

Samantha Wood Rawnsley – Arts Coordinator
rawnsleys@wsc.school.nz

This year we are fortunate to have four new creative and driven Arts Leaders joining our team. Oliver Burton, Oscar Lyons, Ruby Judson, Isabella Benson.

Hi! I’m Bella, one of the 2023 Arts Leaders. My experience in the arts is mostly in music. I play flute and piccolo. Throughout my time at springs I have played with various groups (including the WSC chamber group and West City Youth Band). Supporting others’ arts endeavours has always been important to me. I’ve also gone to lots of Springs’s arts showcases, including the Junior Arts Festival and the showcase of senior’s visual arts projects. I’m really excited to be more involved in supporting and promoting the arts at Springs this year!!

Hey I’m Ruby! I’m so excited to be one of the Arts Leaders this year. My main passion is visual arts, especially painting. In my spare time you will find me doing all sorts of craft projects and op shopping around the city. I’m looking forward to working with the other awesome arts leaders to bring you a very artful year here at springs!!

Hiya everyone! I’m Ollie, and I’m involved in the music side of the arts at Springs. I play violin, bass and saxophone and am in a number of groups inside and out of school. I can’t wait to get to know everyone so we can start planning all the ways to show off the arts and create collaborations not only between the students but the different types of art. I hope to see you around.

Hi, I’m Oscar Lyons and I’m so excited to be one of the 2023 WSCW Arts Leaders. I’ve always had an interest in the arts since I was able to walk. I’ve been involved with performing arts since I was 6, being involved in dance and drama classes. At the age of 9, I started to get involved in musicals and have been continuing it ever since. I was involved in the Junior Arts Festival in 2020, Year 11 Drama Production in 2021, Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Competition in 2022 and Year 12 Drama Production in 2022. I’m excited to be an Arts Leader this year because I want to be able to uplift the arts at WSCW. To bring more awareness and attention to the amazing young artists that we have at our school by promoting them with the help of the arts committee.

ARTS COMMITTEE Want to work with these awesome Arts Leaders to promote and support the Arts at WSCW. If you missed the signup it’s not too late to join. Email your friendly Arts Coordinator Samantha Wood Rawnsley ( email below) to have your name added to the google classroom page. Meetings – Wednesday lunchtimes ( 2 or 3 meetings per term) TAPAC, S2 Frequency of meetings will be dependent on upcoming arts events and as needed. Notification of meetings will be sent out via our arts leaders and committee google classroom page. NEW ARTS INTAGRAM PAGE – Follow our new ARTS Instagram page arts_wscw Samantha Wood Rawnsley – Arts Coordinator rawnsleys@wsc.school.nz

The Top Dance Scholar for NZ in 2022 was our very own dance student Minh Anh Tran. Congratulations Minh Anh on this huge achievement! We also celebrate the success of Zara Wong, who was one of just 3 Outstanding Scholars, and Johanna Geary who was also awarded Scholarship. We are very proud of the excellent work and perseverance of these students – 3 of only 17 students across Aotearoa NZ who achieved Scholarship Dance in 2022.

This year we have booked a range of fun experiences for Dance students to look forward to.

Here are the dates for your calendar:

THEATRE TRIPS

Revisor (Auckland Arts Festival) Friday 10 March 7.30pm, Aotea Centre (Yr 12-13 students only)
He Huia Kaimanawa (Auckland Arts Festival) Friday 17 March 1pm (Yr 10-13 Dance students)
Tupua Tigafua’s Shel We in TAPAC Theatre, early May (all Dance students)

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES WSCW

Senior Dance Showcase Sunday 20 August – Friday 25 August (Week 6 of Term 3), Thursday 24 August: SHOW 1 (3.30pm) and SHOW 2 (6.30pm) Friday 25 August: SHOWS 3 & 4 (matinee times TBC) Yr 13 Choreography (3.1) Show Sunday 6 – Wednesday 9 August (Week 4 of Term 3) Tuesday 8 August , Show 1 (6pm) Wednesday 9 August, Show 2 and 3 (3.30 and 6pm)
YouDance Festival, an inter-school performance opportunity for selected Year 12 and 13 students – June 14-15 The Junior Arts Festival, November 15, TAPAC Theatre.

Skill building, creating, connecting, refining, rehearsing and much more!
It has been a busy term here at WSCW in all of the Arts learning spaces. This term has seen many performance  and assessment events for Music, Dance, Drama and Kapa Haka. The Visual Arts spaces are now home to many ākonga busily working to meet their folio deadlines. Seniors have been involved in derived grade exams and option selection decisions for 2023. Not to mention the many projects our keen creatives take on outside the classroom!

Take a bow Arts ākonga and kaiako for your dedication to your craft, creativity and continued resilence. May these holidays be replenishing and allow space for you to appreciate the mahi you have achieved this term. 

Term four…
In term four our seniors will complete the visual arts folios, sit external exams, perform in senior prize givings and for some of them say goodbye to WSCW and hello to the next chapter of life. 

Junior Arts Festival. Wednesday the 7th December. TAPAC theatre.  Show times TBC
As always, we will end the year with a celebration of the Arts at WSCW. If you are a junior student keen to take part in this event contact your Arts subject teachers. 

Samantha Wood Rawnsley – Arts Coordinator

Art News!

Extended Greetings 

Spring has clearly sprung – and it really is the busy end of the year when senior students are starting to ‘live’ in the Art rooms in a concerted effort to complete their folio work before the term four deadlines.  The Level 1 and 2 students should be on their final board and the Level 3 are close behind (although they have a later hand in time).  As part of a return to pre-covid events – we will also be showcasing work from the eleven senior classes next term with the Media and Technology departments  –  so it will be well worth popping your head in for a quick catch up with students who are creating authentic shifts in their critical and creative processes.

As a department we had been fielding a number of inquiries about Art courses as Y9-12 students consider their subject choices for 2023.  The coursebook information is clear and up to date – however if you require more specific course information, please contact
brittonk@wsc.school.nz re: Art Design/Junior Art
teleiaid@wsc.school.nz re: Art Photography
laital@wsc.school.nz re: Art Painting/Art History

We have had a number of students succeeding within the wider Arts communities and would like celebrate in their achievements.  Firstly we have two students who have secured the annual Pat Hanly Creativity Award, Y13 students Shay Patel and Sophia Collins who attended the gala event at the ACAG and received their award from the organisers and representative from the Hanly family.  We also have to acknowledge Y13 student Noah Grimer – who was selected by a panel to have his work ‘To wander’ showcased in the Wallace Arts Trust – Secondary School Art Awards Finalists’ Exhibition 5-30th October at Pah Homestead.  

Finally, a reminder that the Art rooms will be open in holidays on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday of the first week only between 10am-1pm.  Students are welcome to utilise the space and time to consolidate their external work and finish off internal standards. 

The following are important dates for handing in for the Level 1, 2 and 3;

LEVEL 1 boards due T4 Week 1 Friday 21st October
LEVEL 2&3 Photography and Art Design board files due T4 Week 2 Thursday 27th October
LEVEL 2 Painting boards due T4 Week 2 Friday 28th October
LEVEL 3 Painting boards due T4 Week 3 Wednesday 2nd November
ART/MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY Exhibition T4 Wednesday 2nd November 3.30-6.30 supported by PAG

(Senior student celebration to proceed Y13 Prizegiving)

Scholarship folios and workbooks due Tuesday 8th November
(last call for L3 folios as we need to weigh and pack boards before the courier arrives)                                                                                                                                                                                   

Ia Manuia
Lily Laita – HOD Art

In June of this year Charlie Hill and James Drake participated in The National Youth Theatre’s production, Oliver! This project commenced in 2021, navigated covid disruptions and came to the stage in June of 2022. Today I had the pleasure of sitting down with these two dedicated performers to share a little more about their experience. 

What role/ roles did you play?
 “ I played a house orphan and a posh person. I was part of the ensemble”. James
“ I played two roles. Noah Claypole, a speaking role and the knife grinder, a singing role and I was part of the ensemble”. Charlie

What did you enjoy most about performing in Oliver the musical?
“Getting to know the people and the structure of the show and also performing in the acts”. James
“Going up on stage. The frightening excitement is quite enjoyable” Charlie

What skills do you think you have developed during this time?
“More vocal skills. Working with others. Listening skills. Time management. Commitment. Timing – when to come on stage, knowing the running order of the show”. James
“Confidence to perform in front of others. Built some bravery. This is my second full show. Over the two shows seasons I have learn a lot about ensemble skills” Charlie

Next up for these young performers….
I recently sat my tap exam and received highly commended. Next term I will be taking Dance as an option at school. James
Coming up I am performing in the next National Youth Theatre Company production, Wendy. Charlie

Do you have an experience you would like to share?
Are you taking up opportunities outside of the classroom in the Arts? Would you like to share this with our kura and wider community? Email Samantha Wood Rawnsley to set up a kōrero. rawnsleys@wsc.school.nz

We were delighted to welcome back 7 ex-students, mainly from 2020 and 2021. There was a mixture of Engineers, Medical students and Film-makers.  Despite Covid interruptions and usual academic challenges, these students’ journeys went very well and they shared a lot of useful insight into succeeding at Uni including the importance of clicking SUBMIT after completing an assignment!

Thanks to these wonderful ex WSCW students for giving up their time and sharing their insights – from left to right in above photo – Nathan Bell (UOA BEng Software BCom Mgmt), Lugman Al Sumaidal (UOA BEng – structural), Ana Downey (Otago Dentistry), Khushee Jain (UOA Medical School Year 3), Kate Hannay (Otago Medical school – Year 2), Grayson Schwalger UOA Medicine Yr 2), Archie Lee-Cooper (Screen Production Communications degree at AUT.

Thanks also to Andy Heathcote and Connor Green, our Year 13 Learning Leaders, who asked a variety of useful questions for an attentive audience!