The end of last term was busy for SMC Arts with a most successful Arts Week, Orchestral Extravaganza, Twilight Concert and Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Competition and we congratulate all our performers and organisers. Now into Term 2 and rehearsals for Alice! are well under way with girls and staff very excited to see the creativity emerging.

Arts Week & Twilight thanks
Huge thanks and kudos go to our joint student Heads of Arts, Ruby Anderson and Sophie McClean, who, together with their fabulous Arts Council team, provided us with a wonderfully dynamic Arts Week at the end of last term for the whole school to enjoy. A special assembly, Jump Jam, performances, face-painting, student-staff debate, mufti day, bouncy castle, staff flash mob and special Junior School programme were amongst the many activities organised by this dedicated group of Year 12 and 13 girls. Our annual SMC Twilight Concert was another great event presented at this time and we thank our Head of Performing Arts Faculty Amanda Woods and her team for providing our girls with this wonderfully inclusive and quality community showcase.

SMC Visual Art Competition
Thanks also to our student Visual Arts leaders who organised a school-wide art competition as part of Arts Week. Entries were exhibited in the Old Girls’ Atrium with the theme “Other Worlds”. Congratulations to our winners Molly Campbell, Year 10, in first place, Gene Krairiksh, Year 9, second place, and Chloe Van der Ree, Year 9, in third place.

Brain Research Institute performance
Our very own Julia Hughes, from Year 10, performed to 240 people at the Christchurch Art Galley for a fundraising event for the Brain Research Institute at the end of last term. She was the guest artist as part of the Opera Club which also performed and she played beautifully. Well done Julia!

Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Success
Congratulations to the three St Margaret’s College groups who performed at last term’s Sheilah Winn Shakespeare competition at Christchurch Girls’ High School. Hours of rehearsing went into each performance and the results were stunning, especially considering all three pieces were student-directed. The SMC groups received a range of impressive awards for their scenes, with special congratulations to the As You Like It group who will be travelling to Wellington to compete in the national competition Queen’s Birthday weekend! Thank you to our teacher in charge, Jenny May, and sidekick Rosie McTaggart for their great work and support of the girls and a shout out to the staff who gave up their Saturday to come along and encourage the girls.

Love’s Labour’s Lost
Directors: Izzy van der Hoorn and Virginia Macdonald
Cast: Feya Durkin and Cara Donaldson
Award:
Most Effective Design

Comedy of Errors
Directors: Georgia Benton and Nadia Edmond
Award:
Most promising student directors
Best Comedy Scene

As You Like It
15 Minute Piece chosen to go to NATIONALS
Directors: Ruby Anderson and Emily Stewart
Cast: Sophie McClean, Kaitlin Burden
Dancers: Polly Forbes, Lucy Fulton, Poppy Cox, Annalida Jaegar, Olivia Wilson, Georgina Lange
Award:
Best communication with the audience
Best student directed piece (winning 2 tickets to the Court Theatre

National Success
Congratulations Jasmine Ward.  Jasmine, Year 11,  has won a place in the National Youth Brass Band to tour Australia in January 2019. Jasmine earned her place in the band for her percussion skills, auditioning on the marimba, side drum and timpani. She can also play the guitar, cornet and piano and was also accepted into the National Youth Orchestra. Unfortunately due to other commitments she won't be able to join the NYO but we wish her well when she represents New Zealand on the brass band tour.

Alice!
Rehearsals have begun for the cast of over 150 Year 7-13 girls involved in our SMC Major Production of Alice! which will open in the last week of this term in the Charles Luney Auditorium. This all-girls production promises to be a stunner, with a unique St Margaret’s twist on an old tale and staff are very excited to see the talent emerging. All our Junior School girls will also be included in rehearsals later in the term, and parents will be informed as needed. Tickets will be on sale from next week: please check the school website for information.

Parent Help
If there are any more parents in the school community that would like to be involved in helping with costumes or craft we would love to hear from you. Please email Amanda Woods directly about this: amanda.w@stmargarets.school.nz.