CREATIVE COLLECTIVE

Spirit of Arts Awards

This week we presented our inaugural Spirit of Arts Awards, and there were some very worthy recipients. I encourage all students who are eligible to get their applications in as soon as they meet the criteria for any of the award levels.

Bronze Award

Jackson Starmer (Year 7)

Jackson participates in the College Percussion Ensemble.  He has exhibited two mixed media pieces in the Cairns Show winning prizes for both. He has shown enthusiasm for the music program by performing with the College Choir and Percussion Ensemble at various events. He actively co-operates with teachers and peers in the performing arts.

Silver Award

Archie Rudolphy (Year 12)

Archie demonstrates initiative in the arts by filming major college events such as sporting carnivals, college Masses and major assemblies. His work includes hours of editing the films shown at assemblies and at other major events.  He achieves high grades within Film and Television and, where possible, promotes the subject to other students.  Archie is an entrant in the StuffIT Film Festival and has helped Mr McCarthy choose equipment to be purchased for the department. His interest in photography has enabled him to participate in photo shoots for Bishop James, major college events, CISSA sport and outside organisations such as FNQ football.

Silver Award

Reagan Crookes (Year 11)

Reagan is a very busy young man with many strings to his bow (pun intended).  At the College he participates in no fewer than four ensembles as well as being a musician or cantor for Mass.  Reagan most recently received an A for his Grade 8 AMEB piano exam. He participates in Drama and Music in the classroom and maintains excellent results. Using his talents outside the College, he has participated in the Cairns Choral Society’s recent Cabaret and Cocktails and has been selected as part of the ensemble for their upcoming production of Spamalot. Reagan has gigged on keys with local bands at various venues. He has taken AMEB exams in violin and piano as well as theory this year, exams in dance and participated in eisteddfods in Cairns and Townsville as a soloist and in the Choral Society choir.

Silver Award

Mathew Christensen (Year 11)

Mathew is a very busy senior music student. He is a member of two of the College ensembles, has represented the College at the State Honours Ensemble Program, as well as participating as a musician in all college Masses and liturgies. He maintains exceptionally high grades in classroom music. Mathew is instrumental in providing lighting, sound and multi-media for all assemblies, Masses and events. This takes hours of setting up and packing up microphones, leads, lighting cues etc.  Mathew’s interest in the technical aspect of things has led to his participation in the Choral Society’s production of Spamalot back in January, and will do so again at the end of the year. He was also involved in their Night with the Classics in the first half of this year. 

Silver Award

Jakk Burdett (Year 12)

Jakk is a busy senior music student. He is a member of four college ensembles, has represented the College at the Queensland Symphony Orchestra Prodigy Program, as well as participating as a cantor (often soloing) and musician in all our Masses and liturgies. He has most recently sat his AMEB Grade 8 trumpet exam and received a credit.  Jakk has regularly performed The Last Post for our neighbouring primary school, St Joseph’s, for the past three years.  He maintains exceptionally high grades in classroom music. Jakk’s most recent composition has been entered in the ASME Young Composers Competition. Jakk has performed in a long list of events this year.

Gold Award

Saxonn Capilos (Year 12)

Saxonn is a busy senior music student and Arts Captain.  He is a member of no fewer than five college ensembles as well as being a musician and cantor for Mass.  He maintains exceptionally high grades in classroom music.  One of the key requirements of the Gold Award is someone who runs an event and/or mentors younger students.  Saxonn has done most of the heavy lifting with the Hospitality Café music program during Term 2 – organising student rosters and equipment set up for each performance. He has helped the Year 9 music students with their rock performances. He performed at the Saints Unplugged – senior evening.  He set up all the sound equipment for the junior evening and stayed to support our younger musicians.  Saxonn has represented the College at the State Honours Ensemble Program too.

Spirit of Arts Awards

All students who participate in Music, Drama, Visual Art, and Film Television and New Media are eligible to apply for an award. Handbooks and journals are available from the arts staffroom and we encourage everyone to participate in the program.

For any questions regarding the awards not outlined in the journal, please email me on cspannenbu@cns.catholic.edu.au

Any opportunities for our arts students outside the College are published on the Arts Facebook Page. Upcoming performances and events are also published there under Events. Be sure to like the page to keep up with what’s happening around the College.

Communication

Much of our communication with students is via Teams, email and copied into parent slips. Please encourage your son to check these regularly so he stays abreast of what is happening, particularly given we’ve had some very last minutes changes lately due to injury and illness. Your son is also expected to communicates absences due to illness or injury with the director of any ensembles he belongs to or his instrumental music teacher, as the student office does not communicate with them.

There are many avenues for parental communication – parent slips, the Arts Department Facebook page, the College newsletter and email. Please check these regularly so you can stay abreast of what is happening in the arts across the College.

Upcoming Events

r events are communicated on our Facebook page – Saint Augustine’s College Cairns Arts Department.  All the major events of the year are already on there. Smaller events will be uploaded as they come to hand.  Please like the page to follow us and what we do here at Saints.