The Anchor

Senior School 

From the Head of Senior School 

The Term Two VACS programme began this week. The activities this term are Service based. The students have chosen an activity from thirteen available; 

  • Peer Support, 
  • activities with Junior School students, 
  • wattle eradication, 
  • media, 
  • student environmental committee, 
  • Adopt-a-Spot clean up, 
  • Kingfisher Fair planning, 
  • sewing, 
  • Living Waters Community Garden, 
  • You and Kathmandu (contact and conversation with young people in Nepal) 
  • production and possibly performance of a music video for the elderly, 
  • Random Acts of Kindness, and 
  • the Hunger Heroes team.

I believe this is the most significant component of the VACS programme. We want the students to experience and value the rewards and benefits of giving to others. It is true that giving is for the giver as well as the receiver, that we grow as people through kindness and generosity. There was a real energy and enthusiasm in the Senior School after the first week of the programme, and I was delighted by the commitment and engagement of the students.

 

Mr Mumme, Head of Mokare House, supported by the other three Heads of House, has done a huge amount of work in coordinating this term’s VACS programme, and I thank all involved.

 

Mr Mark Bonnin | Head of Senior School 

Media Studies and CineFest Oz

Last weekend, Albany hosted a film festival called Cinefest Oz. As a part of the schools programme they offered, Australian film Jasper Jones (Perkins 2017) was shown followed by a Q&A with two WA assistant directors; Sophia Armstrong and Chanel Bowen. Adapted from Silvey’s bestselling novel, Jasper Jones is a coming-of-age whodunnit which was filmed locally in Pemberton. Students were able to experience the distribution processes of our local independent film festival, engaged with professionals working in the industry and will now be able to use the film in their class studies.

 

Last Thursday we went out to the Albany Town Hall to view Jasper Jones a ‘whodunit’ film with the protagonist being a twelve-year-old boy named Charlie. This was a great movie filmed in Pemberton. Afterwards we got to talk to some assistant directors, one of which worked on the movie Blue Back which was recently filmed in Bremer Bay. She spoke about how much she enjoyed working in the Great Southern with the locals being part of the actors. We also got to ask them some questions about how they came to be assistant directors and what we would need to do after school to follow their footsteps. They also spoke about the locations where they film and how they begin to understand the environments and even become attached to them as they stay there. Overall, it was a great experience and very informative.” 
- Year Ten Media Students

 

The following day we were joined by two visiting filmmakers in our Year Eleven Media class; Brooke Collard (writer/producer) and Gary Hamaguchi (writer/director). 

 

“On Friday 30 April, Brooke Collard and Gary Hamaguchi from Goolarri Media came in as an incursion and talked to us about short films, showing us a documentary titled Aboriginal Warrior, about Brooke’s Uncle and his journey as a kick boxing champion as well as how it influenced his life. We talked about how they got into the line of work that they did. It was very interesting and the feedback that they gave us about our short film ideas was very useful.” 
- Abigail Jackson | Year Eleven  

 

Throughout different year groups, Media students are still working on their submissions for the Cinefest Oz short film competition on the theme of 'Treasure'. Only six finalists will be selected from all the entries for the opportunity to attend the Busselton festival in August. Last year’s finalist Josh Clark was invited to speak after his film was presented in Albany during the community screenings over the weekend. We hope to have another Grammar success this year. If there are any other students who would like to submit an entry for Cinesnaps or any other short film competitions then please come and visit me anytime in the Media Lab for more information.

 

Miss Katie Gunning | Media Teacher