Department News

Drama Department

“We must all do Theatre, to find out who we are and to discover what we could become” - Augusto Boal

Term two has already proven itself to be a busy and exciting time for Brigidine Drama students. From competitions to class-made films, students have the opportunity to explore a range of domains within the world of theatre.

Year 9

Year 9 has been looking into the world of Melodrama. Students have studied stock characters and began creating their own melodramatic scenarios. In class, they have watched classic Melodrama plays and films, and have discussed exactly why they are so entertaining and timeless. We all still secretly love Soap Operas.

Year 10

Year 10 has been working on their writing skills, a core component of Drama studies and an important skill to build prior to beginning senior studies and their HSC. Through a range of practical and theoretical tasks, students embark on writing their own theatre reviews, including one on ‘Hairspray’ that the class were lucky to see last term, at the Sydney Lyric Theatre. 

Year 11

Year 11 has spent the term exploring a range of projects through studying the text ‘Ruby Moon’ by Matt Cameron. In class students have engaged in a range of practical tasks on design and promotion; costume, set, poster/publicity, directing and video drama have all been explored as the girls work to best tell Ruby’s eerie story. It is an interesting unit and helps the students narrow down what they might like to do next year, for their HSC major work - which will be happening before they know it! 

TheatreSports 

We had two teams compete in the Improv Australia TheatreSports Schools Challenge this term. This is an improvisation competition where teams of 3-5 students compete against other schools in a range of 1-minute, 2-minute, open and 3-minute improvisation games. It is a quick-paced, physically active and wild competition! 

We would like to commend our competitors' efforts at the open rounds at Sydney Grammar School: 

Intermediate team, stage 5; Annika Lindin,  Lucinda Miranda and Sienna Simons 

Senior team, stage 5: Jade Dawes, Harper Lynch Molly Menzel and  Zoe Walker

Sydney Catholic Schools Eisteddfod

In Week 5, Friday the 26 May and Saturday the 27 of May we had our SCS Drama Eisteddfod for groups and soloists, respectively. We had two groups enter the ‘self-devised’ small group ensemble sections: our intermediate group, stage 5 and our senior group, stage 6. A self-devised performance is a self-created performance, where the students write the script and direct their own movement and blocking. Our groups have worked on this over the past two terms, after school in Drama Club and in additional lunchtime and recess rehearsals. 

A big congratulations to our students and their achievements in the following: Stage 4-5 Open Group Devised performance, placing 3rd with a Highly Commended Award. Students involved: Ajelen Castillo, Zoe Delavande Vasconcelos, Poppy Hogan, Annika Lindin, Lucinda Miranda, Sienna Simmons, Nicole Wolff. Stage 6 Group Devised performance, placing 3rd with a Highly Commended Award. Students involved: Jade Dawes, Hannah Dilger, Amelia Featherstone, Harper Lynch, Molly Menzel,  Lucy Williamson.

On Saturday we had our four soloists perform their monologues.  With the self-written piece in the self-devised category, we had Molly Menzel perform “Have you ever been stressed” . In the stage 5 scripted monologue Annika Lindin performed ‘Justified Murder’ and Harper Lynch as our stage 6 scripted monologue performed an excerpt from ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’. We even had Rhianna Mendesf from Year 11 working as the backstage crew as part of her VET Entertainment Industry course!

Year 7 & 8 Drama Club

Term 2 has continued with our Year 7 and 8 Drama club. The girls have been working on a range of improvisation and Theatre Sports skills, working their way into more collaboration and play-building. Check out some of the girls' frozen tableaus and live commercials below!

Many thanks,

Tayla Whiteman

Drama Department           

English Department

Picture This!

What would you do if all of a sudden, you lost your sense of adventure? How would you cope? What would you do?

This very dilemma has been presented to Year 8 in their most recent task where they were asked to create images for a picture book about a character whose sense of adventure just upped and left. Their study of picture books in their most recent unit has provided them with the opportunity to explore the richness of the picture book form and explore how celebrated authors and illustrators such as Shaun Tan, Anthony Browne and Mem Fox have used the interplay between image and text to powerfully engage readers and convey ideas. 

Picture books are often our earliest encounters with stories and they are instrumental in helping us learn about the world around us; to learn about language, how to relate to others, and what’s right and wrong. The shared reading of a book between parent and child is said to help foster not only relationship bonds, but also a love of reading. But an appreciation for picture books shouldn’t stop at primary school for they offer much to older readers. Just as peeling back each layer of an onion reveals a new, hidden layer, reading a picture book unravels layers of imagination and emotion. With every turn of the page, a story unfolds, gradually unveiling new insights into characters and ideas. 

Year 8 were provided with an unpublished manuscript from a picture book and were then challenged with the task of creating a double-page spread to accompany their chosen stage of the story. This task required them to not only understand the central ideas within the story as a whole, but consider carefully how to convey the ideas visually. Their creativity, imagination and engagement with this unit are evident from the wonderful work they produced and explanations of their choices. The girls demonstrated great enthusiasm and a spirit of experimentation throughout this project. They eagerly embraced the opportunity to bring the story to life visually, pushing the boundaries of their creativity and imagination. So, it seems that the girls found their sense of adventure and imagination in the end and here is some of their amazing work. 

Natalia Hennessy  &  Clare Rose

Head of English         Assistant Head of English

Science Department

Term 2 has presented a number of challenging activities to both our senior and junior science students. 

The 12 Biology students undertook a day-long incursion with STEMREACTOR. Students listened to professionals and had the opportunity to actively engage in the different gene technologies of electrophoresis and genetic engineering. Students manipulated harmless bacteria to insert a gene. Electrophoresis was used to first separate the coloured dyes in M&Ms to practise using the micropipettes and then applied this technology to determine the inheritance of genes.  

Students were fortunate to gain hands-on experience doing experiments that involved sophisticated equipment that is normally found in tertiary institutions or commercial companies. Students appreciated the implications of biotechnology in society along with the ethical questions this technology raises. They also learnt the science behind PCR tests for Covid. 

Year 11 Biology students have been engaged in learning about gaseous exchange in plants and animals. Students prepared slides of the lower epidermis of leaves to look at stomata and guard cells. They also enjoyed dissecting a duck to look at the orientation and relationship between the heart, lungs and trachea. Students also examined the parts of a flower and separated the male and female parts skilfully using their dissecting skills.

Year 7 students have been busy investigating various types of forces. They had fun using balloons and rods to test electrostatic forces with the Van der Graaf generator which demonstrates these forces in a more dramatic manner. They also designed apparatus to protect their raw eggs from external forces while being dropped from a height of about two floors above the ground.

Year 8 students have been exploring the systems of the human body. They learnt the structure and function of organs in the digestive and respiratory systems through modelling. They also used microscopes to examine the different types of cells and their structures.

Year 9 students are currently completing their second assessment task, using ray boxes to demonstrate the properties of light energy and creating a multimedia presentation of their findings.

Year 10 students are immersed in learning about the Periodic Table and various types of chemical reactions.

Jaya Chowdhury   

Head of Science

Visual Arts Department

Term 2 has provided the Visual Arts Department with many opportunities to develop students' creative ideas into finalised artworks. Students have become more confident in their artmaking and have enjoyed exploring a variety of media and techniques within their classes.

Year 7 has had the wonderful opportunity to explore the local environment, including the College grounds, the Spot and the Convent and complete a range of sketches based on observation and perspective. These sketches have then inspired students to develop a composition for etching, which they have pushed through a printing press and worked back into with their knowledge of the elements and principles of art to create abstract artworks. 

Year 8 have finalised their ceramic pet pot designs with their work going through a final glaze firing. These pet animal pots are looking fabulous and Year 8 have demonstrated a very good understanding of clay construction and surface decoration techniques in their artmaking. Year 8 students are finishing up their time in Visual Arts this semester, exploring endangered animals in a range of artmaking activities and further developing their skills using a variety of media, while creating artworks inspired by concepts of conservation, endangerment and extinction. 

Year 9 have resolved their Western landscape paintings and will begin to explore Eastern landscapes and painting techniques as they finish off the term. Year 9 also had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Chinese Gardens of Friendship, as well as the Art Gallery of New South Wales on an excursion this term. It was a wonderful experience for our two Year 9 classes who thoroughly enjoyed the peace and tranquillity of the gardens and were excited to explore the art gallery through an artwork scavenger hunt activity. These experiences at both locations will assist the girls in developing an Eastern-inspired composition in their Sumi ink scroll paintings and provide a stronger understanding of art history and techniques in artmaking. 

Year 9 Visual Arts Excursion Student Account:

"On Wednesday 10 May, Year 9 went to the Chinese Gardens and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The artworks and views were eye catching and so amazing. One artwork at the art gallery was called "Suspended Stone Circle II" made by Ken Unsworth. I read that it was made of 103 stones and 103 wires! The wires overlapped and led my eyes to the stones that levitated upon the ground. The Chinese Gardens were also very interesting and unique. There were so many koi fish and they were so close, I attempted to sketch them. My time at the excursion was very enjoyable and I am glad I chose art as an elective."

By Emilia Pagano 9VART11

Year 10 have resolved their Postmodern inspired artworks that focus on a contemporary issue they wanted to explore in their artworks. Some artworks portrayed a lack of diversity in the fashion industry, cancel culture, pollution in our environment and more. Students individually investigated a wide range of materials, techniques and ideas in their artwork development. 

Year 11 have the submission of their first collection of artworks for the year, responding to the theme of ‘Site.’ These girls have had the opportunity to explore sculptural forms, collages and the making of a miniature world and are developing an understanding of what it takes to pull together a collection of artworks. The girls have presented fantastic outcomes to this concept and are excited to dive into the world of Abstraction and Emotion in artmaking as they begin their new case study.

Finally, Year 12 continue to apply themselves to the making and resolving of their Body of Work. The Body of Work is a large undertaking that requires dedication, passion and time. Year 12 have made strong progress as their artworks come to fruition and the Visual Arts Department cannot wait to see what their final artworks will look like!

Melissa Nutter

Head of Visual Arts