News

by Darin Steinkey

I love shooting pictures at Christ Church. Although it’s dark, the light is usually fairly even and the performers are set against a dramatic backdrop that makes it easy to get nice angles and framing. From the opening note of the national anthem to the closing tones of “Skyfall”, the half dozen choirs and concert singers offered an entertaining night for parents and friends. A spry 90-minute affair that made excellent use of the space at the Anglican Cathedral, the Cross Campus Choral Concert organizers had a few tricks up their sleeve that were well-received.

The Senior choir set the tone, opening with “O Canada” from the wings and the music continued, even during the choir changes. Highlights included some very cute performances from the Junior school kids, who are just learning to form vowels and consonants properly (not an easy task, I am told). The Grade 7 choir sang of the watchful raisin and the Grade 8 students offered a rendition of a recent Coldplay tune. Excellent solos and the title track from Skyfall with drums, piano, bass and guitar closed the show on a high note.

Congratulations to Peter Butterfield, Duncan Frater, accompanists John Reid and Kali Salmas and all the choirs. Also, a huge thank you to the many teachers and staff that helped corral kids and keep them focused and calm during the performances. No concert goes smoothly without the help of Doug Park and his crew and the transportation department for busing the many boarders back and forth, so a big thanks to them as well.

For almost 150 more pictures, you can take a look at the SMUS photo gallery and the video of the show will be posted by the end of next week.

by Gary Barber, coach

On your marks! The sports field has been cut and the running track has been freshly painted.

Get set! The Junior School athletes from Grades 2-5 are jogging around the track with excited anticipation. The chatter is lively: “Who are you going to race? How fast can you go? What is your favourite distance?”

Go! Another season of track and field has now started and our athletes are busy sprinting, delivering slick relay baton exchanges and testing their endurance in fun competitions. Over the past few weeks, we have had 95 participants in the Times Colonist Children’s 1.5km run. We have also hosted five competitions against other independent schools and participated in a track and field jamboree at UVic. It has been great to see our athletes apply their skills with such joy and success.

Darius in Grade 5 loves sprinting; “I really enjoy testing my speed against other runners,” he said. Margo loves all the events but is especially fond of the distance running; “I like planning my race, pacing myself, then finishing with a strong sprint.” Michael really enjoys the relay races; “We have an excellent team and have been practicing our baton exchanges. Things are going really well for our team.”

Our final event of the season will be Sports Day on Wednesday, June 5th at 12:45 pm. From all the hard work that has taken place, we can look forward to an exciting and action-packed afternoon of athletics!

by Lisa Hyde-Lay, teacher

This year, we entered three teams of four kids from Grades 6 to 8 in the All Science Challenge. Each had to study and memorize several very challenging areas of science, math and technology. The competition takes place across Canada at a number of universities to help encourage kids to connect with the universities, and to promote a love of science and technology. We started studying in January.

The first part of the afternoon was a quiz show type session where teams gained a variety of points for correctly answered questions. After lunch the teams had a technology challenge. They had 45 minutes to build a “robotic type arm”, much like the Canadarm, using tongue depressors, tape, ear plugs, and a bit of elastic and string — very difficult. The arm had to be taped to the top of a table and pick up an ear plug from the floor and transfer it to the table top. You were not allowed to touch the ear plug or arm directly, but could manipulate it with string, etc.

One of our three teams placed 2nd overall out of 24 teams. This team, SMUS Blue (Sage, Lucas, Jonathan and Adam) is in the video below. The other teams were SMUS Red (Chris, Terra, Julide and Franklin) and SMUS Black (Roan, Ayham, Joshua and Sasha).

by Ayham, Grade 8
All Science Challenge was an exhilarating event that many of my peers and myself had the opportunity to take part in. It was stimulating, yet fun, and featured hands-on design challenges and trivial questions from a wide array of subjects; among the many that were offered were engineering and technology, chemistry and biology — all of which I was given the privilege to solidify my knowledge in. Although my team did not place in the top three, we had a group of students who finished 2nd overall. However, it is not about winning; in the end, it was about having a great time and working to a challenging standard.

by Eva Grant, Grade 10

The Book Club worked hard last week and the week before to prepare for our pilot project for Grade 9: the highly anticipated A Blind Date With A Book.

The idea was to give books (by popular authors, from best-selling lists – anywhere, really) to Grade 9 English classrooms with the covers wrapped so as to hide the title and author. They were then given one month to read their book, with a possibility to randomly swap books at the beginning. This would permit students to enjoy a book they may never have picked up if they had read the back or looked at the cover picture; it also adds an air of mystery to an enjoyable (we hope) read as the students would be instructed to never take the covers off while they finished their book.

Zeyn Sen and I had a great time telling everyone about it in Monday announcements in a way that was funny and engaging, and the idea was met with enthusiasm from students and teachers alike. We like to plan activities that are fun and promote reading of any kind, and this was a great idea to get the ninth graders on our side and reading books.

It was nice to have new activity to plan for; especially something smaller and more concrete than our big reading competitions. We had “wrap parties” at book club meetings — Mondays at lunch — where all TBC members wrapped books for each English class. It wasn’t always easy going: we had lots of books to wrap and little time to do it. Everyone had a different style of wrapping and some were more effective than others. Our most successful method was to wrap the brown paper around the front and back cover and tape it to the jacket. In total, we wrapped over 100 books for Mr. Common, Mr. Dewar, Mrs. Hart, Mr. Taylor, Mrs. McCachen and Mrs. Fraser’s classes. It was a lot of work (wrapping each individual book properly took time!) and we had a group of dedicated members who came in during recess, lunch breaks and spares to make sure we met our quota on time. Disaster struck when a few of us came in to wrap the last books and we ran out of wrapping paper. So, to anyone who received a book wrapped in a cut-up envelope, the Book Club is truly sorry.

All in all, it was a fun experience. The Grade 9 students now have about a month to read their “Blind Date” novel and we hope they have a lot of fun — and learn to never judge a book by its cover!

This week’s AR is proud to document recognition for one of our coaches. Bruce Kuklinski has supported rugby on the Island and beyond for many years and is an internationally recognized referee. This past week, the Grade 7/8 rugby squad took home the “Kuklinski Trophy” — named in honour of Bruce’s hard work and dedication to the sport — at the Lower Island Jamboree at SMUS. Congratulations Bruce and our Middle School rugby teams!

Middle School Rugby
by Bruce Kuklinski

Middle School spring 7-aside rugby hosted the Lower Island jamborees for Grade 6/7 and Grade 7/8 this past week, playing under warm and sunny skies. Fourteen schools and 20 teams competed in the Grade 6/7 jamboree, with SMUS fielding two teams. The main side finished on top among the Lower Island teams, making the final against the visiting team from Abbotsford, whose size proved to be just a little too much.

The second side had some wins and some losses, but showed many signs of positive development from the beginning of the season. Overall, both teams played very well, and with great courage against often much larger opposition, with the emphasis on ball handling skills clearly to the fore. Numerous players performed very well on the day, with Aidan Kerr, Matthew Hagkull, Ephraim Hsu, Ethan Ko, Nic Papaloukas and Nic Strandberg especially standing out. The Grade 6/7 team rounds out their season with a trip to the ISEA tournament in Vancouver on Tuesday May 14th.

The Grade 7/8 team ended their season two days later as one of 13 teams competing in the Grade 7/8 jamboree. The team went through pool play unbeaten but knew their games against the other pool winners would be far more challenging. The first of these was against Monterey, a physical and robust side, but the Grade 7/8 teams understanding of the game, tackling and ball-handling skills won out. The final game of the day was against Bayside, who had earlier beaten Monterey. Bayside began the stronger, scoring soon after the kick-off. This spurred SMUS on, as they scored right after and never looked back, scoring a number of tries, with all 12 members of the team getting plenty of playing time. On the day, the play of Bryn Haydock, Jonathan Sudul and Jasper Bosley led the way with several others also playing well. The team was presented with the “Kuklinski Trophy” as Grade 8 Lower Island rugby champions.

Senior/Junior Volleyball
by Melanie Masson, head coach

The SMUS volleyball program played host to a crew of very excited and talented Grade 5 students from the Junior School for a fun filled Volleyball Playday. Members of both the Senior and Junior girls volleyball teams were present, acting as coaches and teammates and giving these Grade 5 students the chance to play along side our very own SMUS Volleyball Blue Jags.

It was a fun-filled event for all, a little bit of learning, a lot of playing volleyball and a chance for our SMUS Volleyball Program to give back to our sport and the community. We look forward to seeing some of these keen faces in the gym this fall cheering on the Senior and Junior girls volleyball teams. With the talent and energy these youngsters brought to the court, we are excited for the future of the program! VIVAT!

Golf
by John Edgar

The high school golf season is a fleeting affair. Starting almost immediately following spring break and finishing before the end of May, it sometimes feels like it’s over just once it’s gotten going.

Our first “event” of the season was a “seeding” tournament at Cordova Bay Golf Course which had Simon Hassel leading the way with an impressive round of 75. This year’s team is looking somewhat young and inexperienced but nevertheless keen and enthusiastic. One exciting addition this year is the prospect of possibly having four female students participating!

The first tourney of the year was the following week on the lower mainland hosted by the Delta Police and featuring teams from the lower mainland, northern BC, and Vancouver Island and saw a squad of Simon Hassel, Leif Skogland, Lawrence Berardelli, Bryce Fenton and Billy Cheng making the trip to represent the school. The two-round tournament was played at two impressive, and yet very different, style courses. The first was King’s Links — adjacent to Boundary Bay in Delta — and the Ridge Course at Northview in Surrey, former home of the now defunct Air Canada Championship on the PGA tour.

The first round at King’s Links began in beautiful sunshine, a one-club wind and (with the exception of a 20-minute apoplectic storm that blew through) was quite pleasant. Leif Skogland was the SMUS standout posting a solid round of 77 but the team result was well down the leaderboard. Day two at Northview was an early morning start with no wind and much warmer temperatures as the round wore on which made for decent scoring conditions. Unfortunately, the team wasn’t as hot as the weather and day two’s scoring was a little higher than day one and resulted in a bottom third of the field result. The quality of the competition was excellent with four rounds of 68 being posted over the two-day tourney.

The next week it was back on the ferry and over to Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey for the Independent School Association tourney hosted by Southridge School. Morgan Creek is an excellent course just a few minutes from Southridge School in South Surrey. With the tourney being on a Monday, and only one member of the team having played the course before, it was decided to travel over a day early and play a practice round along with Shawnigan Lake School. For this tournament, the squad consisted of Simon Hassel, Lawrence Berardelli, Billy Cheng, Christina Sipos and Emily Cuell. The tournament round was played under an official “wind warning” from Environment Canada so needless to say it was windy. I think it’s fair to say that if the greens were a little quicker and not recovering from recent aeration it might have proven to be too windy to play. Overall scores were high and the SMUS squad was no exception. As with the previous week’s tourney, the effort was strong but the result was somewhat disappointing. To be fair, the squad is young and somewhat inexperienced and these experiences bode well for the future.

Next up, it’s the two round Victoria Police tourney at Olympic View GC.

Until then, a quote from SMUS golfing legend IHL, “Golf is a game in which you yell ‘fore,’ shoot six, and write down five”.

Senior and Junior Rugby

The 2013 Alumni Weekend featured one new and very special event, when a number of former SMUS rugby greats hosted this year’s 1st XV and coaches for dinner and various presentations.

The event took place in downtown Victoria, at the Temple Restaraunt, on the eve of the Alumni Day match vs Oak Bay.

The eighteen grads in attendance included such rugby luminaries as Bobby Ross ’87, John Graf ’87 and Ed Fairhurst ’97. This distinguished trio combined 170 caps for Canada and attended seven World Cups.
Other fully capped Canadian internationals present were Jeremy Cordle ’91, Robert Card ’93, Mike Danskin ’98 and Jason Penaluna ’91. The remainder, many of whom played for Canada at age grade level, were Chris May ’92, Tom Duke ’90, Brendan Barry ’92, James Stone ’89, Peter Jawl ’07, Dave Jawl ’03, Chris Noel ’98, Damian Grant ’93, Peter Robb ’92, Barnabas Clarke ’88 and Nick Grant ’84.

Following dinner, Ross, Graf and Fairhurst hosted a entertaining and informative Q and A session, fielding all manner of questions from the current players and talking about the importance of team and tradition. Then, in a totally unexpected gesture, the organizers Nick Grant and Cordle produced and presented each SMUS player a special edition white Alumni Weekend jersey.

The positive vibes created by this evening was much in evidence the following afternoon, as the 1st XV, in front of the above mentioned 18 and hundreds of other alumni, performed extremely well in defeating Oak Bay 33-17.

Vivat.

Grade 7/8 rugby photos by Stephanie Anter

It was a bright and beautiful weekend this past weekend, as alumni returned to campus for our annual Alumni Weekend. The SMUS community welcomed them with international foods (and a few goods), performances by students and great action on the field. There were many athletic battles, with alumni vs. student games of squash, field hockey and soccer, and our rugby team once again took on Oak Bay in front of a large crowd. For the kids, we hosted some bouncy castles and slides plus had volunteers painting designs on hands and handing out cotton candy.

For more photos, visit our photo gallery.

by Laura Authier

Another op’nin, another show
In Philly, Boston, or Baltimo’
A chance for stage folks to say hello!
Another op’nin of another show…
Four weeks, you rehearse and rehearse
Three weeks, and it couldn’t be worse
One week, will it ever be right?
Then out of the hat it’s that big first night…

- Cole Porter  from “Kiss Me Kate”

I enjoyed working with David Gauthier, which I did really for only a few weeks each year as we prepared posters, programs and promotion for the musical productions. He had some sharp edges to him as well as some surprises, which made my conversations with him both exasperating and reliably entertaining. I will always remember our tussle over the poster art for Pirates of Penzance, which I loved and he hated. I tried to use his colour blindness against him as judge of the poster’s artistic merit. He questioned my juvenile taste for its cartoonish look. In the end, we shook hands and continued to be friends (aided by the fact that he let me have my way).

“I’m not a big fan of musicals,” I admitted to him early in our acquaintance. “Neither am I,” he responded, which for ever after kept me from taking him too much at face value. If he lacked a consuming passion for the musical genre, it was impossible to tell – he threw himself into each production anyway, making sure his cast, crew and musician collaborators had that occasionally heartbreaking but always exhilarating experience that was a hallmark of “the musical” at SMUS.

I remember on more than one occasion running into him in the parking garage at the end of a busy day of rehearsals. I would ask him how it was coming. “It’s a disaster,” he invariably replied. “You say that every year,” became my stock answer, “and yet it always turns out great.” And so it did: year after year, the predicted disaster coalesced by opening night into the dazzling spectacle we had all come to anticipate.

Last June, David and I went for lunch at 5th Street Bar and Grill to mark the end of our time as SMUS colleagues and to talk about his hopes and plans for the next few years. We said good-bye and I went away with the pleasant expectation of other lunches and more conversation, later on down the road. My window of opportunity closed on Tuesday, as it did for many others who were hoping to know David for a long time to come. We’re feeling that loss today.

Condolences from our Community

by Brian Christensen ’11
David was my teacher, my mentor, and my friend, and he was profoundly important to me. What I will remember most about David is his unwavering commitment to his students, always willing to help anyone who showed even the slightest interest in what he taught. I will remember how giving he was with his time; the hours I spent in his office analyzing text and doing character work, and the other hours I spent with him talking hockey and listening to stories. I will remember his rehearsals, and how he constantly pushed me to be a better actor. I will remember his passion for theatre, and how excited he would get every time we hit the MacPherson stage. Most of all I will remember his steadfast determination for his students to not give up on their dreams, a pledge that he lived by every day. I would not be who I am today, nor would I be doing what I love every day, had it not been for David. I will miss him more than I can say.

by Aaron Brook ’07
A friend to all, a caring mentor, and a shining star of excellence within his field and his community. He will be dearly missed in a long line of wonderful theatre directors. As a personal part of his history within SMUS, I can say with certainty that his dynasty will not be forgotten. Thoughts and prayers to those close to him, and all others grieving this loss.

by Erin Egan, former colleague
I am shocked to hear this. David was a wonderful guide last year when I came to SMUS to teach drama and English. He was always there to make sure I was “finding my way around” and his office was often filled with eager drama students who came to talk not only about the musical, but their plans for after graduation. He was also the proudest of fathers. My thoughts and prayers are with David’s family, and to the students and staff at SMUS.

by Liz Guilbault ’08
David Gauthier had a profound influence on me and my theatre career. I was relatively new to theatre when I entered the Senior School at SMUS, and through him I discovered the indescribable magic of live theatre. For four years David was my mentor, my teacher, my guide, and my friend, helping me find my footing in the acting world. I am now a professional actor, and a lot of what led me to choose this career is due to David’s advice and the experiences he offered to me. I cannot express my sadness at hearing of his passing, and my thoughts are with his family.

If you wish to share your memories of David, you can do so on our Facebook page or visit the counselling department to sign a card for David’s family.

Albertan boarder Kali Salmas has made the most out of her two years at SMUS. A fixture in our music program, she’s also made great use of our Advanced Placement program, mainly taking science courses, and took part in our production of The Secret Garden. Kali has fallen in love with the city of Victoria, and has decided to stay and attend UVic next fall. Kali demonstrates the independence and confidence fostered through boarding, and the kind of bright, involved and talented students that are supported by our Annual Fund.

We have just edged past the $1,000,000 mark for this year’s Annual Fund, placing us in reach of our $1,250,000 goal for 2012-2013. Donate online today to make your contribution.

by Heather Sandquist, Grade 4 Teacher
As a member of our Heath and Wellness committee, I fully appreciate the opportunity for mindful moments. Early in the year, I began incorporating these minutes into my Grade 4 class. What started out as a few minutes with the lights out and the music on, has turned into about 15 minutes (almost every day) where we look forward to gathering our thoughts and being mindful. Most often we practice this after the lunch recess when the children have been running around outside. Some of my students like to sit at their desks, some like to sit on the floor and many of them even curl up on the floor with a pillow. We close our eyes and stay in the present moment.

I asked them recently to reflect on their mindful moments and have chosen a few to share:

Student Thoughts

by Anna
“Every school day we have a mindful moment to help everyone to be more mindful. When I am in my mindful state, I work better than how I work when I am not mindful. I also do not get distracted as easily when I am in my mindful state. Being in a dark room with music like the music we play in class or being around horses helps me be mindful.”

by Divyesh
“I appreciate mindful moments because I am extremely active (playing soccer) at recess. I love mindful moments because of this reason too, most of our days are busy so I think mindful moments are good to have.”

by Stefan
“To me, mindfulness means thinking about the present, thinking about my feelings — am I happy, sad or emotional? It’s also being quiet and still while going deep into these thoughts. Because the whole word mindfulness means you are being mindful of yourself. That’s why I feel we should think about how we are doing while being mindful.”

by Rune 
“I feel peaceful and at ease in a mindful moment. I also feel relaxed and it is a good way to have a break. I like to check in with myself in mindful moments. I really think the music calms everyone down.”

by Brynn 
“I feel happy, thoughtful and cool in my mindful moments. I feel mindful when I lay my head on my desk and listen to the music. I love mindful moments because I can relax for the next class.”

by Shae 
“Mindful moments make me feel really calm and peaceful. It takes my mind off things that will happen later in the day. I really enjoy having mindful moments. I think the music is really nice and calming. When I have a mindful moment my brain goes clear. I sometimes count my breath. I think mindful moments really help me. Mindfulness to me is making ourselves calm and realizing what emotions we are having — like if we are tired, excited, happy or sad.”

by Nadia 
“Mindfulness to me is staying in the moment and thinking at the same time. I like to do shavasna because it is very natural and I can calm myself really easily when I do it. I really like mindful moments because it is a chance to calm your body and mind. At first, it was a little hard for me, but now that I’ve found a position that is comfortable it is really easy.”

by Tori 
“Mindfulness means that you should respect yourself and be in the present. It is being peaceful and relaxed. It is appreciating what you have and all that is going to come. It is focusing on your breath or heart beat. It is time for being in the present and forgetting about the stuff that is going to come or has already passed. I feel relaxed and peaceful when I do it. It just calms me down instantly. I clear my mind and go to a mindful place.”

by Amalia
“Mindfulness is being calm and relaxed, living in the moment, accepting your emotions in whatever ways they come and being okay with your emotions and how you feel. I enjoy mindfulness because I can escape from chaos and find peace inside myself. With mindfulness (this is a quote that I like) it’s not waiting for the storm to pass, it is about learning to dance in the rain. It’s about learning no matter how chaotic, sad or difficult it gets, there is always spirit, soul and peace if you look in your heart. It is about loving yourself and learning to relax when it gets hard. Using determination to push and endure, but finding a place after where there is no battle, only peace. That is what mindfulness is to me.”

Interested in trying mindfulness? Use the tips in the video below.

Victoria Times Colonist
May 8, 2013

Saeed Shokoya ’14
From Saudi Arabia, Shokoya brings sheer speed

by Darin Steinkey
Spectacular weather welcomed alumni, families and friends back to campus last weekend to reunite and receive a dose of school pride. From the bouncy castles to the pitch, new and returning grads mixed and enjoyed themselves. This week’s AR features reports from the alumni matches, the annual rugby game versus Oak Bay as well as tennis and Middle School rugby.

Alumni Field Hockey and Soccer
by Lindsay Brooke

The athletic events of Alumni Day featured two girls sport fixtures. In the first match, this year’s field hockey team took on a cagey and experienced Alumni team. The game was played on grass — relatively unheard of nowadays — which made for some challenging passes and handy stick skills were required. The father-daughter combo of Eric Kjekstad (’65) and Erica Kjekstad (’92) connected for some nifty plays, while Cathy Boraston (’89) and Helen Truran (’90) provided some aggressive attack. Anchoring the back line were Emma Abrioux (’10), Kathryn Wizinsky (’08) and Sarah Beeston (’89).

“It was a little tricky playing in the grass for the girls as they are used to the turf!” said Beeston after the game. “That was good for some (like me, who hadn’t played in years). I think we gave them a good run for their money but during the second half we started to show our age (or less fitness) and they sealed up the win. It was great fun to be out there again.”

As one might expect, the current squad’s conditioning was superior and helped the team to a 4-2 win. Emma Donald, Erin Hope (2), Kasey Boyle all scored on the day to secure the victory.

The second match of the day featured the current SMUS Senior Girls Soccer Team against a tough Alumni team featuring star striker Marta Bakowska-Mathews (’11), who currently plays for NCAA Division 1 powerhouse Florida State, and goalkeeper Olivia de Goede (’09), currently suiting up for the UVic Vikes. These two did not disappoint. Marta was fit, strong on the ball and took advantage of her open looks, netting three goals on the day and pushing the Alumni to victory 3-1. Scoring the lone goal for the current team was mid-fielder Abbey Piazza.

A highlight of the day was the return of beloved coach Wendy O’dwyer (Shergold; coach 1999-2009). Another memorable aspect of the game was the intense and savvy play by current Head Coach Nikki Kaufmann, who donned an alumni uniform.

“It was great to be on the field with my former players and I was very impressed with their game: focused, tenacious, and unwilling to be outplayed by their younger counterparts,” said coach Kaufmann. “Perhaps the only greater honour for me than having coached these remarkable individuals, was the opportunity to play alongside them and share in the SMUS pride they still carry with them as alumni.”

It was truly a celebration of girls athletics at the school and tradition that will continue into the future.

Junior and Senior Rugby

The Alumni Weekend matches vs arch-rival Oak Bay are always much anticipated, and this year was certainly no exception.

In glorious playing conditions, with the sun shining and the temperature hovering around 22C, the Juniors kicked off in the early afternoon. Some excellent team play resulted in tries for first Carson Smith and then David Lee. Up 10-0, SMUS looked in a solid position.

However, a rash of penalties — all of them deserved — then wrested away the momentum, with Oak Bay cashing in on the glut of free possession to score on the half time hooter to trail 10-5.

The second half was a different story. Superior fitness and improved discipline paved the way for six unanswered SMUS scores, three of which were converted by substitute halfback Jonas Robinson. Dotting down were Mitch Newman, Noah Pryce-Baff (2), Angus Catto, Josh Graffi and Aidan McCleary.

Next up for the Juniors will be two matches, scheduled against Shawnigan.

The 1st XV match opened on a sombre note, as both teams and the hundreds of spectators in attendance joined brother Mac (SMUS ’09) and sister Cam (SMUS ’11) in a moment of silence for Oak Bay grad Scott Stone, who tragically passed away just days earlier at the age of 24. Scott attended SMUS before moving to Oak Bay and had taken part in the Alumni Day matches in 2005 and 2006.

Perhaps not surprisingly, SMUS took a long time to settle, with Oak Bay scoring early to lead 5-0 before adding a second tally to extend the lead to twelve. The hosts could do little right, with poor passes, fumbles and a wonky lineout gifting the ball back to the visitors on a regular basis.

Finally, in the 33rd minute came a moment of magic from flyhalf Dawit Workie. He split a packed midfield defence before chipping wide for a chasing Georgios Ikonomou. The fullback snapped up the chance on offer, sweeping in behind the posts. 12-7.

The second half produced some of the best rugby played by SMUS this season. The forward pack, led in tight by Alex Campbell, Chris Bjola, Liam Hyatt and Cole Tamburri, controlled the fringes. Any turned over possession was moved wide, with both wings, Mark Kiggundu and Wayne Lin, coming in to the game and scoring excellent tries. Two other glorious chances then went abegging before grade 10 centre Max Pollen capped an outstanding debut with a try of his own. When lightning fast prop Saeed Shokoya latched on to a pop pass from Workie it was another seven pointer as SMUS stretched out to a comfortable 33-12 lead.

Much in evidence was the support work of Keenan Manhas, Zach Kahn and Clarence Choy in the backrow. Though on the small and light side, this unit has pace to burn in dry conditions.

To their credit, the Oak Bay players battled to the end, securing a consolation try in the right corner at full time.

With the 33-17 win, and a sweep of Oak Bay this season, SMUS now looks forward to an important AA ranking game away to Brentwood on May 11.

Middle School Rugby
by Bruce Kuklinski

Middle School spring 7-aside rugby was played under sunny and warm skies this past week, with the Grade 6, 7 and 8 teams playing their fourth round of games. All the players showed continuing forward progress in their ball skills and game understanding, and are realizing that rugby is an invasion game so that on defense the quicker the team can take up the space between themselves and their opponents, the easier it is to make a tackle.

Teamwork and courage remain a priority, especially with the two Grade 6/7 teams where Alex Shirley, Lucas Bosley, Tony Liu and Finn Goodyear led the way. Amongst the Grade 8 team, it was Sam Kahn and Bryce Forbes who were most to the fore. The Grade 8 season ends this week in hosting the Lower Island jamboree on Friday May 10th. The Grade 6/7 athletes host a 20-team jamboree on Wednesday May 8th. Games in both jamborees kick off at 9:30am and are played throughout the day until 2:30pm. The Grade 6/7 team then ends their season with a trip to the ISEA tournament in Vancouver on Tuesday May 14th.

Tennis
by Ira Hemond

Going to the ISA tournament was a great experience for the whole team. It got them to play and watch some of the better players in BC independent schools. With the boys taking wins from GNS, West Point and Southridge, and the girls beating Shawnigan, it was great to see everyone come out and play a lot of matches.

The team then went back to playing the school league and won a match against a quality PCS team. After a good fight in the singles category and a few commanding wins in the doubles SMUS finished off with a win. This marks the end of the regular season and a record of 3 wins and 1 loss. This means SMUS is currently ranked 4th coming into islands next week behind Brentwood College, Lambrick Park and Shawnigan Lake. There will be a few tough matches and it will be key for all players to play their best tennis of the season.

Photos by Erin Anderson

by Erin Anderson, editor
It was an exciting and moving concert that marked John Reid’s final appearance on UVic’s Farquhar stage. Special guests, dedicated songs and an undeniable energy gave the Cross Campus Band Concert a feeling of something out of the ordinary.

As our Head of School commented in his opening address, “John has always shied away from the spotlight, preferring it shine on his students instead. I hope that tonight, he will allow us to shine it on him occasionally.”

It was Ian Farish, our Middle School band director, who shared some of John’s career highlights with the crowd, such as his on stage appearances with ABBA and Celine Dion, and who spoke of working with John as one of the best aspects of his own career at SMUS.

Ian Farish taught his students to play “Edinburgh Castle” in just one month, so that they would be able to perform it as a tribute to John, who happens to hail from Scotland. Staff members Tony Cordle, Bill Buckingham and Rob Common took the stage to sing, bagpipe and play the flute – all talents they have lent to John’s concerts at one point or another during his tenure at SMUS.

The man himself celebrated by having his band perform “My Way” (made famous by Frank Sinatra) – a piece of music he picked up while on tour in Amsterdam – as a finale for the Senior Concert Band. A fitting choice, both in style and lyrics, as John has certainly done music “his way” over his long career. His final concert showcased his playful yet challenging musical tastes (“Mama Mia” and “Hallelujah” are popular songs not often heard in brass) and his faith in his students’ talent.

Over many years, we have been fortunate to have John at the helm of our band program, because he has sparked a love or interest in music in many students (for evidence, look no further than the alumni who turned out for his final show) and in doing so, made an indelible mark on our music program and on our entire community.

Fittingly, for his last number, John was joined by Emily Reid, an alumnus who has gone on to do such great things in music, having spent three years in Nashville studying the music business and who is now touring to support her new album as a full-time musician. Alumni like Emily showcase John’s true legacy at the school, which is the generations of musicians and music-lovers he has sent out into the wider world.

West Coast Return
by Emily Reid ’09
I was simply in awe of the incredible arrangement Mr. Farish had put together and the way in which the students performed it with such passion and precision. It was a true honor, and I’m still revisiting the moment in my head– and keep wondering if it will ever be topped! The students at SMUS possess such a high level of talent, and it was so refreshing to return back and be recharged by their energy and skill. Everyone played brilliantly and the five background singers were outstanding – what I would do to hire them and take them on the road full time! All five have very bright futures ahead of them.

Find Emily’s music online at her website and iTunes. An unreasonable number of photos from the concert are available on the photo gallery.

Career Week was a busy one this year, with two events running each lunch hour. Students had the opportunity to attend panel discussions of related careers and to hear from speakers doing a specific job. Many presenters were alumni and all brought valuable and diverse experiences. Speakers encouraged students to follow their passions, work hard, be flexible and have a back-up plan. We also hosted futurist Wayne Hodgins for a talk about what education and skills will be most valuable in the job market of the future.

Below, three students share what they learned from Career Week. For a complete list of presenters, click here.

Biomedical Engineering and The Road to Medical School
by Charlie White, Grade 11
On Monday, I attended a biomedical engineering career session with Dr. Anthony Hodgson from UBC. I have always been interested in engineering and medicine; Dr. Hodgson explained how biomedical engineering combines both engineering and medicine to create an amazing career. In the future, biomedical engineers will be in huge demand due to our aging population. Dr. Hodgson works directly with surgeons to help create devices to assist doctors during surgeries.

I attended “The Road to Medical School” with Navraj Chima ’05. He laid out his journey from a microbiology degree at UVic to applying to medical school at UBC where he will graduate in May 2013. Navraj talked about his courses and extracurricular clubs he was involved in during medical school. I found his story to be truly inspiring because even as a busy medical school student, he still found time to be a part of an acapella singing group and go on international exchanges.

Business & Law
by Lisset Cabrera, Grade 10
I went to the career week because I am interested in the field of business. I found it very helpful because you get to ask any questions you have. The speakers were very clear in their answers. It was also nice to know that the three people that talked to us were from SMUS, since they looked like they were very successful. It was interesting to hear what path they took to be so successful. I learnt that I can get to where I want to be if I work hard and make the right choices. I really enjoyed the talk.

Health & Sport
by Keenan Manhas, Grade 12
For the Sports Management and Careers in Sports talk, speakers Doug Tate, Gareth Rees and Mira Laurence had a lot of useful information to share. They all agreed that the traits of being dedicated, honest and outgoing were generally the biggest assets at a person’s disposal. Doug Tate, coach of the UVic Rugby team and Gareth Rees, former Canada Rugby Captain, both agreed that in order to become a pro or even varsity athlete it takes devotion and most of all mental toughness. CTV sports anchor Mira Laurence added to the fact that in order to be a star athlete it takes confidence on and off the field. The general theme of the presentation was that if you are serious about pursuing a career in sports, it takes time on and off the field or the newsroom to develop your skills and put you in the best position to succeed.

One of the dreams of any music teacher is to see their students go on to love and play music as an important part of their lives. Last week, Brian Christensen ’11, went one better. As part of his program at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, he composed “If I Should Fall” especially for the orchestra at SMUS, which he had been a part of since Grade 4.

He returned for the premiere of the piece last Thursday in the Farquhar Auditorium at the University of Victoria, and we spoke with him about the piece, his time in music at SMUS and the impact his teachers had on his life. In the video, you’ll hear parts of the music while Brian talks about how SMUS teachers influenced his decision to study music and ultimately pursue it as a career.

by Zach, Grade 8

On April 26, the Grade 8 Japanese class went on an amusing and educational field trip to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. We went there to take a look at an exhibit of photographs taken by the first Westerners to visit Japan after the borders were re-opened in 1853.

These photographs are special because they show what Japan was like prior to the Westernization we see there today. Of interest, artists had edited many of the photographs in the exhibition, and hand-painted them to add colour.

The class took an hour-long guided tour through the gallery. The tour started off at an old Japanese Shinto shrine, and ended with a viewing of woodblock print paintings by Hasui Kawase. Everyone in the class was amazed at the quality and quantity of the amazing collection of photos and woodblock prints on display at this exhibit. The entire Japanese 8 class learned a lot about old Japanese culture from this excursion, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves during this interesting experience.

by Sharon Goodman, teacher

Our Grade 2 students recently performed The Cuckoo, a Mexican folktale that tells the story of how the Cuckoo lost her colors. According to this tale, it is the job of the birds to collect all the seeds before the Fire God burns the crops to prepare the land for the coming year. The beautiful Cuckoo bird is reluctant to help because she is afraid, but in the end, it is the brave little Cuckoo who flies through the flames to save the seeds when the Fire God arrives early. Her beautiful feathers are all singed by the flames, and she becomes a colorless grey bird. The moral of the story is that one should never judge a person by their feathers (or clothes!).

This is the third year that the Junior School has done a Grade 2 musical. A culmination of musical learning from Kindergarten to Grade 2, students must be able to speak, sing, dance, act and play instruments with confidence. They learn a great deal about patience, persistence and cooperation as they work to bring the production up to performance standard. Every single member of the class gets to feel like a “star” and like they have accomplished something very special.

And it was indeed special! The performance was attended by the entire Junior School and by the families of our Grade 2 students, with a sprinkling of other guests who have discovered that the Grade 2 Musical is a well-kept secret that is worth attending! The audience gave this year’s Grade 2 class, who sung several of the songs in Spanish, a hearty standing ovation.

Student Thoughts
“I had so much fun up on stage singing all the songs. The fire dance was one of my favourite parts. It looked so beautiful. I learned my line very quickly. Mostly it was fun doing a line. The costumes were amazing.” – Naechal

“I loved when I heard I was the owl. I now know my real talent is singing. I was the happiest girl. I liked being the owl because I got to sing my own song.” – Anj

“Our musical was really fun. I enjoyed being Chac. I also enjoyed the fire dance. I learned to memorize and project my voice. It is really easy if you think about it. You need to be really brave if you want to be great. Being a god is really awesome!” – Daniel

“Our musical was lots of fun. I liked the fire dance. We made a few mistakes but the rest we did well. I learned bravery, memorizing and courage. I was a narrator.” – Alec

“I enjoyed doing the fire dance, singing, projecting my voice to the back of the gym. The best part was being a narrator and doing my lines. I learned about memorizing the song and being brave.” – Bhavi

by Darin Steinkey

It’s finally starting to look a little brighter outside, so the cricketers are in the cages just a little longer these days. This week we talk with Trenton Franco who hopes to play cricket at Oxford Brookes University next year. In addition, we have reports from the Brentwood Bay International Regatta, the rugby 7s tournament in Vancouver last weekend and the juniors at Cowichan, Junior and Senior girls soccer and Middle School rugby.

Middle School Rugby
by Bruce Kuklinski

Middle School spring 7-aside rugby continued this past week, with the Grade 6, 7 and 8 students playing their third round of games. It has been very pleasing to see the players all trying to apply the skills that they have been practicing, especially around the idea that having a high level of skills will, in the long term, be better than brute strength, and that if you can combine the two at the right times – and add in courage – then even better still.

The two Grade 6/7 teams continue to improve in these areas, especially showing great courage against often bigger opponents. Matthew Hagkull, Tucker Forbes, Owen Weismiller and Chris Egles jumped to the fore last week. The Grade 8 team continues to play their team game very well, with Bryce Forbes and Jasper Bosley leading the way. There is one more week of games before SMUS hosts the Lower Island jamborees, with the Grade 6/7 team hosting on Wednesday, May 8, and the Grade 8 team hosting on Friday May 10.

Junior Girls Soccer
by David Redpath

A very busy week for the Junior girls soccer team as they played three games against three very strong soccer teams. In Monday’s clash with Claremont, Claudia Wheler scored an early goal on a goalie’s worst nightmare – “the shot-cross”. SMUS played with the lead in a very even match up until midway through the second half. A clear corner kick for SMUS was called a goal kick, and Claremont moved the ball quickly up the field to score the tying goal. Chances were traded at either end with Claremont scoring a nice goal in the closing minutes of the game to pull off a 2-1 victory.

Tuesday had the girls back in action against classic rivals Oak Bay. This game was as exciting as they come. A scoreless first half gave way to a second half with 5 goals and huge momentum swings. Oak Bay scored in the 37th and 50th minutes before SMUS cued the comeback with a cracking shot from distance by Claire Swanston. SMUS then tied the game with a brilliant buildup from Rachel Olson and Flora Manson-Blair that put Claudia Wheler in alone on a breakaway, which she would finish like a pro. A handball and penalty kick as the final play of the game would spoil the comeback and prove Oak Bay as 3-2 winners.

After two hard-fought games, the girls were given a day off and then were back in action against top-ranked Stelly’s on Thursday. A very strong first half by Stelly’s had them up 3-0 before an inspirational half-time speech by Coach Mariel had SMUS outplay Stelly’s in the final 35 minutes to win the half 1-0. Final score 3-1 for Stelly’s, with a goal from Robyn Noel for SMUS.

Stay tuned for a busy week next week that involves a challenge match against Oak Bay to qualify for the city championships!

Two Minutes With… Trenton Franco

Trenton has been one of the top cricketers in the school for some time now and has been accepted to study Law at Oxford Brookes University next year. Trenton talks a little about balance between sports and academics, the Freshie Fair and what he likes to eat before those (super) long cricket matches.

Music by:

Junior and Senior Rugby

It was a busy week for SMUS rugby, as the Grade 9 squad kicked things off April 26 with a hard fought 22-15 win over Cowichan RFC U15s.

In what was a battle of two distinct styles, SMUS’s ability to string phases together and move the ball away from the contact areas was just enough to counter the more direct, one-route approach of the opposition.

For SMUS, a lovely tally right on halftime by right wing Timmy Qi was the pick of four well worked team tries. Halfbacks Jonas Robinson and Pablo Fernandez linked well, while centres Josh Graffi and Artem Sakhbiev straightened the attack nicely.

Up front, flanker Myles Duncan, hooker John Cook and grade 8 addition Quinn Ngwati featured prominently.

At the Senior level, the focus shifted to Sevens, with the team entered in the April 27-28 provincial championships at UBC.

Unfortunately, Day 1 pool play against Robert Bateman, Magee and Kelowna proved a bit disappointing, with the team stymied to a great degree by the wet, slippery conditions. Even so, had another pass or two hit the mark, SMUS could so easily have advanced with three wins instead of the 1-2 mark which resulted in placement in the Bowl competition the following day.

Of note, Georgios Ikonomou made his school rugby debut and did not look out of place whatsoever.

Day 2 featured far better playing conditions, and SMUS took advantage. Dawit Workie performed brilliantly in the scrum half position, while centre Dave Pollen ran strongly en route to numerous tries. Grade 10 Graeme Hyde-Lay gave three consecutive assured performances as fly half, while David Boroto, Saeed Shokoya, Wayne Lin and Keenan Manhas also all played major minutes.

In scoring 18 tries in the three matches, SMUS recorded decisive wins over Clarence Fulton and Argyle, before downing Robert Bateman again, but this time by 43-5.

With Sevens completed, the 1st XV, along with the Juniors, shifted back to 15 aside when hosting GP Vanier of Courtenay. The Juniors, while not at their sharpest and featuring something of a scratch selection, still managed seven tries en route to a 41-12 win. Mitch Newman was, as usual, extremely dangerous on attack, but there were further good performances from left wing David Lee, fullback Owen Sudul and flanker James Hayashi. No. 8 Mac Valentine also made a successful return to action after recovering from a bruised shoulder.

The 1st XV, with Grade 10 Max Pollen joining brother David in midfield, and Cole Tamburri and Zach Kahn back in harness, counterattacked to telling effect in winning 50-19. Workie, in the absence of Sam Reid, slotted in comfortably at scrum half while Manhas, moved back to flanker, was an effective ball carrier. Lock Liam Hyatt did a lot of effective work at the breakdown.

Attention now turns to one of the most eagerly awaited days on the rugby calendar. Saturday, May 4 is Alumni Weekend, with Oak Bay set to provide the opposition. These games, part of an exciting and ongoing series for the past twenty years, will no doubt provide plenty of drama. The Junior match kicks off at 1:15 pm, with the 1st XV squad set to follow at 3:15 pm.

Senior Girls Soccer
by Nikki Kaufmann

The Senior girls soccer team had a full week of league and tournament play. A game against Parkland on Tuesday would determine their playoff fate and it was clear that the SMUS girls were determined to earn a spot in the Island Championships. A 6-1 victory guaranteed a top two finish in league standings, which also assured the team a trip to Islands in May. Orla Glen got SMUS on the board with two goals, while Yasmin Roudsari, Erin Hope, Ali Murtland and Sam Colby chipped in with one a piece.

SMUS was then up against an undefeated Lambrick squad for the final league game of the season. The winner of this game would take top spot in league standings. SMUS got on the board first with a goal from Sam Colby, however, Lambrick eventually answered back with two goals and the game finished 2-1.

Play continued into the weekend with the ISA tournament hosted by GNS. In pool play, SMUS notched two wins, first against Brentwood and second against Collingwood. SMUS was down 2-0 in the Brentwood game but battled back with a goal from Ali Murtland and a final-minute goal from Flora Manson-Blair to tie the game at two. SMUS then won in a penalty shootout.

SMUS beat Collingwood 3-0 with goals from Ali Murtland and two from Claudia Wheler. A 6-0 quarter-final win against Southpointe then put SMUS into the semi-final versus GNS. Goals in the Southpointe game came from Claudia Wheler, Erin Hope, Rachel Olson, Sam Colby, Yasmin Roudsari and Chantal Gebauer. In the semi-final game, GNS could not match the determination and resolve of the SMUS side. In what would be their best effort of the year, SMUS came out victorious with goals from Ali Murtland and Flora Manson-Blair, and Orla Glen earned the shutout between the pipes. SMUS then saw Crofton House in the ISA final, where an early Crofton goal was the eventual winner.

Despite the 1-0 loss, the road to the final showed an outstanding team effort and many moments of brilliant soccer. It was an especially notable weekend for the back line of Sarah Taylor, Isabella Gudgeon, Leanne Farmer and Ali Murtland, whose steadfast defensive play led the team throughout the tournament. The girls will compete in the Ryan Cup city playoffs this week.

Rowing
by Susanne Walker-Curry

The SMUS team travelled to the Brentwood International Regatta with 38 athletes competing in 23 events. Brentwood is the largest high school regatta in the North West, with over 1700 athletes participating. Battling delays and crazy water, SMUS put in a solid performance.

Gold

Bronze

• Senior Boys 72kg coxed eight
• Junior Boys JV coxed quad
• Junior Girls coxed four

In addition, the following SMUS crews also qualified for finals:

• Senior Boys Single
• Senior Boys School Eight
• Senior Boys JV 2X
• Junior Girls Novice coxed quad

Overall, the team finished 15th out of 36 clubs, and fourth amongst Canadian schools, ahead of established rowing schools such as St. George’s, Crofton House, Claremont Sports Institute, Collingwood, Lakeside School and Lake Union from Seattle. Congratulations to the athletes and a big thank you to all the coaches (Mr. Curry, Mrs. Beare, Sarah Aylard, Ruby Walser, Brett Malcolm and Mike Lewis) and the parents for their support.

Our final regatta of the season, before selected crews compete at the Canadian Secondary School Championships in Ontario, will be the Shawnigan Lake Regatta May 10-11, 2013. Check out lots more pictures in the Photo Gallery courtesy of Sharon McLean and Ann Fenje.

Just in time for Earth Week, we spoke to Ann Makosinski, whose human-powered flashlight just won her a trip to the Canada-Wide Science Fair. At the Vancouver Island Science Fair last week, Ann placed second overall and won a total of nine awards, including a number of trophies and scholarships.

Having competed in science fairs for several years, Ann came up with the idea for her flashlight by combining two previous projects. Below, she demonstrates the flashlight and explains a bit about how it works.

Awards

• The SCWIST Award (Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology)
• The Rotary Club of Victoria Prize (Excellence in an environmentally-related project)
• The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (Victoria Chapter)
• THE DAWEG Award (Division for the Advancement of Women in Engineering and Geosciences)
• The Nathan Geminiano Award (for representing the region for a second time at the CWSF)
• The JASCO Award (awarded to a top exhibitor who is attending the CWSF)
• The Association of Professional Engineers and Geo-scientists of BC, Victoria Branch (awarded for excellence in a project related to engineering or geoscience)

In the opening show of concert season at SMUS, the Cross Campus Strings featured appearances (musically, anyway) from Mahler, Saint-Saëns, the League of Legends video game and alumnus Brian Christensen ’11, who wrote a piece especially for the Senior School orchestra. It was a well-rehearsed, finely-tuned concert showcasing hard work and sacrifice from our students and teachers alike. The show featured first performances from many of our youngest in the Junior School, tricky timing pieces in the Middle School and one of the last concerts for the Seniors — some of whom began their musical careers in the Junior School.

If you missed it, the full video will be posted very soon along with interviews with Brian Christensen about how the composition came to be as well as Luke Jones, who helped bring the video game score to the stage.

Be sure to stop by the photo gallery to browse and download more than 100 pictures of the evening.

Congratulations to Donna Williams, Mary Smith, the orchestras and the many volunteers it takes to put this show together every year. For a nostalgic look back, you can see Brian performing a piece he personally sought out for the orchestra to perform in 2010.

by Kathleen Cook, leadership coordinator
As a part of a school-wide commitment to external community service for all the students at SMUS, the Junior School regularly visited at a local seniors home. Throughout the year, classes took trips to the James Bay Care Centre and the students spent time talking to seniors, sharing work and playing games. The horse racing game was a highlight as children and seniors joined together to cheer on their horses!

Students have performed by singing and playing their Orff instruments. The children were prepared for the experience in service learning lessons and engaged in reflective work following their outing. It was very exciting to see the wonderful contribution that our children were able to make when visiting. It has been a very successful and meaningful experience for all of the children and we look forward to continuing our special connection with the James Bay Care Centre.

Grade 1 and K Student Thoughts
“I enjoyed singing the Jolly Phonics song. I also enjoyed reading my book.” – Cate
“I liked making them happy.” – Zachary
“I liked seeing the old people. I met Mary and she was like a grandma.” – Willow
“I liked reading the older people my books.” – Avli
“I liked everything about the trip. It was fun, it was cool doing it and it was an experience.” – Elliot
“I liked giving away my daffodil.” – Jacob
“I noticed some people were tapping their feet when we were singing. That made me happy.” – Soren
“It was super fun visiting them because we read books. I really liked that.” – Wil
“I liked making cards and meeting seniors. It was special.” – Alex

Grade 3 Student Thoughts
“I liked helping the seniors and making them feel better.” – Amalia
“It makes me feel warm when I see people so happy seeing little kids.” – Anna
“I liked that you got to meet other people. It is interesting meeting people older than you.” – Cypress
“Once you got to know them they were nice. It was easy for me because I have a grandpa who was once in a hospital.” – Alex
“It was fun. It was cool and I liked it.” – Nevaeh
“It was really neat to go there. We played Orff instruments and I liked that we actually got to share playing them with the seniors and that they played too.” – Emma