News Archive

Students had the unique opportunity last week to see the world through the eyes of an award-winning photographer and environmental artist and learn first-hand about the process and techniques that she employs, with some getting the opportunity to create immersive art alongside her.

 

Nikki Baxendale, a Shawnigan parent, artist and storyteller based in Vancouver, spent last week on campus as a short-term artist in residence, creating art and sharing her knowledge with students through an informative talk and a pair of workshops that explored the relationship between people, art, and the environment.

 

Mrs. Baxendale began the week by painting in Duke’s Café, giving students a chance to observe, engage, and interact with an artist at work.

 

“It was really wonderful to watch when she was in Duke’s,” said Ms. Emily Coolidge, Heimbecker Inspiration Chair for Experiential Education. “At first, there was some apprehension and curiosity on the part of the students, but they gradually started to approach her and ask questions. The place started to buzz.”

 

The sitzprobe is coming!

 

Not something to be feared, the sitzprobe is the first time that the cast of a musical rehearses together with the orchestra. In the case of Shawnigan’s production of The Little Mermaid, that consequential date is just over a week away.

 

“This is the moment when it really kicks into gear,” musical director Mr. Sal Interlandi says. “When they get into the McPherson Playhouse, that is another step. Each step brings more excitement.”

 

The musical version of The Little Mermaid is based on the 1989 Disney animated film, which was in turn based on an 1837 fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and falls in love with a human prince. The show opens on February 4, and the production is becoming more real with every rehearsal.

 

With an hour left to prepare their entry for the Zoom Film Festival, the team behind Shawnigan entry No Return (无归) had cut their footage down to a sleek seven and a half minutes. Unfortunately, that was still two and a half minutes more than the festival permits, leading to some tough decisions down the home stretch, and ultimately to an award nomination.

 

Hosted by West Vancouver’s Mulgrave School, the Zoom Festival gives students a mere 48 hours to write, direct and edit a five-minute film, resulting in a hectic and intense couple of days as well as a fantastic learning experience. Narrowing the scope, the students are emailed a specific prop and a theme via email immediately before the starting pistol fires. Then it’s off to work.

 

This year’s theme was “Can’t ever go back,” and the prop was a ticket. Films were created over an intense 48-hour span in October, and results were unveiled in December. Shawnigan submitted four films, three of which were finalists for awards:

 

December had most students looking forward to going home for Christmas Break, but several of our accomplished student-athletes had other thoughts as they prepared to travel to other parts of Canada and the globe for high-level competition in a variety of sports.

 

 

Prior to Christmas, Joelle K. became a national champion in squash, winning the U17 girls’ title at the Squash Canada 2025 Canadian Junior Open in St. Catharines, Ontario. Although the field consisted mostly of players a year older than her, Joelle didn’t lose a single game, and outscored her opponents 165-68. From Ontario, she travelled straight to Philadelphia for the US Junior Open on December 20-23. In Philadelphia, Joelle went in as a 9-16 seed (out of 108 competitors in the U17 bracket) and won her first three matches, including an upset of the No. 8 seed, to reach the round of 16. She was ousted from the tournament in an intense match with the No. 1 seed.