Programs
Time to Choose: 360 Fair
With more than 30 diverse options to choose from for their 360 (arts and activities), students can really benefit from first-hand knowledge of what those choices entail.
The 360 Fair, held in the Quad during the first week of every school year, gives students a chance to see and explore what their options are, usually with hands-on elements. For Astronomy Imaging & Outreach, that might include peering through a telescope at the heavens. For Rock Band, that could mean sitting behind a drum kit and banging out a rhythm. Instructors and senior students pull out the stops to bring in new participants, and this year was no exception.
“The fair was amazing,” said Assistant Head Co-Curricular Mr. Nigel Mayes, who oversees 360. “Students and instructors went all out, and it was very interactive.”
With sessions held twice a week, and optional time on weekends, 360 operates separately from regular classes, but it is still a key aspect of the Shawnigan Journey. It started with a focus on fine arts, but has evolved over the decades to include a wide range of activities, from Figure Skating and Fly Tying to Film Production and Robotics. Some programs run for the full year, while others run for half a year, giving students an opportunity to try out multiple 360s over the year.
New to the 360 slate this year is “The Forge,” an arts publication that functions in a workshop environment, giving students a chance to express themselves and shape their communication skills through a choice of creative writing, journalism, layout and editing, interviews, contests, comics, podcasts, photography, event promotion, and more.
For Grade 8s, this is the second year of a tailored program that will give them a taste of multiple 360s over the first half of the year. From September to Ski Week, the Grade 8s will cycle through four activities, choosing from the following options: Waterfront Rowing & Paddle Sports, Outdoor Leadership and Development Club, Robotics, Clayworks, Model UN and Debate, Fly Tying, Film Production, and Figure Skating. After Ski Week, Grade 8s will choose one 360 for the rest of the year. Grade 8 students who successfully audition for a part in the musical will not take part in the rotating program.
On that topic, auditions for the musical started on Monday. This year, Shawnigan will present The Little Mermaid, based on the 1989 Disney animated film, which was in turn based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The musical will be staged at Victoria’s McPherson Playhouse in February. Stay tuned for details about performance dates and purchasing tickets.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
