AC TV has been striving in leaps and bounds in 2021, producing more shows and at a higher quality than previously. Being a part of AC TV is amazing with everyone working as a group towards an end goal of producing an episode. Sometimes that is very challenging with an intense conversation on the Microsoft Teams Page leading to throwing all plans for the current episode in the bin. These setbacks, however, make the episodes better as we strive to produce a higher quality show every time.

Through the help of Mr Lachlan Bowyer, Mrs Virginia Eastman and Ms Ashayla Ramsey we have been able to learn new things about videography including framing and video editing. Using their wealth of experience, it has enabled us to think outside the box and to be more creative in how we produce our stories. I have been able to learn lots about videography and I am doing it while enjoying myself, doing something that I am passionate about.

Being a part of AC TV is very fun, producing a story on something at the college with friends is very enjoyable and rewarding!

The 2021 Middle School Music Night was like no other as it coincided with Telethon. Our very own Oliver Lim, who is heavily involved in the music program, was one of the telethon kids so we had to make it big!

From the concert band to the classical guitar, the Schola choir to the jazz combo, it was a night to remember. There was a balance of musical ensembles, choral music and individual performances but the highlight of the night was when the music students came together to sing ‘Oh Happy Day’ lead by Oliver. We were surprised when the staff, dressed in choristers gowns, joined us on stage with the singing.

Oliver gave a heartwarming speech about what he’s been through and you could tell he was truly grateful for all the support Aquinas has given him. As this was my last Middle School Music Night l could not have thought of a better way to have spent it.

Thanks to Oliver and all the talented students, it was definitely a night to remember.

Aquinas College would like to invite all of the Old Aquinians and their families to Mass to see the Aquinas College Schola Choir perform.

• Friday 15th October, 7:00pm, Bunbury Cathedral, 11 Money St Bunbury
• Saturday 16th October, 6:00pm, St Thomas More Catholic Church, 20 Wallcliffe Rd Margaret River
• Sunday 17th October, 9:00am, Our Lady of the Bay Church, College Ave Busselton
  

The Junior School Art Exhibition this term represented a journey of increasing refinement of skill, ideas and complexity starting from Pre-Primary and culminating in Year 6.

From the large coloured shapes inspired by Fi Wilkie in Pre Primary, to the Henri Rousseau inspired Year 1 artworks; continuing with the more complex interpretations and renditions of Hokusai’s Great Wave created in Year 2. With increasing complexity, the Year 4’s incorporated a myriad of recycled objects looking at shape, colour and scale in their award-winning and dazzling 3D sculptures. On to the again more complex painterly quality of the Jasper John inspired paintings by the Year 5’s. The Year 6 project required the students to essentially work as an artist. Each was given a kit of the same objects, they had to manipulate and arrange the objects into unique forms, an open-ended task where there was no wrong solution, just varying degrees of sophistication, looking at the local artist Howard Taylor.

Art is essential but sometimes impossible! It can be simultaneously easy and just so difficult! I sometimes reflect on why art is so beguiling and yet so hard, why for some, the initial impulse is to say ‘I can’t do this’.

Year 4 students entered an artwork titled ‘1 Million Little Pieces’ into the Angelico Awards for 2021.

These students won 1^st prize for the group submission section.

This was a drawing and sculptural project. Consisting of 5 drawings of the earth from above, (to tie in with the year 4 theme of land formations). Then producing 9 small re-cycled sculptures inspired by their drawings, and the artist Vik Muniz. This ties in our 9x5 overarching theme for our JS Exhibition. Roman Mondello collected the Award on behalf of the Aquinas Junior School.

9 students were part of this entry.

• Hugh Franklin 4W
• Luca Zoiti 4W
• Arman Malyniak 4B
• Cruz Cooke 4B
• Joseph O’Neil 4B
• Thomas Van Dyk 4R
• Cruz Monzu 4R
• Taj Humble 4R
• Roman Mondello 4R

This term in Creative Arts, we had to create an advert for the cereal boxes we created earlier in the year. We used a range of equipment such as cameras, microphones and green screens. The goal of the advert was to appeal to a target audience and follow the shot type list we made using a range of different techniques. Making the ads was a lot of fun and very interesting as we had to use lots of different editing techniques such as green screens, while also having fun filming cool little movies. I learnt that it takes a lot of work to get to a final product in any type of filming, even an advert that’s only 30 seconds long, as it isn’t just coming up with an effective story and filming, but editing, reshoots and all the post-filming things you need to do. Overall it was an awesome project as it incorporated both art and media/filming.

I joined ACTV at the beginning of the year, and since then I have put out two ACTV stories. We are challenged with finding entertaining b-roll footage and then putting it all together. This is my personal favourite part, as you finally get to see the story really come to life. So far, I have edited the stories on a simple editing software, but soon plan to move onto a more advanced editing software. Mr Bowyer has been helping me edit these stories, as I am relatively new to the style of a news report. For the story to look good, and not bore the audience, the most challenging bit is filming the right clips. Mr Bowyer has really helped me with this part, as he has taught me about the rule of thirds and what is an interesting shot and what isn’t. The great thing about ACTV though, is seeing the final news report. This can easily be accessed via the Aquinas College YouTube channel.

Exploration has been a hallmark of Art in Term 2, practically and metaphorically!

Designing, preparing, and painting the ‘flats’ for the set of the Lion King production has involved all the Art Club student’s time, expertise and effort for the last 10 weeks.

Starting with exploring various ‘jungles’ in Africa - learning about the ‘Mountains of the Moon’ and other rainforests - each student made six drawings focussing on shape, scale and variety of vegetation. Transposing those drawings to the size necessary for the set required identifying the most suitable features and scaling up the individual parts into stencils. They were then arranged to encourage the viewer to experience the claustrophobic shallow depth of the deep jungle. Mixing various greens to mimic layers of vegetation and application to suitable shapes required the students to cooperate in order to select the foreground, middle-ground and background of each panel before painting.

The National Park ‘Hells Gate’ in Kenya was one of the locations of inspiration for the gorge and savannah scenes in the Lion King. Repeating the process for the jungle panels, the students explored typical savannah landscapes including Acacia trees - whose shape is so iconic of Africa; flat on top and thorny, resisting grazing Giraffes! Contrasting the claustrophobia of the jungles, the savannah is open and expansive, creating the opposite dilemma in representation. The scale of shape and depth of field were critical features that needed to be identified, explored and communicated. Reminiscent of the Australian landscape, depicting the sparseness of the African savannah requires a reacquaintance with the art truism, ‘less is often more’.

As the creation of the ‘flats’ progressed, it was very rewarding to see the students move from tentative exploration, hesitant painting, and questions seeking reassurance to confident decision making, bold confident painting and conversations between themselves to solve problems, seeking help only when necessary. Given the tools, they became self-directed and took personal responsibility, attributes reflecting growth, and essential for creative practice.