Saints eNews

Senior School Updates — April 19, 2024



ArtsWeek Recap

As we close another engaging ArtsWeek, we're filled with gratitude for the remarkable talents and support that made this event possible. This year's theme, inspired by the words of James Turrell, delved into the creative realms of human perception, reminding us that "perception is your own reality." Throughout the week, the daily keynotes presented a diverse array of perspectives on the artistic journey and the creative process. The culmination of ArtsWeek was our closing keynote, featuring performances by our exceptionally talented students. 

At the esteemed Rigg Award Ceremony, musical prowess took centre stage alongside a captivating light show and a stunning exhibition. Our studios were abuzz with creativity, fueled by the expertise of artists such as Mr. Poliang Chen, a Chinese calligraphy master; Mr. Michael Abraham, painter and life drawing instructor; Mr. Clive Tucker, ceramics artist; and Mr. Graham Handford ‘05, creative, who facilitated engaging workshops and demonstrations throughout the week.

Evenings were filled with cinematic wonders at the Rain City Reels Film Festival, the vibrant energy of Saintschella, and the deliciousness of the Wine and Art Festival, hosted by the OBA Alumni Association.
I wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Art, Music, and Theatre Departments for their tireless work and unwavering support throughout the week. A special shout-out to William Stanghon for creatively solving tech issues with the artists every morning, the Arts Committee, and the Rigg scholars who actively engaged and created the energetic ethos around the School. A big thank you is also due to the dedicated Sodexo crew, who worked tirelessly to set up treats for everyone throughout the week. I'm grateful to the Athletics Department for graciously relocating their classes to free up the gym and ensuring it was set up for our events. Thanks to the Communications Team for their efforts in photographing and engaging in all the diverse events. Thank you to the OBA Alumni Association for their support. Lastly, thank you to the Administration Team for their support and belief in the spirit of ArtsWeek. 

As we reflect on the significance of perception together, let's embrace the diversity of the human experience and celebrate the power of perspective. Here's to another memorable ArtsWeek, where creativity flourished and perceptions were challenged and celebrated!

~ Ms. Santhe LeBlanc, Head of Visual Arts and ArtsWeek 


Rain City Reels Recap

Rain City Reels (RCR) has traditionally been an annual student-led film festival hosted by the Theatre Department at St. George’s School, featuring motion pictures predominantly from the independent schools in the area. However, over the past year, RCR’s Executive Team, led by Isaac Lee '25 and Ivan Sun '25 and composed of students from St. George's School, Crofton House, and York House, have been working tirelessly to reimagine Rain City Reels. During this time, they have focused on empowering local, student filmmakers from across the Lower Mainland and creating an event that provides a platform for the next generation of film artists. Through their relentless commitment, the team has successfully expanded the film festival to become the largest it has ever been and the largest of its kind in the area.

From acquiring passionate sponsors, to countless hours replying to emails and inquiries, to organising the complex logistics of such a large-scale event, the success of the festival, which took place on April 16th, was manifested in its ability to feature 26 captivating submissions, host over 200 attendees, and contribute over $5000 towards the ambitions of the next generation of film talents.

Despite this year's successes, Rain City Reels Film Festival strives to consolidate into a sustainable event and continue to improve for many iterations to come. For more information regarding the event and to learn about our plans for the future, please visit the event’s website: raincityreels.ca or Instagram account: @raincityreels.

~ By Isaac Lee '25




Block Rotation

On Monday, April 22nd, it will be Day 1 and the blocks will be E-A-C-D-B. Tuesday, April 23rd will be Day 2 and the blocks will be J-F-H-I-G.

Time of day can have a strong impact on learning for some students (and teachers). Rotating blocks enables students to learn different subjects at different times of the day to spread both the opportunities and challenges of specific times of day. The Lunch blocks (C, D H and I) do not rotate as they carry additional logistics and complexities. The calendar of block rotations and key dates can be viewed HERE.

Students, please arrive a few minutes earlier than usual on April 22nd so that you are able to get to your class on time.



St.George's Day — April 22 
Wear #1 Uniform

We will be celebrating St. George’s Day on Monday, April 22nd. Students are asked to wear their #1 Uniform, including a tie and a blazer, for our Assembly. 





Senior School Music Department's
Spring Concert & Awards Ceremony — April 25


Spring is a busy time at St. George’s School. This is especially true in the Music Department. We ended the Winter Term with A Night At The Movies, an evening of music from movies and musicals featuring the St. George’s Wind Ensemble and the Senior Jazz Ensemble. Last week, all of our Concert Bands competed in the Vancouver Kiwanis Concert Band Festival held at Massey Theatre in New Westminster. Similar to the Athletics Department, competing against others is more about seeing how well you have prepared than who wins or loses. However, it is incredibly satisfying to have your work validated by external judges. All three of our ensembles (Junior Concert Band, Intermediate Concert Band, and the Senior Concert Band) received acclaim from the adjudicators and earned Gold Standings and invitations to The Nationals Musicfest Canada. Bravo, boys! 
 
We had an amazing ArtsWeek, a weeklong celebration of arts at St. George’s School. The Wind Ensemble and Senior Jazz Ensemble headed down the street to perform at the Junior School on Tuesday, April 16th. It is always exciting for our students to perform where most of them started the journeys as musicians. Our graduating Rigg Scholars performed yesterday at another highlight of ArtsWeek: The Rigg Scholarship Assembly. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the artistic talent of the student body as St. George’s School. Then today, both the Junior and Senior Jazz Ensembles departed for their annual appearance at the BC Interior Jazz Festival in Kelowna, BC. Judging from how they sound in rehearsals, it looks like they will have an amazing trip. 

As April comes to a close, please mark your calendars for our upcoming Spring Concert and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 25th at 7:00 pm in the Auditorium. Featuring all of our concert bands, the evening will showcase how far the groups have come during the year. You will not want to miss Chris Guo '24, our Graduate Concerto Competition winner, as he performs the wonderful Concertino for Flute by Cécile Chaminade. 

We look forward to celebrating with you at the post-concert reception next week. See you then!

~ Dr. Dean Markel, Head of Music


Congratulations To The Cast & Crew Of

— The Outsiders —








Canadian High Schools
Model United Nations Recap

The 20th Annual iteration of Canadian High Schools Model United Nations (CAHSMUN) occurred the weekend of April 12th–14th. The conference brings together students from across the world to participate in three days of debate, dialogue, and compromise, in hopes of finding solutions to the greatest challenges facing our world today. Unique committee’s offered a variety of experiences to delegates, like the Walt Disney Company and the FIFA Council as well as more traditional offerings such as the US Senate and the WHO. Congratulations to the delegates who all performed admirably, delivering passionate and rousing speeches while forming alliances with new friends. Special thanks to the following award recipients: 
 
Best Researched Paper to Ryan Xu ‘26
Honourable Mentions to Andy Yi ‘27, Osborn Song ‘27, and Marco Zhang ‘28
Best Delegate to Adrian Pun ’27, Justin Guo ’28, and Victor Teng ’24
Outstanding Delegate to Carl Hu ’27, and Richard Li ’27




Saints Spirit Run: 
The Medial Design Contest Is Back

The fourth annual Saints Spirit Run is scheduled for Sunday, October 6th, 2024. In the spirit of tradition, we are calling upon our most creative School members — our boys — to design the medal for the 2024 Saints Spirit Run, which will be presented to all participants upon completion of the Run!
 
We encourage all the boys to enter the medal design contest and help us with the unique creation of the Saints Spirit Run medal! All St. George’s students, Kindergarten through Grade 12, are eligible to submit a design. Submissions will only count if they are put forward on or before Monday, April 29th.
 
Senior School Boys: Contest instructions have been shared through the Visual Arts Department. Please submit your design to Ms. LeBlanc via email at: sleblanc@stgeorges.bc.ca.
 
Medal Selection: All members of the St. George’s School community will be invited to vote for the winner of the medal design. Finalists will be selected from both the Senior and Junior Schools. Please note that names and grades will remain anonymous until the voting is complete. 
 
To view the medal design instructions, please click here


April 23 & 30
University Counselling Information Evenings 


Tuesday, April 23 – US Universities Information Evening 
Please note the date change. This event was originally scheduled for April 16th. 
 
This presentation will include an overview of current trends in college admissions, the complexities of the search and application process, and ways in which students can make the most of their Senior School experiences while developing a strong student profile that allows them to stand out.
 
If you are unable to attend in person, the event will also be livestreamed and can be viewed here.
 
Tuesday, April 30 – Canadian and International Universities Information Evening 
 
The evening will include an overview of the post-secondary planning process, insights on how your son can make the most of high school, and information on applying to institutions in Canada and overseas as a competitive applicant.
 
The event will also be livestreamed and can be viewed here.
 
Please note, there is no need to RSVP to attend either of these events. 





Volunteer For The Saints Fair

Mission Control is signalling for all Senior School students to sign up here to volunteer for everyone’s favourite school-wide event of the year: The Saints Fair!
 
Don’t let gravity keep you down! Act fast to secure the times and jobs you’d like, and get ready to have fun while collecting volunteer hours.
 
Questions? Email the Student Volunteer Coordinators at: studentvolunteers.stfair@gmail.com.

 
 

The Saints Collection Tees, Sweatshirts, & Hoodies
Are Available In Stores Now!

 
The Saints Collections Tees: 
Created by Bella Canvas, our t-shirts provide the ultimate comfort and style. Made with 100% airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, these extra soft t-shirts are available in red or black and come in youth and adult sizes. 
 
The Saints Collection Hoodies:
Purchase the Moose and Hudson Hoodies by Redwood in red or black! This 80% cotton and 20% polyester pullover kangaroo hoodie with a brushed fleece back feels like a warm hug you can wear! Available in youth and adult sizes. 
 
Youth-Sized PE Sweatshirts:
Our popular PE Sweatshirts are now available in youth sizes at the Junior School Store! These 65% polyester and 35% cotton blend crewnecks are warm, breathable, and perfect for the cooler weather. Stop by the Junior School Store to purchase your sweatshirt while quantities last!
 
Please Note: This Senior School Uniform garment is considered non-uniform at the Junior School.




Athletic Updates

The Term 3 competitive season is in full swing! Here is what is coming up next week in Saints Athletics. 
 
Badminton
The Badminton Team is back in action, travelling to Crofton House on April 24th and St. John’s School on April 25th for a series of matches. They will be gearing up for their Zone Qualifiers which are now on the horizon at the beginning of May. 
 
Field Hockey
The Field Hockey Team will head to the turf field at UBC for training on Tuesday, April 23rd and Wednesday, April 24th as they prepare for the start of their exhibition competitive season. Stay tuned for a schedule with games hopefully beginning in May. 
 
Golf
Thank you to all of the players and especially the volunteers who helped make this year’s edition of the Saints Open such a success!. Some highlights will be included in next week’s edition. It’s another busy week for the Golf Team, as they play league matches against Vancouver College and WPGA on Monday, April 22nd at the UBC Golf Club. Four boys will head over to the island for the Victoria Police Tournament at Olympic View Golf Course on April 24th and 25th. Good luck, boys!
 
Rowing
The Rowing Team had a great weekend at the Saints/VC Boat Race this past weekend, and now begin to look forward to the Shawnigan Regatta from May 10th–12th. Follow @sgssaintsrowing on Instagram to stay up to date on Saints Rowing. 
 
Rugby
1st XV
The 1st XV Team hosts a huge exhibition match against Shawnigan Lake School on Thursday, April 25th at 4:15 pm on Mortensen Field. Come on out and support as the boys compete in this historic rivalry. 
 
2nd XV
The 2nd XV Team also hosts Shawnigan Lake School on Thursday, April 25th at 2:30 pm on Mortensen Field. Good luck, 2nd XV!
 
Junior A
The Junior A Team will take on the Shawnigan on Thursday, April 25th on Garcia Field, kicking off at 3:00 pm.
 
Junior B
The Junior B Team will kickoff at 1:30 pm on Thursday, April 25th, when they take on Shawnigan Lake on Garcia Field. 
 
Tennis
The Juniors will practice Sunday, April 21st from 5:00–7:00 pm, followed by the Seniors from 7:00-9:00 pm at the UBC Tennis Bubble. The Senior Team is coming off a tournament win at their ISA Championships last week and will compete in matches on Monday, April 22nd when they team up with Crofton House to take on Vancouver College and Little Flower Academy. The team will then head to West Point Grey Academy for a series of matches on Wednesday, April 24th. The Junior Team is also coming off of a win at their ISA event this past week! They will head to Sentinel on Tuesday, April 23rd for exhibition matches.
 
Track and Field
The Track and Field Team will train on Monday, April 22nd and Thursday, April 25th as they look forward to their Third League Meet of the season on Friday, April 26th at the UBC Oval. Good luck, team! Special shout out to Kevin Zhong who broke the High Jump School Record this past week in competition at 2.05m!
 
Ultimate
Both the Senior and Junior Teams compete this afternoon, Friday April 19th at Trillium Park. The teams will practice again on Tuesday, April 23rd and Thursday, April 25th before the Senior Team travels to Trillium Park for a game on the April 26th. 
 
Volleyball
The Grade 8 Volleyball Team is headed to Churchill Secondary School on Friday, April 19th for their second tournament of the season. Both teams will play an away game on Tuesday, April 23rd at Hugh Boyd Secondary at 3:30 pm. 
 
Water Polo
Members of the Water Polo Team attended a "Friendlies" mini-scrimmage with four other Metro Community League Teams on Sunday evening. Due to high-paced periods, and lower numbers with some of the teams, Saints boys combined with Van Vipers and NS Titans to participate. Alex Penz was a strong playmaker and defender while Zac Rodger-Svent scored the final scrimmage winning goal with seconds only to play! The team looks forward to more Metro League opportunities in the coming weeks.
 
XC Mountain Biking
The XC Mountain Biking Team is gearing up for their third race of the season which will take place on Wednesday, April 24th, at Diamond Head in Squamish. Good luck, Racers!

Follow @saintsathletics on Instagram!


Highlights From The Senior School




Have A Great Weekend! 


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