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Decisions, Decisions: The 360 Fair
One of the biggest choices a Shawnigan student will make at the start of the school year is selecting their 360 option. 360 is Shawnigan’s co-curricular after-school program, and the annual 360 Fair on September 6, the first Friday of the year, gave students an opportunity to check out this year’s offerings – more than 30 in all – before making that all-important selection.
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 Outdoor Leadership and Development Club (OLD Club), a merger of the Enviro Club and Search & Rescue 360s that offers environmental learning, service opportunities, search & rescue, outdoors skills, Indigenous education, and leadership. Students who sign up for OLD Club will have opportunities for certification in various outdoors skills.
Students participate in 360 at least twice a week, with optional sessions available on Saturdays. Programs are run with a large amount of guidance from the students themselves; in fact, some have developed directly out of student initiatives.
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, OLD Club, Robotics, Clayworks, Model UN and Debate, Fly Tying, and Film Production. 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.
Musical Theatre was the first 360 to get under way, with auditions starting this week for Chicago (Teen Edition), the musical that inspired the 2002 film that won the Oscar for Best Picture. The show will be performed at Victoria’s McPherson Playhouse in February. Stay tuned for information 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 West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
