Academics
Junior Soul Seeking Fair
The Main Building was buzzing on Monday as students in Grades 8-10 presented their Soul Seeking projects to their peers and staff members.
Students have been working on their projects since October, and the final results were displayed throughout the library, Mitchell Hall and the Friesen Centre on cardboard trifolds and laptop computers. The students have spent the last six months exploring topics they are passionate about — with research, mentorship and reflection as key components of the journey — leading to an incredible variety of projects.
Some students certainly felt nervous as they prepared to present the results of their Soul Seeking journey to staff and students, but they quickly recovered.
“It was great to see them in a situation where they had to articulate something out of their comfort zone,” said Alison Dewis, a university guidance counsellor and member of the Soul Seeking committee.
The displays on Monday demonstrated the wide-ranging personal interests of Shawnigan students. Although sports, writing, art and cooking were among the most popular categories, the diversity of topics covered went well beyond those.
Several projects were directly inspired by the School itself, including a Shawnigan cookbook, a logo design for Samuel House ((https://www.shawnigan.ca/support/samuel-house)), clay flower pots representing each of the Houses, and a photography display documenting some of the less-travelled parts of the campus.
Some projects had the potential for much wider impacts, such as studies about protecting and educating vulnerable women, sports and mental health, and a Hockey Fights Cancer fundraiser that was tied to the U17 Prep boys’ ice hockey team’s outdoor game at Sun Peaks in January. ((https://www.shawnigan.ca/news-detail?pk=1410455&fromId=205923)) Some projects were more hands-on, with the potential to evolve into larger endeavours in the future.
Other popular presentations included a five-foot-tall, 10,000-piece Lego model of the Eiffel Tower, and a vintage civil defence/fire siren that a student is in the process of restoring to working order.
Grade 11 and 12 students and staff members circulated around the displays and discussed the projects with the presenters. The top presenters from all grades who show the most evidence of inspiring others, creating continuously, and embracing passions will be selected to pitch their projects later this spring in a competition for three $500 scholarships.
Following the showcase, the students reconvened in their advisory groups, where they gave another informal presentation and were asked questions by their peers, giving them yet another chance to articulate their process and reflection. Although the junior students’ Soul Seeking projects are not graded, their advisors will offer thoughts about them in report cards.
The Soul Seeking process begins in October, when students first visit mentor hubs to explore the various skill sets and knowledge available to them from our well-rounded staff members and find sparks of inspiration. Advisors and mentors are there to help them throughout the process, but it is up to the student to take the lead as they experience personal and academic growth.
“It’s a really inspirational moment in the Shawnigan calendar and there was some great work on display,” Deputy Head Bill Nicholas said of the fair during Wednesday’s gathering in Chapel. “Thank you for all the work and passion that has gone into it. A great array of topics, and it was fascinating to walk around and be in the library at that time.”
Grade 12 students presented their Soul Seeking projects in March. Grade 11s are in the first stage of two-year projects that they will present next year and which will double as the capstone project requirement for their provincial diploma.
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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.
