The Monograph: The Web Log for F. E. Madill Secondary School

Drama Guild Invites Elementary Kids To Munsch!

The cast takes a well deserved bow!

The F E Madill Drama Guild presents a collection of Robert Munsch stories to over 1400 elementary students this week in a play called "Let's Do Munsch" at the Wingham Heritage Theatre.

Members of the cast react to" Murmel".

The guild members perform two shows a day to bus loads of eager students from Madill's feeder schools.

"Jule Ann" gets cleaned up after meeting up with the "Mud Puddle".

A cast and crew of about 20 students has been working hard with Mr. McGregor for the past two months to bring entertaining childhood favourites such as "Moritmer", "Millicent and the Wind" and "Mud Puddle" to the stage.

Mortimer is told to clean up and be quiet!

If you are unable to attend one of the shows check out the [PHOTO GALLERY].

"Doors" Goes To Sears Festival

The cast and crew for this year's Sears Festival production of "Doors".

Members of the Drama Guild will take their production of "Doors" by Suzan L. Zeder to this year's Sears Festival in St. Mary's this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Joe Ryan as the character Jeff confronts his friend Sandy played by Becca Beardsley.

Doors is a contemporary drama which tells the story of divorce from a pre-teen viewpoint.

Doors tackles the issue of divorce and its impact on the family.

The cast includes Joe Ryan, Greg Munday, Becca Beardsley and Alena Tepley. Doors is directed by Dani Purves. Madill is scheduled to perform Friday afternoon.

Equipment Brings Art Into The Digital Age

Three new MacBooks will be a digital darkroom for students to edit and prepare their images.

After months of fund raising, which included some inventive approaches and plenty of hard work on the part of students, the art department was finally able to purchase a new digital SLR camera, 3 MacBooks and a mobile lab cart.

The addition of a new Canon Rebel XTi now brings our total to 2 fully adjustable SLR cameras.

The opening of a student co-operative art gallery in downtown Wingham for the month of December was the final stage in 6 months of fund raising efforts to help equip the digital photography class to meet the challenges of the new media generation.

Although we still have a long way to go to fully equip our classroom we are certainly headed in the right direction!

Mistletoelaneous '07 Huge Success

Lisa Choi plays the Korean Harp.

The annual Christmas show, "Mistletoelaneous" has been entertaining the community for years with the talent of our students- and last night was no exception.

Kate Kuehl performs a solo number.

A variety of performances, which included acrobatic, step and interpretive dance, solo singers, and instrumentalists thrilled an appreciative audience.

Sean Berry and Lance Small provide some familiar Christmas music with a unique twist.

The small gym was transformed into an intimate performance space that set the mood for an enjoyable evening. Congratulations to all the performers and organizers of this year's Mistletoelaneous!

Kirsten Bouwknegt performs a solo dance.

Check out the [PHOTO GALLERY].

Senior Concert Band Santa's Helpers

No need for castanets... the cold air provided lots of chattering teeth!

The F. E. Madill Senior Concert Band participated in this year's Wingham Christmas Parade which took place on Saturday, November 24th. The band played very well and received many compliments! Well done!

The Madill concert band isn't content to let the parade pass by- they are always a part of it!

Madill Attends 21st Annual Huron Music Fest

Madill music students participate in the practice sessions for the mass band performance!

The F. E. Madill Senior Concert Band performed this past Tuesday at Central Huron Secondary School as part of the Huron Music Fest concert.

An intense day of practice paid off with a flawless presentation!

Our musicians teamed up with their counterparts from CHSS, South Huron, and Goderich to play individual pieces as well as join together to form a mass 200+ piece ensemble. It was an incredible evening of music. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Huron MusicFest.

Mr. Varillas conducts our students in preparation for the mass band performance

Images of the 21st annual Huron Music Fest courtesy of Mr. S. Oliver. All images used with permission.

Check out more images for the Music Fest at the CHSS
[PHOTO GALLERY]

Shorties' Diner Serves Up A Hit!

Deep questions keep these two from sleeping.

The Drama Guild presents its collection of short plays called "Shorties Diner" tonight, tomorrow and Thursday evening at 7:30 PM in the drama room. Tickets are $7 at the door or $5 with a student card.

"Guy talk" is on the table for this short play.

Plan to stop by "Shorties Diner" for a late night sampling of drama. You won't be disappointed by the fare that is served!

We Loved New York!

Trip members pause in Central Park for a photo op!

The arts trip to New York returned this Sunday evening after a fantastic trip to Manhattan. The focus of the trip was to directly apply arts curriculum. Students learned about famous architecture, attended drawing and acting classes, watched Broadway and Off Broadway shows and visited some of the best art collections in the world!

Spencer shows us his street dancing moves!

It wasn't all school related. Students did have time off to enjoy the city and see the sights and along the way they bumped into a few famous New Yorkers.

Candace and Rachel "read between the lions" in front of the New York Public Library.

Want to see more of the trip?

Check out the [PHOTO GALLERY].

Greetings From New York!

The weather here is great! Manhattan is fantastic -as always. The art students are having a wonderful time. We'll see everyone at Madill on Monday.... maybe!

Who have we bumped into?... Well - Jerry Seinfeld, Sam Waterson and Gene Simmons.... so far! We'll keep you posted!

Drama Club To Perform Collection of Short Plays

The Madill Drama Club will present a collection of short, humorous plays Monday, October 29th; Tuesday, October 30th & Thursday November 1st. Shows start at 7:30 PM in the F E Madill drama room.

Tickets can be purchased from the office for $7.00 or $5.00 with a student card.

Order now - or buy directly from the school as available seating is limited.

Photography Club Captures Fall Colours!

Fall is the season of colour and contrast!

The photography club took advantage of a perfect fall day to capture the colours of autumn!

Photo club members step carefully around the banks of the stream to get the perfect shot

Armed with camera bags that overflowed with extra lens and memory cards a dozen members of the photography club headed to the Wawanosh Conservation area with the goal of capturing the essence of the season.

Even on such a warm fall day there is a heavy dew in the woods

Selected photos will be made available for sale later in the year as part of fund raiser for the mobile digital photo lab.

Water and light combine for a perfect representation of fall!

Want to see more?
Check out all the photos in the [PHOTO GALLERY]

Start Spreading The News- Arts Trip To New York Meeting This Thursday!

The arts trip to New York is fast approaching! Madill students can look forward to the hustle and bustle of Manhattan as they explore galleries and museums, visit architectural treasures, join acting or life drawing classes, watch Broadway and off Broadway shows or find their way on a cross city scavenger hunt!

There will be a final meeting after school this Thursday, October 4th in the art room at 5:30 to 6:00 PM to discuss the final itinerary and last minute details. Parents are welcome to attend! There will be a question and answer session after the general meeting.

Animation Workshop At Madill

Animator and Madill alumni Daryl Graham works with students on basic animation skills.

Mr. Daryl Graham has worked in the animation industry for over a decade in North America and in Europe with many prestigious clients including Disney, Warner Brothers and many commerical clients. His original training was in classical animation but he has worked in all aspects of the industry including directing and digital animation.

Today he took time out of his hectic schedule to spend an afternoon sharing his expertise with young animators at Madill.

Students work to complete a task given by Daryl.

Photography Club Starts The Year Right!

Club members learn the basics of photography.

Members of the photography club started the school year today by capturing shots of downtown Wingham. Future photography shoots are planned for Wawanosh and Toronto later this fall.

Club members will also help contribute photographs for the yearbook and participate in workshops. If you are interested in joining the club come out to any of our meetings Tuesdays and Thursdays at lunch.

Wingham through the lens!

Picture Perfect Campaign Continues!

The “Picture Perfect” campaign is well under way and we have received some generous donations from private individuals- but we have a long way to go. Each dollar donated goes directly towards equipment that will be used by students each day.

Please take the time to review our campaign. We are grateful for any amount that you could give. Tax receipts will be issued for any donation made. Please send the completed form and cheque to the Foundation for Education at the address provided in the form.

Donations can start at $25- every bit counts in helping us reach our goal! Download the form and send it in to the Foundation for Enriching Education and you will recieve a tax receipt.

Don't have the time?- We have a ChipIn widget to the right. You can send your donation directly online- we have already raised enough to buy a camera! Additional money will be put towards laptops for the students to use when processing their images.

[FUND RAISING FORM]

Always Wanted To Be A Patron Of The Arts?- We Can Help!

The Madill arts department is expanding! The intense interest in the photography club has led to a new digital photography course that is already full for next year! We have lots of enthusiastic students but what we lack is equipment. Solution? The "Picture Perfect" fundraising campaign!

We are looking for people like you to help us to equip our classroom with the digital cameras and laptops that we need. Click the image below or the link at the bottom of this post to download the "Picture Perfect" fund raising form.

Donations can start at $25- every bit counts in helping us reach our goal! Download the form and send it in to the Foundation for Enriching Education and you will recieve a tax receipt.

Don't have the time?- we can help with that too... Look for the "Camera Fund" ChipIn widget to the right and send your donation directly online- it will help us add a digital SLR camera to our classroom!

[FUND RAISING FORM]

Madill "Springs Alive" With Talent

No less than 3 bands and a variety of solo musicans and singers performed.

The second annual "Spring Alive" festival of the arts was another huge success. Musicians, actors, dancers, poets, film makers and visual artists were on stage to showcase the incredible diversity of talent at our school.

Excerpts from dramatic works were included in the program.

Appreciative audiences on both evenings were entertained by a diverse program of visual and performing arts. During intermission audience members had an opportunity to browse through the portfolio of photography club members and order poster sized prints to take home- signed of course by the artists!

[PHOTO GALLERY]

Annual Spring Arts Festival

Drama Class Runs Bullying Workshop

A relay race was an ice breaker and team building exercise to start the day.

This week Ms. Trick's grade 12 drama class put on a bullying workshop for local grade 7 and 8 students. The senior drama class is seen here with students from Turnberry Central.

Students wait their turn to compete in a relay/team building event.

Photography Club Captures Toronto

Madill photography club members hiking through China town.

The art and photography club were in Toronto Friday on a scavenger hunt that led them throughout the city. The day began with a subway ride to the Ontario College of Art and Design where students took in the annual graduation exhibition. From there it was a hike through China Town and the Fashion District to Queen street and lunch at St. Patrick's Market.

On the move down Parliament Street.

After lunch the trail led to King street and the Entertainment District where they caught the streetcar to the Distillery District. From there it was off to the St. Lawrence Market and the Flat Iron building before a quick run up Bay street and the Financial District to catch the north bound subway out at Osgoode station!

A group of photographers takes a break from picture taking in the Distillery District.

An edited collection of photos taken will be on display at the Spring Alive Arts Festival later this month. Prints from 8 x 10 to poster size will be available for purchase.

[PHOTO GALLERY]

Madill Students At Blyth Festival Art Show

Angie and Montina admire the work of fellow artists at the Blyth Festival Art Gallery

Ten Madill artists were represented this year at the annual Blyth Festival Art Gallery Student Show. Each year the event showcases works from high school students from across the Avon Maitland Board and the Huron Perth Catholic Board. The gallery is part of the Blyth Festival Centre for the Arts.

"Fashion" by Montina Hussey, is one of the works on display.

The show opened officially Thursday May 10th but will run until May 25th. Make sure you take time to see the work before the show closes!

"Portrait of Heather" by Angie Sande, is one of the works on display.

Imago Teaches The Art Of Storytelling

Two Madill students start their day by "pitching" their film idea to the Imago team.

April 26th, 27th and 28th five Madill students learned first hand what it's like to create films which tell compelling stories from individuals that work in the industry. The Imago Film Festival is held each spring at Central Huron Secondary School, inviting students from across Ontario to learn the art of film making.

Sean gets footage for his group's documentary of the Imago process.

At this fifth Imago Festival the focus was on getting back to the basics of film making- story telling. Each of the four groups had a specific task. Two groups worked to develop different story lines with still images while another group created the sound tracks and the last group documented the entire process.

Photography Club At Wawanosh Nature Centre

Members of the photography club review their shots

On Friday of last week the art and photography club took advantage of the beautiful weather to record the arrival of spring at the Wawanosh Nature Centre. Members spent the morning tracking down the "perfect" shot.

The colour of early spring!

In May the group will head to Toronto to record the city through their lenses. Look for selected items of their work to be on display and for sale during the Spring Alive Arts Festival at the end of May!

Jessica gets the perfect angle for her shot!

You will be able to purchase works from 8.5 X 11 to poster size for reasonable prices. All proceeds from the sale of this work will go to support the arts department.

[PHOTO GALLERY]

Photography Club In Search Of Spring

"Spring Crocuses"- photo by Rachel Kuyvenhoven.

It may not look exactly like spring outside with the recent return of cold weather, but the Madill photography club is prepared to help you see that spring has indeed arrived. Featured here are a few images from our resident photographers.

"Sunlight on the Stairs"- photo by Bronwyn Camplin.

Tie That Binds Heads To Sears Festival

A car crash that kills the wife of the main character is the beginning of a powerful drama.

The Madill Drama Guild will bring an adaptation of a radio drama by Nyla Rylski entitled "the Tie That Binds" to the Sears Festival tomorrow in Listowel. The play traces a complex narrative following a car crash that kills the wife of the lead character, Alan Hart, played by George Rideout. Hart awakes after the crash to find himself in a mental institute. The audience finds itself questioning whether the character is truly insane or whether he has been driven to madness.

The character of the doctor braces after an attack from mental patient Alan Hart.

The cast and crew will perform the play in Listowel Friday, March 2 at 3:30 PM. Tickets are $10 at the door. Following the festival the drama guild has plans to stage this production at Madill at a date to be announce later. In the meantime we wish them luck!

[For more information click the link to the Sear's Festival 2007 Web site ]

Who Dunnit?

How does this jewel figure in this mystery of deceit and murder?

Murder most foul plays out at Madill.... all while you can enjoy a gourmet meal! This Thursday, Friday and Saturday the Madill drama guild presents the mystery "Murder in the House of Horrors" by Billy St. John in the small gym.

A corpse... a fabulous jewel and a room full of suspects.... what could be better!

A wonderful gourmet meal provided by Lakeside Catering is included in the ticket cost of $25. Tickets are available from the office, (call 519 357 1800), but numbers are limited. Call now and book your table! Show starts at 7:00 PM.

[PHOTO GALLERY]

"The Bench at the Edge"

Alex Ripley and Maaike van Hittersum star in the production of Luigi Jannuzzi's "The Bench at the Edge"

A young man, frustrated by life, arrives at the edge between life and death only to be met by a young woman who has lived at the edge all her life. That is the setting for the drama guild's production of "The Bench at the Edge".

The character of the young woman lives at the edge and has an extension cord connected to her back.

Will the young man make a dive over the edge or will he find a reason to carry on with life? Attend the play and find out! Performances are Monday, November 27th and Tuesday November 28th. Show starts at 7 PM and the cost is $5 at the door.

What becomes of the character of the young man?...Attend the play and find out!

Art Students Return From New York

Students take a break to pose in Central Park.

Arts students from Madill enjoyed another rewarding trip to New York last week. Together with students from LDSS, CHSS and SHDHS they took in Broadway and Off Broadway shows, museums, architectural tours, a city wide scavenger hunt and workshops in life drawing and acting.

As part of trip tradition we climbed on top of the bull near the Stock Exchange... this year we fit 35 students on top... a new record!

Guided tours of some of New York's finest examples of architecture led students to discover office towers, churches and parks within Manhattan. Each tour ended with lunch... at Oliva's on Broadway near city hall with an endless choice of meal items and at Mannas in Harlem for the best "soul food" in Manhattan!

Madill students on the scavenger hunt find an abstract sculpture on the outskirts of the East Village.

The city wide scavenger hunt took students all over lower Manhattan chasing down clues and taking photos. Areas covered in the hunt included Midtown, the East Village, Little Italy, China Town, Canal Street, Tribeca, Battery Park, Greenwich Village and much more!

[PHOTO GALLERY]

Drama Students Present "Wicked" Excerpts

It isn't easy being green!

A group of dedicated students from the Drama Guild, with the help of drama teacher Ms. Trick, have put together excerpts from the Broadway show "Wicked" in two free performances at Madill! The students have been working hard over the last month to created a half hour production that ties together the main aspects of the Broadway hit, including many of the best known songs.

Glinda ponders the drawbacks of being the "Good Witch".

Wicked is a musical about the consequences of judging appearances and the value of loyalty. The story of the Wicked Witch, played by Mackenzie Carruthers, begins with her school days. Misunderstood and resented because of the colour of her skin she must learn to cope. Glinda the Good, played by Ainslie deBoer and the dashing yet brainless Fiyero, played by Aaron Ninaber are two characters that befreind Elphaba. Other characters are portrayed by Montina Hussey, Evan Vanderwoude, Joelle Ritsema, Danielle Purves, Steve Ninaber, Meagan Jones and Justin Martin. Congratulations on a "Wicked" show!

See photos of the performance in the Special Events Photo Gallery.

The cast from "Wicked"

[PHOTO GALLERY]

Madill Arts "Spring Alive"

Members of the band entertain the audience with a few standards.

The arts department at Madill celebrated the arrival of spring with a variety show that featured the various talents of our students. An appreciative audience on both nights enjoyed a full evening of music, dance, poetry, acting and performance art. Make sure you check out photos of the event in the "Special Events Photo Album"!

Poetry was featured along with music, dance, drama and visual arts.

Before the show at the school began members of the grade 12 art class opened a show of their own. "Off the Wall" is a collection of paintings, drawings, photographs, sculpture and digital art that will reamin at the North Huron Museum until June 2.

"Off the Wall" features work from this year's grade 12 art class.

Student Art Show

"Guitar" Mixed Media Assemblage by Rachel Bell

It is time once again for the Avon Maitland District Shool Board and The Huron Perth Catholic School Board to display the artistic talents of their students at the Blyth Festival Art Gallery. This year our school will be represented by Rachel Bell, Carolyn Askes, Jemica Halberg, Kristen Taylor, Connie Bleeker, Yvonne DeWit, Angie Sande, Simon Turland, Sean Berry, Montina Hussey and Miriam Groen. The opening night celebration takes place at 7 P.M. See you there!