Two May Term Dance class teams choreographed and performed one-minute dances on the Upper School Courtyard stairs in a challenge competition on May 28.  See the video of their Stair Routines and decide who won the challenge!

Professional photographer and SGS alumna Maja Rodell led some of our high school students through a night photography class on Friday, April 30, with the help of Melanie Mildrew, Director of Outdoor & Community Service Programs.  The students began their evening by wandering around campus in nature, learning about macro photography, ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.  After a dinner from the grill, students took a Photoshop lesson to create double exposures that superimposed their portraits onto a starry sky.  Once it was dark, long exposures were used so that students could "paint" with light, resulting in the beautiful images in this gallery.  The light patterns were created using glow sticks and steel wool.  One student even tried light painting in a kayak!  The evening ended with s'mores and a "magic" colored fire.  Everyone camped out on the Graduation Lawn and awoke to the loud chorus of springtime birds.  See photo galleries of their best images of Campus in the Evening, of Double Exposures, of Painting with Light, and of the Magic Fire!

The 1st graders made Cubist-style penguin drawings and watercolors to go along with the rest of their Penguin exhibit in the hallway of the Lower School.  See a Photo Gallery of their penguin artwork.

The 6th graders have been studying the culture of Cuba, so they each designed a mural in the style of Cuban street art. Some are more realistic and others just use the themes and colors, but all of them turned out great!  See a Photo Gallery of their artwork that is on the hallway as you enter the Middle School.

The Secondary School (Grades 6-12) Talent Show features a variety of student performances on April 29 in Founders Theater.  Here are some of them:

> Noah Buchmann sings "El Mismo Sol" accompanied by David Demand -- https://youtu.be/4fO50c9pOEo
> Maya Rizvi and Alessandra Bot tell jokes -- https://youtu.be/XQ0dSet0Smo
> Sophia Naccarato sings "The Cup Song" and plays the ukulele -- https://youtu.be/FRR1KPRqbUY
> Angelina Jiang plays "Summer" on the violin -- https://youtu.be/m9yYgXwRKSo
> Anna Field sings "Orange Colored Sky" accompanied by David Demand -- https://youtu.be/_TRMZli0NWM
> Alyssa Zhao plays "Opus 13" on the piano -- https://youtu.be/6vPmxHdCmh8
> Reagan Ivey sings "Vienna" accompanied by David Demand -- https://youtu.be/cRg5tO_Csa8
> Gibson Montgomery sings "Zanzibar" accompanied by David Demand and Gabe Gustafson -- https://youtu.be/Dn4mFsUoSOM
> SGS Band performs "Rock and Roll" (with a joke from Pete O'Brien) -- https://youtu.be/pPsQvdWsPRs

See a Photo Gallery of all the acts.  Plus, the full Talent Show was live streamed and can be Viewed Here.  This year the Talent Show raised $502 to support "Only 7 Seconds" -- an organization dedicated to eliminating isolation by helping students reach out to each other during this challenging time.  Thank you for your generosity, and to all the students who displayed their artistic talents!

Three senior International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidates have their work on display in the Upper School in April.  See photo galleries of Josie Melville's Exhibit that's in the Art Gallery, Dana Mogensen's Exhibit that is in the space in front of Founders Theater, and Sydney Bledsoe's Exhibit in the Photography Room and Dark Room just to the right of the Art Gallery.  Here's what each senior had to say about their artwork...

Sydney:  "This body of work explores themes of the esoteric and paranormal. I’ve always been interested in the supernatural, not because I see it as a method of explaining the inherent strangeness of the world but rather because I enjoy the stories, questions, and ideas that come along with attempting to research things beyond our world. The paranormal themes explored in these pieces come from a wide array of folklore, conspiracy theories, and magical practices. In addition, the works as a whole were inspired by the fantastical illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley as well as more contemporary media, such as Western cartoons and comics."  

Josie:  “This exhibition explores the connection between humanity and the natural world, or what is perceived to be natural.  Throughout my life I have seen and built a connection to what is natural. I have also observed how other people do not see themselves connected to nature and do not perceive themselves as natural beings. The natural and human themes explored in these pieces are used as commentary and expression, I built my exhibition to show others how I perceive myself and the world around us.”  

Dana:  "I live on a hillside that overlooks a valley and across are layers of hills and mountains. It is just a few miles from our city that has a river (sometimes raging) that runs through it creating a juxtaposition between nature and manmade structures.  I have always been drawn to these environments that surround me —landscapes, mountains, and cityscapes. These influences led to inspire a range of pieces for my exhibition.  I also wanted to present my personal abilities to work with a multitude of medias. It was the range of medias that motivated me to include them in my exhibition. I also explored a sense of connection to the world that both natural and manmade views make, without the presence of people. It allows the viewers to enjoy the piece in their own eyes and in their own time."  

Join the Outdoor Club on this unique activity to learn night photography on Friday, April 30 to Saturday, May 1.  They will be camping out on Graduation Lawn in individual tents.  The activity is open to Upper School students, with a minimum of five students for it to happen.  Maja Rodell, an alumni and professional photographer, will be teaching a variety of photography skills.  Cost is just $10.00; see the Photo Overnight Flyer for all the details. 

The Secondary School (Grades 6-12) Talent Show will be at 6pm on Thursday, April 29 in Founders Theater.  The event will be streamed live on YouTube at https://youtu.be/0W0i5_17Bek.  This year proceeds from the Talent Show will support "Only 7 Seconds" -- an organization dedicated to eliminating isolation by helping students reach out to each other during this challenging time.  Please donate to this cause as your "admission fee" for the Talent Show.  Thanks!

Once again, David Demand has gathered choir vocals and Ben Clark '20 has mixed the tracks for two songs.  The Chamber Choir singers Reagan Ivey and Anna Field perform "All the Way Home" and the full Upper School Choir sings "When October Goes".  Enjoy!

The 6th grade music class practiced the motions to the "Cup Song" and then sang and performed it on April 21.  See how well they kept up with the repetitive motions in this Fun Video!