Welcome back! It’s been a busy couple days at MSS. Students had the chance to dive into a variety of activities and extracurriculars last week, let’s take a look at what they got up to!
The annual Stratford Theatre trip was a success! From Wednesday, September 25th to Saturday, September 28th, students from various grades had the extraordinary opportunity to visit the renowned Stratford Festival where they experienced productions of Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet and Twelfth Night. The students also got to see the musical Something Rotten!, which is set during the renaissance and follows two brothers trying to out-compete Shakespeare. Everyone had positive reviews and a smile on their faces when the shows concluded. The group was welcomed by organizers and staff at the festival and they participated in workshops. The first workshop the group did was a Shakespeare-themed workshop. The group got to hurl Shakespearean insults at each other, reorganize phrases, and perform a little on stage. Their next workshop was a stage sword fighting workshop. Students got into pairs and choreographed a sword fight using wooden dowels. They learned about stage-fighting safety procedures so that no one accidentally clocked their fighting partner. Lastly, the students learned from the best – the choreography co-captain and one of the leads from Something Rotten! taught the group one of the dance numbers from the show. When there weren’t any activities scheduled, students got to explore downtown Stratford. According to some students, the town looked right out of a fairytale with cute brick buildings and hole-in-the-wall shops. Overall, the trip was enjoyed by all attendees and students are looking forward to going back next year.
Speaking of theatre, the much-anticipated announcement of this year’s musical is here. This year MSS will put on a production of Mamma Mia! This beloved musical, featuring ABBA’s hits, is sure to be a fun and energetic production. Auditions for the musical will be held in the next few weeks, all students are encouraged to try out, both those with previous stage experience or those wanting to make a debut. Rehearsals will begin shortly and the production will take place in February. Get ready to see our talented students bring this story to life on stage!
Last week, on Wednesday, September 25th the French class students took part in celebrating Franco-Ontarian Day, a day dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the Francophone culture and heritage in Ontario. Students made posters of famous French-Canadians, with short biographies of them in both French and English. They also recreated the Franco-Ontarian flag. The large flag takes up part of the wall in the French hallway and is decorated with painted green handprints.
Orange Shirt Day, a day to recognize and raise awareness about the impacts of the residential school system on Indigenous communities, was on Monday, September 30th. This important day, observed annually, is a part of the ongoing efforts towards reconciliation and acknowledging past injustices. MSS is committed to participating in this event, and all students and staff were encouraged to wear orange shirts to show their support. More details about MSS’s specific activities and how we honoured this day will be shared in next week’s article.
That is all for this week! Until next time, go, Mustangs, go!
by Alexandra Wilson Zegil
