A joyful recap of our vibrant Arts Festival week, where we celebrated the light of the gospel and showcased the incredible gifts and talents of our students and staff through music and art!
Teacher Talent Show
To kick off the Arts Festival this year we ran a surprise event. The students who were still at school, given the significant attendance at the interschool athletics carnival, were ushered to the gym and spent the next hour or so being wowed by the performance arts prowess of their teachers. Some acts were silly and fun, others showcasing genuine talent and skill. It was a great time of fun and celebration of the arts, and an opportunity for students to first see their teachers have a go before it was their turn to embrace performance opportunities throughout the week.
Assembly
The ‘Darkness and Light’ festival theme was highlighted throughout the morning assembly. Some of our Year 11 Physics students led us through some light ‘parables’ that invited us to dwell on the illuminating, exposing and reflecting qualities of Christ’s light in our lives. We were blessed to have Peter Lyndon-James as a guest speaker as he encouraged us to live in the light. He shared some of his life story and the story of Shalom House. A big thanks to many of our senior students for leading us in words and song as we celebrated the light of the gospel.
Art Exhibition
This year’s exhibition was a grander than ever affair!
During the week before, a large shed was erected as an entrance to the exhibition, keeping to the theme of ‘Darkness and Light’. The interior of the shed was a total black out with luminous insects and other creatures lit up with fluro lighting. The exterior of the shed was spray painted with a Biblical passage with the help of several Year 12 students who had been working with Mr Kuipers to bring the whole shed concept together.
The actual art exhibition was again curated by Mrs Nieuwkerk and assembled over three days by a hardworking team of Art & Tech teachers, plus some parent help. It is becoming more and more challenging to fit the artwork from two Primary Schools and the Secondary School into the gym’s foyer using an artistic configuration of display panels. Again, by all accounts, it was another creative and successful show!
Art Competition
The task this year was to design a drawing, painting or a collage on the theme of darkness and light. We had a record 137 students enter the competition this year! Congratulations to all of our participants and winners on their excellent effort. The 2025 winners were Charlie Eikelboom (Kindy), Carlisle Suryawijaya (Year 2), Lola Moore (Year 4), Jochebed Hartono (Year 5), Nicole Chandra (Year 9), and Mischa Lumempouw (Year 11).
Extravaganza
This year, the concern embraced the theme “Music of the Light.” Staff and students worked tirelessly for months to create not just an outstanding performance, but a meaningful experience that carefully balanced the energy of a concert with the reverence of a worship service. Much of this year’s repertoire featured songs written for congregational singing, allowing the event to be deeply Jesus focused by also bringing the joy and enthusiasm of concert performance.
Once again, our students delivered with exceptional musicianship, heartfelt passion, and infectious enthusiasm. A heartfelt thank you to the hundreds who attended and continued to show support for our young performers.
Street Food
On Thursday morning, the Food Technology kitchen transformed into a bustling hub of culinary creativity as Year 9 and 10 students prepared for the much-anticipated Street Food Stalls. With a focus on Asian-inspired ‘hawker’ cuisine, students cooked up a vibrant menu featuring butter chicken, Soto Ayam, Korean fried chicken, fried rice, Thai pork skewers, and adobo chicken skewers. The event not only celebrated diverse flavours but also gave students the chance to demonstrate their hospitality and kitchen skills to the wider school community. The delicious aromas and colourful dishes provided the perfect setting for the Open Mic performances.
Open Mic
On Thursday afternoon, we held the annual Open Mic concert. This was full of fun and skilful performances, and a great chance for young musicians to have an opportunity to perform. We set up a makeshift stage outside the music room, and most of the school piled onto the lawn out front to cheer on and support our budding young musicians. For some of our Specialist Music kids, this was the last performance of their Secondary School career, and it was a joy to see them off in a warm and appreciative environment.
Song Writing Competition
This year, we held a song writing competition, with thanks to sponsors, Mega Music and Arturia. 9 bands from across Year 10-12 wrote and recorded a song each as part of their course work throughout Semester 1 and in Term 3, we released all of their compositions on Spotify under our artist catalogue, Rehoboth Music Room. All students’ compositions were excellent in their standard of musicianship and beautiful in their lyrical content. Throughout Week 8, our community voted for their favourite. Congratulations to Year 11 band – In Your Dreams, who narrowly took out first place in the votes.
Year 10 Drama Production
The Year 10 Drama and Practical Music Production was titled The Lady with the Lamp. Under the guidance of Mr Kyle Dougherty and Mrs Mariah Hlatywayo, the Year 10 Drama and Music students spent the first three terms creating an original play and musical score that reflected key moments in the life of missionary nurse, Florence Nightingale. In a collaborative effort, 46 Year 10 students fittingly concluded the Arts Week festivities with a polished production, jam-packed with romance, humour. suspense, and a lively song-and-dance number inspired by A Spoonful of Sugar from Mary Poppins. A cracking end to a huge week!
