How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Theatre is a bit of a tradition in our family, one which I am happy to continue. For the first time this December I got involved in a show that wasn't a school production, the Christmas show at the Pearl Theatre in Lunenburg. This year the production consisted of two short, classic plays, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas". 
My preferred role is not onstage, but behind the scenes helping backstage. Although I've tried both, acting doesn't have the same appeal to me as backstage because I prefer the opportunity for me to make the props required for the production. And actors would be hopeless if they didn't have someone to remember where they put things. 
On top of this production I was also involved backstage in the PVEC Drama Club's 2012 production of "If a Man Answers" and "Check Please", and I plan on being involved in this year's school production as well.
I enjoy creating things with my own hands, and involvement in the theatre allows that either from a carpentry/props standpoint or a sewing/costumes standpoint. The environment is generally creative, very social, and usually hectic. I have been trying to take as many opportunities to get involved in theatre as I can because it is something which I can picture myself pursuing later in life.

ACCIB

For these past months I have been working with a group of fellow IB students from Park View planning the annual Atlantic Coast Conference celebrating the IB (ACCIB).  This conference was an opportunity for students from across Atlantic Canada in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 to meet with other students and discuss the IB program.
This will probably be the biggest time commitment of all my CAS activities. Our first meeting was before the end of grade 10, and our grand finale was this past weekend. All the planning and scurrying around ended with over 300 students arriving at Park View for two days of fun and excitement. And learning. Some of that too.
My role, together with Simon, was to sell the conference to students. We spoke in front of grade 10 and 11 classes at Park View, gave presentations to grade 9 students at Bayview, Hebbville, Bluenose Academy, and Chester, and spent a day in Halifax talking to grade 10 students at some of the HRM IB schools. Without a doubt this was the job that allowed us to have the most fun, but was also important because we were counting on drawing more HRM students this year.
The amount of work the group of organizers put into the event was definitely worth it, for us it was great to see those many months of planning come together. Hopefully the people attending found it just as worthwhile.