Brentwood School - Brentwoodian 2020

80 House Music has already been and gone virtually, but I am looking forward to the year ahead and actually being able to do House events at school. Fingers crossed everything goes to plan! By Joanna Burgess This past year as always, Brentwood School has put on an outstanding display of House events for all pupils and staff to get involved in. I always try to play my part in supporting East House and this year was no exception. Firstly I participated in the House Unison or the House “Shouty, Shouty” as Mr McCann likes to call it, singing the fantastic song of Reach For The Stars by S Club 7. Not only did I enjoy singing as loudly as I could with my House but also standing at the back and holding up a star sign to project into the air. House Music is always one of the main standout events, considering how much time and practice is put into perfecting it. As a result, when it all comes together in Courage Hall the feeling is nothing short of electric. As a keen sports player, I also found House Volleyball and Frisbee Golf very entertaining. Despite the classic poor English weather during Frisbee Golf, I was still able to have a laugh with my friends, throwing a frisbee around the School fields and winning points for our House. I am excited to be leading the House this year as the new East House Captain. I am looking forward to managing and participating in the events which all the different Houses put together and seeing how each one gets creative despite the social distancing I think it’s safe to say that this year has not been what anyone expected. At the turn of the year, no one knew what ‘Coronavirus’ was, and just over two months later, we were stuck at home, having Zoom classes and praying for the WiFi to work. But that didn’t stop us, and the year of House events was as busy as ever, pandemic or no pandemic. The first event of the year in September, as always, was House Music. Hannah Walker led the Part-Song to victory with the Ensemble coming joint third with Elizabeth Hepburn- Braham’s 40 Years of Bangers and Nia Richards and Grace Cannell successfully conducting the Unison into second place singing Reach for the Stars . Overall, we came second and it was a great evening for everyone. House Weeks followed in quick succession and many other events took place. The one I particularly enjoyed was the Christmas Staff Band competition in which we came first (due to Mr McCann’s singing and bell-jingling, obviously). Sadly, there was little opportunity to do more before lockdown was upon us, but that did not stop the Houses from coming up with creative ways of keeping us occupied. From Harry Potter quizzes to Easter baking competitions, there was something for everyone. For me, the best virtual event had to be Sports Day- there was definitely still a competitive spirit even though we were all apart, although I must say, it’s hard bouncing a ball against a wall with a dog trying to catch it every time! measures. The aim this year is to ensure that everyone can get involved but also taking into consideration the restrictive guidelines that need to be followed due to Covid-19. I am also eager to be part of East House Charity week, in which our House raises money for Papyrus. This is a UK charity for the prevention of young suicide, which we as a House have supported for a number of years. Virtual events such as Sports Day have been a great success. The theme of this year’s Sports Day was that the more you did, the more points you gained for your House. To play my part I completed a total of 14 events in my garden. The events ranged from skipping and burpees to sock golf and mug pong. To be honest I didn’t have high hopes for Sports Day this year as I didn't know what could be done virtually but the Houses were very imaginative with the events, making it an exhilarating day for all. By Lauren Ager Each year I am overwhelmed by how much talent and House spirit our students have and this year was no exception. We started, as every year starts, with House Music plucking at our heart strings. The singers, led by an outstanding director of Hannah Walker and musical crew, sang with an enthusiasm that, at times, lifted the roof. Our Christmas Fayre was a huge success, with the wonderful support and dedication of many students, including the ever awesome Jessica Smith, who also played co-host with myself in the Ultimate Harry Potter Quiz. We saw dance East