News

English teacher Ryan Skardal is well known for his voluminous reading. He shares this passion with his students. Below is the first in a series of interviews with Skardal’s Scholars about their recent reading. How do you read so much? My sister read books and I'd just take her books and read them all. I also really liked to make lists. Books...

With the new protocols surrounding COVID-19, Brentwood’s tight-knit community has been forced to disperse around the world. Every student and teacher is now adjusting frantically to Zoom rooms instead of classrooms and accepting the fact that there is a lot right now that is out of our control. We no longer have the opportunity to wake up every...

As most of us painfully discovered, when online learning started, the Melhuish Contest was cancelled by the Head of English himself, Mr. Collis. Students across the school were devastated by the inconsolable news. Luckily, Mrs. Reynolds' Grade 9 English cohort was enlightened by something she described as a “special surprise.” “Well kids, the...

Last Friday Jayden J, Hope '20 and Mr Collis hosted a Slam Poetry evening. Here is Mr Collis' heartfelt contribution. I miss you. I miss the kid who over participates in class. In a 20 minute discussion, this fire hose will blast away for at least 15 of those minutes, other hands up in the air be damned. Maybe, like my friend Harold,...

I first became a student when I entered kindergarten at St. Paul’s Elementary in Peterborough, Ontario in the fall of 1969. I’ve been involved in education ever since. For 18 years I was a student through elementary, secondary and post-secondary studies. In turns, I coached hockey, soccer, volleyball, sailing, swimming, ropes course, and...

The Grade 9s rebelled last week. It was local at first, a tiny brush fire on the forest floor of the classroom - nothing that a vigorous stamp, stamp, stamping normally wouldn't extinguish. I frowned at them, thus delivering their short, sharp shock. "Put that away, Ty.” Ty did not put that away. "Ty. We're...

The perfect paradigm of Western culture and ethics is an ostracized man nailed to a cross as he helplessly bleeds from his wrists. The man who “bares all of humanity's sins”. The man who has suffered the most. This is to say, Western culture quite literally religiously values those who can competently bear life’s suffering. As I was writing my...

Some know him as ‘The Boss’, the hero in denim tank tops, others as a nostalgic father’s boy, or Mary’s young, working husband. But across the board, Bruce Springsteen will forever be known as the musical wonder who brought joy to our parents’ lives with his strong, lyrical voice and ageless songs. It was Mr. Collis’ appreciation for the...

Near the end of term 1, Brentwood hosts a speaker series allowing Grade 12 students to explore different career pathways and meet past Brentonians as they reflect on their journey to their professions. On Saturday, the Grade 12s signed up for their two sessions and were given the opportunity to spend extra time with the speakers at lunch. The...

The following is the text of a speech made at Assembly last week by Alice H, Allard ‘21 & Deklon S, Privett ‘20. Hey Brentwood! I’m Alice and I’m Deklon, and we’re here to talk about the Learning Centre program, and how it has helped us. Alice: In 7th grade, I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is an...