Festivities in the Houses

It’s January and there isn’t a singular snowflake on the ground. As a student from Northern Alberta, I don’t normally get that holiday feeling unless my surroundings are caked in white. In our houses, however, we had a long list of festivities lined up for the approaching weeks until our Winter Break.  All the students and faculty start to feel reassured that a well-deserved break is on its way when we see the beautifully lit trees go up around the fountain. Vibrant lights wrap the boarding houses and are strung from tree to tree on the way to Crooks Hall. Inside Crooks, an enormous tree stands tall and decorated, stretching to the ceiling, lighting up the dining room.  In the following weeks there were also school-wide events that everyone looks forward to such as the Student Holiday Party and Snowball as well as many more within the houses.  There was Christmas music blaring and students dancing around the halls of their houses with tinsel in their hands. This is, by far, one of my favourite times of the year.  In Alex House, we met in our Big-Little Sister groups to assemble an abundance of little gifts for a less fortunate child in the Cowichan Valley. Then, after we are finished putting our gifts together, we got to assemble gingerbread houses!  While I looked forward to going home and spending the holidays with my family, there’s nothing like decorating and celebrating a successful term with my Brentwood family.  Finally, on the last night before break commences, each house spent the evening having dinner and taking part in their own traditions. In Alex House, we ventured to Cowichan Bay and had a wonderful meal at the Cow Bay Cafe. After dinner, each grade created a skit or sang a song and performed it in front of the rest of the house. To end off the night, we exchanged gifts and revealed ourselves as Secret Santas.  Even though many of the girls could not wait to leave and travel home for a much-deserved break, we all know that we will be just as excited to come back. It has been a great term and I look forward to a new year with my Brentwood family. Happy Holidays! Hannah C, Alex ‘19