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We’re Back!

9 September 2019
Jack P, Whittall ‘20; Photo by John Pettit, Whittall
It’s a new year on campus. The Brentwood College School 2019-2020 school year has officially begun, which means… we’re back! New and returning students flooded onto campus Sept. 2 and 3, paving the way for another promising year of education and living here at Brentwood. It’s important to start off the year with some preemptive training for all the new students arriving on campus. Cue in Orientation.

Orientation begins with the new families and students arriving on campus. Here, they are greeted by orientation assistants, returning students who had chosen to return early from summer break in order to assist during the week. The newly arrived students are given the day to settle in, meet the houseparents, tour the school, and unpack into their new home, all under the supervision and support of the fellow students they will soon call family. “The Brentwood spirit only grows as the new students continue the positive energy felt as you walk onto the Brentwood campus,” says House Captain Asia C, Hope ‘20. It is a very welcoming place, and after that first day, the action really kicks off.

The events everyone remembers the best are the two interhouse events taking place during opening week, the first being Brentwood’s classic Fun & Games Night. OAs and new students clump together in their houses in the Foote Centre. Many games are played by the new kids in town, like the timeless Huckle Buckle, or a very tricky version of the common Simon Says run by Admissions Director, Mr. Clayton Johnson. It is a great time, and everyone always ends the evening sweating of house pride.

The second event is our annual Eco-Challenge. Canoeing, running, swimming, shelter building, and many more outdoor-based skills are combined into a massive relay race, with the winner gaining crucial interhouse points as well as Brentwood house supremacy. The high-intensity event is always a fun event even to watch from the waterfront. “It was super fun to watch all the guys compete for our house” says new student Vincent Y, Whittall ‘22.

During the rest of the week, the new students cover all their housekeeping chores for successful boarding, such as baseline English assessments or buying their uniform for the first time. The swim test, in the brisk, yet refreshing, Mill Bay water, is no doubt a memorable moment of the students’ orientation. All the while, the OAs are given miscellaneous jobs in order to help the week run smoothly. Getting 100+ students into a new lifestyle is no small task, so I commend everyone who came back early to help.
 
Here’s to a great year ahead!

Jack P, Whittall ‘20

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