Brentwood Preparatory School Magazine

Brentwood School Preparatory 125 Celebrations 16 Reflection, Prep 125 I have been asked to talk about what life at Brentwood Prep is like in 2017 and it got me thinking about what I have enjoyed most about school. Let me start off in Nursery. One thing I remember is when we had a teddy bears’ picnic. We all played with our teddies like they would come to life and start talking to us. By the time I reached Year Two I had learnt about so many things and made so many friends. On Mondays, we had dance; I think that was my favourite thing. I still have lots of videos of me dancing which are a bit embarrassing! In Year Three I found two best friends - Ellie and Araminta. They were both a lot sportier than me and it is because of them that I love hockey and netball now and get to represent the school in matches. Speaking of matches, did you know there have been over 140 fixtures played this year already in just 6 of the sports on offer at Brentwood! That’s pretty amazing in just two terms. I loved maths in Year Four, we learnt many fun things like ‘Funky Disco Party’ for Fractions Decimals and Percentages. It made maths so much fun. Year Five, Enrichment Week. We camped out in big tents, in our sleeping bags, trying to get to sleep. We did so many activities, one I remember very well was when we walked through the mud. The first time I got in and out easily but when we did it again I slipped and got covered all over in mud. After all this fun I reached Year Six and we had to do lots of work to prepare for the entrance exam. I thought that was what it would be like for the rest of the year but now instead of doing comprehensions and math papers we do poems and make shapes. I can’t wait to go to Jersey to play netball and to Bushcraft during Enrichment week. On reflection, the school itself hasn’t changed much in the time that I have been here. But, something that has changed is technology. We now have tablets, which are mini touch screen computers. We can even submit our homework to our teachers over the internet using Google Classroom. Every classroom has an interactive whiteboard, some even have touch screen televisions! It’s amazing to think that just twenty years ago, according to some of the teachers who were here, there were no whiteboards, no tablets, no touch screen televisions and no iPads. Just textbooks and blackboards. How did they make the lessons fun? It makes me wonder, what will have changed in another 20 years? Or even in 125 years? Thank you for listening. by Scarlett Catton Cathedral Service On Friday 24th March 2017 the school gathered in Brentwood Cathedral to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Brentwood Preparatory School over the past 125 years. The service was led by the School Chaplain, Revd. Dr. Adrian McConnaughie and we welcomed the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Revd. Stephen Cottrell who gave the address. The Bishop, in a very engaging sermon which included some juggling, invited us to recognise and celebrate the gifts that we have all been given and challenged us to use them for the greater good. The service provided a wonderful opportunity for the community of Brentwood Preparatory School, past and present, to gather in worship. The service started with the Introit ‘Non nobis domine’, sung by the Chamber choir and directed by Daryl Barber and included ‘Brother James’ Air’ sung by the School. Scarlett Catton in Year 6 gave us a very personal reflection on her time at school and the Headmaster, Mr. Whiskerd, took us back to the days of Miss Haynes who was Senior mistress in the 1940s and whose dedication to the wellbeing of her students continues to be at the forefront today.  The prayers, set to the Taizé refrain, ‘O Lord hear our prayer’, included the construction of our new ‘125 logo’ which is now on display in the Foyer of the Preparatory school. The service marked the start of a year of special events to celebrate this historic milestone in the life of the school and it most certainly lifted our spirits and set our sights on the year ahead and the future of this school community. Our 125th year promises to be a very exciting one indeed. Revd. Dr. Adrian McConnaughie, Chaplain 125 Cathedral Service My favourite part of Year 4 was the 125 Cathedral Service because I got to play my euphonium in it. I was very excited and was really looking forward to it for ages. The day before, we had a practice and it all started to seem real! On the day of the service, I persuaded Miss Frank to carry my euphonium over there because it was VERY heavy! When we got there, I sat in the special orchestra bit. Although I had a lot of space, my view was blocked by the big Bishop’s chair! Later, the Bishop told a story and at the end he practiced his juggling! Then we sang our first song and the band joined in in the last verse making TOOT noises. At the end of the service, we got to go back home for the school holidays. What a fun way to celebrate 125 years of our school! by Austin Measday