Brentwoodian 2019

87 and Lucas Burjack who led our superb Chess Team. Weald really were setting the standard. South Week soon followed and yet again we came out as champions. Our Scrabble team called ‘OXYPHENBUTAZONE’ (the highest theoretical word in Scrabble) stormed home - the girls were all truly on fire, whilst William Howard gave a masterclass in Table Tennis as our Junior Boys hammered everyone they played. Jaeden Olagbegi and Pranita Arun Prasadh continued to star as well, this time in ‘Countdown’ - these two students really are wonderful and in the bracket of ‘Weald Legends’. It was our Week next. Of course we were going to win it! Although controversially not winning Dodgeball (it was a True Underdog Story) our commitment meant we won the Tennis and the Dance was, quite simply, sensational. Clarise has choreographed movements that Justin Timberlake and Pink would have been proud of. We won every category hands down. Credit goes to our House Captains highlighting their outstanding organisation and leadership skills. Onto the final House Week - East’s showcase this time, and would you believe it, we didn’t win! But, we did win THE event, the Tug of War. The Juniors, Middles and Seniors all showed their class in strength and coordination, but the highlight was watching the juggernaut Mr Clark single- handedly pull a team of Juniors to the floor! As Jay from Inbetweeners would say: “House Weeks - completed it mate”. The final major House event of the year culminated in Track and Field knowing a strong performance overall would mean we would be crowned House champions. This was certainly the case as, fittingly, in the final race of the afternoon, the 4x100 Boys’ Senior Relay Team stormed to victory led by newly elected House Captain, Finlay Turner, and Vice Captain, Sam Blundell. Earlier in the day, Finlay tried to break his own school record in the hurdles, narrowly missing his record time, but again comfortably winning his race. It’s a sight to behold watching him gallop over the hurdles like the horse Red Rum did over fences... similar beasts some might say… and he proved it on the Track and Field all day competing in pretty much anything you can throw or run on. He deservedly broke the 300m record with a time of 36.69 and I am sure many of the Weald boys will rightly look up to him next year. We finished 3rd overall, largely thanks to the First Year with the boys winning overall and the girls finishing second respectively. I for one am excited about what they can achieve as they Weald their way through the years. Our Senior girls also finished 2nd, showing their second- to-none commitment over the year. Kabeerah Balogun, Tia Sharpe, Ella Hawes, Catherine Prior, Morgaine Puttergill are just a few wonderful girls who are role models to others in Weald in terms of their attitude, dedication and positivity. There were some great performances from our Third Year boys as well who also finished 2nd overall. William Howard was agonisingly close to breaking the Second Year boys’ Javelin record - 0.17m short to be precise, but we did break school records. Erin Young in the Second Year set a new school record for the Girls’ Hurdles with an amazing time of 12:85, whilst the Weald Third Year ‘Beasts’ Ovie Jeyibo and James Webb-Wood broke the Boys’ 200m and 300m records respectively. It was Rohan Van De Merwe in the Fourth Year who leapt 5.83 and now deservedly holds the Long Jump record. I can’t wait to see what they can all achieve next year. We’ve had some wonderful Upper Sixth (now Wealdonians) who have sadly left and I hope they spread their wings and fly well into the world. The outgoing brilliant House Captains and wonderful musicians (including Matthew Jennings, but also a special mention to Ellis ‘Vice’ Hossack who I will personally miss. He is everything great about Weald. Next year we have a wonderful new student team who once again will look to drive Weald onwards and upwards and set the bar for every other House. A special thank you to Miss Martin and Mr Clark - I call it the ‘Dream Team’ and am fortunate to work with them. Certainly Miss Martin played a big part in our winning the House Music and also drives the charity aspect, whilst Mr Clark was instrumental in organising our success in House Track and Field. So, what was it like to be a Head of House in my first year at Brentwood? Proud is the word that first comes to mind. Proud of the wonderful students that we have (who took part in 22 main competitions in over 190 different events), proud of the second to none spirit, and importantly, proud of the enjoyment that we all have. We are Weald, we won’t be giving up our crown easily in 2020, because,... Where There’s a Weald There’s a Way...CHAMPIONEES, championees, OLE OLE OLE… By Mr Wright “Weald ensured that charity outreach was at the forefront of their aims and ethos last year. The House voted to support Little Havens Hospice, a home for ill and terminally ill children which provides respite care and support for families in Benfleet, Essex. Mr Wright had formed connections with the charity at his previous school, and several students, such as Alfie Fursedonne had volunteered in the organisation’s charity shops. Therefore, there was already a personal connection between Weald and this important charity.