HOUSE PAGES

BARBAROSSA CHICHESTER COUSTEAU

HEYERDAHL

The House competitions have continued to grow this year. We are delighted we have managed to get in person activities back and that the students have participated with their full energy. This year we have seen over 100 House activities on offer with every student in Year 7-11 taking part in at least two competitions.

It has been nice to see the return of the sporting events: Sports Day, swimming galas and the all new Games Competitions rounding off the students’ Games lessons at the end of each half term. We really would like to thank the PE department for getting on board with this initiative and making it such a success; there has been a real buzz around school during these competition weeks.

Other competitions have been the traditional and much loved House music, drama, House Weeks as well as the new teamwork RPEP focus for every year group. The House Captains have done a sterling effort of running, organising and keeping us all informed of events throughout the year. Their inspirational leadership will ensure the House programme goes from strength to strength next year.

Writing this in mid-May with a few competitions left, the overall House standings are an interesting read. Barbarossa has struck out in first place with a lead that looks unsurmountable with the other three Houses closely fighting it out for the silver and bronze medals. While Barbarossa might be reigning supreme, Heyerdahl have shown themselves as the most creative House while Chichester are currently enjoying their teambuilding expertise. These houses are very close, so let’s see if it all could change before the end of term and whether Cousteau will rise to steal a trophy or two.

At the end of another extraordinary year, we must again recognise the outstanding leadership, planning skills and creativity of our dedicated Heads of House: Miss Dibble (Barbarossa), Mr Ashby (Heyerdahl), Mr Thomas (Chichester) and Miss Quigley (Cousteau).

Ms Rebecca Dibble Head of Barbarossa House

The first of many swimming galas in our brand new pool, it was wonderful to invite the Senior students to show off what they could do after two years of Covid-19. They did not disappoint, with all Houses putting on a strong display for the relays. The fun races at the end were a highlight with fully clothed swimmers, noodle horse races and no arms! Barbarossa started as they meant to go on by winning the Senior Gala!

This was the first swimming gala for our Year 7 and 8 students and boy did they rise to the occasion. There was a fantastic buzz around the pool and fantastic support shown to all competitors by all Houses. A special well done to our B team swimmers! After a convincing start, winning all the initial freestyle relays, Barbarossa won the event!

What a gala to end the year on! This extremely close-matched event saw Barbarossa once again snatching victory from Chichester by 0.4 of a second in the last eight swimmer canon race. WOW, what an end to our swimming galas for the year!

Ms Rebecca Dibble Head of Barbarossa House

Then came the pinnacle of the House programme and arguably the event we had all missed the most during the prolonged pandemic…. Sports Day! A day of chaos, and a little athletics, the morning was dedicated to the younger students in the lower years; a first for both Year 7 and 8 students, it was great to see that the sporting legacy of the school is in safe hands with a whole host of physical talent on show. With Heyerdahl dominating the girls and Barbarossa dominating the boys, the competition was certainly fierce, and the lead of both Houses was consistantly challenged by close contests across both field and track events.

After lunchtime, it was the turn of Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 to get involved in an equally intense event that spanned the afternoon. The track was ceartainly the focus for many, with close sprint finals attracting the attention of large crowds. Finishing with some controversial relays, the day was certainly a success, especially for Barbarossa who came out clearly victorious with wins across the majority of age groups. Over the course of the day, the girls broke 12 school records and the boys 13 records!

Congratulations to all our record breakers, especially Lila Martin (both the Year 8 300m and High Jump ), Tilly Black (Year 9 800m and 1500m), Ziggy Haaland (Year 9 800m and 1500m), and finally another long distance record breaker, Roux Visser (Year 10 800m and 1500m).

Tess Ruddell 12JMI

After a difficult two years of mainly online house events, the 2021-2022 academic year has seen house events back in full swing and it’s been brilliant seeing so much participation from all students in Barbarossa thus far.

Consistency was going to be key if Barbarossa wanted to defend the house trophy which we’ve won for the past few years and we have risen to the occasion, so far! Barbarossa have been at the top of the merits leaderboard since the beginning of the academic year and the gap is getting bigger every day. The dedication displayed by Barbarossa students is truly second to none and well done specifically to the students in Years 7-10 for putting us in such a commanding position.

We have seen record participation and so much enthusiasm displayed by students during the house weeks as well. There was so much teamwork and creativity on display with every single competition and we cannot wait to see more of this right up to the end of the year.

This year we have also had the addition of new house events such as the Year 8 chemistry investigation competition and of course the return of the swimming gala (the first one to be hosted in the newly constructed pool) and the most anticipated competition and of course the return of the swim gala (the first one to be hosted in the newly constructed pool) and the most anticipated event of the year – Sports Day. To no one’s surprise, Barbarossa was victorious in both Sports Day and the senior swimming gala. On top of that, we have performed amazing in the house music competition, house netball, basketball, rugby, football and so many more. We want to thank all of the year reps for stepping up when we needed them the most and for putting together teams and even volunteering themselves when others dropped out throughout the year. We also want to give a big thank you to Ms Dibble for her continued support. Without her, none of the house activities would be possible.

As House Captains, we could not be any prouder of this house. We hope the phoenix continues to soar higher as our successors take charge and follow in our footsteps. Maybe one day the other houses will actually be able to challenge for the throne! We wish next year’s House Captains the best of luck and we hope the success continues for years to come.

Aman, Jodie, Pranav, Annabelle, Zaara

The Barbarossa Phoenix has once again done us proud and risen to be bigger and better than ever before! Once again, the beginning of the year was a little shaky for us. However, since the reintroduction of the swimming galas for all year groups, a very welcome Sports Day and some magnificent efforts from the Barbarossa students with in class with merits and during the House Weeks, it looks like the trophy cabinet will continue to burst at the seams. As always, I am so proud of the effort every Barbarossa student has given to the competitions this year. This collective team spirit continues to grow and thrive.

A special mention goes to our new Barbarossa members whose enthusiasm towards the House competitions has secured wins in nearly all the competitions they have entered. An amazing achievement, we are very happy to have you on-board and to see you settle so quickly into the House spirit.

Barbarossa’s sporting talent has also risen this year. The senior students started off our sporting victories in November with a phenomenal swimming gala. Year 7 and 8 then matched this! Then the House went on to secure an outstanding Sports Day win. Nearly all age groups and all categories saw Barbarossa in the lead! Barbarossa continues to dominate the long distances with 5 record-breaking students in their age categories this year: Maddie Burnside (800m), Isobel Charlier (1500m), Roux Visser (800m AND 1500m), Hassan Elzafaarany (1500m), and Ben Morgan (1500m). Kaila Kondas Niza also deserves a special mention for her 300m record. Well done to everyone who competed, it really was a team effort.

Finally, I really must once again thank the amazing House Captain team. They have worked tirelessly this year to run the House Week events for Years 7-10, organise teams, look after our Year 7 and 8 tutor groups, keep everyone updated on Instagram and Twitter and generally to promote a positive team spirit at all events. It has been an extremely busy year and these guys have made my life super easy, seamlessly stepping up and organising everything like clockwork. Well done and thank you!

Well done Barbarossa, you have done me proud!

Ms Rebecca Dibble Head of Barbarossa House

Michael Singletary (NFL player and coach)

We continue with our inspirational quotations from Mike Singletary and motivational videos from Ben Lionel Scott as we did last year. However, this year’s quotation is not about our combined ethos of teamwork and support, but a reflection on our experiences and success over the year but not forgetting what we need to concentrate on next year… This is where I would like to wish Miss Hember, the new Head of Chichester, all the very best in her tenure and the House is in very safe hands, good luck!

In a year where we experienced some normality to the House Competition, we are grateful for the opportunities of competition at DC and I am grateful for the support of my House Captains, Tess, Ruby, Simra, Keira and Matthew, who have all been outstanding. They have helped organise a variety of events whilst adopting a flexible approach to the House commitments and their studies. As a Head of House, I try to pass on some of the leadership skills that they need in the future, but I continue to learn from the pupils daily and improve my own skills.

During my time as Head of House I have seen so much change in the House programme and we are starting to see the benefits of continuity and a drive forward by the Heads of Houses into developing a programme for all and I would like to thank my fellow Heads of Houses for all their enthusiasm and good humour when in fact they all want to be part of Chichester secretly. I hope ‘CHICH the dragon’ goes from strength to strength and that everyone feels part of a team. Remember that Chich is a friendly, respectful and committed dragon who represents his team with pride and honour. Over the year we have also seen the introduction of new house challenges and events and I would like to thank all those who have contributed and been part of the team. Whether we won, lost or drew, it was the spirit of taking part and the knowing that you have done your best, not only for you but to help support your friends and your house, that matters most. From basketball and netball to junior quizzes and team building challenges, it has been a privilege to see the friendship and competitiveness shine through.

So in the words of Gareth Thomas (Wales and British and Irish Lions Captain):

Mr Noel Thomas Head of Chichester House

The academic year kicked off with the annual house music competition, which was a great opportunity for budding musicians to showcase their remarkable talents and compete with other houses. Chichester had twenty-three enthusiastic musicians participating, performing on instruments such as the piano, drums, flute, recorder, oboe, and a lot of singing. With the most grand-finale appearances out of any house, Lavinia Skandalis winning the intermediate category and Xiaolin Zhang winning the entire competition, the house music competition was a promising start to the year for Chichester and demonstrated the sheer talent that so many members of the house have. A massive thank you to Ms Lee-Foster and the rest of the Music department for putting the competition together, and a huge thank you to those who participated! (Simra)

Making the most of the cooler winter weather, the advent of 2022 saw the return of Sports Day, the pinnacle of the house programme. A day of chaos, and a little athletics, the morning was dedicated to the younger students in the lower years; a first for both Year 7 and Year 8 students, it was great to be reassured that the sporting legacy of Chichester is in safe hands with a whole host of physical talent on show. The competition was certainly fierce, and Chichester were constantly chasing the leads of Barbarossa and Heyerdahl throughout, putting up close contests across both field and track events. In the afternoon, it was the turn of Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 to get involved in an equally intense event that spanned the afternoon. The track was certainly the focus for many, with Chichester students involved in many of the close sprint finals that attracted the attention of large crowds. Finishing with some controversial relays, the Chichester senior boys were certainly the talk of the event! The day was definitely a success and saw a return to the whole school Chichester comradery that emerges during school-wide events such as this. (Tess) Similarly, we also saw a return to the swimming pool with the senior event at the end of 2021 and the younger years competing in Term 3. Each day contained great performances by extremely talented Chichester swimmers but impressively saw those who were not avid swimmers step up and take responsibility on behalf of the house. The teamwork on display by the year 7s, 8s, 9s, and 10s in competing in quartets was excellent to see, as were the B-team events for the senior day: races that offered different challenges but were well undertaken. More importantly than any of these factors was undoubtedly the overall occurrence of these swim galas, filled with the classic atmosphere of the past, in facilities that so many of us are lucky to have access to. The younger year groups will certainly know what to expect for the coming iterations of the day, but it was also amazing to see some of the senior swimmers get a chance to show their prowess in the pool one more time. On behalf of Chichester, we would like to say a massive thank you to both the P.E. department for their organisation and running of each event, and the girls and boys in blue who were, as always, so important in the behindthe-scenes work. (Matthew)

Throughout the year, Chichester took part in a range of other house events too. Years 7, 8 and 9 collaborated on some new events, such as cup stacking and bean bag toss, and also enjoyed some traditional favourites, such as the marshmallow house- building challenge! Despite numerous successes in house weeks, the highlights of this year were certainly in witnessing Chichester students collaborating, cheering each other on, and beaming with house pride throughout. (Ruby)

We would like to a say a massive thank you to all the students who participated in the House Programme this year, and to all the House Captains who have taken the initiative to lead their respective form classes/year group. A special mention and huge congratulations to Lavinia Skandalis and Vansh Gadhia who won the House prize. We are very grateful for all the help and support from staff to make these house events and programmes happen, especially Mr Dennis. The men and women in blue are also a huge asset to the House programme for helping organise and set up all the different events, especially Sports Day. The biggest thank you is given to Mr Thomas, for all the endless work he has put into House programmes and Chichester House spirit. He has set the precedent for future House success through his continuous support. We are going to miss him very dearly.

Thank you and all the best for next year!! (Keira)

I am filled with only gratitude to every member of Cousteau. I have been blown away by the house’s enthusiasm, organisation and team spirit. I must reserve the biggest thank you to my KS3 house members, for sweeping me up at the finish line of the staff relay and joining me in victorious celebrations – as possible career highlight thus far. Being Head of House has allowed me to venture beyond the walls of D12 and beyond the bounds of capital cities and ox-bow lakes, and I have not being disappointed. I have had the pleasure of working with one quarter of the College’s students, watching them play the most magnificent musical pieces, run, swim, rugby, netball, catch, throw, sink hoops like the incredible athletes that they are and create incredible pieces of art, Covid masks and geo-squishes. What has allowed me to be able to watch and absorb the atmosphere is the amazing team of house year reps throughout the school, my support squad who have organised every team, ensuring we have maximum participation and positive spirit. So a huge thank you to Amani and Alina (Year 9), Alex, Stef and Katie (Year 10) and Uzayr and Ryiah (Year 11).

For the first time ever, the House programme has rotated year reps in Years 7 and 8, giving all students a chance to lead for one half term as part of the piloted Leadership Programme. Students have had the opportunity to captain teams in house competitions and organise sports day or swimming squads. 7FBA even challenged 7LSD to a mini dodge ball competition and booked out the sports hall to play; it was a joy to watch. Our youngest students have shown incredible initiative in leading their form groups and I look forward to watching their leadership skills develop throughout school and watching them grow into future house captains.

Finally, my House Captains. A team of superstars whose commitment and enthusiasm have not waivered once. They have been at every event, assembly, meeting and form time, rallying the team, ensuring fair competition and maximum participation. Their commitment, ideas, and overall sincerity has been fantastic. They have been my first team of house captains I have worked with at the College and they will be sincerely missed. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Dylan, Sanaa, Yazzie, Advey and Eloise.

Miss Rhianne Quigley Head of Cousteau House

A year has passed with many ups and downs for Cousteau. The first house assembly that was held for the first time in almost two years saw high spirits all around the auditorium, especially for our new head of house, Miss Quigley, without whom none of this would have been possible. This has been a truly memorable year for Cousteau, from year group house weeks to the long-awaited return of sports day, we witnessed unparalleled amounts of teamwork, excellence, organisation and, most importantly, participation.

Throughout the year, house weeks have been one of Cousteau’s biggest highlights. They have been a fantastic opportunity where each year group gets to unify as a House and rack up points as part of the house standings! We were lucky enough to be able to host a range of classroom activities as well as the chance to get active on the field! Some of our top activities included a mask decorating competition, where our artists got to hone into their creative skills, and show us how they visualised the Cousteau ethos. A particular highlight of this academic year was our online teacher ‘truth or lie’ quiz: Cousteau won in every year group! Aside from that, we cherished the opportunity to be able to get down and dirty on the field, with challenging activities such as blindfolded rope competitions, reaction net challenges, marshmallow tower building and even silent organisational tasks and many more! For many, especially our Year 7 and 8s, this was their first taster at a real house week, and their enthusiasm and drive was unparalleled; the teamwork that we saw left a mark *cue the blue face paint*! To add, House Netball and House Basketball were a success for multiple year groups in Cousteau! Overall, beyond weeks filled with fun and laughter, our house weeks showed us how well we can work as a team, and were a manifestation of all our Cousteau values and beliefs. Well done to you, Cousteau!

The house team would like to extend our thanks to the various departments throughout school who offer additional house events. Thank you to the PE Department, for the first time ever, house competitions have been integrated into year group games sessions which guarantees 100% participation. Thank you to the Music Department for starting the year with a bang and overseeing house music. A huge well done to all Cousteau semifinalists; Juniors: Natalie Maughan, Amelia Sinha, Raghav Jasuja and Rosemary Hutchings. Intermediates: Shady Abdallah, Jemima Barton and Mihir Kumar. Seniors: Tithira Wijayathilake, Amara Habib, Bianca Mirpuri and our very own house captain, Advay Chawla. Thank you to the drama department for hosting a show stopping house drama, a fantastic showcase of our top acting talent. Science for a chemical murder mystery and to Economics for our first ever House Stock Market Challenge!

With the incredible levels of reliability and resilience we’ve seen in the younger years, we truly believe our house is in good hands for the future. As a team we are certain our incumbents will rise to the challenge and continue the spirit and comradery now in place. We would like to thank Mr Dennis as well as the auxiliary staff who have ensured every single house event ran smoothly throughout the year. Most of all, we would like to extend our gratitude to Miss Quigley, whose ever-present enthusiasm inspired us all. It has been a pleasure serving the house and we wish you all the best next year, as we pass the batons onto some fresh faces!

Your House Captains,

Dylan Parekh, Yasmine Caraiscos, Advay Chawla, Eloise Stewart-Smith, and Sanaa Carimjee

One of the highlights of this year was the return of Sports Day! We would like to thank every member of Cousteau for their exceptional support and enthusiasm shown for the House. A special shout out to our individual event winners, and to the following representatives for breaking longstanding records:

Discus – 21.92m

300m – 50:97

800m – 2.25.56 1500m – 4.47.00

High Jump – 1.60m

200m – 26:05

800m – 2:46.00 1500m – 5:56.00

Shot put 13.00m

300m –50.38

(A shout out to another record breaker from our Senior Swimming Gala – well done to Tom Haigh (Year 12) for setting a new record of 26.51 seconds in the 50m freestyle.)

Going into the day as reigning champions, spirits were high. The blue face paint was also a hit. The wins just kept coming, as did the records. The staff relay was also well catered for, with the Quigleys, Mr Day and Ms Moore running incredible legs, and getting swarmed by the lower school at the end. We’d like to extend our gratitude and awe to those who took part in a relay. Competing in front of everyone takes courage, and we won almost all of them. Shame about the senior boys relay...