Guys and Dolls, 2020
The Brookfield stage was recently illuminated by the annual show - this year being “Guys and Dolls,” and in all honesty, I loved it (a bushel and a peck.)
As always, the performing arts department presented a theatrical delight, following several months of hard work and long nights rehearsing. From comedic moments peppered throughout the show to tear-jerking songs, “Guys and Dolls” was yet another spectacular performance and an asset to the school. With its vibrant mix of New York gangsters, unlikely romances, and salsa dancing which transported the audience into the middle of Havana, the show this year was definitely one of a kind. The several students and teachers and anyone involved in the show, whether it be with the incredible set, music or tech, once again put together a musical comparable to that of a West End production, receiving an abundance of praise, and even selling out for the Saturday night.
Text: Victoria Ruck
An Eco Friendly School
The Environmental Group is constantly trying to raise awareness within the school and members are not afraid to get their hands dirty for a good cause. This group of students actively removed recyclable materials from the classroom and ensured that they were correctly disposed of - just one of the steps that the students are taking to enable recycling within the school.
They also organised a bake sale that raised money to fund recycling bins that would be distributed in classrooms. On top of this, members of the group have been holding assemblies during Environmental Week to raise awareness of the pressing issue of Climate change: a vegetarian day was held to demonstrate that cutting back on eating meat was possible.
The current goal of the Environmental Group is to implement measures that encourage students at Brookfield to think about the impact of climate change, that therefore promote recycling and make the school more eco-friendly.
Text: Amelia Hardwick
Lesotho Race Night
As part of the school’s fund-raising for the Lesotho project and its host charity Africa’s Gift, a race-night was held in February, the perfect prelude to Valentine’s Day. Tables representing staff groups enjoyed an evening of race-related fun, with owners and jockeys for horses in ten races having been arranged in advance.
“We entertained guests from the Brookfield community such as teachers, the BPFA and other people who bought tickets,” said Year 12 student, Sam Whitehead, who helped at the event.
The race night was held in the main hall and students including Sam helped the people make bets and ran bets to the main table.
“There was a simulated horse race that people bet on and if they won they would earn a share of 50% of the winner’s pot,” he added.
Stone-baked pizza was made available for guests, with local independent company Pizza Pi being very charitable: “They cooked pizza for everyone and donated all their proceeds to the charity.”
“It went very well, everyone enjoyed it, there was a lot of shouting and everyone was getting involved, the total take on the night was somewhere around £1700 I believe.” All the money raised will go to Africa’s Gift and to support projects for sustainable living in Lesotho, including the use of “Wonderbags” which help to reduce waste of heat, fuel and resources in cooking.
Text: Journalism Group
Student Roles in Mock Trials
The school is celebrating after 13 students took part in a regional competition in March, at South Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court in Derby’s historic Courthouse.
The Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial Competition is a national active learning project organised by The Citizenship Foundation, an independent charity which helps young people to engage with their community through education.
The Competition involved a team of students taking on the roles of magistrates, lawyers, witnesses and court staff to prepare a specially written case. Schools compete against each other in a live format at a real magistrates’ court. The team, comprising Year 8 and Year 9 students, rehearsed over a number of months, supported by local magistrates and members of the legal profession. The competition was tough, with the Brookfield team enjoying the day but not able to pip the winners to progress to the next round.
One of the magistrates, John-Charles Tanner JP, said “What a privilege and pleasure it was for us to work with your students. We understand from the adjudicators that there was very little to choose between the four runners up.”
Hope remains in the shape of the Year 8 Court Artists and Reporters who will now submit their entries to their respective competitions, based on images and events in the court proceedings.
Text: Nick Davey
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