Rubens House Autumn Blog
12 October 2022 - Rubens
Looking Back at Our First Half Term
Rubens have had a brilliant start to the new Autumn term. In our first house order of the new academic year, we introduced the team to the new Head of House, Laila and Deputy Head of House, Emily. Laila and Emily will work closely together as leaders and organise lots of fun events for the girls this year. Alongside the rest of the Sixth Form, Laila and Emily will be the most prominent role models in our boarding family and embody the values of Rubens house: passion; kindness and fearlessness. Laila and Emily have organised some wonderful activities in house already which have focused on getting to know our newest recruits in the LIV, UIV, LV and LVI. The newest members of our pink house have settled in quickly to the pace of school life and the sisterhood of the pink palace, Rubens.
The start of a new academic year reminds us how far we have come and how much fun we had in the final week of the Summer term. We took the whole house to see Grease the Musical. The production was brilliant, and the girls found it hilarious seeing the Rubens staff get very excited by the cameos from Peter Andre and Jason Donovan.
Arguably the biggest event for the house in the first half of the Autumn is the U4 house dance competition. The U4 worked tirelessly to put together a contemporary dance routine to the Backstreet Boys. The girls included a narrative of rival groups and made creative use of the hot pink house high viz vests to great effect. Although the girls did not place in the top 3 for their 90s routine, we are very proud of their teamwork and passion.
Laila, Head of House: One of my favourite things about Rubens is the joyful community created by each member. Even after a tiring day of lessons, the entire house will still come together to create a lively atmosphere, if it is simply having a hot chocolate or baking some goodies. A large upside from being head of house is having the opportunity to help contribute to these activities that may seem small but certainly make a large difference in connecting the house. Recently, I have especially enjoyed simply helping with the bedtime routine as I believe it’s a great time to talk to each member of the house and show that we are all there for each other.
Emily, Deputy Head of House: “Percy pig”, “underfloor heating” and “the best dogs” are phrases that may crop up when playing word association with the starter word of “Rubens”. But more often, you’ll hear us being described as a “family”, and “such a warm, pink environment”. It’s what I love about Rubens – it’s the people, it’s the teachers, it’s the open and friendly vibe that just engulfs the whole place. Rubens has genuinely become a home away from home for all of us, thanks to the incredible house staff who knit our community together.
Without them, I’m certain that my transition into Sixth Form would not have been this smooth. The unfaltering pastoral support, especially from Mrs Thomas, Mrs Cox and Mrs Pearce, our matrons, has led a lot of our house (including myself) through the stomach bugs and colds typical of the Autumn Term. Both Miss Hoyle and Miss Rowley deserve special mentions for helping us step into our roles of responsibility, guiding us through our first experiences of A-levels, and just being brilliant as per usual. And, of course, Mrs Compton’s consistent optimism and willingness to set time aside for us has made me appreciate having such a fantastic tutor. I’m really looking forward to what this year has in store, and I know it’ll be that much easier with so much support by my side.
