Spirited Competition Heralds House Points System
Borrowing bits of Barstow lore — and a nod to the four houses of Hogwarts — upper school students have started a spirited competition to build community and win end-of-year bragging rights.
The upper school house competition began as an idea during a summer pep club meeting with faculty member Carson Ferren. Now it has become a participation and spirit contest between ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades. Each grade is a "house," earning points for participating in selected activities, including attendance at athletic events, musicals, mixers and service projects and drives.
Each house will be represented with a shield that borrows imagery from the Barstow Knight and school heraldry dating back to the 1970s. The ninth grade banner will sport a gauntlet, the metal glove that is part of a knight's suit of armor. Tenth grade will be represented by a knight's helmet; eleventh grade by a sword, and the senior class image will be a lance and standard. The four symbols together represent one united Knight.
Each house will be represented with a shield that borrows imagery from the Barstow Knight and school heraldry dating back to the 1970s. The ninth grade banner will sport a gauntlet, the metal glove that is part of a knight's suit of armor. Tenth grade will be represented by a knight's helmet; eleventh grade by a sword, and the senior class image will be a lance and standard. The four symbols together represent one united Knight.
This initiative encourages not only participation in extracurricular and school-sponsored events, but also camaraderie among students across different grades. Middle & Upper School Dean of Student Services David Muhammad is enthusiastic about the house system as a way to grow community, connection and school spirit.
“We've already given points for attending soccer games, volleyball and the mixer. And we have the Monday Meeting Challenge like the tug-of-war and the Kahoot game. Classes are earning points and they seem pretty excited about it."
“We've already given points for attending soccer games, volleyball and the mixer. And we have the Monday Meeting Challenge like the tug-of-war and the Kahoot game. Classes are earning points and they seem pretty excited about it."
Muhammad says the competition will continue into March, and the winning class will enjoy a celebration that's still in the planning stages.
-
-
Monday Meeting Challenges, like this recent tug-of-war contest among grades, count for points in the house system.
-
Attendance at athletic events, along with enthusiastic cheering for the Knights, earns points. Other activities include musicals, mixers and participation in service projects or drives.
-
Each grade level will compete under their banner with Knights imagery, inspired by this 1970s-era shield. The Latin phrase translates to "Knowledge and Wisdom."
-
