Upper School House System
What is a House System?
The House system is designed to encourage and facilitate school community, and to motivate and move students into selfless service. We want our students to be wise, thoughtful, virtuous, and, as a House member, a contributing member of our school community. We believe quality is a way of life and the House system is a means to accomplish this.
Students are placed into one of four Houses for the tenure of their upper school years. Each House is named after one of the four Patron Saints of the British Isles: St. Andrew, St. David, St. George, and St. Patrick. The Houses are student led and facilitated by a faculty advisor for counsel and supervision at social and service events. House officers must apply and be selected each year by the faculty for the following positions: Head of House, Minister of Culture, Minister of War, and Scribe.
At the start of school, we host a two-day retreat during which all new students are sorted into Houses, where they are welcomed and quickly included by current members. The retreat is a time of team building, adventure, friendship, and competition.
House meetings are held monthly during the school year for planning and organizational purposes. At meetings, the student leaders of each house lead the meeting, maintaining order and focus as they guide students to generate ideas for service and social events, coordinate service within the school (such as after-school cleaning), and focus the students’ attention on happenings within the life of the school.
Throughout the year the Houses compete for the coveted House Cup. Points are awarded for service projects, academic achievement, hosting social events, victory in competitive events such as the retreat and Olympic Day, and individual members’ participation in school extracurriculars. Houses serve the school by cleaning after lunch and school and serve the community by volunteering with local ministry and/or community service organizations. Serving and competing together builds a strong student body through strong relationships within Houses and across grades.
