One of the greatest challenges faced during lockdown has been to retain a sense of community, and it was for the maintenance of that important bond, which we as staff, students (past and present), and parents share at KES, that this newsletter was created. In a fitting display of KES fortitude, our classes have continued – as have other smaller communities within Forms and societies – but the pause in the House competition has been conspicuous in its absence. It is therefore with great excitement and expectation that I reveal the first (and possibly last) Lockdown House Competition, which all students regardless of year group can participate in.
Next week, starting on Monday 22 June and running until Friday 26 at 3.30pm, we will be holding a House Virtual Race Across Europe. Each member of the House is invited to contribute to see which House can escape the farthest into Europe this summer. For example, if each member of the House were to contribute a meagre two miles during the week, the said House would reach Calais. The combined effort of a House with members travelling 12 miles each would see a House coast through Vienna, whilst a particularly active House travelling 22 miles each during a week would achieve the remarkable feat of reaching Istanbul!
There are many different ways to clock up the miles, so every member of each House can get involved. Walk, Run or Cycle as far as you like and as often as you are able over the five days. Simply record your distance (apps such as Strava, Nike Fitness, Map my Run and Garmin are freely available to download for mobile devices), take a photo or screenshot and send it via email to: capj@kes.org.uk along with your name, Form and House.
There will be daily updates in the Co-Curricular Bulletin during the week to share how far each House has travelled, with the final results published in the last week of term. The victors will retain bragging rights until at least September, and maybe, just maybe, the history books will record that Vardy won the one and only remote House competition to ever be held at King Edward’s School.
