Inside King's-Edgehill School

Last week, the Headmaster mentioned in his opening words, that I often say that I have the best gig going. It’s very true and, in fact, most days I don’t see it as a ‘job’ at all; I see it as an adventure that I get to share with a lot of like-minded and creative people. Having said that, I am proud to introduce the most recent jazz quartet to the King’s-Edgehill School music programme, jEBB. This group is co-founded by senior students Che Lim (Bryan) Li (piano), Benjamin Lohr (bass), and Grade 11 student, Ella Brown (trumpet): they’re the EBB of jEBB. They wanted someone to keep a simple beat behind their Miles Davis rendition of Bye Bye Blackbird; thus, they asked me to stand in: I’m the j in jEBB. For the record, the letters didn’t go together well enough to make up a better band name. I was adamant that I should not have lead billing in the band name but so be it, that’s how the letters fell into place; therefore, I insisted that the j has to be small case. Of course, I was delighted to do what I could to support these three terrific musicians. Be it known, that Bryan’sjazz piano style is harmonically rich and mature, with solos that will catch the attention of every jazz aficionado. Ben’s bass lines are rhythmically solid with just a touch of push in all the right places. And few can play the transcribed trumpet solo of Miles Davis like Ella. I just tagged on for the ride (I’m not a ‘real drummer’, you know) and hoped for the best not to screw up. Bryan set up the tune with a sultry piano prelude and then kicked the group in with a contagious swing intro. We enjoyed playing for the audience but, the truth is, we just enjoy playing. I trust you will witness that as you watch this week’s music clip.

February 12 dawned sunny and bright. The snowy campus of King’s-Edgehill School was ready to receive the participants for the annual Cadet Winter Carnival. The cadets had to step high to get over the unyielding snowbanks…..BEEP….BEEP….BEEP. Wake up Captain Hynes, you are dreaming! 

Let us start again. February 12 dawned sunny and bright with not a trace of snow on our KES campus. Undaunted, the cadets of the 254 formed up by flat and house combinations ready to compete in the annual Cadet Winter Carnival. Once again, we proved that the weather is not an obstacle to a plan. It simply provides the Cadet Leadership with an opportunity to innovate.

Under the supervision of our Drill Sergeant Major, MWO Lane Latreille and the amazing organizational ability of our Headquarters CQMS, WO Ava Benedict, the event was a success from the start.

The Toboggan Race on Grass was excellent. One cadet sat on and two more towed the toboggan through the course. The Senior Day Boys exploded out of this event with a timing of 24 seconds. Obviously, the video of their preparation was not all CGI. 

The Snowshoe Race was run on hard-packed sediment on the track around Jakeman Field. A superb level of fitness was displayed in this event.
This year, we mixed up the competition by having the Warrant Officers organize each event. They were great! They planned well and really impressed the Faculty with their level of preparation. Above all, they had to remain impartial. I will never forget the look of pure joy on the face of the judge, WO Alex Arki (a Senior Day Boy), when he leaped into the air as he announced the time for SDB in lighting their fire. 

And then the event came to its inevitable conclusion. Once again victorious, the Senior Day Girls mounted the podium and accepted the 2019 trophy as the Carnival winners. The Senior Day Boys, gracious in defeat, stood at the dinner and gave an eloquent standing ovation to the ladies.

What a great day and fun for all. Next year, SNOW!

It was a great wintry day on Monday, the sun was shining and the air was crisp, a wonderful day for our Junior School Snow Sports Day. The cold wind chill temperatures did not interfere with our fun, as everyone was dressed for the weather and excited to be on the slopes of Ski Martock. For the novice or the more experienced, there was fun for everyone. For some, it was the first time ever to step into a pair of skis or strap on a snowboard. For some of our Grade 7 students - Tanvi Manchineni and Nikhita Kolla - this was the case, and the sense of accomplishment was written all over their faces. Even Mr. Campbell’s five-year-old son, Lachlan, mastered the basics during his day on the hill. The memories will remain for years. For the more seasoned winter athletes, the jumps and rails provided the perfect challenge. After a few runs, everyone enjoyed the warmth of the lodge and the shared laughter of friends. And now, our local and international students understand first-hand what it means to enjoy a Canadian Beaver Tail! What a terrific way to kick off our 2019 Spirit Week.

The first Western Region Ski Race took place on Wednesday, February 6 at Ski Martock. KES had a cohort of 19 racers! Here are the notable placings for our KES team.

Senior Boys Individual Placings:
2^nd – Nick Cheverie
4^th – Finn Basser
5^th – Mathew Boutilier-McFarlane

Senior Girls Individual Placings:
1^st – Katie Goddard
2^nd – Elizabeth Walsh
5^th – Laura Gillis

Intermediate Boys Individual Placings:
2^nd – Mitchell Larkin
4^th – Alden Mulherin

Intermediate Girls Individual Placings:
3^rd – Svenja Priggemeyer
5^th – Sarah Sidorchuk

Junior Boys Individual Placings:
2^nd – Eric Sweetapple

Team Placings:
1^st Senior Boys – Nick, Finn, Mathew, and Rodolfo Gonzalez
1^st Senior Girls – Katie, Elizabeth, Laura, and Joanna Bond
1^st Intermediate Boys – Mitchell, Alden, Yunjin (Kevin Bai), Simon Peschke, and Freek Schep
1^st Intermediate Girls – Svenja, Sarah, and Zhi (Angel) Li

On February 6th, 11 students and 2 chaperones packed their bags and headed to Orlando, Florida for five days to attend the Sports and Entertainment Marketing Conference hosted by DECA. DECA is a not-for-profit organization which helps to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in high schools and colleges around the globe for the world of marketing, finance, hospitality and management. It was a unique opportunity for our students as they had the chance to listen to guest speakers as they addressed and discussed many areas of business.

The Grade 9 Junior Boys’ Basketball Team recently had just that experience as they toured the late singer’s beloved Canso Region for games versus local teams. The light shone bright as we left town. 

Our team picked up a few Grade 10 players in order to be competitive with the junior varsity high school teams they played against in Canso and Guysborough. Our boys lost by 13 and 5 points respectively in hard fought games. Yuk Kan (Lucas) Tam led the team in scoring with solid support from Justin Day and Yi (Edward) Chang. Kun (Ken) Lee and Kyle Clanachan were very strong on defence and rebounded many balls cleanly off the glass. 

We also toured St. Francis Xavier University, in Antigonish, as a trip to northern Nova Scotia demands a stop to tour one of the many university options students will have after their KES years. 

Our team will complete their season with several more local games and the closing Hoopla Tournament in our own gymnasium on February 28^th.