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Junior Girls Honor Seniors With Brunch

11/23/2016

The energetic and music-filled tradition known as Brunch unfolded on the Oates Theater stage this morning with Collegiate School junior girls “saving” the holiday for the senior girls, amid the cheers (and supportive screams) of 5th-10th Grade girls.

This year’s theme was “Toy Story,” and the junior girls danced and sang their way through parodies of popular artists and songs, including “Sweet Dreams” by Beyonce, “Pon de Replay” by Rihanna and “Salute” by Fifth Harmony. As in years past, the group of characters searched for the stolen senior girls’presents, ultimately finding them at St. Catherine’s School.

“Brunch is a chance for Collegiate girls to get together and celebrate one another,” said Collegiate dance teacher Kara Priddy, who along with theater set design and construction coordinator Zach Townsend, help guide the juniors with the production every year. “It really is a bonding experience, especially for the junior girls who have to work together toward one goal.”

Brunch is a long-standing School tradition that began as a healthy meal during the holiday seasonfor students at the Collegiate School for Girls in the 1940s, but is now a full-fledged holiday musical production. Junior girls develop and perform Brunch in honor of senior girls, and invite other girls in Middle and Upper School, and their respective teachers, to attend.

The morning began with girls gathering in the halls of Middle and Upper Schools and donning tinsel halos as they awaited the juniors, who escorted them to Oates. The seniors wore fleece PJs and made a tunnel outside Reed-Gumenick Library for all to run through.

Once all were seated, the 5th Grade girls presented the traditional holiday song "The 12 Days of Christmas" and then the secret theme was revealed. The morning’s production ended with sentimental songs that had both juniors and seniors (and many faculty and senior parents) in tears. All parted with hugs and smiles from Oates before noon, feeling thankful for Collegiate and ready for Thanksgiving.

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