Headlines By James Saunders 23rd October 2020
Half term is here, well done for making the journey this far As we enter half term I would like to thank our whole community for their support over the last eight weeks. We have all endured a lot of change over this time but have done so with little fuss or fan fair. Everyone has got on with the business of school. It has been encouraging to hear such warm feedback from families who have visited us over the last three weeks. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Families have commented on how calm everything is and how purposeful our classes are. Whilst it might all seem normal we are still very conscious that we are deep into a pandemic and things may get worse before they get better. I am pleased that we have not had to respond to any positive cases yet. I am aware that this is almost inevitable but I like to think that as a community we are all doing our best to remain safe and to keep our community safe. We are rapidly becoming one of the few schools to not have a positive case yet. As long as we remain cautious both in and out of school there is no reason we can’t continue this way. We truly are in it together now and all our actions contribute to the greater system and help us to keep our school running smoothly. I thank you for the way you have all conducted yourself and the empathetic approach that you have used when communicating with the school. The staff at Honywood are grateful. I have tried not to be too overly political over the last 6 months (although I am sure my frustrations have spilt out), however, this week 322 MPs voted against providing Free School Meals to families over the half term break. On this count I side firmly with Marcus Rashford. Therefore we will be providing free school meals to our learners on the FSM register over the half term period. We will not get any funding for this, however, it is the right thing to do given the bleak economic situation that so many families are facing. Yesterday we created a Go Fund Me page and have asked our community if they would like to support us.
What I was not prepared for was the positivity that came our way. I sat in my office with a tear in my eye, when after less than one hour of sending this out to our community we had already received £900 in donations. By bedtime we hit £2000. This will mean that we can fund all our FSM families over the half term break - vouchers will be emailed out to families. What yesterday highlighted to me is that there is still kindness, empathy and compassion in the world. At a time where things are difficult, people have not lost sight of what is important. We get caught up in the controversy and histrionics that the media presents and can be forgiven for thinking that they accurately portray how everyone is feeling. It is clear to me that in our Honywood community our values go beyond the school walls. Take heart to this positivity as we enter the half term break. It is a joy to serve this community.
I wish you all a restful half term break. James Saunders Brilliant Club Launch We had the launch of our newest cohort of Brilliant Club learners this week. A group of C9 and C10 learners met their PhD tutor, Solange. They have had their first university style seminar on the topic of architecture, interior design and feminism. Learners will meet with Solange for a weekly seminar over the next half term. The programme will culminate in all learners submitting a piece of academic writing that will be assessed at university level. We have had a significant number of learners complete this programme now; it is clearly having a positive impact on their approach to their own study and independence as a learner. What are you reading? What are you reading currently? Fact or fiction? I am just finishing 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos and will then be onto Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy. It’s clear I am firmly in the non-fiction camp. Contd...
Headlines contd... It is so easy for reading for pleasure to become a lost art. With so much to distract us we could be forgiven for being seduced into seeking alternatives to reading. Television, internet, youtube and phones; each one offers an easily accessible passive experience where we don’t need to do much thinking or use our brains. However, reading is what feeds the mind and fuels the soul. It keeps us curious; it shapes our values; it deepens our understanding, and helps us to create meaning in our world. Reading creates great conversationalists.
To not read is to deprive oneself of the opportunity to enrich one’s life. Carrying a good book around so that any spare moment can be seized upon to read is great practice. Bringing a book to school for quiet reading in LS5 or whenever the moment presents itself is something we should all embrace. We are currently focusing on literacy within our LS5 programme and would love to see all our learners embracing the positives of reading.
Thank you to everyone who donated to our “Go Fund Me” page to support FSM families in the half term holiday.
Face covering update - more of the same There was little implication for us as a school when we went into tier two lockdown last week. One of the reasons we did not need to adapt and respond to this change was that we had already anticipated what was to come regarding our approach to face coverings. Many schools have now had to implement policies regarding the use of face coverings. We had already implemented face coverings in corridors and communal indoor spaces approach and I am pleased to see that learners and families are supporting this. It really is about respecting each other and I am thankful that our community have embraced this change so readily. This will also help them when they are out in society where face coverings are becoming a necessity. Having a face covering is becoming as essential as keys and a phone - don’t leave home without them. I have lost count of the number of times I have left for school and had to turn around because I forgot my face covering. I now keep spares in my car. Thanks to our tour guides this week who met with Year 6 families: Beth Chapman, Kala Dunne, Rose Forster, and Safia Tafajoul from C10.
Congratulations to Finley Basford in C8 who has been awarded the Jack Petchey award for October. Finley had to go the extra mile to support his sister through some real difficulties during lockdown. He continues to face adversity on his return to school but has been trying really hard to keep up with his school work. Finley comes in to school with a positive mindset everyday demonstrating exceptional resilience.
Alternative Tie Day Thursday 12th November We are fund raising to support a parent in our school community who requires urgent treatment in the USA for a Thoracic Sarcoma. Our Lead Learners are launching this event through LS5 this coming week.
Dates for the diary Monday 26th October
Half term
Monday 2nd November
Return to school C11 mocks week 3
Monday 9th November
C11 mock practicals
You can wear an alternative tie and donate £1.00
Thursday 12th November
Alternative Tie Day fundraiser
You can choose to wear no tie for the day and donate £1.00
Friday 13th November
Non learner day, staff only in school
Tuesday 17th November
Mop up school photos
Friday 11th December
Christmas Jumper Day for Save the children
Thursday 17th December
C11 Mock results day
Friday 18th December
Last day of Autumn Term
Monday 21st December to Monday 4th January 2021
Christmas break
You could do neither and donate if you wish!
Learners will be asked to bring £1.00 cash in on the day, this is not available through Parentpay. House points will be awarded to every learner who takes part and there will be prizes for the best “alternative tie”. The House that raises the most money will result in every learner in the
Reminder to C7 families Please return the permission slip for the visit to Marks Hall for your child and the photo consent form. Thankyou!
Reminder to families: Please use the App where you can access the online portal to view, update or amend your child's contacts/medical details etc when needed. You can also access your child's timetable and the school calendar. This information is necessary when organising trips and visits so any changes, please update as soon as possible. If you have not downloaded the app, please note all changes to your child’s information ie. Address, photo permission must be submitted in writing to the school office.
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We are now receiving nominations for the November Jack Petchey award. If you know of a learner that deserves to be nominated for this award, please email Mrs Frogley cfrogley@honywoodschool.com with the learners name and reason why you believe they should receive the award. If you would like more information on the criteria, visit the Jack Petchey website: https://www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk/ opportunities/grant-programmes/achievement-awards/
Parents’ Time Members of the Leadership Team will be available to see parents without appointment: Monday
7:15am—8:00am
Wednesday
3.00pm—3.45pm
Friday
7.15am—8.00am
Tours for current and prospective parents are available on Wednesdays , 9:15am—10:15am.