Primary Learning Day Page 5

Page 4

Issue 621 - 9th March 2018

www.honywoodschool.com | Tel : 01376 561231

“The spring wakes us, nurtures us and revitalizes us. How often does your spring come? If you are a prisoner of the calendar, it comes once a year. If you are creating authentic power, it comes frequently, or very frequently.” Gary Zukav

Spring is not quite here but with the passing of the snow given to us by the Beast from the East and the warming temperatures this week, it is on the horizon. With flowers blooming, spring can be a time for new beginnings. If you were to start a new beginning next week, what would that look like? I would like you to consider this by reflecting on the question below and the subsequent thoughts I have shared.

What is the purpose of school?

There are roughly 1000 of you who attend Honywood and I wonder how much variation your responses to the question above would demonstrate. Add to that the 1000 sets of parents or guardians and over 100 members of staff that work at the school, it would be reasonable to expect that there would be an even greater range or variation of visions, principles or philosophies demonstrated about what school or education should offer.

It would surprise me if most of you did not consider some form of academic success in your response. Academic success seems to be a commonly accepted outcome of attending school. I would be interested to know how many of you included this academic success alongside the idea of becoming a well-rounded individual or even becoming the best version of yourself in regards to growth of character, development of life skills, acquisition of emotional intelligence or the prospect of becoming a more constructive decision maker or an ideal similar to those just mentioned.

One statement on our school website reads, ‘Young people at our school can expect the most challenging learning experiences. We expect our learners to

become independent, mature and empowered, able to make excellent decisions about the lives they lead whilst at our school, as well as learning how to be happy and successful in the lives they will lead on leaving us.’

The two words in bold most simply capture what I believe the purpose of school should be for all young people. I challenge all of you who currently attend Honywood to reflect on what happiness and success looks like to you in your lives now and into the future. What is your opinion on the statement as a whole? Is this what you prepare yourself for each day you attend school? You attend school for 190 out of 365 days of the year, and if you have a strong sense of purpose of why you attend school, you are likely to generate a strong point of reference for each decision you make in every moment of every day. Do the choices you make give you the best chance of gaining happiness and success? Are the decisions you make positively affecting your lives now and also for the future? Are your decisions formed around your desire to study and succeed?

Mr White wrote about the notion of study extensively in last week’s gazette. After reading Mr White’s content about study, particularly how to self-quiz etc, how did you respond? What decisions did you make in response to the detailed ideas outlined by Mr White? Have you responded by enhancing your approach to study or even changing your approach to learning? Do you believe that engaging in study, self-quizzing etc more rigorously would enhance your chance of achieving happiness and success? After reading the research shared by Mr White I think you would find it hard to argue that you do not believe that. If you have not yet responded, is next week a good time for you to enter a new beginning, ‘bloom’ into a new you, a new approach, a more studious version of yourself that regularly uses flash cards to self-quiz? A new version of yourself that produces a more knowledgeable subject organiser with the purpose of gaining further happiness and success.

Throughout this week, in my role as acting Headteacher, I have found myself constantly reflecting on what I believe the ‘purpose’ of school is. This has influenced every decision I have made,

HeadlinesBy Acting Head Nathan Rawlings

HeadlinesBy Acting Head Nathan Rawlings

whether it was in response to a learner’s poor choice, or an exceptional approach to learning by a youngster, or by providing advice for colleagues that were managing difficult situations or whilst I was communicating with a parent.

For all learners, an exercise I encourage you all to complete next week is to reflect on the choices you intend to make as the week progresses. Understanding what has influenced you leading up to those decisions will help you to identify what you believe the purpose of school is and how your choices can impact on your individual happiness and success.

You may want to open this conversation up with your parents or carers. Do you agree with each other about the purpose of school, and therefore the choices you have made? For those of you who are parents or carers, how often do you engage in this debate with the youngsters? What opportunities have you taken to help them generate a positive belief of the purpose of school so they make good choices?

If any learners feel unsure about the purpose of school or education, or feel that you may benefit from having a stronger sense of what happiness or success could look like for you personally, or if you have further thoughts about our vision, please contact me via e-mail. We can then arrange a suitable time to meet and discuss your thoughts.

Primary Learning days

We were delighted to welcome Year 5 learners from Chappel, Colne Engaine, Copford, Feering, Great Tey, Lyons Hall, Rivenhall, Soaring High, Stisted, St Andrew’s, St Margaret’s and St Peter’s Primary Schools to take part in our Expressive Arts Primary Learning Day. During the day, they were offered the opportunity to take part in workshops in Drama, Dance, Art and Music. One of the features in the primary learning days we facilitated this week was the notion of being collaborative.

CollaborativeReady to work with others purposefully to achieve a common goal

• Be tolerant of others• Understand the dynamics of groups and teams• Give something back

One decision the C5 learners had to make was what subject workshop session they would choose to attend. Groups were made up of approximately 20 learners and the workshops would need to have an evening distributed attendance. What would happen if ten out of the twenty wanted to attend the drama

workshop and only one out of twenty wanted to attend the dance workshop? In one group a similar scenario occurred and the learners were required to compromise their own feelings for the common goal of the group. Volunteers demonstrated that they understood the dynamic of the group and could see some were more anxious about compromising their first choice so they sacrificed their own first choice instead. A very mature response, I thought, with some very strong empathy being demonstrated.

During the second session the youngsters were in their groups working on either Drama, Art, Dance or Music. It is fantastic to see them working with youngsters from different schools and challenging themselves with new skills. In Art, they were designing their own marketing materials for their band - t-shirts, key rings and posters. In Drama, they were trying out different characters using the “School of Rock” for inspiration. In Dance the groups were working on a performance piece for their band and in Music, the youngsters were learning new instruments and developing a unique sound for their band.

The overall challenge was to eventually put on a showcase at the end of the day, to parent/carers demonstrating the expressive arts skills, knowledge and understanding they had developed as well as collaborating effectively to put on a group performance.

Staffing update

Tracey Groves will be leaving Honywood to take up a Second in Maths role at Maltings Academy. 9TGr will be in need of a replacement learning group leader and we are pleased to announce that when we return after Easter, Sharon Palmer will take on that role and the group will become 9SPl.

Hannah Barry will be commencing maternity leave after the Easter break so we will have a similar need for 11HBy/to be supported by another colleague. Sarah Woolley will join Vicky Sparrow as a joint LGL. The group will be renamed 11SWo/VSp.

Learner Thanks

To the following C10 learners for supporting the two Primary Learning days this week; Skye Dickins (10HTr), George Gullick (10OCi), Olivia Hodgetts (10MWo), Abigail Lee (10KHo), Sarah Moore (10KHo), Michael Wilkinson (10ATo), Lily Vickers (10MWo), Ben Carter (10MWo), Maryann Cooke (10NPo), Ian Morley (10MGr), Tori Ramsey (10HBr), Lara Stevens (10MRa), Ava Coughlan (10NPo), Lizzie Grinter (10MRa), Emma Jordan (10MWo), Felicity Kendall (10HTr), Emily Reeve (10KHo), James Smith

(10MRa), Faye Tate (10NPo), Oz Harvey (10MGr), Peach Kampatan (10MRa), James Korniej (10KHo), Georgie Meyer-Hek (10OCi), Mia Stimson (10MRa) Ellie Trout (10HTr), Chloe Angell (10MGr), Lucy Bovington (10OCi), Josh Cave (10MGr), James Clayton (10OCi), Joe Grant (10MGr), Jack Myhill (10MWo), Charlie Shortall (10NPo), Travis Whittle (10MGr) and Poppy Lord (9LBr).

To the following C9 learners for supporting the two Primary Learning days this week, specifically in regards to music; Louis Morton (9SLo), Anna Collins (9SLo), Arthur Thain (9TGi), Poppy Lord (9LBr), Megan Stoney (9JWi), Alfie Wells (9TGi), Tilly Staines (9AMc), Scarlettt Rose (9CHa), Jake Hutton (9AMc), Gabriella Kemball (9TGr), Brodie Welton (9SLo), Will Coode-Robins (9AMc), Tyler Emery (9KCo), Braeden Lazurus (9TGr) Fraser McLaughlan (9TGr) and Caterina Taylor (9CHa).

To the following learners for planning and leading the training session on Learner Voice with the trainee teachers; Connie Sarti (10HTr), Maryann Cooke (10NPo), Imogen Pearey (10HBr) and Georgia Meyer-Hek (10OCi).

To the following learners for supporting Primary visitors on Friday; Grace Divine (7AGi), Dan Jones (7JLa), Layla Al Riyami (7RPh), Alex Banyard (RPh) Shannon Grealis (10OCi), Rhiannon Ellis (10KHo), James Smith (10MRa), Maryann Cooke (10NPo) and Emmanuel Kemball (10MGr) Jorja Scales (10HBr) Luke Evans (8AIs), Daisy Donnelly (8AIs), Emily De Silve (8APr), Jude Battersby (8APr), Thomas Chard (8DCa), Hannah Pyatt (8KGu) and Radvilas Venkus (8KAr).

To the following learners for showing visitors around our school on Friday; Jake Fookes (8APr), Erin Hill (8KAr), Charlotte Lightly (8KAr), Molly Mead (8AIs), Louis Medlock (8KAr), Grace Morris (8APr), Toby Roberts (8AIs), Hope Rogers (8KGu), Poppy Thacker (8KAr), James Wilson (8KGu), Max Wooldridge (8KGu), Niels Wright (8EPe), Zac Steel (8KGu) and Daniel Dance (8KGu).

Parents’ TimeMembers of the Leadership Team will

be available to see parents without appointment:

Monday 9.00am—9.45amTuesday 7.15am—8.00am

Wednesday 3.00pm—3.45pmThursday 5.00pm—6.00pm

Friday 7.15am—8.00am

On Tuesday 6th and Thursday 8th March we welcomed over 200 Year 5 learners to Honywood from Chappel, Colne Engaine, Copford, Feering, Great Tey, Lyons Hall, Rivenhall, Soaring High, Stisted, St Andrew’s, St Margaret’s and St Peter’s Primary Schools.

The children were treated to a day of Expressive Arts, based around the theme of School of Rock and were offered a choice based learning experience, similar to the learning experienced by learners at Honywood. Year 5’s picked from Art, Dance, Drama and Music for a workshop session, superbly supported by our new Cohort 10 Ambassadors and a number of our Cohort 9 GCSE Music learners and then took what they had learnt back to their base groups to create a Showcase for parents to visit at the end of the day.

The Year 5 children were superb, engaging positively in the learning and were a credit to their primary schools. As ever, the Honywood learners involved in the day, demonstrated what fantastic young people they are, supporting and guiding the younger learners throughout the day. Thank you to the Expressive Arts team, Honywood staff and Primary staff for supporting the day.

Primary Learning Day

PRI

MARY

LEARNING

DAY

What’s happening in school on Tuesday 6th and Thursday 8th March 2018We are delighted to have run our Primary Learning Days this week with Year 5 learners from a range of schools including St Andrews, Copford, Soaring High, Feering and Great Tey. Wonderful to see their excited faces as they took part in the Dance, Drama, Music and Art workshops.

What's happening in school on Thursday 8th March 2018C7 were in Design and Technology where their ignition session was to launch their pencil case project. Researching shapes, styles and designs of pencil cases; looking at inspiration in colours from graffiti. Looking forward to seeing their final designs!

What's happening in school on Monday 5th March 2018Cohort 8 were in Science experimenting with rates of reaction: acid and calcium carbonate!

Take a look at our Facebook Page

What’s Happening in School (a ‘Snapshot’ of Learning @ Honywood each day)

Subject Teams on Twitter

Follow our Subject Teams on Twitter to see Learning in Action

Big Bang Fair held by the School of Sciences at the University of Essex on

Tuesday 27th March 2018, 9.30am - 2.30pm

This FREE interactive science fair offers a Headline Show ‘Cracking the Code: The Genetics of Superheroes, an interactive marketplace and two exciting workshops for any of you interested in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects (this was good fun last year!)

We can only take 30 learners so if you are interested, please collect a permission slip from me, Mrs Wiggins (office opposite HU1). The deadline for the return of this slip is Wednesday 14th March 2018 and places will be allocated by random selection after that date.

This trip is always oversubscribed so DON’T MISS OUT

Enterprise & SolutionsMLCs this week are available to C7 learners that would like help working through the final stages of their ‘product design’ challenge. Sessions will also be available for C8s that would like to go over how the stock market works and how companies can benefit from allowing people to buy shares in their business.

Business StudiesMLCs this week will be focused on the ‘Business in the Real World’ for the C9s, with the main focus on the methods of expanding a business and on ‘Case Study 2’. Sessions will also be available for C10s who would like to through ‘methods of production’.

MFLModern Languages MLCs are available to all Cohorts for French, German and Spanish. Following World Book Day, why not book an MFL MLC to practise your reading skills in a foreign language?

EnglishHow is your learning progressing in English so far this year?Take some time to review your learning:What have your most recent learning points been?What is it that you can do to improve?What’s holding you back from achieving your learning point? Are you getting the same errors highlighted in your work again and again?Don’t hesitate to book an MLC session today to ensure you move forward with your English learning

My Learning Choices

14th March - Pathways Event14th March - Cohort 8 Guided

Choices Evening16th March - C11 Whole Cohort

Photo19th - 23rd March Quintet Week 320th March - Spring Expressive Arts

Show27th March - Ambassadors Assembly

29th - March Last day of Term finishing 3.20pm

2nd - 13th April Easter Holiday

We will confirm alterative dates for World Book Day and Non Uniform

Day

Important Dates Cohort 9 Big Bang Fair

Family Learning Teamemail FLT@honywoodschool.comIf your youngster is absent please email attendance@honywoodschool.com

Well Doneto our Cohort 8 Duty Receptionists

Hope RogersKatie Speed

Tyler StephensJosh White

James WilsonMax Wooldridge