Headlines - 24 May 2024

James Saunders HEADLINES 24th May 2024

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THANK YOU C11 AND THE BEST OF LUCK TO YOU ALL

A message to all our C11s on their final day ahead of study leave.

Looking back on the past five years we’ve spent together, it’s incredible how swiftly time has flown by. It feels like just yesterday that we first met at the beginning of Cohort 7, and now we find ourselves bidding farewell. Throughout these years, we’ve encountered challenges we never anticipated – who could have imagined that the beginning of your secondary school would include a lockdown and a pandemic. Yet, through it all, you’ve demonstrated remarkable resilience, determination, and a steadfast commitment to learning at Honywood.

It has been a real honour to serve as your headteacher over these past five years. Together, we’ve implemented numerous changes aimed at enhancing your educational journey, and I hope you can reflect on your time here and recognise that these changes

were all geared towards helping you excel. I’ve been consistently impressed by your maturity, enthusiasm, and dedication to learning. You’ve navigated through an educational experience unlike any other cohort, and you’ve emerged triumphant. Congratulations!

The past few years have taught us a valuable lesson –the importance of cherishing time and not taking it for granted. Enduring a pandemic compelled us to focus on the little things and recognise what truly matters in life. As you depart from the school and venture into the world, you do so equipped with resilience forged through your own determination, perseverance, and hard work. Few will rival your level of preparedness when you’re at the top of your game.

Preparation for lifelong learning is the essence of schooling. My hope is that you depart with a deep understanding of yourself – your strengths, weaknesses, successes, failures, accomplishments, and mistakes. Embracing all of these facets will lead to a greater self-awareness. By understanding who you are as an individual and taking ownership of your

choices, you’ll pave the way for success as a lifelong learner.

At Honywood, our goal has always been to equip you with both happiness and success. Neither can be attained without honesty and taking responsibility for your life. Your life belongs to you – not the school’s, not your teachers’, not your parents’. As the summer approaches, bringing with it the outcomes of your formal qualifications, some of you may feel elation while others may feel disappointment. Regardless, take pride in your achievements, for they are solely yours.

Is there a secret to success and happiness? If there is, it remains elusive to me. However, I do know that if you make it your mission to seek them out deliberately, you will find them. I have previously emphasised the value of time – each moment is unique, irreplaceable, and fleeting. Wasted time breeds regret. Time will become more precious than money, emerging as your most valuable asset. Seize every opportunity time presents, give your best effort, and take pride in who you are.

As you embark on the next chapter of your lives, I extend my sincerest wishes for each of you to find happiness and success. I recommend the Disney film UP, where Carl’s lifelong dream was to move his house to Paradise Falls. He spent his entire life savings to achieve this dream, only to realise that the true adventure lay in the journey itself, not the destination. Embrace your adventure, and remember to savour every moment – life passes us by while we chase after grand aspirations - don’t forget to enjoy yourself.

Best of luck and farewell.

Mr Saunders

Have a wonderful half term break everyone. See you in a week for the final part of the year.

Congratulations to Alfie Burkhill in C7 who last weekend competed at the Wakes Colne Motocross track which was a qualifier for the British Youth Championships. Alfie was outstanding and after finishing in the top 4 he has gained a place at the Small Wheel British Championships! Well done Alfie, a fantastic achievement.

C8 Team:

Emily Hall, Layla Woods, Remi Scott, Isabel Harvey (Capt), Jesse Arkell, Chloe Dumbrell, Emma Dennis, Lexi Brimfield, Lily Kerry.

Honywood’s first game of the tournament was against Hedingham. The team got off to a great start with a 2-0 win which featured two excellent strikes from outside the penalty area by Isabel Harvey and Remi Scott. Honywood were on top all game and the defence of Layla Woods, Emma Dennis, Chloe Dumbrell and excellent goalkeeping by Emily Hall prevented Hedingham from scoring.

The second match was against Alec Hunter and this ended in a 1-0 win for Honywood, who again dominated the game and took the lead through a powerful shot by Isabel Harvey. They were unable to increase their lead however due to some excellent saves by the Alec Hunter keeper.

The final match was against Notley and with all to play for as Honywood needed just one point to win the tournament. It was tense when Notley were awarded a penalty following a handball in the area. Notley capitalised on this by scoring from the penalty spot. This was the first goal Honywood had conceded throughout the tournament. This only encouraged Honywood to up their game and a strong run and drive resulted in an equaliser from Isabel Harvey. Honywood strived to get the winning goal but the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Everyone in the squad played their part in the win and showed great team spirit throughout. Well done girls! Mr G Walters

Sunday 7th July - Join the fundraising for new cycle route, cycling and family fun in aid of Greenway North Essex! This fantastic project plans to provide a safe pedestrian and bike link between Kelvedon, Coggeshall, Earls Colne and Halstead. Please contact us for a sponsorship form or just turn up, and enjoy a morning of fun, and find out a bit more about the project. Refreshments will be available and make sure to follow us on Facebook @greenwaynorthessex!

One of our invigilators is currently collecting old ties for recycling.

If you have any unwanted ones at home, please ask your child to drop them into Mrs Ketteridge’s office after term.

Dates for the Diary