HEADLINES
By James Saunders
HAPPY FRIDAY AND HAPPY HALF TERM
A big thank you to everyone in the Honywood community for this half term. Today, as we wave off our Ski Trip, I would like to extend my thanks to the staff who make such an experience possible. They freely give up their week, away from their own families, and for that I am very thankful. Please do keep an eye on our dedicated Ski Trip Facebook and Instagram pages for updates - the updates come thick and fast. As a parent who had a child on the trip last year I really valued the daily updates. Please be patient if you don’t see your child in the updates, it takes a while to get round all the groups.
POWER OF READING
I recently met with Callum Rider (C11), one of our lead learners. He has been working on a project to raise the profile of reading. One of his ideas was to invite learners to write reviews of their favourite books. Each review brings achievement points with it. Callum has also designed and built a website dedicated to reading. The website can be used to submit book reviews.
The website also contains recommended reads across all cohorts with a link to BorrowBox. All our learners have access to borrowbox
BorrowBox is your free ticket to thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks using your local library card! It’s the fastest way to get your hands on our recommendations.
Reading offers many benefits to us. Key benefits include: strengthening the brain (improving memory, focus, and analytical skills); expanding knowledge and vocabulary; reducing stress; building empathy and social skills; and boosting imagination and creativity. All of this contributes to better cognitive function, communication, and mental well-being.
Here are the details of those five key benefits:
• Strengthens the Brain & Improves Cognitive Skills: Reading is a mental workout, forging new neural pathways and strengthening existing ones, which boosts memory, concentration, and analytical thinking.
• Expands Knowledge & Vocabulary: Books expose you to new words and complex ideas, making you a better communicator and more informed about the world
• Reduces Stress: Getting lost in a story can lower heart rate and ease muscle tension, offering a healthy escape from daily worries.
• Develops Empathy & Social Skills: Experiencing diverse narratives and perspectives helps you understand others’ feelings and experiences, fostering empathy.
• Boosts Imagination & Creativity: Reading fiction, in particular, sparks creativity as your brain visualises characters, settings, and plots.
A big thank you to Sadie Ward-Green who is our first published book reviewer - see below.
Have a lovely half term.
This Week’s Book Review
James Saunders
“The novel has an atmosphere as ominous and dark as an approaching storm...”
“I thought Once Upon a Fever was a breathtaking and extraordinary fantasy story; it left me in awe with its magical plot, characters and attributes.
The author uses emotive language to pull you into the book and this world of everlasting illness. The two sisters’ contrasting personalities really added more detail and realism to the book. Angharad Walker has created a truly unique and frightening world... mixing sci-fi and fantasy perfectly. I would recommend this because it is serious but still extremely engaging.”
Review by: Sadie Ward-Green (C7)
Want to see your own review here?
Head over to the link below to submit yours: honywoodschool.github.io/Honywoodschoolreads/
World Book Day is coming soon!
Don’t forget World Book Day is on Thursday, March 5th, right after we get back from half-term.
Use the break to get some reading done and find your next favourite story. Whether it’s a fantasy like Sadie’s or something totally different, we want to hear about it when we’re back.
Have a great half term!
Don’t forget every review is worth 5 achievement points!
Callum Rider
To Cohort 7 who have been collecting for the local Food Bank. This completes their Cohort Challenge for the TREE awards for the Autumn term.
Oliver Puida - Cohort 7
This year, Oliver has been selected for the Basketball England Aspire Programme. This programme is designed for talented young athletes and forms part of the pathway towards the GB team. It also provides opportunities for players to be chosen to represent their regions in national tournaments. Following an extensive trial process, Oliver has been selected to represent the East Region in the Inter Regional Tournament. He is a very composed child and rarely talks about his achievements, but this is something the school could be proud of too.
In the past, Oliver has represented Essex in the Inter County Tournament, winning them as well, but being part of the Aspire Programme is a significant step forward. He is extremely happy to be competing at this level. Well done Oliver!
Over the half term holidays, try to pledge to do one or more of the following things:
• do one journey on foot or bike rather than using the car
• make a bird feeder to help the birds in your garden
• buy things that are not in single use plastic wrappers
• turn the thermostat down by 1-2 degrees
16th to 20th February
23th & 24th February
Tuesday 24th February
Thursday 26th February
Thursday 26th February
Monday 2nd March
Wednesday 4th March
Thursday 5th March
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Saffron Academy Trust as Chief Finance Officer.
If you would like to find out more about this role, please visit the Trust’s website via this link: https://www.saffron.academy/blog/?pid=1039&nid=7&storyid=13
Friday
Dates for the Diary
Learning Group photos - LS5
RS trip to Walsingham
Media Studies trip to British Film Institute