Chitts Hill, Lexden, Colchester, Essex, CO3 9ST

FROM THE HEADMASTER . . .

Summer Term, Week 3

www.holmwood.essex.sch.uk

Happiness is the key to progress

Tel: 01206 574305

Friday 8 May 2015

HOLMWOOD HOUSE NEWSLETTER

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Monday 11 May

Revision for CE and Scholarship begins

(Year 8, S8 and Year 7)

Tuesday 12 May

Girls 1st XI Cricket at Lords

Thursday 14 May

Year 7 Art Trip

Reception Picnic at the Orchard

5.30pm Senior Schools Fair

Friday 15 May

Pre-Prep ‘Around the World’ Day

Saturday 16 May

Taster Morning for prospective parents

of Reception Year

12.30pm Lunchtime Concert

Chitts Hill, Lexden, Colchester, Essex, CO3 9ST

HOLMWOOD HOUSE

FROM THE HEADMASTER . . .

local, regional and na-

tional. I look forward to

seeing you then.

Tomorrow’s special

event to celebrate the 10th

Anniversary of Holm-

wood Harriers looks to

be fun and enjoy-

able. Past Harrier players

from the Prep School will

return for

an....interesting.... match

against the parent

coaches. Good luck!

Fingers crossed for our

girl cricketers who are

off to Lord’s next week

to take part in the na-

tional final of the Lady

Taverners Girls’ U13

Cricket Tournament.

With best wishes

Alexander Mitchell

Headmaster

Dear Parents

On an historic day in

British politics, Holm-

wood has been gripped

with political en-

ergy. The children, who

engaged brilliantly in our

own Holmwood House

General Election, have

been buzzing with the

news coming in. But in

Prep assembly this morn-

ing, we announced the

results of the HH elec-

tion. Our Returning Offi-

cer (Finty W), with great

aplomb, read out the re-

sults to the assembled

crowd. Yesterday’s pupil

turnout was 96% and

they voted in the Vision

Party, closely followed

by the People Party. My

thanks to Wednesday’s

political panellists, Alex

M, James J, Matthew Mc,

Millie C and Nicolas RP,

who took part in a BBC-

style Question Time and

to Mrs Mitchell for creat-

ing the Holmwood House

General Election 2015.

On Tuesday evening, it

was a pleasure to wel-

come the parents of next

year’s new Reception

class to a cheese and

wine event in the library.

With another full year

group and several chil-

dren joining other year

groups, the school goes

from strength to

strength. We look for-

ward to another Taster

Morning on Saturday 16

May where prospective

parents and their children

enjoy some time on

site.

I very much hope you

will take the opportunity

to attend the Senior

Schools Fair on Thursday

next week. The biennial

event takes place be-

tween 5.30pm and

7.30pm in the Sports

Hall. There is a free ex-

tended Biscuit Club for

Pre-Prep children (please

book in advance), and if

Prep parents wish to at-

tend the event without

their child, supervision

can be arranged with

boarding staff. Please

inform the front office if

you would like this facil-

ity. 21 Senior Schools

will be in attendance;

Tel: 01206 574305

In recognition of their demonstration of one or all of the Golden Rules, the following children

have received Golden Awards this week:

Reception: James M

Leonardo U

Wilf A

Gul K

Year 1: Fred O

Florence C

Poppy M

Ben B

Year 2:

Edward F

Harry S

Arley F

Olivia R

Year 3: Keira W

Edward S

Toby F

Maia A

Anna B

Jude S

WELL DONE!

GOLDEN AWARDS

SCHOOL NEWS . . . SCHOOL NEWS. . .

Good Luck Girls

Wishing the U13 Girls’

Cricket team the best

of luck for the finals on

Tuesday at Lords.

Scarecrows

The votes are now in and

will be counted over the

next couple of days. The

winning scarecrows will

be announced next Friday

in assembly.

Pre-Prep Activities

If you would like your child to join

any of the Pre-Prep activities i.e dance,

musical theatre etc, please email

office@holmwood.essex.sch.uk in the

first instance and we will let you know

when spaces become available.

Year 4 Collections

A quick reminder that the collec-

tion time for Year 4 is 4.15pm. If

you are unable to collect your

child we can supervise them

until 6.10pm. Please contact the

front office to arrange this.

Page 2 Friday 8 May, Summer Term, Week 3

WA

TE

R

WEEKLY ELEMENT MEETINGS . . .

FUN IN ACTIVITIES….

AIR

In Air’s Element meeting we looked at VE day and why it is an important date to remember.

WATER

In our Element meeting this week, Alex M talked about the different parties in the School Election. Miss

Swift’s tutor group won the Senior Stars and Mrs Apperley’s won the Junior Stars.

We watched a slideshow presentation with pictures of the Flapjack baking and Mad Hatter entries, and fi-

nally we wished a Happy Birthday to Ava G.

Archie B

LAND

In Land’s Element meeting this week we held an Election Quiz. Year 4 did extremely well, but Year 6

were the final winners.

We wished a Happy Birthday to Noah T and Samuel F.

Evie D

LA

ND

Page 3 Friday 8 May 2015, Summer Term, Week 3

VISITS TO THE ORCHAR D.. .

Year 5 Tea at The Orchard

FOREST SCHOOLS. . .

Reception chil-

dren have been

busy planting out

their vegetable

seedlings in

preparation for

entering into the

Holmwood House

Produce Show in

September.

Page 4 Friday 8 May 2015, Summer Term, Week 3

WATER CHARITY UPDATE. . .

Mad Hatters’

A huge thank you to everyone who supported Water’s Charity Day last Friday. The Cake Bake

and Flapjack Phenomenon was ‘almost’ a sell out!

The raffle and Mad Hatter’s Day was also incredibly well supported. Well done to all the chil-

dren who took part.

So far we have raised over £600 (we’re still counting!).

Thank you to everyone for such fantastic efforts and support.

Pre-Prep

Runners-Up

Sam G

Jeremy S

Winner

Joseph W

Prep

Runner’s Up

Charley G

Patrick A

Winner

Archie S

Huge thank you to Max and Oscar’s

nan who beautifully crocheted and

donated the throw and cushions.

This fantastic prize was won by the

Gollifer family.

Raffle

Page 5 Friday 8 May 2015, Summer Term, Week 3

LIBRARY NEWS…

New books in the Library! Nixie The

Bad, Bad

Fairy

by

Cas Lester

SHELTER BOX.. .

Our hay bales are finally beginning to take shape with the strawberry plants and newly

planted potatoes. Unfortunately, having planted some courgette plants in them on

Tuesday, we returned today to find that they had been eaten. Luckily our gardening

sleuths were on the trail (no pun intended) of the culprit snails! Ideas on how to keep

the snails at bay would be most gratefully received. We also took time to weed around

our bean and leek plants. Mrs Mitchell’s group planted a wonderful set of pea plants

which we look forward to eating soon, the garlic has begun to spring up and the as-

paragus that we planted last year has shot up significantly. The Year 5 girls are on the

look out for recipe ideas so that they can try the asparagus!

A ShelterBox response team is now in Nepal, with a second on the way, to assess the scale of destruc-

tion and the level of need for shelter. They already have aid, including tents, prepositioned in the coun-

try, which could be used as emergency clinics, as well as shelters in the immediate aftermath.

With thunderstorms and snowfall expected, continuing aftershocks and food and water shortages, fami-

lies are facing a desperate situation, especially in remote rural communities where 70% of buildings are

reported to have been destroyed.

As a school we are sending in excess of £420 (half the money raised from the scarecrow competition) to

ShelterBox to help their disaster relief work. This will fund at least 10 of the ‘Shelter kits’ which are

being flown in. For information or to make further donations please go to the charity’s website http://

www.shelterbox.org

GARDENING…

Barry Loser and the

Case of the

Crumpled Carton

by Jim Smith

Not As We

Know It

by Tom Avery

Hercufleas

by

Sam Gayton

Rock War

by

Robert

Muchamore

The Secret Kitten

by Holly Webb

keep reading!”

Mrs Apperley,

Librarian

“Remember ...

GENERAL ELECTION. . .

Page 6 Friday 8 May 2015, Summer Term, Week 3

Question Time

Election Day

Mr Mitchell leads a panel of political experts –

Millie C, James J, Matthew M, Alexander M

and Nic R-P, who give their low down on the

five political parties of the moment:

Rumour has it that the parties represent the

five main parties of the national General Elec-

tion but this is unconfirmed!

It is morning break and the Polling Station is open.

Queues form in the yard with children and staff eager to

cast their votes. Year 6 Polling Station Officials, Henrietta

C, Jasmine W and Jasmine W have their work cut out but

the operation is slick.

At lunchtime the Polling Station opens again and the final

children vote. In all 152/158 children have voted by the

end of the day as well as many staff. Ethan W and Lance L

officiate this time and the final voters are cajoled in by

election officials Charley G and Max D.

The People Party

The Progress Party

The Tomorrow Party

The Transform Party

The Vision Party

the results are in... Friday morning assembly and the results are

in. Over to the Returning Officer, Finty W,

for Holmwood House.

The People Party 62

The Progress Party 21

The Tomorrow Party 19

The Transform Party 10

The Vision Party 63

SPORT. . .

Page 7 Friday 8 May 2015, Summer Term, Week 3

For up-to-date match fixtures and

cancellations, please visit the

Sports Fixtures page

of the school website.

Congratulations!

Annabel H and Evie D were selected for Essex Hockey in

February and Beth I has just been selected Captain for Suf-

folk.

The girls played each other in a Essex, Herts and Suffolk

Tournament in Redbridge two weeks ago and Essex pre-

vailed over Suffolk - luckily they are still good friends

though!

County Hockey

This week in boarding, students from Years 7 and 8 participated in the first

ever Holmwood Open. Competitors circled the entire site, from the Sunken

Lawn to Barbour's Piece and even the Library!

The course involved an abundance of difficult obstacles, calling on skills from

a variety of different sports. The winner of the Tournament, George BC, was

presented with the famous ‘Green Jacket’ to mark the occasion. The

boarders immersed themselves wonderfully and had a fantastic time

tackling this unconventional course. Thank you to everyone in-

volved!

BOARDING. . .

The Holmwood Open