Page 67 - HMS 2020

Head Girl: Laila D
What a year 2020 has been for a Head Girl. It has definitely been the most unique, diverse and memorable year at Heath Mount. And yet although this is the year of the coronavirus, and the year of a difficult time, it is also the year we will all remember. It is the year when our Heath Mount community really surpassed itself.
I never imagined this strange time.
I mean who knew in January we would all be making our own bread and stockpiling tonnes of toilet roll? Of course, for my family, that isn’t a problem as even when there wasn’t a shortage, my mum always had the garage full of toilet paper.
Through all this, I have learned that unity can still happen, we can still be as one through distance. That our school community is stronger than steel, stronger than ever.
I can hardly believe my time at Heath Mount has come to an end. I’m never going to be in the noisy dining room again, hear the loud outside break-bell again, feel sick whizzing down the dizzy spiral stairs, feel the familiar jealousy of smelling freshly baked food in the food tech room. And although sadness fills my heart, I look back at my time at Heath Mount as a time
of fun, laughter and opportunities.
A time when I have matured and have grown as a person. A time where I have found out who I am.
I believe that a school should offer support, kindness and love. And Heath Mount; it offers much more than that. It offers a second home. Another family. My time at Heath Mount is a time full of memories. A time full of happiness. A time full of adventure.
I have many memories of Heath Mount. One of my fondest is House Cross Country – and this memory wasn’t because of the result at the end of the day (although Tristram were definitely the best). It wasn’t that it was the end of a hard-working term.
It was the teamwork. The cheering and support of different years. It was the communitive atmosphere. To make it extra enjoyable we had music playing in the background. Everyone
was enjoying the music until an extremely memorable song started to play: Sweet Caroline. Before we knew it, everyone was drifting towards the centre of the field and in unison we sang the famous words (including the ‘dum dum dum’ as everyone does).
As if this wasn’t funny enough,
Mr Spowart decided to pause it to see everyone keep singing without the music. We all turned towards him confused and he instantly played the music again. This made me realise
the power of the community.
Another time, in the New Forest,
we had some letters to find around the woods using clues from our maps. This was supposed to test our new map skills. I was in a group with Mr Chris and unfortunately, we were losing at that moment in time. So, Mr Chris came up with a plan:
to cheat. He decided to give a message to Miss Green: he said that she left the minibus lights on. So therefore, Miss Green and her group had to turn around and go back to the minibus, giving us a little head start. Yet, we still managed to lose! This made me realise the fun and laughter we have here.
All of these memories make me smile; make me look back at the
school as a genuinely amazing and fun place to be. From Miss White’s random singing notes echoing in the dining room, to when all the male teachers came in with coloured moustaches in November. From teaching Miss Ferguson tik tok dances at boarding, to singing
‘I see love’ on the bus to New forest numerous times.
In the end, all these memories link something extremely special. Fun. We will all always remember the words ‘I see love’, and all have incredible memories we will keep in our hearts forever.
So, what advice would I have given to myself five years ago? To make the most of your time here. My sister told me that same advice when she left, and I never properly took it into account. But on the other hand, don’t be afraid to leave. You should all be excited as to
what is outside the door. Because there’s a whole world out there. The reason I am not so afraid to leave as I was is because of all the incredible experiences we, as a school, have shared. Because at Heath Mount, we are encouraged to become the person we want to be. And we all have.
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