I loved history at school and I distinctly remember there being a good few years of conflict and conquest between Julius Caesar and Cleopatra. That was until the Year 6 play this week which threw the two ancient civilisation celebrities together in a light hearted love story through the land of pyramids and camels. The hair, make-up and costumes captured the spirit of Ancient Egypt and invited the audience to unravel the mysteries of the hieroglyphs. We were introduced to such shady characters as Cholerus, Typhus and Salmonella and encouraged to get the hump with the Grand Vizier. The play was a tour de force and the whole cast performed magnificently. The singing was amongst the best I have heard from a Year 6 cast. A huge amount of physical and emotional energy is invested and spent by both staff and pupils in putting on a show of this scale and this ambition. For the bumper cast of Asp!, the effort paid off ten times over. With a near full cohort, it was great to know that the whole year group had been involved in the play in some capacity, front or back stage. Well done to all and a particularly gladiatorial pat on the back to Evie and Archie who learnt so many lines, moves and cues as Julius Caesar and Cleopatra.

I have been delighted too with the reports from the Year 5 trip last week to Bowles. Not only were the teachers blessed with the best weather they could have wished for, but they were also treated to a coach-load of impeccably behaved children, give or take the odd over exuberant and excitable exchange! As ever the slightly reticent group of children who touched down on Day One was transformed into a tightly knit, confident and go-getter group of dare devils by Day Four. The Leap of Faith was too tame for most, the prospect of abseiling and rock climbing sent shivers down few spines and even the prospect of Mr

Walton on midnight dormitory watch terrified only the faintest of hearts. Year 5 were a credit to themselves and to the school and judging from the width of the smiles which shone through even the most tired of faces on their return to school, everyone had a blast! The whole experience is all about team spirit and building confidence to push into areas of uncertainty and trepidation and without exception everyone surpassed expectation. Well done on a wonderful week and a huge thank you to the staff who gave their all too to ensure the Year 5 residential trip was such a success. Photos and pupil reports appear further on in this week’s Nutshell. And finally, as promised in last week’s Nutshell, I would like to say a front page congratulations to Jim Kingdon-Jones, Bella Wilkinson, Eva Patel, Freddie Mills and Oliver Smith for securing all rounder and drama awards from Hurstpierpoint College. This good news was added to earlier this week when the school heard that Hannah Williams added a Sports Scholarship from Worth to the school’s now record breaking tally of scholarships and awards. A double width scholarship board for the Dining Hall is now on order and we will endeavour to record all of this year’s achievements in time for the 125th celebrations.

For a list of emails/letters/texts sent home each week please see the ‘Notice Board’ further down the Nutshell.

News from The Nursery

A very well done to all of the Skylarks children who performed so well in their wonderful spring concerts this week. They all sat and sang beautifully and their emerging musical skills were clear to see. A big thank you must go to Mrs Roe for all her efforts in preparing the children in their music lessons and to Skylarks staff for ensuring all children had a chance to practice their songs. The site was a sea of red today as children and staff celebrated Red Nose Day. Collections have been made in every room and will be forwarded on to this worthy cause.

A final reminder about Parents’ Evening next Wednesday 18th March. If you haven’t booked a meeting with your child’s keyworker, appointment time posters are on the doors to every room.

News from Hazelwood

Ipad Agreement Will parents please note that the Ipad Agreement has been amended to cover the replacement of damaged devices. A copy of the new information appears on the home page of the Parents’ section of the school website.

The Nutshell wishes Margaret from the Catering Team a speedy and full recovery from her

recent operation. May she be up and about and back trampolining very soon!

Provision of Notice: Gentle Reminder Would any families who are sadly leaving the school at the end of the summer term please remember to give formal notice, in writing before the end of the summer term. Due to the Chapel Choir trip to Prague, it would be appreciated if letters could be sent to the Bursar or Head by close of play on Wednesday 25th March.

Label it or lose it! the number of unnamed items of clothing is increasing. All items will be put out at the end of term for collection but SOOOOOOO MUCH kit is going missing because it is unnamed. Socks MUST be named!!!!

Morning Drop Off Please can parents be reminded that children are only allowed to go to their classrooms after 8.15am (Year 3+). Before then, children must be supervised in the Dining Hall. Even if your child is a slow walker, he/she should not be sent to their classroom until the big hand has reached the 3! Thank you.

Good Luck to the school’s U11 netball team and gymnastics squad. Both teams are taking part in National Finals this week. Both deserve to do well and to have all their hard work, commitment and determination rewarded with a medal winning performance. Full reports and pictures will appear in next week’s Nutshell.

The Chapel Choir put the finishing touches to their Open Day repertoire last week. As ever they stole the show and are looking forward to bowling over the audiences and judges at the International Music Festival in Prague in two weeks’ time.

Mrs Louw is running the London Marathon this year in support of Macmillan Cancer Support. It would help her to know that she had the support of the school behind her. Any kind donations can be made by following the link: http://www.justgiving.com/Lindie-Louw

The under 11Bs signed off their season in style with a thrilling 9-8 win against Caterham Prep. Cheered on by our fantastically loyal parents, the girls recovered from a wobble in the middle quarters to score three girls as the game approached its climax. A special mention must go to Alex Tait, who showed great resilience in continuing to go for goal under pressure. This team has been a delight to work with this term.

A last gasp try gave Hawthorns the edge on Saturday at the Caterham U11 rugby tournament with Hazelwood settling for the runners-up medals on this occasion. The boys played brilliantly especially considering the Y5s were sleep deprived after their week at Bowles!

Please share this advert with family, friends or neighbours who might be interested in following

in the footsteps of Miss Frisby, Miss Patten, Mr Menham, Mr Tappin and Mr Kemp.

The Vocab Express national championship has now finished - congratulations to everyone at Hazelwood who took part! The Global Challenge saw a total of 25,393 students competing from 157 schools both in the UK and overseas. In a multiple record-breaking week of vocabulary learning, almost 12 million questions were answered and a total of over 30 million points scored. At Hazelwood, our three French geniuses are: In first place Philip Hellman In second place Thomas Sharps In third place Jodie Falzon Congratulations to the three of them.

Put a Sock in it! As part of Schoolblazer’s ongoing commitment to product review and innovations, changes are afoot to the Hazelwood sports sock! From the autumn the sock will boast: an improved elasticated top, elasticated ankle support, natural cotton foot to increase breathability and increased cotton comfort panels within the foot. With socks that look and feel this good, the goals will come flooding in!

The children of Year 5 enjoyed a wonderful week at Bowles Activity Centre. The sun shone the whole week allowing a full week of uninterrupted archery, abseiling, rock climbing and team trust and initiative challenges.

Year 5 Epsom College Public Speaking Competition Collaboration, resilience and focus were top of the menu when three intrepid Year 5s headed off to Epsom College on Thursday 12th March for the annual Prep Schools’ Public Speaking Competition. Jocelyn Heaver, Austin Taylor and Lelia Prime’s speech, ‘Who make better parents: Mums or Dads?’ certainly got the audience thinking and laughing! All three spoke with enthusiasm and were highly commended for their “particularly well crafted piece” which demonstrated real “teamwork” – perhaps a testament to Hazelwood’s new ‘think skills’ initiative this year. Furthermore the Head of Sixth Form was impressed with Austin’s “expressive and clear” delivery; Jocelyn’s intensely “committed engagement” to his opinions and Lelia’s ability to master “ironic humour and perfect comic timing”! Well done to all three! It is never easy standing up in unfamiliar surroundings, before a sea of strangers. It just goes to show the resilience and confidence our students exhibit.

"Hi! Will was at a public speaking competition this afternoon at Epsom College (he was just supporting). He and all his friends thought Hazelwood were the best and should have won!" Parent of a Chinthurst pupil talking to a Hazelwood mum last night. Peer group praise is probably the best accolade possible!

Last weekend, our Captain of Swimming Tallen Harris swum at the Sussex County Championships representing his club East Grinstead. At this gala he achieved an amazing 2nd place in the 4x50m front crawl relay! A brilliant result against a number of other clubs - Well done Tallen!

And the fast-improving U8 netball team took part in their first netball tournament, finishing a very credible and encouraging third in glorious Hazelwood sunshine.

Last weekend also saw Molly Cooper of Year 5 completing her Gymnastic Regional Grade IV examinations. In nerve wracking conditions, Molly held her cool to pass with a commendation. Molly is one of the Hazelwood team competing at the National Finals this Saturday in the Midlands. She is hoping to turn in equally impressive performances.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://d1st6gslnjua2o.cloudfront.net/sites/comicrelief.com/themes/comic_relief/images/comic_relief_logo.png&imgrefurl=http://www.comicrelief.com/news/hidden-world-fgm-revealed&h=138&w=138&tbnid=rdGrUdDtgXxWEM:&zoom=1&q=comic+relief+2015&docid=74awbAg1klTEiM&hl=en&ei=B8ECVZTUIdTVaq3VgTA&tbm=isch&ved=0CEEQMygMMAw

125 and truly alive

One hundred and twenty five and I’ve never been more alive, I’ve gone from strength to strength and now truly thrive.

I’ve seen so many changes over the years,

There have been many head teachers who have all taken me to new frontiers.

I have grown and expanded in more ways than one,

I have to keep up with the children and not be outdone!

My main purpose is education, so I want to give every child a solid foundation,

I try to encourage them to be like little Octopi, and grab every opportunity that passes by.

With Music, Drama and Sport there are challenges on and off the court,

Whether you hit a high note or fall a little short, You will always find encouragement and support.

There is so much to offer in the way of opportunity,

That my corridors and classrooms are filled with unity, And this makes for the most wonderful Hazelwood Community.

On the first day of admission, I feel like a magician,

I know the children who enter are going to go through a transition, They will leave as teenagers full of confidence and ambition.

It is not I alone, who make all this possible,

But an army of teachers and staff who are truly unstoppable.

In the years to come there will be more challenges ahead, Not to mention a little more TED!

Whatever the future might hold, and this is yet untold,

I look forward to welcoming more children into my protective fold.

I think I have said it all, so let’s celebrate now with a wonderful ball.

By Tom Richards

The sunshine brought the children of Years 4 and 7 out into the playground to show off their skipping skills. All was going so well until a rogue skipper joined in the fun reducing the girls to giggles and putting them off their stride. Not quite so nimble on his feet, Mr Walton has thankfully confirmed that he will not be giving up the day job!

Year 8 STEM event for young scientists at Worth School

10 eager scientists were divided into two teams to design and construct a Mars-type Lander and rover vehicle.

The teams were: Team One George Foulds, Joshua Lendon, Shyam Malhotra, Will Passman and Bella Wilkinson. Team Two were Spiros Giovas, Tallen Harris, Eva Patel, Ben Spires and Ben Taylor.

Points were awarded for the different stages of the challenge from design to construction through to the all important ‘road’ test. The vehicle had to withstand a drop of 20m from a clock tower and then drive across potential Martian landscape, whilst carrying an egg which had to remain in one piece!

Team One were very successful and their Martian Lander, although ending up on a fence post, kept their eggstronaut in-tact. Unfortunately a problem with the motor meant their rover could not climb the Martian hillocks. Bella and Shyam worked effortlessly to produce their design. Joshua, George and Will worked on the "go faster" aspects.

Team Two had a few difficulties with delegating the work load and Ben Spires worked single handedly to make the motorised mechanism work. Spiros and Tallen worked relentlessly on a parachute design and Eva produced an amazing poster for the team to display. Spiros presented to the other schools most scientifically.

1A’s Red Nose Fire Adventure!

This week it was the turn of 1A to start to learn about fire building and go into the woods to look for changes since the winter. We went down and looked for signs of spring before collecting the wood for our fire.

Making a fire can be a tricky thing to do and we focused on making an ‘upside down’ fire this week. This is a firm favourite with the children and they soon were practising making ‘jenga’ towers. 2 pieces of wood criss-crossing to make a tall tower.

The children were really good at finding the right kind of sticks and soon there was a fire built and ready to light. Mr. Walton went through the safety instructions and then lit the fire.

The children enjoyed exploring the woods and playing in there, linking their play to being pirates on an abandoned island and making camps, traps for food and living areas! Once the fire was going we enjoyed hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows. Florine enjoyed her birthday and all the children had a great time.

News from the Kitchen

Please don’t forget that next week’s menus for both The Larks and Hazelwood are now on the website under The Parents’ Section.

Music Department

ABRSM Music Examination Timetable

Monday 16 March 2015

Name Grade Instrument Duration Time Accompanist

Lily Wynn 1 Violin 12 0930 Mrs Asli

Emma Kekwick 1 Violin 12 0942 Mrs Asli

Jasmine Fletcher 1 Piano 12 0954 Mrs Asli

Holly Lawson 1 Singing 13 1006 Mr Hewitt

Margaret Pfaff 1 Singing 13 1019 Mr Hewitt

Alice Lewis 2 Singing 15 1034 Mr Hewitt

Eva Georgiou 2 Singing 15 1049 Mr Hewitt

Break 1104

Hope Andrews 2 Singing 15 1120 Mr Hewitt

Kristian Back 3 Singing 15 1135 Mr Hewitt

Edward George 3 Singing 15 1150 Mr Hewitt

Alexander Dean 4 Singing 15 1205 Mr Hewitt

Alexandra Tait 1 Flute 12 1220 Mr Hewitt

Felicity Cumming 1 Flute 12 1232 Mr Hewitt

Harriet Lowe 1 Piano 12 1244

Lunch 1256

Alex Yewman 5 Saxophone 17 1400 Mr Hewitt

Francesca Riley 2 Clarinet 14 1417 Mr Hewitt

Louis Dean 6 Clarinet 20 1431 Mr Hewitt

Jonathan Briggs 4 Violin 17 1451 Mr Hewitt

Holly Davies 1 Flute 12 1508 Mr Hewitt

Shyam Malhotra 6 Singing 20 1520 Mrs Louw

Break 1540

Kalaivanan Rasalingam 4 Piano 15 1600 N/A

Emma Kekwick 1 Piano 12 1615 N/A

Emilia Slade 1 Piano 12 1627 N/A

Rosie Smith PT Piano 10 1639 N/A

Emma Lucas 3 Violin 14 1649 Mrs Young

Ends 1703

ABRSM Music Examination Timetable

Tuesday 17 March 2015

Name Grade Instrument Duration Time Accompanist

Holly de Vere Hunt 1 Piano 12 0930 N/A

Joshua Lendon 1 Piano 12 0942 N/A

Jessica Ellis 3 Piano 12 0954 N/A

Jade Taylor 4 Piano 15 1006 N/A

Ethan Furness-Black PT Piano 10 1021 N/A

Ends 1031

Music Timetable

The weekly music timetable can be viewed on the Music Notice Board outside the Dining room in the courtyard. I will endeavour to have the coming week’s music timetable on the notice board by the end of the school day each Friday. Please ensure that your child brings their instrument and music in on the relevant day. It is also important for them to take these books and instruments home when they do not need them in school.

Hot off the sporting presses: Colts A win Oldroyd Trophy at Sevenoaks 7s With the prospect of last night Y6 play nerves set aside for the afternoon, the Colts A rugby team finished off a successful week of rugby by coming second in the Caterham 7s tournament. Returning home with the Oldroyd trophy, the boys were unbeaten until a last minute touch of inspiration from St Michael’s saw them scoring the try which ultimately divided the two teams. Well done boys.

Something funny’s been going on down at the Nursery and Early Years

Sports Department

Match Reports should be put in the folder on the wall in the PE office. They are then collected by the captain on Monday morning to be read out in assembly. If your child is nominated as captain, please encourage them to write the report in time for the assembly. The children do like to share their successes with the rest of the school. Thank you. Sport Age Team Opposition Result Scor

e For

Score Against

Comment

Lacrosse

U13 1st Dulwich

Prep Lost 5 7 Great energy and stick work

Good positional play.

Netball U11 A Aberdour Won Won

7 6

5 1

Very strong results. Eva Georgiou excellent shooting.

Netball U11 B Aberdour Won Won

8 9

0 2

Great display with Emily Kerr outstanding

Netball

U11 C Aberdour Won

Netball U9 A Hawthorns Won 10 3

Netball U9 B Hawthorns Won 10 8 GOG: Holly Millington

Netball U9 C Hawthorns Won

Netball

U8 A Aberdour Won 4 1 GOG: Lily

Netball U8 B Aberdour Won 7 0 GOG: Michelle

Netball U8 C Aberdour Lost 0 1 GOG: Elsa

Netball U8 D Aberdour Drew 1 1 GOG: Sienna

Rugby U9 A St Michael’s

Lost Won

0 4

2 0

Eddie Hyatt

Outstanding defence against a strong team

Rugby U9 B St Michael’s

Lost 8 9 Thomas Limpenny

Great resilience. We didn’t give up!

Rugby U8 A St Michael’s

Lost 7 10 Will De Vere Hunt

Good attack but defence needs work!

Rugby U8 B St Michael’s

Lost

Rugby U8 C St Michael’s

Lost

Rugby U13 1st XV Sevenoaks

School Won 26 10 Jamie

Hughes and Tallen Harris

The best team performance of the season. A great result.

Rugby U13 2nd

XV Sevenoaks School

Won 15 10 Matthew Nemry

A great attacking performance

Rugby U13 3rd

XV Yardley Court

Lost 10 36 Hugo Hewitt

They were very strong

Rugby U11 B Yardley Court

Won 40 5 Willem Law

We were a little too strong but stuck to the task.

Rugby U11 C Yardley Court

Won 35 25 Archie Lether

Good tackling and offloading

Rugby U9 A/B Russell House

Won 8 3 Luca, Thomas and Ben

A strong squad effort

Rugby U8 A/B Russell House

Won 8 1 Luke Danby

Good tackling and offloading

Notice Board

Part time helper/nanny required for Hazelwood Family:

McCusker family are looking for some help on a part time basis whilst Mum is recovering from recent illness. Help will include school pick-ups in afternoon, drop offs to clubs or home, help with homework and preparation for next day’s school. Monday to Friday – up to 3 hours per day. Can be flexible and happy to accommodate individual requirements. Live 5 minutes from school.

Nanny Available Fully qualified nanny available for full or part time work. Full references available and I have looked after Hazelwood/ Lark children previously. Please call Gen Graham on 07845 604463.

Pupils (and one school Governor via a selfie taken on the train to London) get in the odd for Red Nose Day. The Year 5 cake sale to the Year 3 and 4 children gathered crowds all eager to raise money for this most worthy of causes.

For Sale: Castle Play House

Sadly outgrown , the castle is made of outdoor MDF and painted to look like a stone castle . It has a ramp to the door and is two levels high with a staircase inside . In good condition and is approximately 5 years old. Good , solid quality . Approx measurements. 1.75m D x 1.85 W x 2.9m H . Will be disassembled. Buyer to collect from Tatsfield .£200. Please contact Charlotte on 07769692782.

Letters sent home this week Year 4 Roman Day Year 6 Year 7 scholarships Year 6 Theatre Trip – Against Captain’s Orders Chapel Choir Prague Rehearsals Years 1-4 Easter Holiday Football Course Y3-8 Boys Cricket Kit Requirements Years 5-8 Easter Holiday Football Course Please contact the school office if you require copies of any of the above letters.

Key Events for Next Week

Sunday 15th March All day Happy Mothers’ Day to all our Hazelwood mums and grannies!

Monday 16th March All day ABRSM music exams 1330 Swimming: Senior Interhouse Tuesday 17th March All day ABRSM music exams 1400 Swimming: Junior Interhouse 1700 Governors’ Board Meeting Wednesday 18th March 0915 Oak Reception Assembly (Mrs Taylor) 1400 Netball: U11A Versatility Tournament at Caterham Prep (A) 1430 Rugby: 1st XV v St Michael’s (H) 1430 Rugby: 2nd XV v St Michael’s (A) 1430 Rugby: Colts A&B v St Michael’s (H) 1430 Rugby: Colts C, D&E v St Michael’s (A) 1400 Rugby: U9A Hurst Pep tournament (A) 1430 Netball: U13 A&B v Hawthorns (A) 1800 Nursery & early Years Parents’ Evening

Thursday 19th March All day LAMDA exams 0915 Oak Reception Assembly (Mrs Roe) 1400 Netball: U9A&B St Michael’s Tournament (A) 1400 Netball: U8 A,B&C v Holmewood House & Reigate St Mary’s (H)

1630 Swimming U8,9,10&11 v Aberdour (H) 1800 Year 8 Parents’ Evening Friday 20th March 0915 Oak Reception Assembly (Mrs Scott) 0930 1G Assembly All day Year 3 ESB

Year 5 were quickly on the slippery slope to total enjoyment

on their trip to Bowles.

The children of Wrens got into the Red Nose spirit by sporting a glamorous glitter Stetson.