Well, we made it and in quite some festive style! I am so delighted that the programme of special activities went ahead as planned. It was wonderful to see the smiles and looks of wonder on the children’s faces as they arrived on Monday to a fancy dress welcome and light dusting of snow. This sense of excitement and anticipation has continued throughout the week with the HPA Gift Shop providing much merriment and joy as the children, in their year group bubbles, visited the TOSH to select gifts for members of their family. Fingers crossed the presents go down well on Christmas morning and the children manage to keep them secret from their worthy recipients until then.

Just a quick email to say a huge Thank You for the massive effort you’ve all made this term to make extracurricular activities for the children; especially during this week. What an amazing Christmas week you organised for them all! It goes way above and beyond.

Plus to arrange it all within what can only have been an unbelievably stressful term, whilst also complying with the million COVID regulations, is a testimony to how highly you prioritise the children and their wellbeing. They are very lucky.

The fun continued throughout the week across both sites with a visit from Santa bearing a gift, courtesy of the HPA, for each and every child, all of whom have been incredibly good this year! There was the Santa Run which even the weekend’s rain and mud could not spoil, a Christmas movie and a disco in the marquee. Time was set aside for special festive challenges in the Outdoor Learning area and games in the Sports and Bawtree Halls. In spite of the full programme, there was also time for the children to wrap up their learning for

After seeing you all at drop off this morning I felt compelled to send you a quick note to say how wonderful it was to see the huge effort you guys put in for your festive Christmas week, as always, especially for a Monday morning it really cheered me up!. It was so heart-warming, especially when we are all balancing work, family, commitments and keeping social connections given our current situation. So for that I thank you. It certainly put a smile on my child’s face! Keep up the good work!

the term and to take time out in their class group bubbles to watch the recordings of our very special Carol Service and Christmas Concert. Links are included below should you wish to spend a few moments in the company of some amazing performers. The Nativities and HNEY Christmas Concerts are just fantastic and I challenge anyone not to shed a tear and be in awe of what our staff and children have achieved. There is a real sense of joy and delight running through each – perfect for this time of year. There is such evidence of the progress that the children make as they continue on their Hazelwood adventure; from those early marching songs in Robins to the re-writing of White Christmas by the Year 8 Girl Band so the words better suit the harsh realities of a COVID Christmas. We feel privileged and proud to be able to accompany each and every one of our pupils on that journey and to be given the task of overseeing their progress and development.

Event Code

Chestnut Nativity https://vimeo.com/488415919

Carol Service https://vimeo.com/488029817

Christmas Concert https://vimeo.com/488525390

Upper Robins Concert https://vimeo.com/489324390

Lower Robins Concert https://vimeo.com/489325655

Skylarks Concert https://vimeo.com/489326950

Oak Concert https://vimeo.com/489328498

You will already have received my end of term letter, but I wanted to take this Nutshell opportunity to wish the Hazelwood community a safe and Merry Christmas. I trust that you will be amongst as many family as the guidelines will allow and that the more intimate gatherings will allow you to spend quality time with your nearest and dearest. This final Nutshell of the term will be filled mainly with images of the children and staff of Hazelwood School and Nursery doing what they do best; pulling together to support each other whilst having fun and looking up to see the joy! Happy Christmas everyone and see you again in the what we can only hope will be a less challenging and more liberated New Year!

We just wanted to thank you for all the efforts you put in to brighten these shall we say gloomy days for our children. We really appreciate it and not at all take it for granted as can only imagine what a tough term it has been for the school.

On Monday morning to see you all standing outside trying to cheer the children was really admirable and moving for me. My child was ecstatic and couldn’t wait to get out of the car! Please thank all your wonderful team on our behalf.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and very well deserved break!

For a list of communications hosted on the Parent Information Portal (PiP) each week, please see the ‘Notice Board’ further down the Nutshell.

News from The Nursery & Early Years

An incredible, festive action packed week has flown by. It has been truly wonderful to see such genuine joy on the children’s faces. The Winter Wonderland has provided a sensory haven for the children. The flashing lights, the scent of citrus fir trees and the jingle of bells has had them all awestruck. The Santa Run was a huge success, the Christmas lunch went down a treat and everybody had a great fun at the parties. In between all of these activities, Santa made a flying visit and delivered presents to all of the children. We really have captured the spirit of Christmas this year; everyone on site has enjoyed the festivities. The room round ups are very similar this week but hopefully the pictures speak a thousand words.

Fledglings 1 were thrilled to be back on site this week and have made two trips to the beautiful Winter Wonderland, the children couldn’t get enough. They loved having a ride on the reindeer and sitting in the marquee with the Christmas trees. They explored the textures of the branches, tinsel and baubles. Thank you to the HPA for a super experience. We also enjoyed a visit from Father Christmas, some more than others(!) on our terrace. The children all received a present and we encouraged them to say or sign, thank you. Christmas card making is under way and we have had lots of Fabulous Christmas themed outfits too this week.

Fledglings 2 have had the most fantastic week exploring Santa's grotto enjoying all the lights on the trees and the snow men. Using the last of the glitter they have made lots of sparkling stars, used puffy paint to make special baubles and snowflakes.

A visit from Santa made their eyes open wide when given a gift each to open. Just to top off their week they have tucked into lots of lovely party food yummy big cakes. Great fun, but the children were definitely ready for when nap time came around!

This week is in Lower Robins we have been full of the Christmas spirit! The children have had a very busy week, with lots of Christmas activities to participate in. On Monday the Robins participated in a Santa run showing super co-ordination as they navigated the Christmas tree track, afterwards they loved exploring and experiencing our own little snow flurry. On Tuesday, the children filled their tummies with lots of Christmas food when they sat down for Christmas lunch. The children also enjoyed visiting our own version of winter wonderland and we even had a visit from the big man himself Santa. There is also lots more food and party games to come on Thursday!

The children in Upper Robins' have had a very happy, magical week. They enjoyed their Santa Run on the tennis courts and the impromptu arrival of some snow, courtesy of a large snow machine. Every child explored the Winter Wonderland sensory area, commenting on the lights, smells and sounds of the magical woodland. We then used our fine motor skills to decorate a Christmas biscuit, create a stocking and transfer between containers in the 'messy' flour tray. Special events which highlighted the children's confidence and ability to adapt well to changes in regular routine included a delicious Christmas lunch, a fun-filled class party and a visit from the main man, Father Christmas! Do they know it's Christmas time at all? Is the question that requires no answer as we enjoy our last holly-jolly week of term in Skylarks. The children have enjoyed a wealth of festive activities including Monday's Santa run, counting how many snowmen we could find on the winter wonderland trail and even meeting St Nick himself!! Skylark's party went splendidly, with a Christmas disco, candy cane hunt and snowball parachute games to name just a few fun games. Each child now has their own festive goodie bag to take home, filled with items made by the themselves as well as cards and presents from their key workers. The team would like to say a BIG heartfelt "Thank You!" to all the parents for their generosity and continued support, and we wish you all a safe and happy Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone and a Happy New Year from all of us in Upper Robins!

This week Oak have enjoyed getting into the Christmas spirit with a whole load of festive activities and treats.

On Monday, the children enjoyed running around a Christmas tree shaped track as part of our Santa run. The children each got a certificate for completing their three laps and, back in the classrooms, some of the children enjoyed making their own gold medals. On Tuesday, we all sat down together to eat a delicious Christmas lunch comprising of turkey and all the trimmings! Many sprouts ended up in the food compost but, nevertheless, the children certainly left the hall with full tummies. The children pulled crackers with their friends and enjoyed telling each other the jokes from inside them. Wednesday started off as a seemingly normal day until, just before break-time, the sound of jingle bells could be heard on the Oak playground. Eager to get outside to find the source of the noise, the children washed their hands and put on their coats, ready to head outside. When we got to the playground we were all very excited to see Father Christmas himself with a sack full of presents! A trip to the Christmas grotto in the afternoon ended the day on a high and the children loved seeing the Christmas trees and the wigloo all lit up and the reindeer and ‘snow people’ in the outdoor classroom.

By Thursday you might have assumed that the children would be tired but no! A Christmas miracle - the children had enough energy left to enjoy a Christmas party and party lunch. The mini pizzas and cheese twirls were a particular hit and the cupcakes made by the kitchen looked beautiful with their green icing. For our last day, all of Oak came together to watch a Christmas film and enjoy some hot chocolate and marshmallows. Yum! We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and very happy New Year.

Happy Christmas from Fledglings 1

News from Hazelwood

Frosty and Friends!

These wonderful snowmen who took up residence in the Outdoor Classroom over the weekend were made by the children of Skylarks and Oak. They are snow

amazing! Well done everyone.

Run, Santa Run!

Books from home, our library, any public library (it is good to join Oxted Library as they are running the same type of challenge ) and indeed any suitable books from any source, eg grandparents, cousins, friends, all count towards the Challenge. The main aim is to keep your children reading over the Christmas holidays and reading for pleasure. Anyone participating in the challenge will earn house points. Additionally if one completes a book review this will also get house points. The book reviews will then be submitted for a library competition with a winner being selected and a suitable prize awarded. Please be reminded that all books taken out since March need to be returned so that they do not incur a charge of £3 per book. If your child is adamant that the book is lost (!) the full cost of the book is charged. Sometimes, books turn up but if after a second term a book is still not returned, we have to charge the remaining cost of that book minus the initial £3. Our library books are easy to spot as they all have lime green/green or red luminous stickers on them making it easier for you to find them lurking behind sofas or bedcovers! Please keep a look out! Thank you so much. The Librarian

Mini Winter Reading Challenge 2020 Forms for the Mini Winter Reading Challenge will be handed to pupils by their form tutors by the end of term but a copy is attached to this week’s Nutshell.

The Challenge this year is to try to read at least five books and you as a parent must sign off what your child has read.

Dear All We hope this email finds you well and looking forward to the festive season. We are really missing our Hazelwood students and would like to offer an online alternative to lessons for the mean time until we can be back in person. To help us finalise a suitable timetable that works alongside our other teaching, we ask you to send us an email to the following address with your child's name, year group and any particular subject they are interested in with the choices of ballet, tap and modern. Classes are likely to be for a mixed age group and we are also likely to record/pre-record the lessons to enable more pupils to partake.

We are also running a workshop with professional dancer Lauren Stroud on the 22nd December via zoom. There will be two workshops, the first for ages 6-10 from 10:00-11:00 and the second for 11+ from 11:00-12:00. The cost of the workshop will be £6. For more information and to secure a place, please contact us via the email address below. hazelwooddance@gmail.com Many thanks Emma

Congratulations TO ALL OUR Year 8 pupils who will assume positions of responsibility next term. The school is in the safest of hands!

William and Amelia raise their voices for Christmas! As a family, they, together with mum and dad, William and Amelia J have been donating outgrown clothes and toys over the past couple of years to a local charity called, Their Voice. The charity supports victims of modern slavery and trafficking. William and Amelia were made aware of how many families rely on food banks for food and don’t get to enjoy the luxuries like cake and chocolates over Christmas. They decided to ask their local community for donations to make up some Christmas food hampers which are going to be handed over to Their Voice later in the week. Well done William and Amelia for a wonderful initiative and some excellent box wrapping!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town…..

Harry’s hat gets a roasting Having come to school in his turkey hat this week, Harry’s friend decided that there was only one place for it once they had finished building their outdoor camp – on the campfire! Whilst uncertain of the required cooking time, the boys look pleased with their efforts. A job, well done, Year 5!

Oak’s Work of the Week! Congratulations go this week to Arthur and Mikhail for their excellent work in Maths. The boys both excelled at their number bond investigations up to ten!

Thank you to everyone who supported the HPA Christmas Raffle. The raffle raised an incredible £3,913.00 of which £978 is being shared between Friend of Holcot and Stripey Stork’s Santa Stork campaign. The first is providing Christmas hampers for local families with school-aged children whilst the second will be shopping for presents for children in need at this special, but sometimes difficult time of year. The Raffle has funded the Tipi on the main site and the HNEY Outdoor Classroom.

The PMC is designed to make pupils think outside the box. The questions asked are not necessarily subjects that have been covered in the curriculum by this time but the questions can create a great starting point and lead to discussions later in the year. We try to make sure the questions are not heavily reliant on formal mathematical knowledge, but can be solved by logical reasoning.’

Available to enter in an online format for the first time, we are once again delighted by the excellent results achieved by our pupils, with a good range of certificates having been presented to pupils in Years 6 and 5.

Particular congratulations go to Leonid P, whose highest score has qualified him for the Bonus Round in February 2021.

Well done to all participants, including our Certificate winners:

Level Pupils

Gold (qualified for Bonus Round in Spring) Leonid P

Gold Alex L, James M, Dibbe E, Harry H, Henry D and Oscar J

Silver Beatrice D, George N, Lucy K, Eva T, Isobel S, Aaron C, Annabelle N, Grace N, Harrison C, Henry BH, Joseph V, Joseph N, Lucy A and Myla T

Bronze Alex F, Charlie M, Harry D, Isabelle N, Martha C, Rufus VB, Arabella SL, Ayesha C, James D, Jessica K, Kitty L, Samuel D, Thomas B, Reuben H, Abigail I, Felix B, Hunter K, Jake J, Leonardo BG, Tom P, Uma R, William C and Elise T.

Year 5 are content to be cross! Following the example of the Victorians, 5T have been spending every spare moment relaxing with a bit of cross stich. Mrs T is most amused to see the boys returning from rugby, head-to-toe in mud, reaching for their needlework the minute they enter the classroom!

The Primary Maths Challenge - November 2020

The Primary Maths Challenge describes itself as ‘ …a fun and exciting mathematical Challenge aimed at pupils in Years 5 and 6 across England and Wales…. the PMC encourages enthusiasm, boosts confidence in mathematics and shows the different way questions can be asked. We believe in the importance of Problem Solving as a means of helping pupils develop their reasoning skills.

The Christmas that keeps on giving….

Notice Board

Communication sent home this week

The following communications have been sent out as detailed below and are available to view on the Parent Information Portal (PIP):

PIP (Parent Information Portal) Access Link https://3sys.hazelwoodschool.com/schoolPORTAL

SOCS Calendar http://calendar.hazelwoodschool.co.uk/week.aspx?ID=25213

CALENDAR WEEK 1 Will be published on PIP before the start of term

LETTERS

Whole School - Covid-19 Return to School Information For reporting Covid-19 positive cases over the holidays https://forms.gle/tVz1tsAWYPZSReBx8 For submitting international travel plans over the holidays information https://forms.gle/qUNtMFRjjPdz51Ap6

Whole School - HPA Raffle Prize Draw Vimeo Link (emailed) Years 1-8 - Carol Service Vimeo link and Order of Service (emailed) Years 1-7 - Autumn Progress Reports are now available to view on PIP Year 8 French Pupils - Revision Guide information for lessons next term (emailed) Year 6 - Year 6 Play Email No 1 Year 4 - Senior School Information Evening - please reply using the link provided by Monday, 4 January Various - French/Spanish Magazine Subscriptions - update (emailed)

REMINDERS/NOTICES TED PROJECT WINTER 2020 'JOURNEYS' Years 1-7 (optional for Year 7) - deadline for completion of projects is the first day after February half-term.

Congratulations to Lauren W who arrived home this afternoon to discover that her striking Christmas card design had won the 8-11years category in the Friends of Limpsfield Common Christmas Card Design Competition. The news ensured that Lauren’s festive holiday has already got off to a roaring start. Well done Lauren.

The trampoline is a round 6 foot trampoline with outdoor netting. "TP" brand. Has never been outside as we always had it in the toy room. Cost is free but anyone wanting it can come around and take it down and remove it themselves. V good condition. Small two inch round hole in outdoor netting that has not grown bigger over 4 years. Suitable for age 7 and under as after that, average height children are probably too big. First come, first serve basis. Rebecca 07791686670