Finally, after a summer filled with the sounds of renovation and construction, the corridors of Hazelwood School and Nursery came alive with the noise of returning children, happy to see their friends again and eager to meet their new teachers. Another year of excitement, challenge and achievement is underway and it feels great to be back. I look forward to the summer holidays, to the chance to recharge and reflect but I always look forward to the start of a new adventure even more.

There is much to be excited about. The summer has been a period of transition and change on both sites with many improvements being made to each and new facilities being invested in to further enrich the experiences of the children. On the nursery site we have a brand new deckling area alongside the Wagtails rooms. This means that all our children have direct access to outside space in which to learn and to play, giving the room leaders greater flexibility to plan an ever diversifying and engaging programme of activities. Top Robins has a protective canopy over their outdoor area allowing access to fresh air learning all year round and the Skylarks’ floor has been re-laid so that tractors and pushchairs can speed around the room smoothly without any bumps and interruptions. It has further enhanced the environment of the room and will shine like a new penny until at least the end its first week after which it will have been baptised (quite rightly) in sand, water, mud and foam as the children set about their learning!

Hazelwood School’s Senior Schools’ Fair takes place tomorrow, Saturday 12th September between 10am and 12noon. Come along and meet 30 of the country’s leading independent senior schools and find out about what’s on offer at Year 9 entry. Up on the Wolfs Hill site the Estates team have been busy with the paint brush giving corridors, classrooms and hallways a fresh lick of paint. The Chestnut building doors have been upgraded so that they open without undue coercion and the assembly hall is now the proud owner of a pull down screen and projector. Elsewhere the transformation of the dining hall continues with sound and protective wall panels, the school office has been given a make-over and the sports hall floor has been sanded and re-varnished. New indoor cricket nets have been hung. The Pop-up classrooms are now populated with our Year 3 and 4 cohorts and the third double court should be ready for the start of the match programme in a couple of weeks’ time.

Progress on the new build has been well documented over the summer holidays – I hope you have been enjoying your updates – and it was wonderful to see some Year 8 pupils looking through the viewing panels as part of a science lesson on energy today. They were looking at how chemical energy is transformed into kinetic and sound energy and how the forces of gravitational pull helped to draw the massive drill bit into the ground. The viewing panels are right alongside the outside doors to my office so I am looking forward to many more excited faces (and not just Dr Orr’s) as the children benefit from the experience of seeing the building take shape.

We are delighted too to welcome so many new faces to Hazelwood for the start of the term – staff and pupils. It’s healthy for any community to have a fresh injection of ideas and energy from time to time and I am confident that everyone will soon make their unique contribution to the school once early day nerves and butterflies have disappeared. We are fortunate to have some cracking new members of the staff team and we welcome Mrs Darvill (Assistant Head – Nursery and Early Years), Mrs Phillimore (Head of Maths), Miss Dickinson (Year 5 teacher), Miss Fox (Assistant Tutor), Miss Dancy (Assistant Tutor), Miss Napodano (Assistant Tutor) and Mr Fotheringham (Assistant Tutor). In addition Mrs Morgan has taken on the role of Year 2 teacher and Mrs Roe has come up from the Nursery site to become our new Head of Year 3.

A big hello too to all our new Hazelwood families and thank you to everyone for making them feel so welcome over the summer holidays. We have opened our doors this September to new friends from France, South Africa and Singapore as well as London, , Edenbridge, and ! A real coming together of nations, united in their desire to embrace the start of their Hazelwood adventure. I wish you all many happy years ahead and look forward to getting to know you and your children.

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

Mrs Taylor’s Reception class set sail on the start of their continuing adventure at Hazelwood. As well as ‘Land Ahoy’ there will be new friends and plenty of wonderful things to learn and enjoy on the horizon. Welcome aboard everyone! News from The Nursery I’m delighted to have joined Hazelwood and have felt thoroughly welcomed by staff, parents and pupils. I look forward to getting to know the whole school community over the coming weeks and months. It is certainly going to be a challenge initially to learn all the new names! Term has started well with a lot of happy, calm children arriving. Only a few tears were observed and most of these were from parents in the car park! Following a lot of site improvements over the summer Wagtails are now enjoying free flow access to the outdoors, Top Robins can access outdoors in all weather thanks to the cover for their decking and Skylarks have a shiny new floor, as well as a smart co-ordinated spotty theme.

The first major hurdle of the fire drill has been achieved and I was truly impressed by how sensible the children were. They would have put many a primary school to shame with the excellent way they quickly and quietly exited the building.

All of the children have thrown themselves into their learning and are enjoying exploring all the new activities and experiences on offer. The quote of the week has to be the Reception child who merrily told me that she was just taking the DNA into the Wendy house so that she could make a witch!

I trust your children have enjoyed the first week and I look forward to teaching many of them next week. Ruth Darvill

Dates for diary: Information Evening for all Nursery and Early Years: 7pm Wednesday 16h September Harvest Festival: Thursday 1st October. Oak parents are invited to attend. Please let Amanda Twyman know it you wish to attend.

Something tickles the fancy of our very own Mrs O’Keefe during her son’s wedding speech. The groom’s mother, after months of planning and stressing was able to finally laugh, smile and relax. The reception was held at the school and the beautiful bride made the most of the wide open space of Pavilion Field for a game of rounders! We wish James and Amy all the very best for the future.

The children of Skylarks show the many sides to their learning with a spot of quiet

reading in the library and some outdoor play making great use of the cardboard boxes in which the new furniture was delivered. Waste not want not. Full marks from Mr MacDougall and the Eco Committee!

News from Hazelwood

Interhouse Cross Country: Monday 14th September The Interhouse Cross Country takes place on Monday. Can all children in Years 3-8 remember to bring house tops to school on Monday.

Cup Engraving If you have any cups to be engraved please drop these in to Mrs Calver’s office by 18th September with a note of exactly what you would like engraved.

School Uniform Thank you to everyone who has made the effort to comply with the school’s request to have everyone in the new style uniform. The children are all looking smart and polished. We appreciate that some items are out of stock at the moment and are aware of which garments and which families are affected. Rest assured children whose uniform is on back order will be shown due consideration and understanding.

Bella Italia! A trip to Rome and Sorrento provided a wonderful start to the year for the new year 8s. Tour highlights included an excursion to the Coliseum, an ascent of Mount Vesuvius and visits to the ancient ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Swimming in the sea in beautiful Sorrento and sampling many an ice cream were very much to the children's liking and the staff particularly enjoyed sampling local delicacies such as Cannoli and Spaghetti Vongole.

The children should be commended for their outstanding behaviour and camaraderie, as well as their desire to give their all and try new things. A special thank you to Mrs Brighting and Mr Walton for their invaluable support and good humour throughout the trip.

All pupils from Years 1 – 8 are invited to participate in “Jeans for Genes” Day, taking place at Hazelwood next Friday, 18th September in return for a £1 donation to the cause.

In addition to jeans (no ripped), please remember sensible additional clothing and footwear, and no coloured hair or makeup.

School Uniform Shop Don’t forget to drop off good condition outgrown 'current' uniform and bags/book bags. Sports equipment and footwear also welcome. The shop also sells a good selection of navy hair accessories and stationery for every day and emergency purchase!

Welcome to Hazelwood School’s two new Governors: Mrs Alexia Bracewell (Head of Longacre School) and Mrs Emma Francis (SEN Teacher at Ardingly Prep) have joined the governing body from September and will both sit on the Education Committee. We look forward to benefitting from their many years’ experience and to working with them. Violet, Alice and Maud were in fashion heaven following a workshop with world famous designer Piers Atkinson. Piers designs headpieces which have been worn by Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Lana del Ray and the likes thereof. The girls did a workshop with him at Port Eliot Festival at the end of July and he reposted proud mum’s Instagram picture onto his own site. A brief little moment of worldwide notoriety which hasn’t at all gone to the girls’ heads! (The Nutshell is equally impressed that Mrs Lewis knows how to use and post on Instagram!)

Rupert had a summer of many memorable moments, a couple of which he wanted to share with his Hazelwood friends. The first was when we went to the home of world famous children’s author, Jeremy Strong. Rupert got to hang out with the equally renowned Krazy Kow. If that wasn’t exciting enough, Rupert than went on to complete his Open Water PaDi diving qualification having enjoyed the course at Hazelwood in the summer term. The waters of the Mediterranean were perhaps a little more inviting than those around home!

Congratulations to James who won the American Golf South of England Championships at the start of the summer in spite of being the youngest of thirty players by two years. His margin of victory was an impressive five shots!

Hazelwood Parent and Staff Golf Day Sunday 13th September @ Golf Club. Registration at 13:00, first tee at 13:30. £10 entry fee with prizes available. Email entries to Tom Lloyd Your chance to shine on the golf course! with name and handicap [email protected]

Welcome to Hazelwood’s new members of the staff team

Miss Fox Duncan Fotheringham Miss Dancy Assistant Tutor Assistant Tutor Assistant Tutor

Mrs Darvill Mrs Roe Miss Napodano Assistant Head (Nursery) Head of Year 3 Assistant Tutor

Mrs Morgan Mrs Phillimore Miss Dickinson Year 2 Form Tutor Head of Maths Year 5 Form Tutor

Congratulations to Miss Wills who has been appointed as Head of Parry from September. Thank you to Mr Jarvis who has been an honorary panda for many monsoons. Mr Will Fagg has taken over the role of Head of Year 8 so will be knee deep in all things Common Entrance before too long. Well done to Mrs Greenwood who will become Head‘s PA at half term when Mrs Calver sadly leaves the school after many years of dedicated, calm and patient service. Mrs Tulett’s summer Big Canvas course: something fishy’s been going on!

What a difference a day, and a little help from your friends, make!!

Over the summer the Hazelwood Fun Club were treated to some wonderful days out as part of their varied programme. Trips to Box Hill, Knole Park and Camber Sands were enjoyed by one and all. The Fun Club runs for 12 weeks of the school holidays. All dates and the October half term booking form are available on line.

Project CAVE – Progress in Pictures

Pop up classrooms arrive

Don’t they look smart!

The site is cleared

Let the piling begin

The biggest piling rig ever!

LAMDA news Welcome to Mrs Emily Gash who will be taking over the school’s LAMDA tuition. Mrs Gash is a highly qualified teacher who has been Head of Drama at two south London Prep Schools. She will also be running the After School Drama Club. We are very much looking forward to seeing the children develop and grow in confidence under her expert tutelage. We wish Mrs Perret all the very best for her new life in America.

Library Books and Summer Reading Challenge Forms! It is lovely to see the children again and to have received postcards and photos from them telling us which books they are reading and where!

Please do send their Summer Reading Challenge Forms in by Friday 18 September at the very latest. Also, all library books need to be returned after the long summer holidays. We look forward to a happy term of reading!

Mrs Dymoke and Mrs Wisniewski, Librarians

Two young Wagtails get busy in the kitchen. HPA

A new academic year gets underway full of sunshine and smiles (and a few glare- induced closed eyes) from this year’s Year 5. A cohort of 55 pupils, the children extended a huge Hazelwood welcome Lily, Ethan and Tom. There are smiles too from some more of Hazelwood’s new pupils who, in their excitement to get their

Hazelwood adventure underway, missed the first morning picture. A few children were away from school on Friday- they will be caught on camera next week.

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.

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.

Swimathon Results: Summer 2015 Following the very successful Hazelwood Swimathon that took place last term, I can confirm all sponsorship money has now been collected and a combined score of 4,571 lengths were swum!

The total amount of money raised for the 125 Community Fund and Swimming at Hazelwood was an amazing £1,122!

A HUGE THANK YOU to all those swimmers who kindly got sponsored and helped us to achieve this! The winning class from each year group gladly received their prize last term. Swimathon Results - 2015 Year 3 1st 3D – 389 lengths 2nd 3J – 348 lengths 3rd 3M – 297 lengths Year 4 1st 4H – 415 lengths 2nd 4W – 410 lengths 3rd 4L – 365 lengths Year 5 1st 5K – 505 lengths 2nd 5B – 486 lengths 3rd 5C – 389 lengths EMS 967 Lengths swum! 1st Tallen Harris – 50 lengths 2nd Bethan Sharps – 44 lengths 3rd Luke Woollard – 40 lengths Total Lengths Swum 4,571 lengths!

Dr Orr shows her delight as the construction site assists in explaining the complexities of energy transfer and conversion. The viewing panels will undoubtedly be the place of many future Eureka moments during the course of the new build project.

Key Events for Next Week

Monday 14 All clubs start 1415 Interhouse Cross Country

Tuesday 15 1300 Football U9A Hawthorns Tournament 1900 Lower School information evening in theatre

Wednesday 16 1430 Football 1st XI, Colts A-C v St Michael’s (H) 1430 Football 2nd XI, 3rd XI, Colts D-F v St Michael’s (A) 1600 Hockey U13 A & B v Combe Bank (A) 1430 U10 A, B & C v Lingfield Notre Dame (H) 1930 Nursery and Early Years’ information evening

Thursday 17 0835 House Meetings 1430 Football U9 A-C v Sevenoaks Prep / Homefield (H) 2000 Governors’ drinks reception for new parents

Friday 18 All Day Jeans for Genes Day 1630 Year 5 Film Night

Saturday 19 All day OAC visit to see some London buildings for Open House London Wicked Theatre trip 1000 Football U11A&B St Michael’s 5-a-side Tournament Away ESSA swimming championships

Sunday 20 1400- Year 8 Play rehearsal 1800

“Can I just say that the shuttle bus really and truly is the best thing since sliced bread - thank you a million times over for providing it!”

Hazelwood’s first ever ‘selfie’ taken by the now Year 8 pupils in St Peter’s Square in Rome. Not sure if there is a special or different word for a group selfie – answers to bursar@hazelwoodschool .com very much appreciated. You are never too old to learn!!