March 2013

Hazelwick School

Newsletter

Headlines Ms A Fearon, Headteacher

Dates for your Diary:

Mon 15 April:

Start of Summer Term

Fri 26 April - Friday 10 May:

Year 10 Exams

Tues 30 April:

Year 7 Parents’ Evening

March Reflection:

The end of another busy term! May I take this opportunity to wish all the Hazelwick community a very

happy Easter break. This month has seen the continued development and refurbishment of the school

site; South building’s window replacement is now complete, new lighting has been fitted throughout and

the whole building has been redecorated. The Music Department has had a complete overhaul and

now boasts superb practice rooms and in impressive recording studio. Attention now switches to East

Building, which will undergo significant refurbishment work over the Easter holidays and summer term.

Once the work has finished, we will be holding an open day for parents to come to view the site. More

information will be forthcoming in a summer term newsletter.

Hazelwick has experienced success in sport this month; details of which are in the sports section and

we were treated to a fantastic display of talent in the Gym and Dance Display. We have also enjoyed

some wonderful music experiences; Battle of the Bands in school and Evensong at Chichester

Cathedral. Year 12 students have entertained us with their excellent AS Drama productions.

Our Upper School students are obviously beginning to gear themselves up for the summer public

examinations. In an Assembly I gave to Year 11 students this week, I talked about the importance of

following a programme of study during the Easter break. If this last significant chunk of time – over two

weeks – is utilised productively, it can make a major difference to how well students are prepared for

their May/June exams. I am not suggesting hours of work every day but a sensible, structured

programme of revision, and practising exam questions would be immensely beneficial. A reminder, too, that a programme of booster sessions has been organised for Year 11 students, details of which have

been sent out. Attendance at these sessions is immensely important.

Have you had a chance yet to take a look at our new school website (www.hazelwick.org)? We have

worked extremely hard to provide a website that is informative, interesting and intuitive. Our thanks go

largely to Martin Klin, a member of our IT team, whose effort and expertise have resulted in, what we,

believe is a superb standard. As always, we would value your feedback.

Year 12 AS Drama production

Gym and Dance Display

County Cup Semi-Final

Page 2

Gym and Dance Display On Thursday 14 and Friday 15 March, 65 students representing Years 7-

13 showcased their gymnastic and dance skills for friends and family in

South Hall. We were also joined by Three Bridges Infants and Northgate

Primary, who performed some excellent dance pieces. The performances

were the culmination of the students’ hard work since September and

they all performed spectacularly. The PE department would like to thank

all of the parents, students, friends and family who attended to make the

evening such a success.

Mr Evans and Mrs McHugh

A Classic Night Out Hazelwick’s AS and A2 Latin students recently went to the Bloomsbury

Theatre in London to see a modern production of the ancient Greek tragedy

“Trojan Women” by Euripides. This powerful anti-war play dramatises the

aftermath of war by focusing on the unique perspective of the captive

women of Troy, as they face the prospect of a new life in a foreign land as

slaves to the savage conquering Greeks. This timeless tale of defeat and

destruction gives voice to the grief and experience of women in war, offering

a moving evocation of the horrors of war, but also an enduring picture of

human fortitude in the midst of despair. This contemporary production (set

in World War II) lived up to expectations and proved to be a powerful and

moving theatrical experience for our sixth form Classics students.

On the way to the theatre we also managed to squeeze in a flying visit to the British Museum to see the famous sculptures from

the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis in Athens and to learn a bit about the controversy surrounding the ownership of the “Elgin

Marbles”. And the final element of this cultural extravaganza was an introduction (for Mr Reid and Mr Hopkins at least) to the

culinary delights of Nando’s, where we all enjoyed a leisurely and tasty pre-theatre meal.

The evening was rounded off with a brisk walk to St Pancras to admire the glorious architecture and atmosphere – and to grab a

hot drink from Starbuck’s to warm us on the train journey home!

Mr Hopkins

World Book Day To celebrate World Book Day on Thursday 7 March, the English Department dressed

up as characters from books. Some of the English Department are pictured in all their

finery.

A competition was held for Key Stage 3 students to guess 'Who’s Who'. The winners

will receive a £10 Amazon voucher each.

Competitions were also held in the Library and local author, Joshua Raven, visited and

worked with Year 8 students in a creative writing workshop.

Mrs Parsons

Year 9 Student at Sadler’s Wells Talented Year 9 student, Isabel Summers, has been selected to take the lead role

in a Sadler’s Wells Peacock Theatre production of The Secret Garden. Isabel has

had an extremely tough training and rehearsal regime and should be very proud of

herself, as are all her friends and teachers at Hazelwick. If you are interested in

seeing this production, tickets may be obtained by phoning either 0844 412

4322/020 8969 1555, or on-line at www.sadlerswells.com. The production will

run from 25-28 April.

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Music News!

Battle of the Bands Hazelwick enjoyed a brilliant evening of musical talent last month, with "Battle of the Bands" showcasing some of Hazelwick's

greatest rock musicians. Six great bands competed on the night, with Ms Fearon, Mr Palmer, Mr Croft and Chair of Governors,

Mrs Stanford, acting as our judging panel. The judges had a hard task, as the quality of performance was excellent. In the end there

could only be one winner and the award for Best Hazelwick Band was given to Will Allgar and Tom Jellicoe, whose performance on

the night was judged to be outstanding. The Music Department would like to thank all the students, parents and staff who made the

show possible. Any aspiring bands who did not compete this year need to get practising for next year when, no doubt, Will and

Tom will be fiercely defending their title!

Winners of "Battle of the Bands" 2013 - Will

Allgar and Tom Jellicoe

"The Misfits" perform their debut song "Locked

Out of Heaven"

Many thanks to Mr Darill Stoddart who provided us with some brilliant photos of

the evening - the rest of which can be seen on display in the Music Department.

Miss Patey

Guitar Club Success! As you might remember from our previous newsletter items, Steve Gladman from the B Sharp Guitar

School offers a group guitar lesson every Thursday after school from 3.15pm until 4.15pm. Due to these

lessons being taught in groups, the termly price is greatly reduced. We have been so oversubscribed

with students who want to be involved, that we are now offering a second session which will run from

4.15pm to 5.15pm and will include tuition for students wishing to learn the Bass Guitar as well as the

Electric Guitar. Letters will be available via ParentMail and places can be booked directly with Steve

Gladman by phone or email (contact details below). Prices are £7 per lesson, paid every half term

(depending on the number of weeks in the half term). We are delighted with the positive response to

these lessons from both students and parents alike.

*Free Trial Lesson* - come along on Thursday 18 April at 4.15pm for a free trial lesson.

Steve Gladman - B Sharp Guitar School Tel: 01903 600114 Mob: 07880 688769

info@bsharpguitarschool.co.uk www.bsharpguitarschool.co.uk

Gifted & Talented Primary Maths Session On 7 March, Year 5 and 6 Gifted & Talented pupils from local primary schools participated in a puzzle session hosted by

the Maths Department. Pupils (and parents!) tackled a variety of challenges and activities to test their logical thinking and

maths skills. The session was a great success and we hope to offer similar activities in the future.

Mrs Andrews

Page 4

Read On! CILIP Carnegie Children’s Book Awards

The shortlisted titles for the CILIP Carnegie Children’s Book Awards have been announced and I

thought I would highlight three of the titles that I think have a strong chance of winning.

Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton

Do not be put off by the unattractive cover! This is a warm and quirky story about the adventures

of a boy and a bear upon the seas in their trusted ship the Harriett. The central characters are

enduring and will appeal to both children and adults, as will the illustrations. This book has been

shortlisted for several book awards.

(Reading age: 6 to 8/ Interest age: 7 to 12)

A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle

This is a haunting tale of the bond between four generations of Irish women from the same family.

The central character is twelve year old Mary, who is struggling to come to terms with the fact

that her grandmother will not live for ever.

The ghost of Mary’s great-grandmother returns to guide them and takes them on a road trip that

they will never forget. Have your tissues ready!

(Reading age: 10 to 12/ Interest age: 11 to 14)

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

If you enjoy tales of wartime courage and friendship, then I am sure you will find this story moving.

The central characters are two young women from very different social backgrounds who are

thrown together due to the outbreak of World War Two and form a close friendship. Please note

that this story does contain conversational swearing, violence and torture. This is credible given

the war period setting and is not gratuitous.

(Reading age: 14 to 16/ Interest age: 14 to 18)

Check out the website below for the shortlisted titles and for more information

regarding the Award.

http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/carnegie/current_shortlist.php

HAZELWICK FAVOURITE BOOKS: It has been really interesting to see which books have been voted for.

Ms Hamid selected ‘The Spy Who Came in from the Cold’ by John le Carre as one of her favourite books and I

have included a part of her review below.

“When reading this book you have to constantly undergo a process of doublethink - just as the agents themselves did. They spend their lives in a constant web of lies - they lie to their colleagues, their friends, other spies and of course, the enemy, so you are always having to work out why they are saying what they say, which I think is a great thing for the reader as it gives the novel that extra element of clue-solving and mystery. Nothing and nobody is certain in this book; very few of the characters are trustworthy, which could make them unsympathetic, but le Carre adds an extra layer, which only increases our sympathy for these people and the lives they lead”.

If you would like to vote for your favourite book, please email tthornton@hazelwick.org.uk

Happy reading!

Mrs Thornton

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March Numeracy Challenge On 25 April, the top 120 Mathematicians from Years 7 and 8 will sit the Junior Maths Challenge. If your child is amongst these

students, the Easter break will be a great opportunity for them to log on to www.ukmt.org.uk and practise their problem-solving skills

and hopefully be rewarded with a Gold, Silver or Bronze Award, or even go one better and be awarded the prestigious title of “Best in

School”.

Why not try your maths skills against some Junior Challenge questions? Answers to follow in next month’s newsletter.

No calculators allowed!

Question 1

Which of the following is correct?

A 0 x 9 + 9 x 0 = 9 B 1 x 8 + 8 x 1 = 18 C 2 x 7 + 7 x 2 = 27 D 3 x 6 + 6 x 3 = 36

E 4 x 5 + 5 x 4 = 45

Question 2

The kettle in Keith’s kitchen is 80% full. After 20% of the water in it has been poured out, there are 1152ml of water left. What

volume of water does Keith’s kettle hold when it is full?

A 1400ml B 1600ml C 1700ml D 1800ml E 2000ml

Oxbridge Success We would like to offer our departmental congratulations to Esther Kendal for receiving an

offer from Oxford University to read Maths. This follows her successes in GCSE, A level

as well as UK Maths Challenges over the years she has been at the school.

Answers to February’s questions were:

Question 1: (C) 40 ( 1+2+4+5+8+10+20 + 40= 90)

Question 2: (B) 2 (Sine rule required to answer this one!)

Sixth Form Visit to Barcelona On 16 March, a group of 16 sixth-formers flew to Barcelona (with Mr Cahill and

Ms Gratton) to put their Spanish skills into practice and to have a small experience

of life in Spain.

We left England early on Saturday morning to a full day of history, culture and

language, as we visited Parque Güell, a garden complex with architecture by Antoni

Gaudi, followed by dinner at an authentic tapas bar in the heart of Barcelona.

We also visited Parque Tibidabo, a theme park situated on Tibidabo Mountain,

which offered spectacular views over the city and the surrounding coastline.

We managed to see more of Barcelona and the stunning views on the Barcelona

Bus Turistic, which took us around the city in an open top bus, whilst listening to a

Spanish tour guide about the historical development of the city and the rich culture

it holds. It took us to old bullrings, the site of the 1992 Olympic Games, and even

to Camp Nou, the FC Barcelona football ground.

In the evening, we visited the beautiful La Sagrada Familia, a cathedral designed by

Gaudi, which sparked a debate between the group as to whether the Spanish

people ought to continue building and complete it, or to leave it as it was left by

Gaudi himself.

Students were also put to the challenge when they were taken to the cinema to

see an original Spanish film (without subtitles) by Spanish director Pedro

Almodovar. Although enjoyable, it was no easy task!

The final day was a time for students to enjoy La Boqueria, an indoor food market

that sells things from sweets to live crabs, from fruit smoothies to chorizo sausage.

All of the students, and the teachers, enjoyed the trip immensely, as it is the best

way to learn and experience a language.

Jasmine Erskine (Year 13)

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Sport

Sussex Schools Cross Country Championships A group of talented Hazelwick athletes represented the school in the

Sussex Schools Cross Country Championships at Christ's Hospital. In

cold, muddy conditions, they acquitted themselves really well around the

tough course. In Year 7, congratulations should go to Daisy Petrow, Emily

Avis, Ben Prentice, Sam Fernando, Aaron Smith and Nathan Bates. In Year

8, congratulations should go to Sian Bishop, Sophie Hughes, Tracey

Mbumba, Tia Forde, Bradley Reynolds, Joel Bontemps and Niroshan

Ganeshan. Special congratulations should go to George Crocker in Year 8

who, as a result of his fine run, was chosen to represent Sussex at an inter

-county competition in Essex later this month.

Mrs Reynolds

James Murphy 8.25 Congratulations to James Murphy, who has been

selected from the Sussex Hockey training squad to

represent the Under-14 squad in the County

Championships, which will take place in March and

April. It was a hard selection process (from

October last year) with over a hundred boys at the

start of the process down to the final sixteen in the

squad. Well done, James, and good luck for the

championships!

Holly Talbut-Smith 11.56 Holly was selected to play for Sussex Under-16 Football team

earlier in the year. Last week, Sussex travelled to Dorset to play in

the Sussex Schools Quarter Final. Sussex won 3-1 with Holly

scoring a goal. Well done, Holly, and good luck for the semi-final!

Sam Rolph (8.T07) and Tim Cook (8.102) As part of the Brighton Under-13 squad, Sam and Tim travelled to Benfica’s

training ground and spent a week experiencing the life of a professional footballer.

They trained, experienced pool recovery, had regular physio sessions, got used to

having to sleep in a certain pattern and then got to play a game against Benfica’s

Under-13 team. Brighton were victorious, winning 2-0. Both boys enjoyed the

experience and hope that there is more to come.

Year 9 County Cup

Quarter Final Congratulations to the squad for

reaching the last eight in the county!

They played a very hard-fought match

against a talented Hove Park team. We went into half time 1-1 but conceded

twice in the second half to go 3-1

down. However, the boys put the

pressure on and battled back to 3-3 to

take the game to a tense 20 minutes of

extra time. No goals were scored, so

we went to penalties. Sadly we lost 4-3

on penalties but the squad should be

very proud of what they achieved.

Mr Flack

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Homework Club

A reminder that Homework Club runs in the Learning Resource Centre, Monday to Thursday, from 3.10pm to 4.30pm,

for students in Years 7, 8 and 9 to study and, where necessary, to receive support from a team of Teaching Assistants.

For further details, please ring Mrs Bending on the school number (extension 2333).

For more details, please see the school website - www.hazelwick.org or contact us on 01293 403344

The majority of the photos featured in this newsletter were taken by Barry Holder and more of his excellent photography

can be viewed on the school website.

Sport (continued)

Jack Mulcahy

11.55 Congratulations to Jack,

who was selected for the

Under-16 Sussex Hockey

squad. Good luck for the

upcoming games!

Winter Sussex Youth Games Our Year 8 Boys’ Rugby team qualified for the Winter Sussex Youth Games.

This was the chance to experience an Olympic-like event with an opening

and closing ceremony, medal podiums, press interviews and lots of sports all

happening in one venue. It even included George Cook reading out the

athlete pledge, with GB’s Bronze medallist winner Alex Danson. The boys

really enjoyed the day, beating William Parker and Hailsham Community

College. There were some high-scoring games, with lots of opportunities to

score some great tries. Well done, boys, and thank you to Mr Griffiths for

taking them.

Under-12 Boys’ Football Unfortunately, the Year 7 Boys’ Football team lost their

County Cup semi-final 3-1. This game was played away to

Felpham. The boys have had a great season, finishing as

Crawley area champions, and did really well to get to the semi

-final stage. Well done to all of the team!

Tom Page 7.13 Tom was nominated to attend an FA Disability Day. It was a chance for

Tom to compete against other students with cerebral palsy. Tom

acquitted himself well, scoring a hat trick in front of the selectors. From

this day, Tom has been selected to trial out for the FA Regional

Cerebral Palsy Centre of Excellence, which is run by Chelsea FC. This is

an excellent achievement and we wish him luck for these trials. Well

done, Tom!

Sixth Form Football Semi–Final The Sixth Form team has made great progress

this year, beating St Paul’s, ICC and St Bede’s to

reach the County Cup semi-final. Unfortunately,

they lost in a hard-fought game at Hazelwick,

going down 3-0 to Thomas Bennett Community

College. For much of the game the score was 1-

0 and at the start of the second half chances

were missed which would have given Hazelwick

a fighting chance. In the later stages of the game,

a risky attacking formation was adopted which

allowed Thomas Bennett to capitalise on a

stretched defence. The visitors slotted in two

quick goals in the final ten minutes to send us

out. There were fantastic performances from a

number of boys, but Elliot Lancaster must be

mentioned for keeping us within touching

distance for eighty minutes. Well done, boys!