Weekly Update
It has been a fantastic week in school leading up to the Christmas holidays. The children have had lots of exciting activities as working hard to complete all their autumn term units of work.
We were all treated to a delicious lunch on Wednesday cooked by Joyce and her team and there was great excitement when Santa visited Acklam Whin on Thursday. Read our Christmas Round Up below to find out about other highlights this week.
We were sad to say goodbye to Miss Chareunsy and Mrs Rhodes today who are moving on to new roles. In assembly, we were able to say thank you for all they have done at Acklam Whin and we wish them lots of happiness in the future.
After a busy term in school, we know that the children and staff are looking forward to a restful break, and we hope that Santa is kind to everyone.
We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and we will see you back in school on Monday 5th January 2026!
Christmas Round Up
Nursery
Year 1 and 2
Year 1 and Year 2 had snow much fun at our Christmas party! We played lots of party games that had everyone having lots of fun. As well as all that excitement, we enjoyed some tasty party food. It was the perfect festive treat to end the term!
What a cracker of a day! ✨
Year 3
Year 3 really thoroughly enjoyed their craft afternoon today, which was full of creativity, laughter and festive fun. The children made beautiful snowy owls using pine cones, carefully adding details to bring their creations to life. They also designed some cheeky Christmas elves, using split pins to add moving parts, which the children were especially excited about.
It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm, focus and imagination, with everyone taking pride in their finished creations and enjoying the chance to get hands-on with festive crafts.
Year 4
Year 4 have had a lovely festive week, filled with creativity and Christmas cheer. The children enjoyed making Christmas cards, including some fantastic reindeer designs, as well as calendars and bead crafts, showing great care and imagination.
Everyone also enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner, before finishing the week with a cosy Christmas movie afternoon. A perfect way to celebrate the season and end the term together! ✨
Year 6
Year 6 have had a busy and festive week, full of Christmas spirit and teamwork. Some of our children took on the role of helpful elves for Santa, showing responsibility and kindness as they supported others around school. Alongside this, everyone enjoyed getting creative with a range of Christmas craft activities.
The class also had great fun taking part in the KS2 Christmas Quiz, where teamwork and quick thinking were on full display. Earlier in the week, Year 6 delivered a wonderful Christmas service for parents, performing a selection of festive tunes with confidence and pride. A fantastic way to celebrate the season and share some Christmas cheer!
Pantomime
The whole school had a treat on Monday by watching Jack and the Beanstalk. There was lots of fun, laughter and singing, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the show.
KS2 Quiz
Lots of enthusiasm was shown during the KS2 Quiz where our house teams competed against each other. Rounds like Christmas Emojis, and Heads or Tails had lots of audience participation with Decorate the Tree, Build a Snowman, Christmas Veggie Bowls and the Mars Bar Game showing great teamwork. The quiz was rounded off with the legendary Sprout Bobbing!! A big well done to Elephants who got the highest score!
Attendance Matters
It is so important that we see your children in school every day as any missed days means missed learning.
There are our attendance figures for this week:
Overall 94.5%
A big well done to Year 6 for getting over 96% and for Class 614 for winning the attendance trophy again!
100 children received certificates today for getting 100% attendance this term. This is a fantastic achievement especially with all the illness that has been around.
Reminders
*Thank you to everyone who has named their child’s uniform; this really helps us to return any lost property to its rightful owner, and we would encourage all parents to make sure that uniform is named please.
*As the weather has turned much wetter and colder, please can you ensure that the children have a suitable coat in school each day. Many thanks.
Links to support our parents and children….
Headstart
Festive Greetings from HeadStart South Tees!
Welcome to our special Christmas edition, packed with festive wellbeing tips for staff and highlights from an incredible year.
In this issue:
✨ Winter Wellbeing Wonderland at Highcliffe School – A magical event promoting mental health and family connection.
Ayresome HeadStarters Bake for Charity – Raising £400 for Young Minds through kindness and creativity.
Morning with the Mayor – Giving young people a voice to share ideas on improving wellbeing across South Tees.
And much more…
Thank you for being part of our journey this year. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and hopeful festive season!
HeadStart Newsletter 15th December 2025
Lunch Menu
Action for Happiness
Wellbeing is so important in our day-to-day life. Use the ideas on the Do-Good December calendar which encourages you to do small acts of kindness.
