19th December 2025
Dear Parents/Carers
As we come to the end of a busy and joyful term, I would like to extend my warmest Christmas wishes to all our families. It has been wonderful to welcome so many parents and carers into school to share in the festive activities—every class hosted an event, and together we enjoyed Christmas Jumper Day, a delicious Christmas lunch, a visit from Santa, and a fantastic Christmas raffle.
Some classes visited grottos, garden centres and farms-see below for more details and our choir has been spreading cheer both in school and out in the community. Thank you for attending events and supporting Mill Water through fundraising, buying raffle tickets and sending in goodies.
Looking ahead, the first day back for pupils will be Tuesday 6th January, with staff returning on Monday 5th January for training.
I will see some of you online on 7th January 2026 for the second of our Post-16 consultation meetings; please check the website for updates. A Teams link will be sent to all parents that request one, 24 hrs before the event.
Finally, I am delighted to share that our outdoor classroom remains on track for completion by February half term—a very exciting development for our school. Thank you for your continued support, and I wish you all a peaceful and happy Christmas.
Visit to Otter Garden Centre
Pink and Purple Class enjoyed a festive outing to Otter Garden Centre, where they experienced the enchanting Reindeer Retreat, explored a magical Winter Wonderland, and collected special Christmas cookie mixes in the Christmas Kitchen. They also gathered reindeer food to sprinkle outside their homes on Christmas Eve and finished their adventure with a delightful little train ride. It was a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season!
It was a great success and the staff at Otter Nurseries commented on how brilliant the pupils were – a credit to Mill Water school. Thank you to Otter Garden Centre for hosting us for such a wonderful Christmas event!
Choir visiting Seachange
Sally Cregan, our musically talented Deputy Head, took her choir to Seachange in Budleigh again this year. They sang and entertained one of the groups that uses the community hub. It was a lovely morning and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
Father Christmas
This year, Father Christmas made a delightful return to our school, bringing joy and festive cheer to all our pupils. Each child had the opportunity to visit Santa in his grotto, where they eagerly chose a special present to take home.
A big thank you to Otter Valley Rotary Club for helping us with this annual magical experience.
Class Christmas Activities
Each class embraced the festive spirit with unique Christmas activities that showcased their creativity and enthusiasm. From crafting beautiful decorations to performing heart-warming carols, it was wonderful to see parents join in the celebrations, sharing in the joy and excitement alongside their children.
Silver Class Christmas Outing
This week, some of our Silver Class students enjoyed a festive outing to Smyths Toys and KFC. The trip was filled with excitement as they explored the toy store, discovering the latest games and gadgets, followed by a delicious meal at KFC, making it a memorable day for all.
Paddleboat Experience
Peach and Silver classes have been working with Paddleboat over the past term on their new show of the Jolly Christmas Postman. They performed their version of the show to some of their peers at Mill Water on 5th December and were invited to see Paddleboat perform the show on stage at the Barnfield theatre in Exeter.
They walked from the car park, waiting for the green man to cross the roads and waited for all the other schools to arrive before we could find our seats.
They loved watching the show, engaged in the interactive elements and have been talking about it since.
The pupils were so sensible and it was a privilege to take them to experience live theatre on stage.
Christmas Raffle
This week we drew the prizes for this year’s Christmas raffle. The raffle raised just over £450 which will go towards enriching resources and activities for our pupils at Mill Water.
A huge thank you to all the many businesses and supporters who have generously donated the prizes for our raffle or contributed by purchasing tickets!
Generous Donations and Festive Treats
We would like to say a huge thank you to Tony Goode who owns Travel Executive, one of our transport contractors, who has very kindly donated the Christmas tree which has been displayed in Reception.
Thank you Tony for making our pupils smile!
We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Jason, the driver on Route 118 who delights our staff with an array of wonderful treats each Christmas.
Thank you, Jason, for spreading festive cheer!
Dates for your Diary
Friday 19th December
Last Day of Autumn Term
Tuesday 6th January
Spring Term Starts
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