Everyone knows that December is a busy month for Father Christmas, however he found time out of his busy schedule to officially open a yurt at Dame Allan’s Junior School and meet with every child in the school.

The yurt is a new addition to Dame Allan’s and will add to the thriving outdoor education and Skogsmulle programme already enjoyed by the children. However, to mark the opening of the yurt at Christmas time it was specially decorated and used for the children from Nursery to Year 6 to meet with Father Christmas.  

Before meeting Santa the children took part in a word search in their woodland classroom, which when put together spelled out ‘I Believe.’ They then explored the yurt which was magically decorated with snowflakes and fairy lights.

After asking Father Christmas a host of questions, including ‘how do you manage to visit all the children in the world?!’ he then let the children, aged between 3 and 11 years, know that they had all made it on to the ‘nice’ list and so would be visited again this year. However, he also spoke to them about how lucky they are and about the true meaning of Christmas, finishing with a poem which read:

‘The gifts I leave beneath your tree,

Aren’t those that you can touch or see.

Not wrapped in Christmas tissue gay,

But gifts to bless you every day.

The gift of friendship strong and true,

Is one that I would leave for you.

Good health and happiness and cheer,

To keep you smiling through the year.

The gift of peace that comes from God,

With prayer to guide each path you trod.

And when your heart has lost its song,

The gift of hope to cheer you on.

These are the gifts I’d leave for you.’

Mr Andrew Edge, Head of Dame Allan’s Junior School and Nursery said: ‘Christmas is a magical time for children and to see them meeting Father Christmas in our fabulous yurt has been wonderful. Once the Christmas season is over the yurt will be used for a wide range of activities, and children in all year groups will have the chance to explore and have classes in it.

The children not only had a great time, but also learned to be thankful, a very important lesson especially at Christmas.’

The yurt was funded by the Dame Allan’s Junior School Parents’ Association who have been so impressed with the outdoor education provided at the Schools, from Nursery to Year 13, that they wanted to support it further. And Santa was kept nice and warm during the cold snap as the yurt is complete with a wood burning stove.

Dame Allan’s open their outdoor learning facilities to link primary schools in the North East and hope that they too can enjoy the experience of having lessons in the yurt.