Dear Staff and Students,
We hope this email finds you well and happy 😊
Season’s Greetings from Yorkshire English School! 🎄
As December unfolds, the festive spirit fills the air, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with delicious food, warm drinks, and cheerful traditions.
This month, we’re embracing the holiday season with a focus on festive food and drink from the UK and around the world.
Student Graduation
🎓 Congratulations to Moumen!
We are thrilled to celebrate the graduation of Moumen, who has successfully completed his Pre-Intermediate course last month. His generosity and kindness towards all staff and students, as well as his hard work and dedication, have been truly inspiring. We wish him all the best as he continues to achieve his goals.
Well done, Moumen!
Festive Food Traditions in the UK
Mince Pies
Sweet and spiced, these little pastries are typical on the British Christmas table. Filled with a fruity mix of raisins and spices, they are perfect with a cup of tea. (Make sure to read the label as they can sometimes contain alcohol!).
Roast Dinner with all the Trimmings
Christmas dinner wouldn’t be complete without roast turkey, crispy roasted potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, and gravy. It often served with Yorkshire Pudding.
Cranberry Sauce
A sweet and tangy accompaniment to roast turkey, it adds the perfect balance to your festive meal.
Cheese and Crackers
A post-dinner favorite, often paired with chutney and festive cheeses like Stilton.
Christmas Pudding
A rich dessert steamed with dried fruits, spices, and a bit of alcohol. Often served with custard or brandy butter, it’s a favourite festive treat.
Trifle
A colourful layered dessert made with cake, jelly, custard, and cream, perfect for sharing.
Christmas Cake
This rich fruit cake, often covered in marzipan and icing, is a tradition that’s been around for centuries.
Chocolate Yule Log:
A sponge cake filled with cream and rolled to look like a log, topped with chocolate icing.
Mulled Cider
A warm, spiced drink made with cider, orange, cinnamon, and cloves—a wonderful winter warmer. A non-alcoholic version can be made with apple juice.
Mulled Wine
A warm, spiced drink made with cider, orange, cinnamon, and cloves—a wonderful winter warmer. A non-alcoholic version can be made with apple juice.
Hot Chocolate
This is a delicious drink for the chilly days of fall and winter.All you need is chocolate, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Classic toppings include marshmallows or whipped cream.
Fun Facts
- Did you know that Christmas crackers, which often appear on holiday tables in the UK, were inspired by sweet wrappers? The founder of the cracker company got the idea from French sweets in the 19th century!
- The tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa is thought to have originated in the US during the Great Depression to teach children the value of giving back.
- Traditionally, a sixpence coin is hidden in the Christmas pudding for good luck—just chew carefully!
- Did you know Christmas pudding was once called “plum pudding,” even though it doesn’t contain plums? “Plum” used to refer to the addition of prunes (dried plums) in the recipe.
- Every year people argue about whether Die Hard is a Christmas film- we even had a staff vote at YES (and it was a tie)!
Film/ MovieSuggestion of the Month: Home Alone (1990)
This beloved Christmas classic follows young Kevin McCallister, who is accidentally left behind when his family travels for the holidays. Kevin must protect his home from two comical burglars, while learning the value of family and kindness. It’s a fun and heartwarming movie with plenty of laughs!
Language Learning Tips:
For Lower Levels: Watch with English audio and subtitles in your 1st language.
For Higher Levels: Watch in English with English subtitles.
Christmas Markets/ Events
There are many Christmas markets and events taking place around Yorkshire leading up to Christmas.
Here are some ideas below:
- Leeds Christmas Market
Head to Leeds for an array of markets and fairs in various locations, including City Square and Millennium Square, with festive holiday treats and goodies. - Manchester Christmas Market
Just a short trip away, Manchester offers one of the largest and most famous Christmas markets in the UK. Explore the stalls and enjoy the festive atmosphere. - York St. Nicholas Fair
Stroll through York’s historic streets and enjoy this beautiful market filled with artisan gifts, food, and festive cheer.
You can also visit these links to find out more about what’s on:
https://yorkshirefoodguide.co.uk/blog/christmas-markets-yorkshire
https://daysoutyorkshire.com/whats-on/christmas/christmas-markets.html
Festive Food Around the World
The holidays are celebrated in unique ways worldwide, with food taking center stage:
Germany
Stollen: a fruit bread dusted with powdered sugar, often served at Christmas markets.
Italy
Panettone: a sweet bread loaf filled with candied fruits and raisins, is a festive favorite.
Mexico
Tamales: stuffed with savoury or sweet fillings, are a Christmas tradition shared among family and friends.
Staff Update
We want to share an important update about Mary, our beloved Elementary class teacher. Mary will be stepping down from her current role for personal reasons. Although she has only been with us a short time, we have thoroughly enjoyed having her as part of the YES team, and we will miss her.
Mary will continue to be a part of our school as a cover teacher, and we are thrilled to maintain this connection.
We thank Mary for her dedication and contributions to the Elementary class and look forward to seeing her around at YES in the future.
Talk to us! Question of the Month
We want to hear from you! Feel free to write your answer in English and send it to us at info@yeschool.uk (or drop it off at reception). We’ll share some of the best answers in next month’s newsletter!
Your Favourite Festive Food 😋
Question:
What’s your favourite festive food or drink from your home country?
You can also write a message and see all previous issues of our Newsletter on our YES Blog.
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for interesting and exciting content!
Last Month’s Question:
Question:
What does ‘remembrance’ mean to you? Do you have a significant memory or something you are grateful for?
Student Write-In (Siraj- Elementary):
“I’m grateful for having good health and supportive friends. I am grateful for the opportunities I have to learn and grow.”
Student Write-In (Moumen- Pre-Intermediate):
“We must acknowledge and be grateful for those who have sacrificed and made our lives what they are today. This means doing the same and working to make life better for those who come after us by teaching and spreading good values and actions to future generations.”
Staff Write-In (Abbi):
“Remembrance to me means taking a moment to have a meaningful reflection, not just to think about something negative or positive taking place. Perhaps why it was bad, what I learned through the experience and using the moment to reflect on myself in that moment and to take something away with me to carry in the future. Of course, it cannot be as simple as this depending on the topic but it is something I try to incorporate.
Something I’m grateful for- my very close friends from work (you can mention Gwyn if she is happy to be mentioned) who as a friend builds me up at heart when I’m down and I can do the same in return and we connect over shared experiences. Our language as friends is very much involved with roasting each other but truly because that’s something we enjoy as friends. Lightly making fun of something that is a quirk and the back and forth between us as friends keeps the fun intact, each day interesting and something I very much enjoy. We don’t all have good moments because life is full of ups and downs but what gets us (and myself) through those down times is having the people we care about by our side and vice versa when we truly need it so that is something I’m immensely grateful for. “
Staff Write-In (Gwyn):
“I am so grateful to have been able to make a home in this country, despite being a stranger in a strange land. I am especially thankful for my wonderful friends, who make it possible for this to feel like home, and who bring so much fun and joy to my life!”
Instagram Write-In (anonymous):
“I am grateful for my family. They support me no matter what and their strength helps me grow.”
Upcoming Holiday Break
A reminder that Yorkshire English School will be closed for the holiday break from 21st December 2024 until 5th January 2024.
Classes will resume on Monday 6th January.
That’s all for our December newsletter!
Happy Holidays from Yorkshire English School! 🎄
We wish you a joyous season filled with delicious food, warm memories, and good company.
Thank you for being part of our school community, and we look forward to an exciting New Year together!
Warmest wishes,
The Yorkshire English School Team.
