HWA Blog - 5.12.25
Happy Friday again.
Celebrating Diversity and Inclusivity at HWA
This week, I have attended several events, and one word echoed in every conversation: diversity. It struck me how often we hear this word and yet, at Hollinwood, it’s not just a concept, it’s a lived reality. Our school community is a vibrant tapestry of cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives, and I couldn’t be prouder of how inclusive we are.
Diversity at Hollinwood Academy goes beyond numbers or statistics. It’s about the richness of experiences our children and young people bring to the classroom, the stories they share, and the unique viewpoints that shape our discussions. Every day, I see how this diversity fosters creativity, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the world around us.
Inclusivity is the golden thread. It means every child feels seen, heard, and valued. Whether it’s through initiatives like Hello Yellow Day, where we come together to support mental health awareness, or our student council, which gives every voice a platform, we strive to create an environment where belonging is more than a promise and it’s a practice.
Why does this matter? Because education is not just about academics; it’s about preparing young people to thrive in a global society. When children and young people learn in an inclusive setting, they develop respect for differences and the confidence to contribute positively to any community they join.
Here’s to a future where diversity continues to inspire us and inclusivity remains at the heart of everything we do.
Congratulations Mrs Boylan
I am delighted to share some wonderful news; Miss Gittins celebrated her wedding today and will now be known as Mrs Boylan.
Please note that all future communications and references in school will reflect her new name.
Congratulations Mrs Boylan on this happy occasion.
Santa stroll
This week was the primary and secondary Santa Stroll sponsored walk. It was great to see all our amazing students accessing the walks within their local community.
All students behaved brilliantly, followed instructions consistently and positively represented Hollinwood Academy.
Our Duke of Edinburgh bronze and silver groups walked an incredible 10 miles which saw them complete a challenging expedition from Saddleworth back to school. Well done team DofE for this amazing achievement.
We would like to say a huge thank you to families and friends for your donations so far. We have raised over £2000 towards our sensory room. We will continue to accept donations until 19th December.
Now let’s see what has been happening in the classrooms.
Starting with Mrs Potts’ class…
"As we approach the end of the Autumn term, I want to praise my form for their attitude and hard work during their mock exams. Although most of them sat their Maths GCSE in the summer this is the first opportunity, they have had to experience what it is going to be like sitting multiple exams.
This week we welcomed 2 students to the form, Leo returned, and Daisy joined us from 11SCG.
Following the mocks its back to it with the lessons, in Maths the class have started the topic Circle Theorems.
On Wednesday there was a whole school Santa stroll, those students doing Duke of Edinburgh had a full day walk where they were dropped off in Dobcross in Saddleworth and had to walk back to school, a long day but it gave them a taste for their Duke of Edinburgh expedition.
In Food Preparation the students started researching their 2nd investigation. One of the options chosen is planning and preparing a buffet for a family occasion.
In music we have a student who has applied to go to Manchester College to study Music Performance. As part of the application Leo has to do an audition so with the help of Mr Challinor he is preparing his audition piece. Good luck Leo we are all so proud of you."
SPS - 5.12.25
And now to Miss Hulme’s class
"What an amazing start we’ve had in Year 1 since coming back to school! This term has been full of fun, laughter and so many lovely learning moments.
In English, we’ve been diving into the story of ‘The Little Red Elf’ using our much-loved Talk4Writing. The children have absolutely loved getting creative with our story map and bringing the story to life. At the start of the term, we had a very exciting surprise, our classroom screen was wrapped up like a present, with a special message from Santa asking for help to track down his cheeky elf, Elfis. Cue LOTS of excitement! After searching high and low around the classroom, we finally spotted him hiding on the windowsill. The children wrote the most wonderful letters to Santa to let him know Elfis was safe and ready to return home.
This week, we’ve also been working on turning simple sentences into amazing ones. The children have edited sentences to make them more interesting, by adding adjectives and using the power of 3. And of course, because our story is Christmas-themed, we couldn’t resist putting our Christmas tree up and decorating it… which I’m sure you’ll agree looks absolutely fabulous.
In Maths, we’ve been exploring shapes, starting with 3D and now moving onto 2D. The children have had great fun spotting shapes around the classroom and matching objects to what they’ve learned. Next week, we’ll be digging deeper into the properties of each shape.
In Science, we’ve been looking at materials. We’ve examined lots of different objects and what they’re made from, and the children especially enjoyed using magnifying glasses to investigate rocks up close. Our next step is to explore which materials float or sink, and which ones absorb water. There is lots of fun to come!
We’ve also been busy practising for our Christmas nativity, and the children can’t wait to perform. The festive spirit is definitely in the air, and we’ve been creating plenty of Christmas crafts and decorations to take home.
It’s been a busy, festive and fantastic term so far and we’re wishing everyone a truly magical and Merry Christmas!"
CHE - 5.12.25
Now to our amazing SUPER STARs and HWA We are Creative STARs
Mrs Quinn’s HWA We Are Inspiring goes to Will - for doing great sitting all week during lesson and routine. What a great example to your friends. Well done Will.
Mrs Quinn’s STAR of the Week is Freddy- for fabulous walking on the Santa Walk. We had so much fun. Well done.
Mrs Bailey’s HWA We Are Inspiring goes to Ohud for amazing engagement in all class activities and always doing his best to follow instructions.
Mrs Bailey’s STAR of the Week is Riley for trying very hard to use lots of verbal language this week when modelled by an adult.
Mrs Lerigo’s and Mrs Sutcliffe's STAR of the Week Elijah for fantastic signing this week, especially in our Nativity songs.
Mrs Lerigo’s and Mrs Sutcliffe's HWA We Are Inspiring goes to Finley for adapting to changes so well this week and our nativity rehearsals.
Miss Boothroyd’s STAR of the Week is Isla for turning her behaviour around and have an amazing end to the week and for using her words when feeling strong emotions. We are SO proud of you Isla.
Miss Boothroyd’s HWA We Are Inspiring goes to Albie for showing kindness towards his friends.
Mrs McDonalds’ and Mrs Bramley’s STAR of the Week is Olivia for being a kind friend.
Mrs McDonalds’ and Mrs Bramley’s inspiring star goes to George for his effort with his learning and for always having his listening ears on.
Mrs Matthews’ STAR of the Week is Toby I for being helpful and supportive to other children.
Mrs Matthews’ We Are Inspiring STAR goes to Thomas for putting 100% effort into everything he does.
Miss Pietraszewska’ s HWA We Are Inspiring goes to Ivy for matching initial sounds to pictures in phonics. Well done, Ivy Keep going.
Miss Pietraszewska’ s STAR of the Week goes to Maximus for learning all his friends’ and teachers’ names and greeting everyone in the morning. Well done, Max.
Miss Oakley’s STAR of the Week is Winter for being a superstar all week and coming on our sponsored walk.
Miss Oakley’s HWA We Are Inspiring goes to Harry for his excellent acting and singing during our nativity practices.
Mr Corrigan’s STAR of the Week is Albi-Lee for trying something new.
Mr Corrigan’s STAR of the Week is Teddy B for being brilliant in the nativity rehearsals.
Mr Corrigan’s WOW moments go to Kian & Albi-Lee for being proud of their friends.
Mr Corrigan Congratulates Jack for being great in the rehearsals.
Miss Hulme’s STAR of the Week is Ariella for her fantastic adjective work this week.
Miss Hulme’s STAR of the Week goes to Korey for always sharing his fascinating and amazing facts with us.
Miss Tootill’s STAR of the Week goes to Cleo for working hard in English.
Miss Tootill’s HWA We are Inspiring goes to Ace for inspiring others to try their best.
Miss Davies’s STAR of the Week goes to Maja for independently bringing herself to the front for carpet time.
STARS of the Week - 5.12.25
Well done to everyone.
Have a lovely weekend.
Miss Gordon
