Under construction

 

Today saw a number of our talented artists join together, with some support from our very helpful architect, to construct a lighthouse for the school foyer. 

This is a balsa wood construction that is being covered with paper and PVA glue. Once this has dried it will be painted and a working light added to the construction. 

 

Once the project is finished we will have our own St John's lighthouse!

Narnia comes to St Johns

This morning the school grounds were coated with a fresh covering of snow. Beautiful, but with it many challenges! Clearing the paths, salting, providing safe pathways, negotiating icy roads, slow traffic and the urge to throw a snowball was I am sure strong in many minds.

But the paths were cleared and the vast majority made it to school and the grounds looked stunning as they always do when the artistry of winter puts a different slant on everything.








Sadly the snow is not of the quality to build snowmen, which means our fields will not be decorated with a range of imaginative creations as they have been in previous years. But if the weather holds, a brief spell of enjoying this gift of winter may be possible at lunch time.

Love in action

For each of our themes we have an interactive foyer display that enables all members of the school to reflect and respond. These are always very creative and visual and the children are always keen to participate and to add their contribution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The current display asks us to consider what we could do today to show somebody that we love them. Individual responses are recorded on heart shaped paper and the collection of ideas and thoughts slowly grows as the weeks go by.

 

It is always quite inspiring to read different contributions and to think of how suggestions could be applied to your own life. Many of the contributions are practical applications of the focus for assemblies that week, and out- workings of our collective times of reflection and worship together.

 

 

Random acts of kindness

This week we have been considering the challenge laid down by Paul in the book of Corinthians to demonstrate kindness as an act of love. Our assemblies have reflected on what Kindness really means in practice and we have thought of many practical examples. its been great to see some of these been put into practice through out the week!

 

There are some really interesting illustrations of this fact on You Tube that demonstrate random acts of kindness in action. Worth a search if you get the time. One video in particular certainly engaged the children, a 20 year old who celebrates her birthday by doing 20 random gifts of kindness. Watching this certainly made us all think.

 

The word random really emphasises the underlying truth behind the whole of 1 Corinthians 13 and many of Jesus’s parables. The Good Samaritan was a random passer-by, Zacchaeus a random tax collector up a tree, the Roman Centurion and the Woman at the well, random members of society that came into contact with Jesus.  It would seem that kindness as an expression of love from a biblical view point is less about emotions and more about every day relationships with anyone we come into contact with.

 

I love the words of Mother Teresa when she comments on kindness as follows:

 

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”  

 

Most certainly a thought to challenge us on what the sharing of God's love looks like in practice.

Forest school learning in action

This week's focus for the year 5 children was the skill of creating and nurturing fires. The excitement and collaboration was great to see. Each group worked together so well, discussing ideas, applying their learning, listening, communicating and having a significant amount
of fun along the way!

The development of this area of our school grounds has enabled a whole new range of experiences to become part of our learning at St John's.

There is something about getting your hands dirty, carefully constructing a fire and then watching the first sparks burst into flames. The only thing we were missing was the marshmallows and the campfire songs!

Foundation stage discovery

Yesterday foundation stage children were combining the traditional and the new in their learning.

IPAD technology was being used in a number of different ways, with the children demonstrating great confidence and ability to experiment. At the same time the traditional use of water and sand was equally bringing out the same creativity and confidence.

The examples of sharing, working and playing together were so evident in each activity and it was clear that everyone was certainly putting into practice our reflections on patience and kindness!

The really encouraging thing was that the technology had not removed the discussion and excitement that is always so evident in our foundation base. Different tools, but the same important communication skills and the willingness to learn and adapt through experience. In terms of new technology, that goes for the members of staff as well!

A random act of kindness

Maybe it was the words you spoke

The hand you held

The tears you dried

Maybe it was the time you gave

The chance you seized

The price you paid

Maybe it was the simple act

The gift of flowers

The simple note

Maybe it was the smile you shared

The time you gave

The value you placed

Maybe it was the moment we shared

The shelter you offered

The food you gave

Maybe it was the words unspoken

The friendly wave

The seat you gave

 

Maybe it was

 

Your random act

 

That changed my day

 

 

Love is kind

Kindness is easy to show to those we love, but to everybody else?

Paul talks in Corinthians about the attributes that make love real and effective. As we read the list it is clear that if emotions were to rule the outworking of love, some of the attributes mentioned would certainly be cut from the list!

The love that God calls us to share is about our relationship with everyone, it does not filter or exclude, it is not optional or easy. In fact sometimes showing love actually means that we have to take time out and plan to do something if we are able to share this love with others.

As we focus on kindness this week, I remembered something that I came across on the internet whilst doing some background work for a lesson on the rights of a child. It struck me as being so simple and yet so effective. Yet also not something that comes naturally.

The challenge was to share acts of kindness randomly!

Randomly, not just to a chosen few, not just to the ones I know I love, but to anyone. Yes even a stranger!

If you want some examples of  what this looks like in practice, a quick search on YouTube, will bring up a whole host of videos that can inspire us.

So tomorrow in assembly with our year 6 classes I will be challenging them to do just that. To see how many different random acts of kindness they can come up with in the week.

But hopefully this won't be limited to just two classes, maybe the whole school will join in, maybe even you!

ICT Pioneers

 Today's focus was on the use of some amazing software called Morfo Booth. This enabled the pioneers to import pictures of characters relating to their current study of topic. Great names in history such as Charles Darwin or Queen Victoria. 

 Manipulation of the face, by selecting eyes, nose and mouth, enabled their chosen character to come to life.

Colour settings and lighting of the original photo enables shadows and facial blemishes to remain real.

 The finished result is that eyes move from side to side, voice recordings can by synced with the mouth and the face really comes alive.

 Even more creativity can be applied, but this is maybe slightly unfair to the great characters of history that the children selected!

 

Be the light!

 
Yesterday in our KS1 assembly we considered the way in which love can be demonstrated through patience. We thought about all the ways we can sometimes react when we have to show patience when waiting. The children’s re-enactment of some of these certainly made us laugh, although serious, their stamping, complaining, finger wagging and hand on hip stances certainly brought home the reality of some of the ways we might react!

 

We also considered that the most perfect example of patience is to be found in God. As we explored this a little further, we reflected on what God is also like in other ways and what difference this makes in our lives. 

 

My favourite was a reflection on the fact that God’s love and forgiveness feels like a ray of sunshine shining inside us. A wonderful warm feeling to take away at the end of our assembly.

 

Our final act was to give out candles to each class to take back to their rooms with the challenge to use these as visual prompts  to consider how they might be more patient and share God’s love with each other. May that light shine in our classrooms every day. 

 

I want to know what love is

For those of a similar age to me the lines from this song by Foreigner may bring back many memories. A quick reference to YouTube certainly got the nostalgia going!

'Love is all around us', is in so many songs and this was the focus for our school challenge last week:



How many songs can you find with the word 'love' in the title?

Of course the wonders of the internet could have made this an easy task, one search request and the list is complete. But we were amazed by the individual commitment to researching and writing the songs down by hand.

The lists were certainly worth reading, classic songs from classic decades and depending on your age and generation either first enjoyed on vinyl, a best of collection, or listened to for the first time via electronic download or even purchased from a car boot sale!

The winning hand written total was 260 individual songs, no repetition and all meeting the specific requirements of the challenge. An outstanding achievement and a worthy winner of the chocolates that were on offer.

All of this led me to thinking about what songs would come into my top 20 if I were faced with the same challenge. I wonder also what would make your top 20?

Love it would seem, has an enduring impression on us, however it is communicated.

Patience - what is it really all about?

Our focus for assemblies this week is the first attribute of love that Paul describes; patience.

It's interesting how easy it is not to be patient, in a world full of fast food, instant downloads and the ability to communicate across the world curtesy of modern technology. The concept of patience and the association with waiting that is almost integral to this aspect of love being put into practice, seems to be almost a forgotten virtue.

Yet there are times when we have to wait, but this doesn't mean that we are patient in the waiting. The traffic snarls to a halt and the horn is so easily reached for. The response when the Internet slows down and the web page seems to take forever to load. Waiting in a queue for the shops to open, at the supermarket or even to get into the school hall for lunch  All of these frequently test our ability to wait and demonstrate just how patient we are.

Joyce Meyer sums this up wonderfully with her quote " Patience is not the ability to wait, but how you act while waiting." Maybe Paul deliberately put this at the front of his list of what love is, for it is something that we all seem to struggle with at times and yet if we exercise true patience and demonstrate this through the way we act towards ourselves and others whilst we wait: What a difference it might make!

A thought for the day

It has always struck me that there are certain people who have a way of getting to the heart of big questions. Nelson Mandela, for me, was one of those people. His life was a testimony to the many things that 1 Corinthians 13 talks about and if you have ever come across some of the quotes from his speeches and writings you can see even further evidence of this.

' Long walk to freedom,' as a film and a book, made a significant impression on me and Nelson Mandela has been a regular feature in my assemblies over the years. His commitment to diversity and unity at such personal cost is something that should always be an inspiration and something that must never be forgotten. For this reason he will continue to be a part of our school's on going reflection on how those in the past can inspire us to make a difference today.

 If you are short of a ‘thought for the day’ his quotes are certainly worth a few moments reflection.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”


“The greatest glory in living
lies not in never falling,
but in rising every time we fall.”


“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.”

ICT Pioneers - the quest continues

Our ICT Pioneers engaged in another afternoon of training yesterday, getting to grips with some of the more common software we are using on our IPADs. The training certainly equipped them to support their individual classes, giving them the knowledge and confidence to trouble shoot, advise and even point the class teacher in the right direction!

It has been great to see the different ways in which this technology is being used to support and enhance learning in the classroom and we are looking to build on this over the coming weeks by expanding the range of APPs that we are using.

This initiative has certainly been well received and I even understand that some of their skills are being cascaded to other family members as well.

We will be continuing this training for another three weeks and then will be offering the opportunity to different children as well as rolling this out to year 3.

Mathematical success

Congratulations to our team of young Mathematicians from year 6 who were presented in assembly today with their regional winners trophy. An excellent achievement and one that brought them very close to attending the national final.

The team were praised for their confidence, articulation and ability to work together to solve what were very challenging mathematical problems. 

Another trophy for the school's cabinet and a just reward for the team's commitment and hard work!

Forest school development

So what is the Forest School approach  all about ? 

Well the philosophy is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through an innovative, long term, educational approach to outdoor play and learning in a woodland environment. 

We are very fortunate at St John's to have wonderful school grounds that include a nature trail, woodland areas and plenty of open space and it is for this reason that we have embraced the concept of Forest Schools this year. We have also made a number of changes to our nature areas and we are currently working on developing a more robust access route to the main wooded area.

The Forest school approach has been a fantastic hit with all the children that have taken part so far and we are grateful for the financial commitment that the school's PTFA provided to allow this to take place. 

We are currently looking to embed this into our curriculum to provide this opportunity for years to come and at the same time are carrying out a review of the other nature areas that we have in school. 

All of which will provide more opportunities for engaging with our local environment!

Diversity and perseverance

A testimony to the fact that diversity is a wonderful thing, is the way in which every classroom is different. Different interpretations, different ways of approaching things, all of which make teaching, a unique and rewarding profession. 

It is also diversity that enriches our school environment on a day to day basis and makes our community the vibrant and welcoming place that it is. We see this in the range of cultures and backgrounds that our children come from and we see it in the way they merge to become one school community.

 

In assemblies in the past we have considered that the wonder of a rainbow is to be found in it's amazing spectrum of colours. One has to acknowledge that the impact of a rainbow in the sky, wouldn't be the same if it was just one colour!

 

During our remembeance week we held our traditional one minute silence in the school playground. As the bugle sounded to bring this to an end a rainbow broke out across the rooftops of the school. A celebration of diversity and the wonder of God's creation, which diversity is at the heart of. 

 

 

 

Nelson Mandela once spoke about the concept of a rainbow nation and the love that Paul talks about in Corinthians embraces this diversity at its core. There are no prerequisites for this love, no barriers, no conditions, no judgements, just love.

 

In the light of the events in Paris this week, it is clear that we need to see more of this love that embraces diversity and a diversity that embraces love. Something worth persevering for!

The significance of one single word!

In key stage one assembly today, we took the time to consider some of the key words in the 1 Corinthians passage.

The most obvious word is of course love and we reminded ourselves of what this might mean in practice, which led us to think about the significance of the word 'is'!

Paul paints a wonderful picture of love in 1 Corinthians that clearly points us in the right direction when trying to understand what love is. The significance of the word 'is' lies in the fact that it makes the connection between a vague concept of what love might be and what it looks like in practice.

We talked about the fact that love is not just a passive emotion, it is something that takes action and so the challenge at the end of the assembly was to reflect at the end of the day on how we had put the 'is' word into action. How had we demonstrated love to each other, not through emotion, but in practical action?

For love is kind, love is patient, love is shown in our every day interactions with other people. May the power of the word 'is' be seen in our everyday relationships and be evident in our life as a school.

Around our school today

 The school day started with our usual 'Wake and shake activity' a time to engage in movement to a number of different songs. Always a highlight of our Friday mornings and good to see the parents getting involved as well.

Our assemblies have continued to consider the theme of love, linking in with the gifts given by the three kings, celebrated as part of Epiphany, we have explored how giving is an act of love.

A few other snapshots from around the school today also remind us of God's love for us and the fact that at times it does take courage to put love into action.




As I made a visit to some of the classrooms one of the classes was considering what they thought love was.

Here are some of their thoughts:

Love is giving someone a big hug

Love is saying you are sorry

Love is caring for someone when they are sad

Love is making someone smile

Love is being there, even when it hurts

Love is giving wonderful things

Love is warm
Love is peace
Love is sharing God's love around

And all that is left behind is……

Today in assembly we considered how much we enjoy the  receiving and giving of presents. The excitement of holding them and trying to guess what is inside. The thrills and sometimes the disappointments; as well as the pleasure that can be gained from seeing the smile on someone else’s face, when they receive the gift we have so carefully thought about.

But we also reflected on the fact that sometimes we receive a present with great excitement and yet within a few days it is left at the bottom of a cupboard, a box or even under the bed. What was the centre of our attention, suddenly seems to be not as important anymore. 

The question we considered is ‘do we also do the same with Jesus?’. For weeks He becomes the centre of our attention, our preparations for the celebration of the big day. Then suddenly the decorations are packed away, the nativity scene carefully placed in its box and we move on to other things.

Our Nativity scene at school has been packed away as well, but the stable remains and at its centre the baby Jesus. A reminder that God’s gift to us is a gift for us to enjoy and respond to every day,  not just on the 25th December, once a year.

New year and a new term.

There have been some beautiful sunrises over the Christmas break, the mixture of the cold frosty atmosphere and the sun’s rays breaking through have been wonderful to see in the fields that surround our house and yet, although each morning announces the start of a new day there are something's which remain the same. 

At the start of our advent journey we considered the fact that Advent was not about new truths, but old truths that have never changed. The Christmas story really happened, there was a day, there was a birth, in a city, in a real place some two thousand years ago. As we leave Advent behind and look to the start of the new school term we will be reflecting on the fact that the truth of Christmas continues to have relevance and impact on our lives today.

God’s love shown at Christmas was a gift to us, a gift for everyone to receive. A question that is not new is how do we respond to this in our daily lives?

The most obvious link that comes to mind would be the way in which we relate to each other as a response to the love that God has shown us.

In our assembly hall we have placed on the front wall the words of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul’s description of what love is and what it is most certainly not. Having survived a Christmas feast of films over the past week, these verses certainly turn on its head the emotional, transient love that seems to be at the centre of Hollywood’s vision of love. Although I have to admit that the love shown so wonderfully in Shrek, goes some way to adjusting the balance!

How is love worked out in our every day lives, how do we demonstrate the call to love our neighbour as ourselves? None of these are new questions, but they remain crucial in the way we choose to respond to the truths of Christmas.

May the words of 1 Corinthians 13 be a guide to us as we enter 2015. As we explore it together, may we deepen our understanding of the love that has been at the centre of the season of Advent that we have just traveled through and how this love can manifest itself in our every day lives in our school , our church and in our local community.