As part of our week of RE in year 3 we have been exploring the symbolism of light and darkness in different faiths. We have looked at some images of Jesus including the Holman Hunt painting Jesus the Light of the World as well as other paintings of Jesus and stained glass windows. We noticed that these images have light around Jesus or around his head. We created our own images adding light around Jesus. These are a selection of our pictures.

The Lighthouse collection

As a school over the past few years, we have been using the image of a lighthouse to support our understanding of what it means to live out the life that God has called us to within our school community. The image has become a powerful vehicle for reminding us to be the lights that God calls us to be. But it has also become so much more than that.

It particularly reminds us of how important it is that we fully grasp what our true God given identity is. Just like the lighthouse, if we really want to be the lights that God calls us to be, we need to be rooted in strong foundations. As a school we passionately believe, that without understanding our true identity, we will never fully become the people God is calling us to be.

Equally, we have come to recognize that Lighthouse synergy (partnerships within our school community) is a powerful vehicle for change. Simply put, it reminds us that the collective efforts of each individual or different aspects of any community make more of a difference than just the efforts of any of these working individually. God calls us to bring light into this world, wherever he places us. The lighthouse has become a daily reminder of both that call, but also the power of synergy, when it is rooted in the community in which we work and live.

We have used the phrase ‘let your light shine’ as a very simple outworking of this message. It encourages us to be the best that we can be, to seek to respect and care for others and to know that we are part of something that is much greater than just ourselves. It is a call to ‘make a difference together’.

In seeking to develop this imagery further and to help us celebrate what the Lighthouse means to St John’s as a school community, we have commissioned this range of merchandise to reinforce the values and ethos that Lighthouse synergy is rooted in. This is both a fund raising initiative, but also a way of making the lighthouse and our key values a daily reminder to our whole school community of the call to let our light shine and to celebrate all that God has given us and calls us to be.

We hope you enjoy browsing our online shop and supporting us in letting our light shine.

www.lighthousesynergy.co.uk

Kingswood residential – an epilogue

It was a great privilege to be able to accompany the current year 6 children on their residential to Kingswood last week. I have known most of these children since they first entered Foundation and some for longer than that!

My greatest enjoyment has always been the time that I have been able to spend with children and not surprisingly they were full of questions about what I was now doing with my time, was I coming back, and would there be any more assemblies!

It was also an opportunity to spend time with some of the school staff, without the pressure for me, of what might be happening back at school and what the next budget prediction might look like! They continue to seek to provide the best for all the children in their care. We had fun, laughs and great banter with the children. I am very grateful to them for letting me come along.

I hope that I will continue to have opportunities to be involved in the life of the school again in the future. It remains a very special place to me, it was extremely strange not coming back after the holidays!

Over the time spent at Kingswood I tried to share a glimpse of what we were up to through this blog, but also through two other social media applications.

These exist under the name of Lighthouse synergy and can be found on both Twitter
 (@lighthousesyne1) and Instagram (lighthousesynergy). I will also be launching a Lighthouse synergy website in the next few weeks that will seek to promote and support my belief that education needs to be fully holistic. Balancing the demands of the academic with the essential focus on enabling individuals to discover their personal identity that is defined by their relationship with God.

The Lighthouse continues to be a very visible image of this essential aspect of personal development. But my belief that this can not be achieved by a school in isolation. The African saying that it takes a whole village to educate a child is so true. For me the relationship between the local church and the school has always been a significant aspect of this work. Partnerships are essential, hence the use of the word synergy, and there are so many opportunities for this style of true community working that can established.

What I sought to instil at St Johns, is the concept that knowledge without identity is not effective in enabling individuals to discover the potential that each of them has. My hope is that through Lighthouse Synergy, I will be able to work with others to facilitates distinctively Christian partnerships that can serve local schools and their communities to achieve this potential for all that our schools serve. 

Its early days in my exploration of this calling but as Martin Luther King said:

You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just to take the first step.

It’s time to share the concept of Lighthouse synergy and see if it can bring its light elsewhere.

Many thanks for all your encouragement and support over the years in enabling me to discover and develop this concept of Lighthouse Synergy.

St John’s was most certainly its birth place and I thoroughly enjoyed journeying with you all.

Mr Marshall

Kingswood Residential - the final day

There is a time for everything

Our final day at Kingswood started with a remarkable achievement. All the children were up, dressed, bags packed, rooms cleared and lined up for breakfast by eight o’clock!  It just goes to prove that the impossible can be achieved at times. Though having said that I never seem to be able to manage this with only two children at home never mind 49!

Following another cooked breakfast, we entered our last two activities. These consisted of den building, Go Karting, Zip wire, abseiling and low ropes.The fruit of our forest school’s initiative over the past few years could clearly be seen, as the children took naturally to the den building, creating some very impressive shelters from the resources available. Zip wire was as awesome as ever and for some the fear of heights was overcome when they achieved the abseiling descent. Low ropes challenged our tired bodies and tired minds, whilst Go Karting produced another record-breaking achievement for Mr Chivers, beating the previous record probably set by him last year.

As for Mrs Orton – she still never managed to get behind the wheel!

As we gathered for lunch before embarking on the coach it was good to reflect on all that had been achieved over the past few days. All the children had entered into the past few days with an extremely positive attitude, pushing their limits and learning new skills. Their support for each other and their willingness to give everything a go really paid off.

It has been such a privilege for all the staff to be able to share in these achievements. I have always found it one of the most rewarding aspects of the school year. Observing individuals take on new challenges and in some cases face their fears and overcome them. The smiles that this brings to their faces is something I will never grow tired of seeing.  

What equally strikes me about such experiences is the support that their peers give to those who for what ever reason are not able to complete the activity, particularly when it involves significant height. What is celebrated is the achievements that are made, the climb to the first ladder, the clipping on of the safety rope and looking down. This is an essential aspect of life long learning, understanding that not everything is achieved first time or maybe even the next time. What is important is the resilience and self confidence to face these situations, to learn from them and to move on.

As Nelson Mandela is quoted as saying “the greatest glory of living lies not in never falling but in rising every time you fall.”

In a world that is wrongly focused, on success, outward appearances and material gain. What we seek to embed in our children is that their identity and their significance is not based on what they achieve, but on who they are. We are all different; different strengths, different passions and different perspectives. What I observed again this week was the encouragement of others to look inwards and to know who you are and to be confident in that.

There is always time for that important reflection.

Mr Marshall

Kingswood 2018

Lunch completed and a few more rays of sunshine appreciated, the afternoon challenges began.

 

Team tech found the groups needing to work together to build things from over grown Meccano. Low ropes involved strength, agility and cooperation as each group undertook various challenges. Aeroball soon put the bounce into the afternoon completion within each group.

 

 

Then of course there was the shop, ventured into for the first time in the morning. Then the money began to burn a hole in pockets again and so a second visit was required. We are sure you are looking forward to the children coming home with such high quality merchandise!

Archery followed and each team member wrestled to take control of the bow and arrow. Following Mrs Orton's loss, many wondered how they could even hit the target, but eyes were opened to a new skill and for one child in particular, the discovery that they were deadly with bow in hand!

 

Throughout the afternoon, each group continued to impress us with their support and encouragement for each other. So many examples of little things said and done to help each other were observed by all of us. One of the great things about coming to Kingswood is the strengths that you see demonstrated in our children. So many themes that we discuss and explore through so many aspects of our school life are demonstrated;  as they seek to grasp new skills, overcome nerves and fears and share in the opportunities for self-discovery that these opportunities bring.  We are immensely proud of all of them.  They don’t always succeed or master the new skill or activity, but they show resilience and confidence in their abilities, pushing themselves into the unknown and making the most of the opportunities offered.

 

As they prepare for sleep tonight, they should be proud of all they have achieved and shared together. It is days like these that contribute to the enriched curriculum that St John’s as a school believes so passionately in.

As for Mr Chivers, his record stands. Sadly Mrs Orton never got the chance to get behind the wheel. But I suppose there is always tomorrow.

Kingswood 2018

The sun comes up it’s a new day dawning.

 

This morning , we woke to blue skies and the sun’s rays breaking through the trees in front of the canteen. Sleep had finally been achieved for all, sometime before midnight, though for some, there seemed little understanding of the need for such an important part of the body’s cycle. We are hopeful that tonight may be a different story!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A full English breakfast set us up for the first round of activities. Anticipation was running through the chatter around the breakfast table, as thoughts of Zip wire, Go Karts, abseiling, archery and low ropes filled each child’s imagination and those of the leaders as well.  There was a rumour that Mrs Orton was hoping to beat Mr Chivers’ record on the Go Karts from last year and even a whisper that Mrs Kenna and Mrs Orton were intending to go head to head in archery. Strangely Mr Chivers didn’t seem in the bit concerned about this latest challenger. A few points on wheel traction and engine torque dropped into the conversation gave me a glimpse into the quiet confidence that radiated from Mr ‘Stirling Moss’ Chivers.

So to the zip wire the first group went; scaling the heights of the tower brought the ocean crisply into view and the ground not so crisp. But their determination and self-confidence carried them up the steep steps to wait for the final rope preparations to be made, before they launched themselves into the void below.  Each group, on its return, was buzzing with conversation about the experience. The Zip wire will remain I think, a Kingswood favourite for years to come.

 

 

As one group threw themselves into the air, others were wrestling with another force of gravity as they pushed their foot to the floor and burnt the rubber on the Go-Kart track.  Some had clearly been practising as they used the ‘drift’ technique to gain extra seconds around the corner. For others, it was clearly the first time as the safety barriers soon found out!

 

It was just before lunch that the news broke. Mrs Orton had been beaten in the archery shoot out by Mrs Kenna. The children were in disbelief – how would Mrs Orton recover, what had gone wrong with the world? Mrs Orton losing was not a concept they had ever had to come to terms with. The 13^th September 2018 will undoubtedly go down in St John’s folk law history.

But then the realisation that lunch was calling , soon dismissed this loss from their minds as the smell of burgers and wedges drifted across the dinner hall.

The morning events had come to an end.

 

 

Kingswood residential 2018

When the sun went down

 

 

So, replenished with the classic English meal of beef and Yorkshire puddings, we ventured out for our first round of activities. These consisted of aeroball, fencing, team challenge and Karting.

Each activity enabled the children to learn new skills, put their existing ones to the test, learn about the importance of team work and resilience and of course have fun, beginning the memory making process.

 

Then, as the sun went down, we headed to the back of the field overlooking the sea for the bonfire. The evening sky was clear and soon the wonderful tapestry that is the night sky began to display itself above us. As the flames of the campfire sent sparks into the evening sky, creating trails of light. So too did shooting stars as they flashed across the night sky above us. An amazing reminder of how light makes a difference where ever it is.

 

Our leaders enthusiastically, despite their hoarse voices, introduced us to new campfire songs. Gone were the traditional scouting songs of my youth, no Lord of the Dance or on top of old Smokey. Instead, we learnt to master words, actions and rhythms that reflected a completely new take on the concept of campfire singing. I am certainly starting to feel old!

Once hot chocolate had warmed our hands, we made our way back across the fields ready to settle down for the night. The plan is that this should lead to everyone tucked up and fast asleep by ten o’clock – but as it is the first night there may be another story to tell tomorrow!

 

 

 

Kingswood residential 2018

It’s been a while since I sat here in the teachers retreat at Kingswood (They didn’t have one of these when I first started residentials!) after the bus journey from Leicester via the beautiful Wells Next The Sea. There is a sense of peace here at the moment, but the reason for that is detailed below – something to do with duvets and other items of bedding.

The coach journey, which many years ago would have been peppered with community singing , was  replaced with the silence created by earphones, gadgets and hushed conversations about what strategy to use next to compete with someone else’s high score, or the silent miming to the latest music. There were some examples of snoring, but I promised not to disclose which member of staff these came from.  Well not yet anyway.

Wells was welcomed with a loud round of applause, before we set off into the pine woods to enjoy lunch. After that, we took the opportunity to explore the wind swept beach, that lies beyond the sand dunes.

 

As beautiful as ever, Wells Beach provided first experiences of an English beach for some of the party, a chance to collect shells and stones for others and the opportunity for certain others simply to run around punctuating the air with piercing screams. Strangely the seagulls vacated the beach very quickly!

 

Back on the coach, we enjoyed the tight bends and rolling marshes of the Norfolk coast. With at least one point in the journey prompting Mr Chivers and I to take the opportunity to wishfully consider putting our bird watching skills into practice, but sadly that was not to be.

Finally, we were greeted by; enthusiastic couriers, unloaded the bus, went on a tour and were allocated to the dormitories, where of course the first fun of the evening began!

The challenge; take one duvet, one cover and then seek to somehow mysteriously collaborate them together, to provide sleeping provision. Of course, that doesn’t include the stubbornness of the bottom sheet to grip any part of the bed and as for the pillow case, they were strangely still left on the floor.

As staff we always seek to demonstrate, but of course watching and then putting into practice are two different things.  For some, the challenge is still being responded to!

Only half an hour until dinner!

Mr Marshall

 

FS2 and the kitchen

This week the children in FS2 have been invited to explore some foods using our senses. This has been arranged by Donna and Mel our school cooks. Each class has spent time at each table using our sight to recognise foods. We also used our sense of hearing to see if we could identify which pot had cornflakes or rice in it. After that we had a go at smelling some food items to try and identify them. Next we could taste Coriander, sultanas, rice crispies and carrot. Last of all we felt some foods, finishing off with feeling jelly before cleaning our hands. Thank you to Donna and Mel for organising this activity for us and thank you for making delicious dinners for us everyday. Many of the children have commented positively about the dinners in their end of year self reports.

Let your light shine

Lighthouse synergy - Raising the profiles of our lighthouses

Over the past few years, we have been using the image of a lighthouse to support our understanding of what it means to live out the life that God has called us to within our school community. The image has become a powerful vehicle for reminding us to be the lights that God calls us to be. But it has also become so much more than that.

It particularly reminds us of how important it is that we fully grasp what our true God given identity is. Just like the lighthouse, if we really want to be the lights that God calls us to be, we need to be rooted in strong foundations. As a school we passionately believe, that without understanding our true identity, we will never fully become the people God is calling us to be.

Equally, we have come to recognize that Lighthouse synergy (partnerships within our school community) is a powerful vehicle for change. Simply put, it reminds us that the collective efforts of each individual or different aspects of any community make more of a difference than just the efforts of any of these working individually. God calls us to bring light into this world, wherever he places us. The lighthouse has become a daily reminder of both that call, but also the power of synergy, when it is rooted in the community in which we work and live.

We have used the phrase ‘let your light shine’ as a very simple outworking of this message. It encourages us to be the best that we can be, to seek to respect and care for others and to know that we are part of something that is much greater than just ourselves. It is a call to ‘make a difference together’.

In seeking to develop this imagery further and to help us celebrate what the Lighthouse means to St John’s as a school community, we have commissioned a range of merchandise based on the lighthouse design we use around the school. This is both a fund raising initiative, but also a way of making the lighthouse a daily reminder to our whole school community of the call to let our light shine and to celebrate all that God has given us and calls us to be.

The merchandise consists of 3 different adult and child T Shirt designs, tea towels, apron, tote bags, mugs and the option to buy the banner that we have designed and placed in every classroom. There are three different designs for the T Shirts and also a choice of colours and sizes.

Full information has been sent out to all parents today. Orders need to be placed by Thursday 21st June to enable fulfillment by the end of the school term. 

We hope you will join us in letting 'your light shine'.