We had our first Pause Day of this academic year and what a success it was!
Pause Days are an exciting initiative which give schools an opportunity to engage with high level thinking and
reflection during an ‘off-timetable’ RE day. The day contributes to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development and provides a ‘space’ to enhance and deepen pupils’ understanding.
We had a number of events running throughout the day. Christingle making was first on the agenda- thank you to all the grown ups who attended to support their children. It’s always such a joyous occasion.
Each element of a Christingle has a special meaning and helps to tell the Christian story:
• The orange represents the world
• The red ribbon symbolises the love and blood of Christ
• The four cocktail sticks could have either of two meanings; the four seasons or the
four corners of the world.
• The sweets (or sometimes dried fruit) remind Christians of God’s gifts to the world including kindness and love.
• The lit candle represents Jesus’s light in the world, bringing hope to people living in darkness (we used glowsticks to represent the light for our Christingle assembly).
Each year group took part in some collaborative art work. We used the core concepts of ‘Understanding Christianity’- Creation, God, Salvation, People of God, Incarnation, Fall, Gospel and Kingdom of God representing spirituality in the form of art.
Year 4-6 took part in a workshop ran by Kerith Church creating reflection spaces and a class card was also in the making ready to give to the care home that some children will be visiting to spread joy in our community.
The day ended with a wonderful Christingle service led by Year5. Their enthusiasm and confidence was admirable! The hall glowed with all the children’s Christingles creating awe and wonder for all.
We have created a Spirituality section our website- please take a moment to browse as it demonstrates spirituality at Jennett’s Park. There is a booklet of ideas should you wish to do them at home with your family.
