KS1 Fireflys

A walk around our KS1 classrooms will bring you to a wonderful exploration through art of the wonders of the firefly!

 

Moses and the challenge to Pharaoh

This week, as we return from our half term holiday, we have been continuing our exploration of the story of God's calling for Moses. From a basket in the rushes, to the household of Pharaoh, to the isolation of a shepherd on the hillside who is confronted by a burning bush, we find that God has been been at work in the life of Moses, even when he wasn't aware of it.

Moses' call to return to Pharaoh is an extremely challenging and daunting task, one that he tries very hard to get out of. But God promises to equip him and to support him in what he is being asked to do.

The result is a confrontation with one of the world's most powerful rulers of the time.

'Let my people go' God says through Moses, but Pharaoh is not in agreement and so a series of plagues are brought upon the people until at last Pharaoh relents and sends the people on their way.

It is a story of conflict and difficult personal challenges. Moses is clearly out of his comfort zone and yet he remains faithful to what God has called him to do.

Many years ago I had the great privilege of hearing Chris Bonnington talk about his experiences of climbing Mount Everest. He reflected on three things, that he felt most alive when he was out of his comfort zone, that fear was always a close companion when he attempted anything new and that it was those around him that enabled him to achieve his best.

Recently I  have also been enjoying reading Bear Grylls' account of his successful climb of Mount Everest. The book is called Facing up and on one of the first pages there is an inscription of Psalm 121:1,2

I lift my eyes up to the mountains where does my help come from
My help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and earth

A reminder that God never asks us to achieve something on our own, however far out of our comfort zone we may be.

As we come to the end of our first full week, we will be thinking of the fact that God always promises to be our help and that he graciously gives us friends and companions to be with us as well.

Year 3 times table challenge

This morning I joined class 3S for their times table challenge. A race against the clock to complete the twelve times table grid. They were brilliant and it certainly made my brain ache on a Friday morning!

A time to rest

As we draw to an end of this half term we are reminded of all the good things that God has done in our lives and the opportunities that lie ahead. 

We will end our assembly today with our use of a traditional Irish blessing.. 

 

 

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

May the week ahead see the outworking of this blessing in our lives. 

Great St John's bake off

The smell of bread dough has been drifitng down the corridor today as year 1/2 have been enjoying the challenge of being creative under the watchful eye of Mrs W!

Harvest at church

A great day last week at church celebrating harvest.

Moses and his true potential

Moses  - discovering your true potential

In assemblies this week we have been considering Moses' encounter with a burning bush – quite apt considering KS1 are learning about the fire of London at the moment. The only difference was that although this bush burned, it didn’t disintegrate! Instead God used it to attract Moses' attention and to deliver to him a very special message. A message that I think it is quite clear Moses was not too thrilled about. 

Moses like all of us, probably understood his weaknesses more than his strengths. Self-doubt is something that can undermine our ability and confidence to take on anything and it would seem that Moses had a healthy dose of this. In addition of course, there was the reality of what he was being asked to do. To go back to Pharaoh and ask him to let God's people go. Not a message that Moses expected him to receive well.

In assembly today we will be thinking about how at times we doubt our own ability and how equally at times new challenges seem quite scary and difficult.  But actually when we face the challenge, the nerves and sometimes the fear, we can achieve far more than we actually believe we may be capable of. Moses had doubts, but God knew he was capable and was the right man for the job.

In our assembly we used these lines in a dramatic format to remind us of that

God said : ‘Go and tell Pharaoh  let my people go!’

Moses said: ‘But I can’t, it’s not me you need!’

God smiled and thought

I know you inside and out

I know what lies inside

I know what you can really do

And With me beside you

You can do anything!

A reminder of our verse from Joshua that we learnt from  the last academic year.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

That  equally is something to be thankful for.

A time to be thankful

A time for harvest celebration

Yesterday we enjoyed gathering together, to give thanks to God, for all that he provides for us, not just at Harvest, but, every day of the year. But it’s also great to focus on Harvest as a specific time to stop and think, to reflect on what we have, and to bring gifts to make a difference for others.

The two tables in church were weighed down with a whole range of fruit, vegetables and other goods by the end of our two services. All of which will be joined with the gifts from St John’s harvest festival service on Sunday, and given to support the work of the Red Cross and the Open Hands project.

At our service we considered how our response to God’s goodness to us can be reflected in our own lives, by the way we reach out to others and seek to make a difference. Something I see happening around the school every day in the way children and staff work together. The willingness to help someone or include them in a game, offering to let them go first in the dinner queue, clapping enthusiastically to celebrate some form of success, a word of encouragement or friendship when someone is upset, a hug or just taking the time to listen to what is important to someone else. It’s all there, every day, and is a clear demonstration of God’s love outworking itself in our school community and that is certainly something to be thankful for as well.

A time to be thankful

A time for harvest celebration

Yesterday we enjoyed gathering together, to give thanks to God, for all that he provides for us, not just at Harvest, but, every day of the year. But it’s also great to focus on Harvest as a specific time to stop and think, to reflect on what we have, and to bring gifts to make a difference for others.

The two tables in church were weighed down with a whole range of fruit, vegetables and other goods by the end of our two services. All of which will be joined with the gifts from St John’s harvest festival service on Sunday, and given to support the work of the Red Cross and the Open Hands project.

At our service we considered how our response to God’s goodness to us can be reflected in our own lives, by the way we reach out to others and seek to make a difference. Something I see happening around the school every day in the way children and staff work together. The willingness to help someone or include them in a game, offering to let them go first in the dinner queue, clapping enthusiastically to celebrate some form of success, a word of encouragement or friendship when someone is upset, a hug or just taking the time to listen to what is important to someone else. It’s all there, every day, and is a clear demonstration of God’s love outworking itself in our school community and that is certainly something to be thankful for as well.

Moses - a child in the bushes

Last week we looked at the story of Moses being placed in a basket as a child, as one mother tried to protect her son from the dangers that threatened him. It was a bold decision and a well worked plan that brought Moses into the house of Pharoah, to be raised as one of the family.

It is certainly also a story of love and sacrifce of a parent, giving up her child and risking everything to ensure his safety.

Yet this is only one part of an amazing story that sees God use Moses to bring His people, the children of Israel out of captivity. In many ways it is another story of fatih and cobwebs - God at work even when we don't see Him. God having a bigger picture, whilst we only seem to see one piece at a time.

We were encouraged to be reminded of that truth.

A burning bush

A shepherd on a hill side watching his sheep is suddenly attracted to a strange sight - a burning bush.

But the bush although it burns, does not disintegrate and instead it remains intact, untouched by the flames.

Moses comes into the presence of God.

We considered this strange sight today and what it tells us about God, but also, what it tells us about ourselves.

Go to Pharaoh, Moses is told - the response? Not me, I am not confident enough, not eloquent enough, send someone else, but not me!

How many times do we doubt our own capabilities and avoid new challenges?

Go!  Moses is told, because God knows that he is capable and more than able and that equally importantly, He will be with him every step of the way.

KS1 and the Great Fire of London

We had an amazing day today in KS1 reconstructing the streets of London with the fantastic array of houses designed and built by the children as part of their topic on the subject of the great fire.

We were even fortunate to have the fire brigade come along and talk to us about how quickly fire can spread and to show us some of their equipment.  We had the chance to sit in the fire engine, try out the water hose as well as look at the kit the firemen wear. All very exciting and interesting.

We had hoped to create our own reenactment of the fire, by carrying out a controlled burning of some of the houses, but sadly the fire brigade were called away on an emergency - so that plan will wait for another day.