We enjoyed worship time in the open air today. It seemed very apt to be seated near our Easter garden as the story was about a tree that was used to make the cross which Jesus was crucified on.
It was good to have time to think about and pray for all our school friends, staff and their families at this time.
A message from Theatre Alibi – At this difficult time, we wanted to do whatever we could to help. We’ve put our two most recent children’s productions online for you to watch for free.
Michael Morpurgo’s I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS is a magical story from one of the country’s leading children’s authors all about the extraordinary power of books.
TABLE MATES by Daniel Jamieson is a show all about food! 3 cooks, 3 very different lives. Each course tells a story.
Accelerated Reader
We use this website for quizzing on books in school.
To quiz on any AR books taken home or books that are on AR that children have read from their own collection/on Kindle/online in other ways that are on AR, logon as normal using the link here: https://ukhosted63.renlearn.co.uk/2236355/default.aspx
You can check if a book is on AR by logging in and searching for it here: https://www.arbookfind.co.uk/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fdefault.aspx
– Most non-fiction books are! Try to read books within your current ZPD but if you have read a book and feel very confident with it, have a go at a quiz!
You should aim for 85% or more on the quiz.
Although we cannot physically gather together and worship at school like we normally do, we can come together as a school community, to worship and pray each week by using our weekly assembly at home. You may use it at a time suitable for you or at 11.45am every Friday so that we can all ‘sit together’ and use the assemblies in our own homes as a joint community. This will provide a time to remember each other, our school community and all that is going on around us.
You may choose to light some candles or just sit together at this special time.
Friday 27th March 2020
We have gathered together to worship God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Let us begin our assembly with a prayer for the world.
A prayer for the world
God of love and hope,
you made the world and care for all creation,
but the world feels strange right now.
The news is full of stories about Coronavirus.
Some people are worried that they might get ill.
Others are anxious for their family and friends.
Be with them and help them to find peace.
We pray for the doctors and nurses and scientists,
and all who are working to discover the right medicines
to help those who are ill.
Thank you that even in these anxious times,
you are with us.
Help us to put our trust in you and keep us safe.
Amen.
Our school value this term has been Hope and as the term closes, it is more important than ever for us to have hope.
Today, we are going to think about our hopes and dreams for the future.
What hopes and dreams do you have? What would you like to be when you are older?
We are now going to listen to a story that tells us about the hopes and dreams of three trees. Before we begin the story, let us stop and listen to these words from the Bible:
Jeremiah 29: 11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.
The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: “I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I’ll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!”
The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. “I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I’ll be the strongest ship in the world!”
The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. “I don’t want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they’ll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.”
Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain.
The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell.
“Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest. I shall hold wonderful treasure!” the first tree said.
The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell.
“Now I shall sail mighty waters!” thought the second tree. “I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!”
The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven.
But the woodcutter never even looked up. “Any kind of tree will do for me,” he muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter’s shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals.
The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.
The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail on an ocean, or even a river; instead, she was taken to a little lake.
The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard.
“What happened?” the once tall tree wondered. “All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God…”
Many, many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams.
But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox.
“I wish I could make a cradle for him,” her husband whispered.
The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. “This manger is beautiful,” she said.
And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake.
Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain.
The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, “Peace.” The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun.
And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands to her.
She felt ugly and harsh and cruel.
But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth tremble with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything.
It had made the third tree strong.
And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God.
That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.
God has a plan for each of us. There may be times we lose sight of our dreams, and we may not understand things that take place in our lives. We must remember though that God loves us, has a plan for us, and is in control; therefore we can trust Him.
Let us sing together Peace perfect peace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DWa8oWu1nQ
Let us say our school prayer together:
We thank you God our father,
For giving me another day,
I offer you the things I do and every word, I think and say.
With your son and Holy Spirit,
Helping me in all I do,
I want to use your gifts to me,
To show you father, I love you.
Amen
Joanie and Henry have planted the ‘bird tree’ (Prunus Padus tree) in their garden on behalf of Woodbury Salterton C of E school.
‘It’s the tree that was given to the school from the Fairtrade conference that year 6 attended in February and we promise to look after it for years to come’ Joanie & Henry.
Well done guys!
Coronavirus – SCHOOL IS NOW CLOSED – unless you have received an invitation for childcare. Ideas for activities to do at home are on this website.
If your situation changes over the coming weeks and your role becomes one from the keyworkers list please email admin@woodbury-salterton.devon.sch.uk.
THE LIST OF CONFIRMED KEYWORKERS IS ON THIS LINK https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers
To limit the spread of the disease and to protect the vulnerable please stay at home for 14 days if anyone in your household has either:
– a high temperature – you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
– a new, continuous cough – this means you have started coughing repeatedly.
Do not go to GP or pharmacy or hospital or phone 111 unless you feel it is an emergency. You do not need to test for Coronavirus if you are staying at home.
