Visit by the Bishop of Durham – 25 March 2015
We were very honoured to have the Bishop of Durham and his wife watch our Easter Service. He met and talked to the children before sitting down to enjoy the show. The children of Evenwood recreated the Easter story through drama and songs.
The school council had made him a Simnel cake and presented it to him.
After the Easter service he enjoyed a slice of cake and a cup of tea with our families and community members.
A Message of Welcome from the Bishop of Durham, Bishop Paul Butler (2014)
It has been my privilege over many years to visit schools in many different places. This has been across England but also in some of the very poorest countries in the world, like Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. It does not matter where I see schools at work, I am always impressed by the dedication of teachers and the longing of parents to want the very best for their children. As a parent I know you want the very best for your child. The Church of England is engaged in schools because it too wants the very best for every child.
Every child matters because every child is special. Naturally they are special to you, their parent or carer, and to grandparents. They are also very special to the school. This is particularly true for us in church schools because of what we believe about the value God places on every child.
Jesus’ friends were arguing one day about who was the greatest in God’s kingdom. Jesus took a small child, stood him or her amongst the group and told all the adults that unless they became like this child they could never enter God’s kingdom. I often wonder just how very special that child felt that day. We want that sense of being loved, accepted and valued to be at the very heart of our schools, and of your child’s education.
Education matters because it provides building blocks for life now and into the future. We seek to offer the very best education we can in every school. This is not simply about the important matters of reading, writing, numbers and the like. It is also about the values by which we behave, and the kind of people we want to be. We believe our church schools offer great all round education for every child.
I love being able to visit schools and meet children. They are always enthusiastic, welcoming and brilliant at asking tough questions. Their zeal for learning is inspiring.
So welcome to one of our wonderful church schools. I trust your child will find they grow and develop well throughout their time here.
Reverend Claire – Friday 13 March 2015
Reverend Claire came in to teach Durham Castle Class about the Easter story. She read from the bible and talked to them about Palm Sunday. They then acted out Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and considered the views of people in the crowd. They then wrote interviews with different crowd members considering how they may have reacted to Jesus entering Jerusalem, for example they thought about children and Roman soldiers.
Godly Play – Thursday 12 March 2015
Each Godly Play session begins with a welcome from Julia or Jean. They welcome us individually into the church hall and ask how we are. When the session begins we all sit in a circle and listen to a story. Props and images are used to help us understand the story. After the story we are given time to reflect and we discuss what the story means to us. We then can choose to do crafts, read stories or play games, always thinking about the story we have heard. At the end of the session we all share a feast and close with a prayer. Everyone is invited to join in the feast and anyone can share a prayer.
Godly Play sessions are fun, exciting and get children to wonder about some of the bigger issues. They involve a bible story and always contain a reflection time to help the children think about what the story means to them.
School Prayer:
Lord today,
Help all the children in Evenwood Primary,
To remember that,
Everything they say,
Everything they do,
Everything they think,
Can make other people happy or unhappy.
Help us all to know,
And understand,
And remember,
What is right and what is wrong,
Amen.
Lunchtime Prayer:
For every cup and plateful,
May the Lord make us truly grateful,
Amen.
Hometime Prayer:
Lord keep us safe this night,
Secure from all our fears,
May angles guard us whilst we sleep,
Till morning light appears,
Amen.
