Events

Our 2008 Shoebox Appeal

 We have been thinking about how lucky we are to celebrate Christmas in this country. We are warm, have a home to live in, and we have our parents and families to celebrate Christmas with. We have enough to eat, we are healthy and we aren’t frightened by soldiers in tanks with guns patrolling our streets.

Not very far away there are countries where there are children just like us, but these children don’t have the things that we have.
Their parents are very poor, they live in run down houses and flats and some have no homes at all. Some children are poorly with illnesses brought on because they don’t have enough food and medicines. Some of these children’s parents have died and some have been abandoned and left alone.

By filling simple shoeboxes with all those little things we might take for granted: soap and a flannel, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a scarf and gloves, pencils and paper, sweets and little toys, we hope to  help children who aren’t as fortunate as we are.

In fact since the year 2000, we have sent just under 500 boxes to children in Africa and Eastern Europe. Without the generosity of our pupils and their families’, these children wouldn’t have experienced the joy of receiving and opening a Christmas gift.

One volunteer for Operation Christmas Child (the charity that co-ordinates the national appeal) said that as she watched each child open their box it was as if God’s love was being opened too. We hope that in participating in this appeal our children will feel they are playing their part in spreading God’s love and grow in their understanding of the Christmas Message

This year on the 15th November we held a special Act of Worship to celebrate our shoebox appeal. A representative from each class read a special prayer.

RECEPTION read by ?

Heavenly Father, thankyou for Christmas.

YEAR 1 read by ?

Thankyou for Christmas decorations, crackers, special foods to eat and presents to open.

YEAR 2 read by Richard

Thankyou God for our Mums and Dads, brothers and sisters, grandmas and grand-dads as-well as our aunties, uncles, cousins and friends. We are so lucky to celebrate Christmas together.

YEAR 3 read by Phoebe
Dear God, It is at Christmas time that we especially remember You sent us the greatest gift of all, Jesus, Your Only Son

YEAR 4 read by ?

Heavenly Father help us to remember how Jesus  brought love and hope to people on earth. He taught us that to think of others and care for those who are in need, is a way of showing Your Love.

YEAR 5 read by Aisling

Dear Lord, Please watch over the charity workers who do their best to help people in need all over the world. Watch over the lorry drivers, pilots and aid workers who will be delivering our boxes. Be with them on their journeys and keep them safe from harm.

YEAR 6 read by Hannah
Heavenly Father we send these shoeboxes filled with our gifts to children who are not as lucky as we are. We are sending them in the spirit of love and friendship, and hope these children will be able to grow up healthy and happy in a world which is free from fear and danger.

We are very proud to announce that this year our school community has collected a total of
77 shoeboxes
Thankyou to all our pupils and their families for their kindness and generosity.
You have made a real difference to the lives of many children this Christmas