Wednesday 12 December 2012

St Peters

At St Peters today we did our Christmas assembly with the length of ribbon and the torn and restore paper.  We got the biggest reaction of all the assemblies we have done as I unfolded the now fully restored Christmas and the packet of paper fell out it was not what the children expected as that was unfolded to read Happy Birthday Jesus.  We sang the Christmas song Rejoice with Us at the end before Sarah finished with a prayer and then the Lord's prayer.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Low Furness School

Today was the last assembly of 2012 at Low Furness School.  Sarah wasn't with me so I was flying solo.   After singing Inright Outright I asked a few questions about the time of year.  When I asked what is special about Christmas the answer came back the birth of Jesus.  I took a length of ribbon and explained that Christmas should be a bit like this straight forward and simple but we make it fancy and complicated I curl the ribbon.  Then taking a sheet of paper with Christmas on it I start to rip letters of it and then talk about the S - snow, snowmen the MA for mum who does everything towards Christmas then the T which is for toys and tree and not forgetting tinsel we are only left with CHRIS which is the first name of Father Christmas in some places.  I take all the pieces and fold them into each other before doing a restore routine but drop a piece of paper on the floor which generated a big laugh from the headteacher (who must have thought it had gone wrong) but the paper was unfolded to show the words Happy Birthday Jesus. and a fully restore Christmas.  Taking the ribbon back I uncurl it saying this year make Christmas simple and straight forward again.  To finish we sang a Christmas song followed by a prayer.

Monday 10 December 2012

Pennington School

Sarah and I went to Pennington School this morning for our last visit of 2012.  As it is nearly Christmas we did our Christmas themed assembly.  So after singing Inright Outright Sarah introduced the theme and I asked what makes Christmas, Christmas?  The first answer was - the birth of Jesus which was exactly the answer I wanted.  I then held up the length of ribbon and explained that it really is simple and straight forward but we make it more complex - I then curl the ribbon.  Moving into the torn and restore Christmas routine ending with a packet of folded paper falling to the floor.  Which when I open up the restored Christmas and the dropped paper is opened to say Happy Birthday Jesus.  I then take the curled ribbon and make it straight again saying we should make sure that we keep Christmas simple and straight forward.  We ended with a Christmas song and a prayer.

Thursday 6 December 2012

Croftlands Junior School

We had an interesting visit to Croftlands today - OFSTED had arrived so our assembly was watched by an inspector.  We started in the usual way with a good morning and the children replied back then we sang Great Big God before moving into our Christmas talk, it was the one we have been doing all week using a length of ribbon which is simple and straight.  Asking the children what Christmas was all about brought the answer - the birth of Jesus which was exactly the answer I was looking for but I said we complicate things and I make the ribbon curl.  Then displaying the word CHRISTMAS I begin to remove some of the letters and talk about the S - people thing that snow and snowmen is what Christmas is about, then the MA - and our mums are so busy getting stuff together for Christmas and washing curtains and buying sprouts which nobody eats, then the T - we get caught up in what colour tinsel we want, and how big the tree is and what size turkey to buy not to mention the toys and other treats we all want.  We are only left now with CHRIS which is what Santa, Father Christmas is called in other countries.  Our CHRISTMAS has been destroyed but we can put it together again and i do the torn and restore routine and a packet of paper falls to the floor which I point at and say oopps but this packet is not what the children think it is because it says Happy Birthday Jesus as I say this I show the restored Christmas page.  Returning to the curly ribbon I then restore that to a simple straight piece saying that Christmas is very straight forward and very simple.  We finished by singing Rejoice With Us before Sarah closed with a prayer.

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Crosthwaite School

We had a lovely drive up over the tops to Crosthwaite School this afternoon.  We took along our Christmas assembly that we have been doing in schools this week.  So after singing Inright Outright I lifted out the length of ribbon and explained that at Christmas time when we should be thinking about the birth of Jesus we complicate Christmas and with that I make the ribbon go curly.  Next I used the torn and restore Christmas paper to explain how we over complicate things which makes a bit of a mess of Christmas then I tell the children that I am going to restore Christmas which I do.  But a packet of paper falls to the floor and inside it ...Happy Birthday Jesus... I then return to the curly ribbon and say that we need to go back to a simple straight forward Christmas and I make it straight again.  We finished with a Christmas song and then a prayer.

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Croftlands Infants School

Sarah and I went to the assembly at Croftlands Infants this afternoon.  It is always a joy to see the children who warm to us every time we see them.  We started with Inright Outright then did our Christmas assembly which included a torn and restore paper trick with a twist as well as a straight to curly  and back to straight ribbon trick.  Basically we encouraged the children to remember that Christmas is about Jesus.  To finish we sang a Christmas song and said a prayer.

The full assembly routine can be read in our other blogs from this week.

Ulverston Infants - Church Walk

Christmas at Ulverston Infants.  This morning Sarah and I went into school to do a Christmas assembly.  After singing Inright Outright Sarah asked a few Christmas related questions, she went on to say that Christmas has become very complicated and fancy - I held up a length of ribbon which was straight and I then made in go curly.  I also did a rip and restore paper trick with a twist.  I used the word Christmas and first I removed the S and said a few things about snow and snowmen, then the MA which is mum and what they do running around organising Christmas etc next the T which could be for tree, turkey, toys and how we want the best.  We are now left with CHRIS which is one of the names for Santa, Father Christmas etc.  I had destroyed Christmas.  I told the children I would restore it and put it back as it should be and I did but then the twist as I unfolded the word Christmas a packet of paper fell out on the floor I made a note of it and pretended that it might have gone wrong - but the child that unfolded that one found the words Happy Birthday Jesus on it.  I returned to the ribbon and made it simple and straight once again.  Sarah concluded the assembly by reminding them that it is Jesus' Birthday celebration.  We finished by singing a Christmas song and a prayer.

Monday 3 December 2012

Broughton School

We started our round of Christmas assemblies today at Broughton.  After singing Inright Outright I went on to ask the children what event will be happening soon - Christmas came the reply.  So I asked what is special about Christmas and the first answer I got back was the birth of Jesus.  A good start to the talk.  I had a length of ribbon with me which was simple and straight I told the children that Christmas should be like the piece of rippon simple nothing fancy - I then curled the ribbon to make in fancy and got a child to hold it for me.  I then took a length of paper that had Christmas printed on it and I started to rip the letters off.  For the S I said people think that snow and snowmen are part of Christmas, I then did the same for the MA some people called the mum ma and they do a lot to get Christmas sorted out buying lots of nice things for us, then the T well this could be for trees, or turkey and even toys and other treasures which left me with CHRIS which is the first name of Father Christmas or Santa to some people and our Christmas is ruined and needed to be resorted.  I then performed a tare and restore routine with the pieces and as I did so a packet of paper fell to the floor which I pointed out was perhaps maybe a mistake on my part until I opened it to show the words Happy Birthday Jesus.  Going back to the ribbon held by the child which was still looking fancy I then made it straight again and as I did I told the children to make sure that this year they remembered the real reason behind Christmas.  We then sang a Christmas song and Sarah close with a prayer.