Penny Bridge Academy

This morning Sarah and I were at Penny Bridge doing our Christmas assembly.  We didn't start with a song as we wanted to show a video and to finish sing our Christmas song.  We first asked the children what time of year it was - we got the usual answers of Christmas, December - but then we got the answer we were looking for - Advent.  I explained that Advent is the time of year before Christmas when we wait and prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  I then asked who in the Christmas story needed to prepare to go and see Jesus, the children suggested a few people like Mary and the shepherds then we got the answer - the wise men.  I tried to explain just how far they had to travel in order to see Jesus and then asked what we needed to do to prepare for such a long journey, children offered suggestions like Ipad, food, drink, clothes - Sarah said SatNav as she couldn't navigate with just the stars.  Sarah then told the Babushka story which we pointed out wasn't in the Bible and was just a folk tale.  She wanted to see Jesus but was far to busy then she missed out.  I then played a video that I made a few years ago which starts with the nativity scene but then soon gets covered with all the other things to do with Christmas like, sellotape, turkey and other food, long cues and decorated house's finally ending with a baby crying and a return to the nativity scene once again.  I explained that all that the children had seen is to do with Christmas but the real reason we celebrate is because of the birth of Jesus, and we can so easily forget that as we rush around getting ready for Christmas.  We then sang Rejoice with Us before Sarah closed the assembly with a prayer.