With Jesus in our hearts, we welcome, we learn, we laugh, we flourish.
With Jesus in our hearts, we welcome, we learn, we laugh, we flourish.
This Sunday we light our third Advent Candle, a symbol of joy as we prepare for Christ’s birth. So, what will bring us joy this Christmas? Quite probably, when asked this question, our thoughts will go first to material things. Not necessarily what gifts we may find under the Christmas tree, but maybe other kinds of physical joy. The joy we may feel when we realise we’ve finally done all our shopping, or tidied the house ready to receive all our guests. Maybe we’ll think of that happy glow we get when we relax at night, watch a Christmas movie and stop worrying – even just for an hour. But this Sunday’s candle represents much more than that. This is the joy that comes from acknowledging the true gift of Christmas – God’s love for us, a love so strong that He sent us His only son.
So, in our busy world of jobs, lists, famine, war, how can we spread the joy of our Lord this Christmas? The answer is simple, we spread it with our smiles, with our kindness; we communicate this joy through helping, and through forgiving. There are so many ways we can spread Christ’s joy – this Christmas and all year round – so let us dedicate this weekend to the real joy of Christmas. Let us set down our lists and our worries, and let us spread God’s love through our small gestures – each little thing – every extended hand, every smile, let us do it in God’s name, so that all beings can feel God’s love this Christmas.
Philippians 4:4-5 (NIV) Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Following Boris Johnson’s 8pm announcement we now know that as of midnight tonight the country has entered a new period of Lockdown, a Lockdown that includes the closure of school.
School will be open for the children of Key Workers and for pupils who are deemed vulnerable. All pupils will be provided with work in order for them to keep learning.
Tonight’s announcement was very short notice for you as parents and also for us as a Staff. Tomorrow, by 11am there will be three tasks on the school website for each Class to complete as their Tuesday learning. However, School will be closed to ALL pupils tomorrow.
Staff, however, will be in school preparing for the rest of the Lockdown. Through tomorrow we will prepare school to make it safe for Key worker pupils and vulnerable children to return.
We will send out a form for you to apply for a place in the Keyworker Bubbles and we will let you know more about how children will be learning remotely. We will do our very best to re-open to Key Worker children and vulnerable pupils by Wednesday.
I am aware of how difficult this is for you all, School closing creates a multitude of problems for everyone but data surrounding this awful disease dictates that this is a necessary step. As ever, the safety and health of everyone must be a priority.
Thank you for your continued support and we will be in frequent contact over the next few days.
Many thanks
Claire Halstead