NEW
PLACES
By Jill Fuller
Suitable
for Whole School
Aims
To help the children
identify ways of coping with being in a new place. To remind them of the Christian
belief that God is present with them always and everywhere.
Preparation
and materials
The leader needs to prepare
an account, which could incorporate personal experience or be imaginary, about
being in a new place. It could focus on moving house, or perhaps being on holiday,
or a memory of changing schools.
Assembly
- Share the prepared story,
giving opportunities for children to identify some of the problems, e.g. can't
find where we keep the cereal in a new kitchen; don't know where the shops are
in a new town; walking a different way to school from a new house; traffic travelling
on the other side of the road in a new country.
- Explore feelings about
new places: excitement and anticipation, new experiences; nervousness and a sense
of losing the familiar landmarks and patterns which make for security; fears of
getting lost or doing something inappropriate; frustration that things can take
longer without familiar routines.
- Focus on the new places
which the children may be experiencing for the first time: first day at school,
first day in a new classroom, first day with a new teacher, or sitting in a new
place or with a new group of children.
- Help them to share any
hopes and fears about their particular 'new place' and empower the children to
help each other. For instance:
Jack: I'm worried about where to sit when we arrive in the morning.
Leader (to children): Who knows what you usually do in Jack's class?
Affirm them both in expressing concern about new places and in seeking or giving
help.
- Remind the children that
the friends of Jesus were often frightened or nervous about new experiences too.
It was then that they had to remember the promise that Jesus made, to be with
us in every new place, always, everywhere. Tell the children the words of Jesus:
'I am with you always, to the end of the world' (Matthew 28.20).
Time
for reflection
In a moment of quiet, reflect
on the opportunities and problems that your new place offers.
Think about how we can all help each other as we adjust to being in a new place.
Remember the promise of Jesus to be with us in every place.
Songs
'A still small voice' (Come
and Praise, 96).
'Lo, I am with you to the end of the world' (There is One Among Us: Shorter
Songs for Worship, John Bell, Wild Goose Publications, ISBN 1-901557-10-3).
Curriculum
links
- Literacy: Reading or writing
descriptive passages of places visited.
- Numeracy: Exploring distance.
How far is it to...? Plans and scale drawings.
- Geography: Mapping, plans
of classroom, school and local area.
- Art: Painting places.
Looking at different artists' impressions of the same or similar places.
- Music: Music associated
with places: Fingal's Cave, An English Country Garden, folk tunes
from different places.
- PSHE: Discussing respect
for people's own place and space.
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