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Don't Forget Your Toothbrush

To investigate and celebrate the idea of gifts and talents.

by Gill O'Neill

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To investigate and celebrate the idea of gifts and talents.

Preparation and materials

  • You will need a large tube of toothpaste and a selection of different kinds of brushes (e.g. hair brush, grooming brush, nail brush, bottle brush, toilet brush, dustpan and brush, make up brush) in an appropriate bag or your briefcase. At the bottom of the bag, or in your pocket, you should have a toothbrush.
  • It would also be useful to have a number of volunteers to hold up the brushes.

Assembly

  1. Use the narrative below or something similar:

    I got up really late this morning, and then I was rushing round getting ready. There were the usual problems (give examples of things that might have slowed you down, either due to your own lack of organization - shirt not ironed, books not marked, assembly not prepared, car keys missing - or due to other family members - where's my reading book? packed lunches not ready, no dinner money, I don't want this for breakfast, etc. - be as inventive as you like).

    To cut a long story short, I rushed out of the door, got in the car, fought my way through the traffic and eventually got to school. Then I've been busy sorting out all sorts of problems (again list possible jobs: sorting out the class, finding a lost register, getting the photocopier to work, playground duty, etc.).

    So I've only just realized … I haven't brushed my teeth this morning. I always keep a tube of toothpaste in school, and I'm sure that somewhere in my bag I've got a suitable brush ...

  2. Take the toothpaste out of the bag. Then make a big thing of taking out each brush. Look at it and hold it up in front of your mouth as if about to brush your teeth. Sigh and shake your head and place each brush on a table where it can be seen, or give each brush to a volunteer to hold. Describe its function briefly (No, that won't do, it's for scrubbing the floor!). Eventually, when you have exhausted your supply of inappropriate brushes, locate the toothbrush triumphantly.

  3. Explain that we are all a bit like this bag full of brushes. This doesn't mean that some of you are like a toilet brush or a hairbrush! It means that we are different, and that we are good at doing different things.

    Some are good at running, some good at maths. Some of you enjoy reading, others enjoy football. Even teachers have different things that they are good at. Give examples of things that you can't do that other teachers have an obvious interest in, e.g. I can't play the piano like Miss Smith, and I can't play cricket like Mr Khan. I can't fix things like Mr Jones and I haven't got half as much patience as Mrs Brown. However, I hope I'm good at some things (give an example).

  4. Some people are good at making others laugh, or good at being a friend. We all have our own special talents. We should use them well and brush them up from time to time.

Time for reflection

Dear God,
Help us to try hard in all we do.
Thank you for making us good at the things we are good at,
and help us to do better at the things we find difficult.
Amen.

Song/music

'Give me oil in my lamp' (Come and Praise, 43)

Publication date: February 2002   (Vol.4 No.2)    Published by SPCK, London, UK.
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