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There’s a Hole in My Bucket

An assembly from the Culham St Gabriel archive

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To consider the importance of rising to the challenge, co-operation and perseverance.

Preparation and materials

  • Have available the song ‘Theres a hole in my bucket’ and the means to play it at the beginning of the assembly. It is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzm9urjQbWU and is 3.01 minutes long. Alternatively, ask a group of children to sing the song.

  • You will need to think of a situation in school where many people need to work together to solve the problem. For example, poor behaviour at playtime or a messy cloakroom.

  • If possible, ask two staff members or children to sing the new version of the song in the Assembly, Step 4.

Assembly

  1. Play the song ‘There’s a hole in my bucket’.

    Explain that this song is full of questions that are never really answered.

    Ask the children whether mending the bucket was an easy task.

    Listen to a range of responses.

  2. Sometimes, we come across difficult questions and it can be hard to find the answer. Throughout the ages, adults and children have faced this problem. Coming up against these questions can be a bit like a computer game: each time you get something right, a new challenge arrives!

  3. Describe a ‘problem’ in your own school, such as ‘The teachers have been discussing how to overcome the problem of the cloakrooms being messy all the time . . .

  4. If possible, have two staff members or children sing a reworked version of the song ‘Theres a hole in my bucket’ below.

    Theres a problem in my classroom/the playground/the dinner hall, dear (insert name 1), dear (insert name 1),
    Theres a problem in my classroom/the playground/the dinner hall, dear (insert name 1), a problem.

    Well, what is the problem, dear (insert name 2), dear (insert name 2)?
    Well, what is the problem, dear (insert name 2), the problem?

    Its the children, dear (insert name 1), dear (insert name 1), dear (insert name 1),
    Its the children, dear (insert name 1), dear (insert name 1), the children.

    Well, what do they do, dear (insert name 2), dear (insert name 2)?
    Well, what do they dodear (insert name 2), they do?

    Theyre too noisy/rough/messy, dear (insert name 1), dear (insert name 1), dear (insert name 1),
    They’re too noisy/rough/messy, dear (insert name 1), dear (insert name 1), too noisy/rough/messy.

    So, what can we do, dear (insert name 2), dear (insert name 2)?
    So, what can we do, dear (insert name 2), we do?

    Well beg them to be quiet/gentle/tidy, dear (insert name 1), dear (insert name 1),
    Well beg them to be quiet/gentle/tidy, dear (insert name 1), be quiet/gentle/tidy.

    And if they dont stop, dear (insert name 2), dear (insert name 2)?
    And if they dont stop, dear (insert name 2), dont stop?

    Well nag them, dear (insert name 1), dear (insert name 1), dear (insert name 1),
    Well nag them, dear (insert name 1), dear (insert name 1), nag them.

    And if it doesnt work, dear (insert name 2), dear (insert name 2)?
    And if it doesnt work, dear (insert name 2), doesnt work?

    Then theres a problem in my classroom/the playground/the dining hall, dear (insert name 1), dear (insert name 1),
    Theres a problem in my classroom/the playground/the dining hall, dear (insert name 1), 
    please help!

  5. Ask the children to come up with answers to the problem.

    - What could we do to solve the problem?
    - Why should we fix the problem?

  6. Encourage the children to work together with the staff and to persevere to solve the problem. Make it clear that you trust them to help and give a specific time when you will evaluate what has been done.

  7. Christians believe that one way to solve problems is to pray. Prayer is communicating with God. Christians believe that when they talk to God, he hears them and answers their prayers, even if they dont necessarily get the answers they were hoping for.

Time for reflection

Some problems are easy to solve, but sometimes, we need a lot of perseverance to find solutions to problems.

Sometimes, we need to be patient with ourselves and others. Some people need more time to think about things than others.

Sometimes, the questions we ask will not have easy or obvious answers. When this is the case, we need to be patient. Sometimes, simply waiting helps the answer to fall into place.

Prayer
Dear God,
Help us to have inquisitive minds so that we may learn.
Help us to have open hearts so that we may listen.
Help us to persevere so that we do not give up.
Help us to have the courage to do the right thing.
Amen.

Song/music

Cross over the road (Come and Praise, 70)

Publication date: August 2017   (Vol.19 No.8)    Published by SPCK, London, UK.
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