We Need Each Other

The importance of being valued

by Jan Edmunds (revised, originally published in 2007)

Suitable for Key Stage 1

Aims

To consider that everyone needs to feel valued.

Preparation and materials

• Familiarize yourself with the story in the ‘Assembly’, Step 2. You may wish to personalize it to fit your own storytelling style.
• Optional: you may wish to show some images of spiders, in which case you will also need the means to do so. Alternatively, you may wish to have some toy spiders available instead.

Assembly

1. Most of us enjoy being with other people, so it can be upsetting when we argue or fall out with our friends. We like the feeling of belonging to a group and being needed.
   
   
2. Today’s story is about a little animal who didn’t think anyone wanted him. Listen carefully and see what you think.
   
   Optional: display the images of spiders or show the toy spiders.
   
   Sidney the Spider
   
   Sidney the Spider had made the most beautiful web in the corner of Mrs Smith’s living room. He was really proud of it. Soon, it was trapping many of the big flies that flew in through the open window.
   
   Sidney thought that his web was splendid, but when Mrs Smith saw it, she immediately fetched her broom and swept it away. Gently, she picked up Sidney in her yellow duster and put him outside, but it had started to drizzle, so Sidney crawled back in through an open door into the conservatory.
   
   It was nice and warm in the conservatory, so Sidney set about weaving another web. When it was finished, he settled himself down, waiting for flies to land and be caught in the sticky threads. Unfortunately for him, Mrs Smith noticed the web and, once again, quickly brushed it away, flicking poor Sidney outside on the bristles of her broom.
   
   Sidney tried several more times to get back into the house, but without success. He felt very miserable. All he wanted was a peaceful life. He felt that nobody liked or needed him. He dared not go back into the house.
   
   One day, he was crawling along the path outside the house. He noticed Dillon the pony tossing his head over the stable door, because there were lots of flies buzzing around him. Dillon was stamping his feet and swishing his tail as the flies settled on his neck and along his back – those annoying flies would not give up and fly away!
   
   Sidney crawled up the stable door. ‘Don’t worry, Dillon,’ he said. ‘I can help you.’
   
   And Sidney set about spinning a new web, just inside the stable door. It was a big web that stretched right up into the roof. Soon the menacing flies became caught in it. Dillon was really grateful because the flies no longer bothered him.
   
   When Mrs Smith saw the web - and how many flies had been trapped in it and how much more settled Dillon was - she realized that it was important to leave it alone. Now Sidney could live in peace, while making life more comfortable for his friend Dillon. At last, he felt happy because someone needed him.
   
   
3. Spend some time discussing the story, asking some questions such as the following.
   
   - Do you think that Mrs Smith was cruel to the spider?
   - Why do you think that Mrs Smith didn’t want Sidney in her house?
   - How did Sidney help Dillon?
   - Why didn’t Mrs Smith knock down the web in the stable?
   
   Listen to a range of responses.
   
   
4. Point out that some people may not like spiders. However, like all living creatures, they are an important part of nature. Just like us, Sidney wanted to be useful and enjoy the company of others.
   
   
5. Optional: you may wish to share the following facts about spiders.
   
   - Spider webs are sometimes called cobwebs. This word comes from an old word for spider, ‘coppe’.
   - Some spider webs have two types of silk: a sticky silk to capture insects and a non-sticky silk so that the spiders can move quickly around the web. Spiders who make this type of web have to make sure that they tread on the right bits of it!
   - Scientists have investigated the design and the threads of spider webs to see whether they can inspire human-made design. Spider webs respond incredibly well to strain, stretching and stiffening as required, so they can even survive hurricanes!

Time for reflection

Ask the children to think back over the story of Sidney the Spider and consider the following questions.

- What does the story teach us about friendship and belonging?

Pause to allow time for thought.

- What does it teach us about being useful and helpful?

Pause to allow time for thought.

Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for spiders and their amazing skills.
Thank you for everyone here and their amazing skills.
Please help us to use our skills to help other people.
Please help us always to value others.
Amen.

Song/music

‘From the tiny ant’ (Come and Praise, 79), available at: https://youtu.be/0sUPK7LqAj8 (2.41 minutes long)