Responsibilities
What are we responsible for?
by Alexandra Palmer
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider that we all have responsibilities, whatever our age.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Responsibilities) and the means to display them.
- Have available the YouTube video ‘Zacchaeus’ and the means to show it during the assembly. It is 1.54 minutes long and is available at: https://youtu.be/5BjtbJFz2ug
- Optional: you may also wish to use the extension activity (Responsibilities - Extension Activity) that accompanies this assembly.
Assembly
- Show Slide 1.
Ask the children, ‘Which year group has a classroom like this?’
Pause to allow time for discussion and then listen to a range of responses. - Click the slide to reveal the answer: Reception.
Repeat this process for Slides 2-3. - Show Slide 4.
Ask the children, ‘Who is responsible for looking after your classroom?’
Pause to allow time for discussion and then listen to a range of responses.
Suggestions may include the class teacher and any other adults who work in the classroom, the children whose classroom it is, the headteacher and deputy headteacher, and the cleaning staff. - Tell the children that you are going to show them a short video about someone called Zacchaeus. As the children watch, you would like them to think about what Zacchaeus was responsible for.
Show the YouTube video ‘Zacchaeus’ (1.54 minutes long). - Show Slide 5.
Ask the children, ‘Why was Zacchaeus hated?’
Pause to allow time for discussion and then listen to a range of responses.
Explain that Zacchaeus was hated because he was a rich tax collector who had cheated people out of their money. - Show Slide 6.
Ask the children, ‘Why did Zacchaeus climb a tree?’
Explain that Zacchaeus was short, and he wouldn’t be able to see Jesus in the crowd. So, he ran ahead and climbed a tree, ready for when Jesus walked past. - Show Slide 7.
Ask the children, ‘Why did Zacchaeus climb back down the tree?’
Explain that Jesus told Zacchaeus to come down from the tree because he wanted to stay at his house. - Show Slide 8.
Ask the children, ‘Why were people in the crowd upset that Jesus was going to spend the night at Zacchaeus’ house?’
Explain that people in the crowd knew that Zacchaeus had done wrong things, making him a sinner. They couldn’t understand why Jesus would want to spend time with him. - Show Slide 9.
Ask the children, ‘What did Zacchaeus do to solve the problem?’
Explain that Zacchaeus told the people that he would give half his money to the poor. He also said that if he had cheated anyone out of any money, he would repay them four times the amount. - Show Slide 10.
Ask the children, ‘How did Jesus react?’
Explain that Jesus said that salvation had come to Zacchaeus because Jesus had come to find lost people and save them. Jesus forgave Zacchaeus for doing wrong things because Zacchaeus had admitted his mistakes and wanted to make things right.
Time for reflection
Show Slide 11.
Ask the children, ‘Who was responsible for changing Zacchaeus’ behaviour?’
Pause to allow time for discussion and then listen to a range of responses.
Explain that even though Jesus forgave Zacchaeus, it was Zacchaeus who realized that his attitude and behaviour had to change.
Show Slide 12.
Ask the children, ‘What are you responsible for at school?’
Pause to allow time for discussion and then listen to a range of responses.
Explain that the children are responsible for many things at school. These include being kind to their friends, playing well together, helping and supporting one another in the classroom and in the playground, picking up their rubbish, listening to their teachers and other adults, behaving well and speaking up if something is going wrong for them or their friends.
Show Slide 13.
Read out the quotation on the slide: ‘You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of your choice.’
Ask the children, ‘What does this mean?’
Pause to allow time for discussion and then listen to a range of responses.
Explain that everyone has a choice in the words they use, the attitude and behaviour they display and how kind they are. However, if we choose to behave in the wrong way or say the wrong things, we can expect there to be consequences to that behaviour.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for our classrooms, and for all our equipment and resources.
Thank you for all the adults who help keep our classrooms clean, tidy and safe.
Thank you for the responsibilities that we all have at school to make our classroom a happy place to be.
Please help us to make good choices at school through being kind and showing the right attitude.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Our God is a great big God’, available at: https://youtu.be/eaXPXWBcE3I (3 minutes long)
Extension activity
Give each child a copy of the sheet that accompanies this assembly (Responsibilities - Extension Activity). Ask them to reflect on the responsibilities that they have at school in the classroom, corridor, hall and playground. Then, after they have drawn a picture of themselves in the box, they can draw or write these responsibilities around their self-portrait.
