Life and Learning at Mr Noah’s

Advent Term 2024 has begun with three events that have required sensitivity to present in age-appropriate ways. We want children to engage with difficult issues without fear.

The first challenge after the half-term break was to share with the children news of Patsy, the duck’s death. We held a simple but moving burial service. The children saw the remains of Patsy in the cardboard coffin. Psalm 23 was read, and the coffin was placed in the grave with the words, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Then, children were given the opportunity to shovel some soil into the grave.

The very next day was Guy Fawkes Night, and we believe in participating in national events and celebrations as a means of engaging with the wider community. So, the story of Guy Fawkes and the plot to kill King James 1 was recited with a suitable sketch. Then, in the afternoon, a fire was lit, and a paper effigy burned.

The third and most important memorial was that of Armistice Day. Children made a display of poppies, the story of the First World War trenches was recounted, and then silence was observed at 11 a.m. The little people were amazingly respectful as they heard a bugle rendering of the last post, stood for the silence, and listened to the reveille. It was another very special occasion.

Young children cannot process all of this cognitively, but they can sense the events and offer appropriate responses.

The field was prepared and the scene set for a sacred story from the life of Christ. Six water pots are the clue to which gospel narrative was the focus for the occasion.

The one important question mark over the event was what the weather would be like. Could it possibly be dry for a 3 o’clock gathering? That was an issue that called for prayer.

In fact, the rain was banished for all but a few minutes, and the afternoon ended with beautiful sunshine.

Mr Peter spoke of the highlights of the year, noting the Education for Sustainability award received and celebrated by raising a UN global goals flag, and the new staff team that had become established since Christmas.

The children sang their songs and portrayed the story of the wedding feast at which Jesus turned water into wine. Their final song and the essential message was ‘A little talk with Jesus makes it right.’

It all went off beautifully, culminating with the presentation of books on ‘Noah’s Ark’ to those graduating to pimary and prep schools.

A gift of £300 was presented from the parents to buy equipment, and a further £200 was raised from the sale of cakes baked for the occasion.

One of the graduates preferred not to be on stage at the crucial moment, and another could not be present on the day. We pray God’s blessing on all the children leaving at the end of the term.

On 6th June 2024, we talked together about what happened eighty years ago when British soldiers landed on the Normandy beaches. As across the country and all over the world D-Day was remembered, we raised a special commemoration flag and sang the national anthem.

For many years, Mr Noah’s has been committed to eco-school values. We hold the eco-school silver award and frame our policies in keeping. So we welcomed the opportunity to enter the Education People’s Education for Sustainable Development award scheme.

We wanted to celebrate boldly and give the children something memorable to mark gaining the award. Here was the gesture: we put up a flagpole and hoisted a flag bearing the United Nations’ seventeen global goals.

It has been great fun, and this is only the beginning of the pursuit of sustainability values.

Thank you to staff, most of whom have worked on this project since our initial training years ago. And thank you to past and present parents who have supported their children by encouraging them and helping them complete some outstanding work in their SDG booklets. Keep up the good work!

The long coronation weekend started early for our children when we marked the national event on Friday morning. The scene was set with the union flag, and a throne and crown waiting for the monarch. The children were so respectful and responsive to the sound of the national anthem.

The crown did not fit any of our children. Clearly, it was not intended for them. So they made crowns of their own to wear for celebration.

At the other end of the month, we had a Czech visitor to share a maypole. Children chose a coloured ribbon with which to decorate the wreath. There was the rehearsing of the names of colours in Czech before the pole was erected.

Then it was time to dance around the maypole.