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.