Back to School
Hey all, I've now been in Newport for nine days, and am just going into my day-and-a-half of rest before throwing myself into Sunday morning.
This week is a biggy because its the week all the schools open up, and so, although our teen and kids clubs here don't begin until next week I've been sorting out distributing flyers and stuff for them, and I've also been in school three mornings this week as a kind-of class assistant.
This is the part of the job that I've been most apprehensive about, and David has made it clear a few times that if after trying these mornings in school regularly I find that I don't like them, then we can find other things for me to work on, but actually I surprised myself with how much I've enjoyed being in school.
So Tuesday morning I was in school briefly just to be introduced to the Headteachers at both the infants and juniors church schools, who were really nice people, and then had the rest of the day off for songwriting, filmwatching and stuff.
Wednesday was my big first day in the infants, which was great fun! To year 2 at Malpas Church Infants I am now known as Mr Henley - which in itself I find hilarious, but also they're really great kids and I'm finding myself connecting with them really well. I was given plenty of stuff to do and had some good conversations about random stuff like guessing my age and things with a few of the children. I also got to listen to a few of them read which shocked me with the huge difference in ability from one end of the class to the other. I came out on Wednesday afternoon totally astounded by how much I enjoyed the morning and wanting to go again. I also sat through an assembly... and enjoyed it - suddenly when you're not actually a student assemblies become really interesting.
Thursday and Friday I've been in the Junior School, which is a lot different and I haven't enjoyed as much. Originally I think I was supposed to be assigned to year 6, but the teacher didn't really know what to do with me so after an hour or so of being asked to "wander around school and get myself acquainted", I landed after break in year 4 and James (or Mr) Maloney's class. James is one of those teachers in every hundred or so who every child loves and is really inspiring. He set me to work on the computers helping children design and build bamzooki, which I know David and Bethan will be familiar with.
For those not in the know Bamzooki is a CBBC program where teams of children pit their strange robot/animal/monsters against each other in different challenges which they've designed using the free software you can download from the BBC website. So I pretty much became an instant favourite with all the boys in year 4 for giving them access to this wonderful thing! Actually most of them needed no help at all and were busy discussing advanced tactics for building the ultimate Zooks, from leg positioning to weight distribution and of course colour scheme.
Thursday I went back to Mr Maloney's class to help out with some early morning Su Doku, which luckily wasn't too hard - although I have brought home one of the puzzles that the children were set because I couldn't do it, so Bethan's going to have to help me with that sometime (she's a Su Doku wiz). Then I listened to some kids read from Years 3 and 4 before the end of the morning.
Thursday was a big day as well because I had a worship group practise in the evening and a practise with the youth for arranging the Time For Praise service, which both went well. Then in the afternoon, which is probably the biggest thing this week, I had a meeting with David and Sarah, who voluntarily co-ordinates the worship group about Time for Praise, where some big decisions were made and plans formed which are really going to make a difference to the service over the next year - growing it from a kind-of seeker service into a proper worship service in its own right with its own congregation and ethos. Also, big changes will be made to the way the worship group is run - in order to enable spontaneity in worship and to properly cement the role of the "worship leader" in the group where this has been muddy for some time.
This Sunday is the usual formal communion service followed by Time for Praise led by the Youth, and then Evening Prasie as usual. Next week I will be in school again, in the infants on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, and the Juniors on Thursday and Friday. Then all our clubs/activities also start up again with 24-7, our youth home group, on Monday evening; SMASH in school on Tuesday afternoon; and Worship Group and Youth Club on Thursday night. However, David is off on holiday on Monday I think so all this will be without his supervision - for the next couple of weeks Frieda will be supervising me instead.
Prayer
Thankyous:
Thank God for showing me that school can be fun!
Thank God for a vision and actual plans in motion to develop TIme for Praise into a fresh expression of worship to Him.
Pray for:
All the services on Sunday especially Time for Praise led by the young people, and for the abitious drama we are attempting.
SMASH next week that it would go well after all the preparation and that plenty of children (and parents) would come and enjoy themselves.
The other clubs starting next week that they would get back into their usual pattern after the summer holidays.
The Junior School's visit to St Mary's on Thursday morning that Frieda would put across Christinaity well to the children and also that the teachers would come with open minds.
God Bless,
J.
This week is a biggy because its the week all the schools open up, and so, although our teen and kids clubs here don't begin until next week I've been sorting out distributing flyers and stuff for them, and I've also been in school three mornings this week as a kind-of class assistant.
This is the part of the job that I've been most apprehensive about, and David has made it clear a few times that if after trying these mornings in school regularly I find that I don't like them, then we can find other things for me to work on, but actually I surprised myself with how much I've enjoyed being in school.
So Tuesday morning I was in school briefly just to be introduced to the Headteachers at both the infants and juniors church schools, who were really nice people, and then had the rest of the day off for songwriting, filmwatching and stuff.
Wednesday was my big first day in the infants, which was great fun! To year 2 at Malpas Church Infants I am now known as Mr Henley - which in itself I find hilarious, but also they're really great kids and I'm finding myself connecting with them really well. I was given plenty of stuff to do and had some good conversations about random stuff like guessing my age and things with a few of the children. I also got to listen to a few of them read which shocked me with the huge difference in ability from one end of the class to the other. I came out on Wednesday afternoon totally astounded by how much I enjoyed the morning and wanting to go again. I also sat through an assembly... and enjoyed it - suddenly when you're not actually a student assemblies become really interesting.
Thursday and Friday I've been in the Junior School, which is a lot different and I haven't enjoyed as much. Originally I think I was supposed to be assigned to year 6, but the teacher didn't really know what to do with me so after an hour or so of being asked to "wander around school and get myself acquainted", I landed after break in year 4 and James (or Mr) Maloney's class. James is one of those teachers in every hundred or so who every child loves and is really inspiring. He set me to work on the computers helping children design and build bamzooki, which I know David and Bethan will be familiar with.
For those not in the know Bamzooki is a CBBC program where teams of children pit their strange robot/animal/monsters against each other in different challenges which they've designed using the free software you can download from the BBC website. So I pretty much became an instant favourite with all the boys in year 4 for giving them access to this wonderful thing! Actually most of them needed no help at all and were busy discussing advanced tactics for building the ultimate Zooks, from leg positioning to weight distribution and of course colour scheme.
Thursday I went back to Mr Maloney's class to help out with some early morning Su Doku, which luckily wasn't too hard - although I have brought home one of the puzzles that the children were set because I couldn't do it, so Bethan's going to have to help me with that sometime (she's a Su Doku wiz). Then I listened to some kids read from Years 3 and 4 before the end of the morning.
Thursday was a big day as well because I had a worship group practise in the evening and a practise with the youth for arranging the Time For Praise service, which both went well. Then in the afternoon, which is probably the biggest thing this week, I had a meeting with David and Sarah, who voluntarily co-ordinates the worship group about Time for Praise, where some big decisions were made and plans formed which are really going to make a difference to the service over the next year - growing it from a kind-of seeker service into a proper worship service in its own right with its own congregation and ethos. Also, big changes will be made to the way the worship group is run - in order to enable spontaneity in worship and to properly cement the role of the "worship leader" in the group where this has been muddy for some time.
This Sunday is the usual formal communion service followed by Time for Praise led by the Youth, and then Evening Prasie as usual. Next week I will be in school again, in the infants on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, and the Juniors on Thursday and Friday. Then all our clubs/activities also start up again with 24-7, our youth home group, on Monday evening; SMASH in school on Tuesday afternoon; and Worship Group and Youth Club on Thursday night. However, David is off on holiday on Monday I think so all this will be without his supervision - for the next couple of weeks Frieda will be supervising me instead.
Prayer
Thankyous:
Thank God for showing me that school can be fun!
Thank God for a vision and actual plans in motion to develop TIme for Praise into a fresh expression of worship to Him.
Pray for:
All the services on Sunday especially Time for Praise led by the young people, and for the abitious drama we are attempting.
SMASH next week that it would go well after all the preparation and that plenty of children (and parents) would come and enjoy themselves.
The other clubs starting next week that they would get back into their usual pattern after the summer holidays.
The Junior School's visit to St Mary's on Thursday morning that Frieda would put across Christinaity well to the children and also that the teachers would come with open minds.
God Bless,
J.
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