It has been a while since I last posted anything… It was very nice to get people complaining that I hadn’t posted – people are actually reading it!
It has been an incredibly busy, but rewarding time since starting at Trinity. I am loving the opportunities that I am getting, the friends I am making and, what appears to be a creative side of me, that is getting a chance to release itself. From visual work to crafting words, the time I am no longer spending preparing for essays or dissertation work is freeing my mind to put pen to paper for prayers and even some song writing (more on that at a later time!).
Since my last post, I have been working with the Calderside Learning Community Chaplaincy Team, which Karen, my supervisor (or ‘bishop’), is a part of. For the second year running, we ran a Rights Respecting Week called R.E.S.P.E.C.T, which can only be described as a rewarding, although tiring, week with first-year pupils. This was to help promote and participate in UNICEF’s Rights Respecting School Award programme.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights—civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. We had four workshops looking at four of the 54 articles found in this Convention:
- An arts, crafts & music workshop to allow children to develop their personality, talents and skills to the full.
- A games workshop to allow children to relax and play. In some parts of the world, children live their entire life working.
- A workshop dedicated to discussing disabilities – both obvious and not so obvious – and how children, irrespective of such disabilities, should be given what is needed to ensure that they can lead full and independent lives.
- A drama workshop, which used the medium of drama to help children understand that they have a right to think and believe what they want and practice their religion freely as long as they allow others to do the same.
At the end of the week, we brought everyone and everything together at a Friday morning assembly, where each workshop got to showcase their article and what the pupils had done and learned in them. From singing verses written by pupils to the tune of ‘True Colours’ with other pupils using sign language to sign the chorus to a drama sketch about Sectarianism being acted out by one of the groups, everyone got a chance to laugh
and to reflect on the issues raised throughout the week. On the topic of colour, we also hung a piece of coloured paper, which every pupil had designed, along ‘The Street’ – a central area in the school building, which looked as beautiful and vibrant as the one from last year.
Each pupil was also given a multi-coloured wristband as a memento, which we hope they will look at and remember their call to respect others around them.
Our Cosy Café was held at the end of each day from Monday to Thursday, which was a great success.
As we continue to do this every Thursday in Calderside, your prayers of support would be greatly appreciated.
From personalised packets of Love Hearts for our ‘living by love’ week to serving burgers from a barbecue dressed as waiters (complete with bow ties!) to stories from the Timbuctoo series by Roger Hargreaves in our Storytime with Auntie Karen, we have explored these themes with humour whilst offering space for reflection and response.
Jonathan C Fleming 