A Magical Start to Christmas
8th December 2018
I’ve said it before but I really have the best imaginable job especially at Christmas. The energy and enthusiasm of small children at any time of year is enough to light up the city of London and recharge your batteries so just imagine that energy supply as the Christmas excitement starts to build!
We began by decorating the School Christmas tree with handmade ornaments lovingly made by every child in the school. Since then beautiful decorations, our own Christmas Fair and planned trips to the pantomime have filled the school with colour and joy. This week was all about the School Nativity production and what a production it turned out to be. Written by our own Miss Kate Rendall, this show had everything. With songs from the stage musical Hairspray cleverly re-written for a nativity theme we enjoyed ‘The Nicest Sheep In Town’, ‘Good Morning Bethlehem’ and the amazing finale ‘You can’t stop the Sheep’ to name but a few. Every child in the school took part and the singing complete with many memorable solos, the dancing, the acting and the beautiful costumes lit up the stage and definitely left the audience wanting more. Do see our ‘News’ section here on the website for a taste of the fun.
By the end of the week I was honestly able to say that the penultimate week of term had contained Christmas fun and giving in equal measures. That is because in amongst these joyful moments we want to slow the children down and help them think of others who are not so fortunate. Last week the School Council set up a special project to help provide toilets in countries where sanitation is poor. At the Christmas Fair families donated generously to Epsom Foodbank’s Counselling service, really making a difference short term as well as long term and at the Christmas production over £700 was generously donated to St Christopher’s Hospice a charity helping others during terribly sad times throughout the year.
But my favourite ‘giving’ was by Year 2. On Monday they went Carol Singing in Epsom not just raising over £200 for Epsom Hospital Medical Fund but also bringing joy to shoppers who took a moment to stand and hear the beautiful voices of our talented children. We then closed the week by visiting the elderly residents of Linden House and not just singing and playing carols on hand bells but by doing something very special. Each child had written a personalised card to a resident and watching the children hand over their card and talk with animated enthusiasm about their hopes for Christmas really did make a difference to the residents’ day. The room filled with smiles and I really felt that early Christmas magic start to glow a little bit brighter.
Annie Thackray