"I have lots of talents but my best one is believing in God."

(Y3 pupil)

Who are we?

Why are we here?

How then do we live?

These are three big questions which we are constantly seeking answers to.

Can you help us to answer them?

Who was St Mary - why is our school named after her?

Why are our chosen Christian values so important to us all in school?

We share life with people around us by talking to them about things that matter to us, and to them. In the same way, we share life with God by talking to him about things that matter to us and to him. Even though we can't see God we can talk to him through prayer. 

(extract from What every Child Should Know About Prayer by Nancy Guthrie)

At Mellor St Mary we actively encourage children and staff to use prayer in their every day lives. It might be to say thank you, to say sorry, pray for others or to praise - whatever the reason God wants us to talk to him.

We have been working with Rhema and her friends from the PAIS team to set up and use prayer stations around school. 'LOVE' has been the focus for the different stations positioned around school and our children have really enjoyed sharing their thoughts, wishes and prayers based on our core value.  

Our School Prayer

This is our school.

Let peace dwell here.

Let each room be full of contentment.

Let love abide here:

Love of one another, love of mankind,

Love of life itself and Love of God.

Let us remember, that as many hands build a house

So many hearts make a school.

Amen

In July 2019 we all enjoyed a wonderful Spirituality week.  We came off timetable so we could immerse ourselves all week in R.E., spirituality and worship.  On the Wednesday of our special week, we held a Passport Day, when all the children moved round to every classroom to undertake spiritual, moral, social and cultural activities.  These activities reflected our Christian values running alongside the British Values which we uphold in our school.

Class 2 focused on the blessing of the gift of water in our world and considered the impact of bringing clean water to communities around the world that previously did not have the water that we all take for granted in this country.

We reflected on our spirits within us around a candle, before listening to water trickling, and feeling and tasting water to appreciate its affects on our senses.  We tried to create our own water music, using a range of percussion instruments.  We learnt a poem written by schoolgirls in Kenya who were so delighted to receive the blessing of clean water in their village. Finally, we wrote the key words from the poem on paper water droplets, "Dear water, you are a blessing," and decorated the droplets with watery designs.

Worship In School

Each week we ask children, visitors and staff to help us reflect on worship in school.

Leading on from our work last term on God's Big Story (Old Testament) we are preparing to look at the New Testament and the life of Jesus. In order to do so we will be exploring the concepts of Service, Truth and Truthfulness as part of our collective worship in school.

The World and all that is in it belong to the Lord: the earth and all who live on it are his.

Psalm 24:1

The Big Frieze by Emma Yarlett helps us to question and make sense of God's Big Story. We use this as inspiration for our worship as well as looking at inspirational 'People of God'. People whom we can still learn from today to help us live our lives and in the way Jesus taught others to do 2000 years ago. 

Here are some ideas for you to use at home, linked to our worship theme this term.

The whole school celebrated harvest in church, with the children bringing many wonderful harvest gifts. The service ended with two of our children reciting the following prayer from the Bishop:

Father of all,

Inspire those of us who have more than a fair share of harvest bounty

to give generously, so that those communities which have little

And no share of it may flourish too.

For the sake of Your Son

Jesus Christ Our Lord,

Amen