Assembly 7: Supporting Each Other

As a child makes a suggestion, write the word or phrase on a piece of A4 card and ask the child to come up and hold it so that everyone can seeit. The children may mention qualities such ashonesty, kindness, loyalty, helpfulness or trustworthiness. They may say a friend is someone who is always there for you; who is caring; who is someone you can talk to; or someone you can laughwith. When enough suggestions have been made, read through each word. You may wish to explore the meaning of each word further. Point out that it would be great if friends were like this all thetime.

3 Explain that being a ‘good friend’ is sometimes quite a difficult thing. Ask the children to listen carefully to this poem about friendship.

Friendship can be tricky at times, and this poem recognisesthat.

Best Friends

by Bernard Young

Would a bestfriend Eat your lastsweet Talk behind yourback Have a party and not askyou? Minedid.

Would a bestfriend Borrow your bike without tellingyou Deliberately forget your birthday Avoid you wherever possible? Minedid.

Would a bestfriend Turn up on yourbike Give you a whole packet of your favouritesweets Look you in theeye? Minedid.

Would your best friendsay Sorry Italked about you behind yourback Sorry Ihad a party and didn’t inviteyou Sorry Ideliberately forgot your birthday – Ithought you’d fallen out withme Minedid.

And would a best friendsay Nevermind That’sOK.

Idid.

Best Friends by Bernard Young, from ‘What Are You Like?’, Orange SocksPress.

This poem illustrates that sometimes we do and say things that, afterwards, we wish we hadn’t. It’s often this that makes us upset, angry or fall out, whether we are friends ornot. 4 Read this short poem, which is about friendship and how to keep itgoing.

Always remember to forget

Anonymous

Always remember toforget The things that made yousad But never forget to remember The things that made youglad. Always remember toforget The friends that proved untrue. But don’t forget to remember Those that have stuck byyou. Always remember toforget The troubles that have passedaway. But never forget to remember The blessings that come eachday.

5 Remind the children that the only way to have a friend is to be one. Let’s try to be good friends, to our friends and to other people. Let’s think of other people’s feelings and remember that a kind word can make a big difference. Let’s remember what makes a true friend.

Assembly 25

William Blake

Overview

This assembly introduces the children to the life and work of WilliamBlake.

Key message

It’s important to listen to other people’s views and appreciate their talents, as William Blake’s life shows.

Resources

• Optional:a recording of the song Jerusalem by HubertParry • Optional:speakers and a device to play thesong • Slideshow11 • A screen to display the slideshow

Set-up requirements

Set up the screen to display the slideshow. Optional:set up the speakers to play thesong.

Outline

1 Show the engraving by William Blake on slide 2.Ask the children the following questions: • How do you think the picture was produced? [Explain that it was engraved on steel plate and printed in blackink.] • What is the picture about? Is the title aclue? • Why is it called ‘I Want!’? • Has the picture got a message? 2 Discuss the concept of ambition. • Is it always a goodthing? • Is there a difference between needing and wanting something? • What ambitions have yougot? 3 Show slides 3 and 4.Share some background information about William Blake and hislife. • William Blake was born in London on 28 November1757.

• He never went to school but was educated at home by his mother. • At 14, he became apprenticed to an engraver, who made images like the one shown earlier, and spent the next seven years learning how to be an engraver.