We are not at school for Easter. Some Diocesan schools shape their holiday dates to be in school close to the Easter weekend.
In the Diocese Lent is regarded as a time for reflection, sometimes with special courses or study time for this, and also a time to create or review our personal Rules of Life – the routines, practices and actions that support and develop our faith.
Schools
Lent can be marked by observing Ash Wednesday and the preceding Shrove Tuesday. In many schools pancake making is a regular activity.
Schools will have specific activities for the celebration of Easter but one encouragement should be to share the Easter story throughout Lent and make sure children are versed in the main events (e.g. the story recalled in Understanding Christianity )
One way of doing this is to create ‘Stations’ of the story – accessible spaces around school where pictures or text are on display. Children can move between these as a way of remembering the story.
Families and Homes
Families may adopt the Lenten tradition of giving up some luxury (chocolate?) as a way of reminding ourselves of the season.
The question for home could involve asking “What are our life rules?”
This can include any religious practices and rules of life but can also include family rules (“one person cuts, the other shares”) and the things we would set down as guidelines to adopt for a good life.
Families may collate these and maybe even draw up a set they can share with school.
The Rescue
In the events of Easter the Church sees something of the way God does something that shows sacrificial love to save people. It is essentially a rescue story.
School and home could share in thinking of some of the most amazing rescue stories we know – whether this be from history, personal experience or films and TV shows.
What are the most amazing rescues we can think of?
Engaging the Church
Church should be open to visits from school during the Lenten season. If the Church has Stations of the Cross, visits to these should be encouraged.
This can also be a time when schools and families can come to Church and learn about, and possibly participate in, Eucharist (the Diocese can guide on this).
Diocesan
The Diocese could find ways to share the resourcing we create for church in some child friendly way (e.g. short films can be made on the back of the ones done for adult congregations). Our focus could be on the Eucharist and the events of Holy Week.
Dates to note
- ASH WEDNESDAY, the Wednesday 46 days before Easter Day
- LENT, the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter
- MOTHERING SUNDAY, the fourth Sunday of Lent
- MAUNDY THURSDAY, the Thursday in the week before Easter Day
- GOOD FRIDAY, the Friday in the week before Easter Day
- EASTER DAY, the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon
World Book Day
A celebration of books, words and reading. It is held on the first Thursday of March, to coincide with the date when special editions of books are released. It is often celebrated with dressing up in costumes, and other reading orientated activities.
Understanding Christianity
The concept of Salvation resources this time.