On Tuesday 18th December Holy Trinity CE Primary Academy invited residents from Llysfield, Fairholme and Ashwood residential homes to join them for an afternoon of Christmas activities. Staff at Holy Trinity thought it would be nice to offer their elderly friends in the community the chance to get out and experience a little bit of school life at Christmas.
As a church school, the children had been focusing on ‘service to others’, as one of our Christian values in school. Festivities started as the staff and children welcomed the residents to school and escorted them to the hall ready for the afternoon to begin.
The Nursery children started proceedings singing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’. The children from Year 4 paid a visit to the hall to make ‘Christingles’ with the visitors and the Rev. Paul Darlington from Holy Trinity Church said a Christingle prayer.
Children from Year 5 had written a letter for every visitor, telling them what they had been doing in school and what they were hoping to get for Christmas. This turned into a chance for the children and visitors to have a chat and get to know each other.
There were also Christmas songs performed by children in Reception, Years 1 and 2 and Years 5 and 6.
The afternoon ended with all the visitors being given a little Christmas party bag from the school PTA containing a Christmas card and snowflake tree decoration as a memento of their visit.
The visit would not have possible without the help of Oswestry Dial A Ride, Higgins taxis and members of staff to enable as many residents as possible to join them.
“This has been really nice, helping the elderly people have a nice time.” Rui – Year 6
“It was a wonderful afternoon as some of our residents don’t have the opportunity to leave the nursing home, thank you!” – Carer from Fairholme