I am deeply saddened by the events in Israel and Gaza and my thoughts and the thoughts of all of the staff at St Christopher’s are with those affected.
At school we have taken the first steps this week to speak with the children about these events in a way that is accessible and appropriate to them. We aim to reassure the children whilst retaining awareness that the world, as a community, has a duty to care for those who will inevitably suffer in times such as these.
When confronted with complex world events, parents often ask the school for resources they can use at home to educate themselves and help them speak with their children about these events. Newsround is a very good resource for children and will have updated information day by day Home – CBBC Newsround, and an article from 2015 explains the history of the conflict in accessible terms here Guide: Why are Israel and the Palestinians fighting over Gaza? – BBC Newsround.
The impact of any world conflict is felt deeply by many and we recognise that this will be experienced by lots of children, young people and adults. I would like to direct you to an excellent article published on the Save the Children website when the Ukraine conflict began How to talk to children about war | Save the Children UK.
Whilst events far from home have been on our minds, we have had much to celebrate this week. The pages of this Newsletter contain reports of some exciting trips, a concert that saw over thirty performers from Years 2 to 8 entertain a packed out Hall, vibrant artwork being created, and bedtime stories down at Glebe Villas, with Reception in their pyjamas!
Ms Elizabeth Lyle, Head