We recently held our first ever ‘Messy – in School’!

Around 30 families and children from Reception joined us for an afternoon of activities based around the Parable of the Sower from the Gospel of St Matthew.

Organised jointly between St John’s School RE Team and Anne and Pat the Faith Friends coordinators from St John’s Parish, the activities were selected and planned by the Faith Friends group. Each of the family friendly activities was led by a team of ‘Friends’.

The Small Hall was the venue for the ‘Messy’ which began with a story telling of the parable told by Anne, one of the Parish Faith Friends coordinators. The children were delighted that the Sower finally managed to grow some beautiful things in the ‘good soil’

Immediately, they set about creating some wonderful things themselves.

What a brilliant atmosphere as everyone joined in planting their special seeds in pots they had decorated themselves, making their own mini flower gardens, and painting some very lovely butterflies which flew around the gardens! If they are all going to grow we need sunshine and each Reception classroom will now have a colourful mosaic sun shining down.

Another first was the ‘Butterfly Song’ composed especially for the occasion by Faith Friends Ava and Maggie ably supported by various other singers and musicians from the Faith Friends group.

The afternoon ended with juice and cakes and a lot of things for families to take home.

Everyone (leaders and families) seemed to enjoy themselves on a ‘Really Messy’ afternoon.

Thank you very much to Faith Friends for all the work they put into the preparation and the huge amount of enthusiasm and energy they put into the day.

There may well be another ‘Messy –in School’ at some point in the future!

Meanwhile Faith Friends are getting ready for their next Lent activity !