This week we led what is probably my favourite assembly - Samson and Delilah.  I've added a line for the benefit of the staff - as Delilah begs the mighty Samson to reveal the secret of his super-human strength, he bangs his fist and cries 'Oh why why why Delilah, must you nag me so much?!'

Gets a giggle from the staff every time.  One headteacher apologized after the assembly for laughing so loud - she had such a fit of giggles she had to bite on her jumper to get control!

This year, our volunteers Steph and Nia played the dysfunctional couple, and did a fantastic job too.  Steph struggled a little with his comic timing, and we were shocked to learn that he didn't know the song at all, even when we sang it for him in the school hall!

What kind of music do they play down in London? 

So here's the video, as part of Steph's cultural edication, and for everyone who now has the song playing in their head

Wendy

One of our main reasons for being involved in local schools is to help fulfil the desire of local churches to support our local schools. 
Volunteers in educational settings can offer support to schools in a variety of ways, the best place to start is to talk to local school leaders and discuss where the volunteers' skills, knowledge and training overlap with the needs of the school.
At Agathos we focus on offering our support within the Christian elements of the curriculum, including Religious Education and Collective Worship, as well as Pastoral Support.  Examples of Pastoral work we undertake are

• leading small nurture groups
• delivering Sex and Relationships Education with a focus on values, commitment and marriage
• mentoring young people 
• providing opportunities for all pupils to explore the Christian faith in non-formal settings.

There's a lot to learn when it comes to working in schools.  Knowing the Bible and being passionate about sharing the gospel is a great place to start, but the more skills we can develop as educators, the better we can engage learners with the material we deliver, and the more likely they are to develop their own understanding of God's plan for His world and for them individually.  Using a variety of teaching and learning approaches is vital for effective work to take place.

If you'd like to read about we're applying some of our learning in this area from the Enable BTEC course, read on below.......
 (check our Internship Programme for more info on Enable...)

This week I've been teaching Bible Explorer Lessons with Year 5 at Ysgol Glanrafon.  

Hannah's latest craft, the fab Ark of the Covenant (left), was a huge hit.  The lessons are really fast paced and energetic, moving through the key stories of the Old Testament and tracing the relationship between God and his people through all the ups and downs of stubborness, sin and forgiveness.

The children learn 77 handsigns and keywords over the 5 lessons, which really reinforce the learning.  So much so, that a Year 10 pupil, working in school on his Work Experience week, could remember some of them from his lessons 5 years ago!
(written by Wendy)