Welcome to the latest FACCTS-Cast: Summer 2011

 

The following report runs from the start of from May to July 2011 and was compiled by Mischa, Sharon, Helen and Nicola.

May 2011

Junior schools

Student Relational Development: Our weekly Christian lunchtime clubs continue to run at Heatherside, Velmead and Elvetham Junior Schools.

Secondary schools

Events: Our weekly coffee mornings continue to ‘bring fresh aromas’ at both schools.

Student Relational Development: All our regular after school youth clubs are running well and considered as quality extended schools projects at the schools. Due to recent changes in government ‘extended schools’ policy and therefore local school targets, our Court Moor club will cease at the end of May as a youth/homework club. Helen and Mischa aim to re-start this with a Christian focus in the autumn term, with input from interested Christian young people in local Churches, with the club being open to all students at the school. This will be the same at Calthorpe in the autumn term.

Other: A successful Directors' meeting was held at Church on the Heath, where we appointed our new Chairman, Rev Chris Bird from Fleet Baptist Church.

Mischa has now successfully completed his degree with CYM (Oxford)!

Helen attended a training day looking at creating Sacred Spaces in schools. Watch this space for our thoughts on how we might do this locally.

Helen spoke to the congregation at Church on the Heath about the work of FACCTS and asked people to continue to support the work in prayer, by volunteering and by giving money.

May ended with another welcome break in the school half term and a fantastic Bank holiday.

June 2011

Junior schools

Events: Yes you’ve guessed it... It’s the IYM time of year! Helen, Sharon and Nicola successfully presented 'It’s Your Move' lessons to the Year 6 classes at Heatherside, Velmead, Elvetham Heath Primary (with help from Hannah from COTH) and Crookham Juniors. These lessons are a great way of us serving the schools by helping the pupils prepare for their big move up to secondary school. The students thoroughly enjoy these lessons and the staff are always very grateful to us for doing these lessons. A big 'Thank You' to Nicola for writing each of the children’s names in their IYM book!

Helen was invited by St Nicholas’ School to speak to their Year 5 pupils about the Christian faith. This was in response to the fantastic (first time) Easter presentation we did at the School at the end of last term. The lesson proved a great occasion to build links with the school as well as teaching the students about the Christian faith, and afterwards the RE coordinator asked us to consider doing an assembly next term at Christmas.

We thank God for the great opportunities he gives us to talk to the students in the schools about our faith.

Student Relational Development: Our usual weekly clubs continue to run well this month. Numbers at Whizz Kids (Velmead) increase as the ‘regulars’ bring their friends along.

Footsteps and Stepping Stones, the two lunchtime clubs at Heatherside come to an end for the rest of this half term with a special lunch put on for the Year 6’s. Several of these have asked if there is something similar for them to attend at Court Moor/Calthorpe so Sharon will pass their names on to Mish and Helen. Sharon, Ken, Nicola and Pam look forward to re-starting the groups in September.

Thank you to our fantastic wider FACCTS team who continue to serve so faithfully weekly!

Secondary schools

Ongoing staff-support: Our popular weekly coffee mornings continue to serve both secondary schools.

In addition to our regular coffee mornings, Helen was asked to serve refreshments at Calthorpe on a student development day. This was a great opportunity to serve the staff and get FACCTS known in new places.

Student Relational Development: Our after-school club at Calthorpe has continued to run well with Helen leading it and others assisting with the club while Mish finished his studies. Many thanks to Tony Ellis from FMC for allowing us to use his classroom and to Tracey Pugsley (FMC) and Andrew Darmanin (St John’s Hartley Witney) for helping Helen with the club.

Other: Mischa and Helen assisted Josh in running a Youth Service at Fleet Baptist Church, where we were able to share the work of FACCTS with the congregation and encourage local Christians to pray for our work in schools. Thank You to our new Chairman, Chris for allowing us to come and speak.

July 2011

Junior schools

Events: Yes ... it’s still IYM season! Helen, Sharon and Nicola successfully presented the last set of 'It’s Your Move' lessons to the Year 6 classes at All Saints. Helen also assisted Laura Barber from FCCT in presenting an IYM assembly at Crondall Primary (many of the children from Crondall go to Calthorpe and Courtmoor, so it’s great to build these links). These lessons were very enjoyable for the team and we are always amazed at how much the schools value our assistance in helping their pupils with the move to secondary school. Through the IYM presentations we have been able to speak to just under 450 Year 6 pupils and we pray that we have used the opportunity God has given us to show the children our Christian faith in action.

Student Development: Our lunchtime clubs continue with fairly steady numbers and good relationships with students and staff. ALF at Elvetham Heath Primary has gone well with the children enjoying coming along. The leaders plan to send each of the children a postcard during the Summer Holidays.

We continue to pray for the right team to volunteer to re-start Christian lunch-time clubs at both All Saints and Church Crookham Junior schools. These are an ‘open-door’ opportunities that hopefully will be re-started in the autumn term by Mischa and Helen. PLEASE continue to pray for the right people to volunteer to begin these fantastic clubs again.

We also hope to pioneer the Bible Explorer course in one of our local schools in the autumn which could be a fantastic addition to our junior school work.

Secondary schools

Ongoing staff-support: Our popular weekly coffee mornings continue to serve both secondary schools and the fantastic ‘caffeine-rush’ is much appreciated even in baking hot weather!

Student Relational Development: Our extended schools club has gone well and are almost wrapped-up for the summer. We hope to re launch after-school clubs at Calthorpe and Courtmoor in September with a Christian focus, and pray for the students at the schools who will attend these clubs. Please pray for the planning involved in this, and for Mischa and Helen as they meet with youth leaders at the local Churches to encourage the Christian young people from the Churches to attend.

Mischa and Helen delivered a series of very successful lessons about environmental stewardship and life and death to various Years 7, 8 and year 9 classes within the Calthorpe R.E. department. We are very grateful for the opportunities we have to share our faith with the students and pray for this to continue next term, where we are already booked for some more lessons.

Other: Another successful Directors' meeting was held at Church on the Heath.

Mischa has passed his degree in youth work with flying colours! Thank you to everyone who supported me in this mammoth-feat!

Special thanks to Helen and Sharon who did some great work ‘covering’ for Mischa while he was on paternity leave for two weeks this term.

We look forward to greater things in the new academic year!

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR TEAM, FAITHFUL PARTNERS AND FRIENDS FOR ANOTHER GREAT YEAR! HAVE A GREAT SUMMER AND SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER.

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