Assemblies

Primary Assembly: Wonder Woman!

scameron — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:52:05 +0100

Resources

Introduction
This term has been full of interesting sporting events: the Football World Cup just finished, as did Wimbledon tennis; it’s the start of the cricket season; and our own sports day is coming up.

Secondary Assembly: Where do we make the cuts?

scameron — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:26:29 +0100

Engagement

[The following are delivered loudly, as news headlines]

Reader 1: ‘Coalition Government proposes massive spending cuts to bring down the debt’

Reader 2: ‘Police chief claims terrorist threat will rise if budgets are cut’

Reader 1: ‘Don’t hit the elderly, the vulnerable or the disadvantaged, pleads social services head’

Reader 2: ‘Protect the Olympics from cash drain’

Secondary Assembly: Really, truly, sorry?

scameron — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:28:41 +0100

Resources: A Leader and two Readers.

Engagement

England are out of the World Cup and that has left a lot of people feeling sorry. Some fans, who had spent a lot of money - wanted someone to say sorry to them – and striker Wayne Rooney did just that. He didn’t like being booed after the Algeria game and said so to the TV cameras. But later on he did issue an apology: ‘I said things in the heat of the moment out of frustration at our performance and the result... I apologise for any offence caused by my actions.’ (1)

Primary Assembly: Man and horse

scameron — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:24:29 +0100

Introduction for teachers

The Man versus Horse Marathon was inaugurated in 1980 as the result of a pub bet on whether a runner on foot could beat a horse in a long race. The answer seems obvious, but distance and terrain mean that over the years there have been some close finishes, and the runner won in 2004. The very existence of the race speaks of the close relationship between humans and horses that has existed for millennia.

Secondary Assembly: Only human

scameron — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:55:29 +0100

Resources: Four readers and a leader

You may also like to show any images which are likely to be around of those appearing downcast who have not managed to rise to the expectations others have had of them. By the time this assembly is delivered it’s likely that such images will exist of eg World Cup and other sporting ‘failures’ etc.

Engagement

[Two teachers sitting in a staffroom]

Secondary Assembly: Being a supporter

clong — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:53:48 +0100

Resources

Secondary Assembly: Meanwhile…

scameron — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:40:22 +0100

Resources

4 readers, a leader and a narrator

Engagement

A pupil is walking around the school trying to engage other pupils in important conversation…..

[NB Any of the opening lines can be amended to reflect any locally important news events or world events which have just taken centre stage]

Primary Assembly: Scary moments

scameron — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:35:58 +0100

A couple of weeks ago a boy got locked in the toilets at an outdoor centre, and the coach back to school left without him.

The story of the boy left behind locked in a toilet has obvious lessons about school procedures, but for children the assembly deals with the fears that all children have of being locked in places, separated from other people, or left behind. It reassures them that they are not alone in such fears, that it’s quite normal and that there are things they can do to help themselves.

Secondary Assembly: Chariots of Danger

scameron — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:52:55 +0100

Resources

A Leader
A Reader, who plays the part of Gaius Appuleius Diocles, a champion charioteer. He should wear a red T-shirt
A clip-art picture of chariot racing may be useful

Engagement

Primary Assembly: It might seem a small thing to you, but to me…

scameron — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:53:53 +0100

Rio Ferdinand’s knee injury is a personal disaster for him and a disappointment for England fans. When world famous concert pianist Murray Perahia cut his thumb, it turned out to be as big a disaster for him as that knee injury is for Rio.

The assembly uses both stories together to highlight the way that personal disappointment can come unexpectedly, making great demands on our emotional resources.

Secondary Assembly: For those who are left behind

scameron — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:45:08 +0100

Resources: 4 readers and a leader

[Presenters of this assembly should obviously be aware of the sensitive nature of some of the readers’ words, and their possible impact on those who are listening, and should therefore take this into account when delivering the assembly]

Engagement

Primary Assembly: No stereotypes here!

scameron — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:08:20 +0100

Resources

Secondary Assembly: A rainbow people

scameron — Thu, 27 May 2010 15:43:51 +0100

Engagement
Which colour of the rainbow will you be supporting in the World Cup?

Will it be red, the colour of the cross on the England team’s flag? Or perhaps you think the red of Spain will end up as champions through the goal power of David Villa and Fernando Torres?

Will it be the orange of the Netherlands, always top performers at international level? Van Persie is back to full fitness and raring to go after a long lay-off.

Primary Assembly: The Queen’s Speech

scameron — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:55:23 +0100

Resources

Secondary Assembly: ‘Not Angles, but angels’

scameron — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:31:38 +0100

It concludes with the tale of Pope Gregory’s punning comment about the slave boys from Britain, as recorded by Bede. Pupils are encouraged to consider ways in which the insights revealed in these puns may be applied to our own times. The theme coincides with the commemoration day of the Venerable Bede and St Augustine of Canterbury (May 26th and 27th). (1)

Resources

A leader and a reader.
A copy or PowerPoint slide of Thomas Abel’s rebus.

Engagement

Primary Assembly: Looking East

scameron — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:46:06 +0100

Two very different pieces of Japanese technology have been in the newspapers this week: a spacecraft that travels by a solar-powered sail, and a wedding ceremony officiated by a robot.

Resources

Secondary Assembly: Team Earth

scameron — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:40:53 +0100

Resources

Primary Assembly: Trying to do the right thing

scameron — Wed, 12 May 2010 10:18:24 +0100

As children develop emotional and social skills they learn how to make difficult decisions responsibly. The introduction to this assembly refers briefly to the difficult decisions that politicians have had to make in recent days, but the story deals with the way that in our everyday lives we are constantly faced with the fact that pleasing one person, or doing our duty by them, may disappoint someone else.

(The assembly addresses the SEAL aspects of empathy and social skills.)

Secondary Assembly: A PC world

scameron — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:16:38 +0100

Engagement

Leader: Kim and Choi are a married couple from South Korea. Like most couples they share an interest. For Kim and Choi the shared interest was the Second Life-style game Prius, which they regularly played at their local internet cafe. Their carefully chosen avatars lived out an idealised life onscreen. The perfect couple.

Primary Assembly: The fools that we were then

scameron — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:27:24 +0100

May is traditionally a joyful month. Spring begins to look more like summer. Flowers blossom and there’s a strong feeling of optimism and awakening. But it’s also a time when many older people remember good times in the past.

Teachers’ introduction

A. E. Housman’s beautiful poem ‘The First of May’ is about an older person contemplating the timeless beauty of the month of May.

Secondary Assembly: The Many Meanings of X

scameron — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:59:38 +0100

Resources

A Leader and two Readers: a question-and-answer format may be used if appropriate.

Engagement

(Adapt as necessary)

Primary Assembly: Cheating

scameron — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:39:52 +0100

The MCC, which is the guardian of the laws and spirit of the game of cricket, has launched a ’Spirit of cricket’ campaign. The intention is to preserve and develop the concept of fair play in young people, across all their sporting activities.

Resources
Nothing essential, but if you or a staff member play golf you could use a club to illustrate the Brian Davis story.

Secondary Assembly: Rescue me!

scameron — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:15:18 +0100

It refers to the recent events following the eruption of the volcano in Iceland and examines our reaction to needing to be ‘rescued from our holidays’ compared with people elsewhere in the world who do not have the rescue infrastructure that is available to us.

Resources

Five readers and a leader

Engagement

Primary Assembly: Coming home

scameron — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:07:16 +0100

Over the past days, what Robert Browning called ‘Home thoughts from abroad’ have been a constant theme. Now, as stranded people return and reflect on their experiences, our assembly tries to gather together some of the thoughts and feelings that lie behind the many stories that are being told by travellers, in public and in private. There are numerous quotes, gathered from the various news reports, and discussion points arising from them.

Secondary Assembly: Listen to me!

scameron — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:45:21 +0100

Engagement

[Choose the appropriate tense for the Readers’ comments, depending on the Key Stage addressed in the assembly]

Leader: On Thursday May 6th a crucial event in the life of our country will take place. Millions of people will go to ballot boxes in churches, schools, community halls and other venues to vote in a new government. Yet I suspect that, for many of you in this assembly, the event will simply pass you by.

Primary Assembly: Thirteen year old attempts Everest

scameron — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:52:28 +0100

Resources

Secondary Assembly: An epidemic of affluenza

scameron — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:05:25 +0000

Engagement

Doctor: Next patient, please.

Patient: Doctor, doctor, I’m afraid I’m not feeling at all well.

Doctor: Could you please describe your symptoms to me?

Patient: I get very anxious and it’s making me feel depressed.

Doctor: What do you feel anxious about?

Primary Assembly: Football and national pride

scameron — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:11:33 +0000

Resources

• AC Milan coach comforting David Beckham

Introduction
Today we’re going to be talking about football. That’s because a certain important football event is taking place in South Africa later on this year. Can anyone tell me what that is? [Take suggestions] Yes, that’s right – it’s the World Cup.

Secondary Assembly: Responsibility

scameron — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:48:39 +0000

It links to a number of recent news items where an important question underlying the story was personal responsibility contrasted with the ability to blame someone or something else.

Due to the nature of some of the stimuli it is suggested that this assembly is more suitable for senior pupils.

Resources: 10 readers and a leader

Engagement

Primary Assembly: Down’s Syndrome Awareness

scameron — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:44:43 +0000

Introduction for teachers
World Down’s Syndrome Day is 21 March. Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week in UK is 15th to 21st March.

Many mainstream schools have children with Down’s. Please read the assembly carefully first with that in mind.

Resources
You may like to show some images of people with Down's syndrome

Introduction
[Show the images if you like]

Secondary Assembly: ‘Patrick, come back!'

scameron — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:34:03 +0000

Resources

A Leader and two Readers. One plays the part of a young TV interviewer, while the other appears as St. Patrick – a person of wide experience, solemn yet good humoured.

Engagement

Leader: Here’s the name of a well-known person from the past. Let’s see how many questions it takes to work out who he is.

Primary Assembly: Lloyd Coleman

scameron — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:12:08 +0000

Lloyd Coleman is a 17 year old musician, conductor and composer whose achievements are all the more remarkable due to the fact that he is partially sighted and deaf. Now he has been offered a place at Oxford University to study music – and to achieve his dreams for a life doing what he loves.

Resources

Secondary Assembly: Cheap at half the price

scameron — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:24:44 +0000

Engagement

Leader: If you had £200,000 to spend, how would you use it?

Reader 1: I’d buy a bright red Ferrari sports car with all the added extras and drive it on my own private race track.

Reader 2: I’d have an indoor heated swimming pool built at my house so I could have a pool party every weekend.

Primary Assembly: Treo wins a medal

scameron — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:52:08 +0000

This assembly tells the story of Treo, and the history of the medal, recalling some earlier recipients. It mentions other working dogs, and the case of the eager-to-please dog that gave away his master’s hiding place to the police a week or so ago. The question of whether an animal is capable of ‘bravery’ is briefly touched upon, but not explored in great philosophical detail.

Secondary Assembly: Through alien eyes

scameron — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:45:19 +0000

He asks listeners to consider the world humans have made and the part each of us plays in maintaining or challenging it. It refers to the recent release of information by the Ministry of Defence about reports of UFO sightings across the UK

(News items and ITN news cast)

Primary Assembly: New Potatoes

scameron — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:24:59 +0000

Spring is on its way. Farmers have planted their potatoes and the race is on to see who will harvest the crop first – Jersey, traditionally the first with their Jersey Royals, or Cornwall with their Cornish Earlies.

Resources

Secondary Assembly: Cheats never prosper?

scameron — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:25:19 +0000

Resources: A Leader and two Readers - playing the part of ‘Cheat’ and ‘Anti-cheat’.

Props: A mobile phone, a ball-point pen an old exam paper.

Engagement

Leader: Today’s topic is a tricky one: cheating in exams. Let’s begin with a short drama. We are outside the examination hall.

Reader 1: Come forward please [Reader 2 does so] Place your mobile phone on this table.

Primary Assembly: He felt he might be needed

scameron — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:48:24 +0000

The recent ceremony held to honour the memory of Reginald Earnshaw, who at 14 and 152 days was the youngest serving casualty of World War Two, reminds us that in fact over 500 boys of sixteen or under died serving in the Merchant Navy in that war. We pay tribute to them here, and tell the story of Boy First Class John Travers ('Jack') Cornwell, who, at sixteen and a half, gave his life at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 in heroic circumstances, and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. We remember also the plight of child soldiers in today’s global conflicts.

Secondary Assembly: Sceptical at a cost?

scameron — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:19:59 +0000

Engagement

Leader: Are you a sceptic?

(Pause)

Maybe you don’t even know what it means. Sceptics sound like this:

Reader 1: I don’t believe what you’re saying. You’ve got to show me the proof before I’ll change my mind.

Reader 2: I’ve got to suspend my judgement about that. Give me some time to commit myself.

Primary Assembly: The Greensboro Four

scameron — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:41:44 +0000

Introduction for teachers

Secondary Assembly: Hope

scameron — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:29:25 +0000

Resources: Six readers and a leader

Engagement

[Two pupils at the end of a school day]

Reader 1: (Brightly) What’s up with you, you look miserable? Fail another test did you?

Reader 2: (Gloomily) Thanks for that; some friend you are. No, it’s just the end of another school day that’s all.

Primary Assembly: Fund raising and the widow’s mite

scameron — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:56:24 +0000

Teacher’s introduction

read more

Secondary Assembly: Groundhog Day

scameron — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:17:56 +0000

Summary
This assembly is timed to be presented on or near February 2nd, also known as ‘Groundhog Day’, which is held annually in the United States and Canada. It discusses the meaning of this strangely labelled tradition and asks how it reflects our attitudes to life.
Resources
A leader and a reader.
Perhaps a brief extract from the song Groundhog Days by the Manic Street Preachers?
Engagement
read more

Primary Assembly: Haiti Earthquake

scameron — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:28:20 +0000

Resources
Map showing location of Haiti
Video showing aid being delivered
Introduction
Just a few weeks ago, you’d probably never heard of Haiti – but I’m sure you will have now, because of the terrible things that have been happening there.
read more

Secondary Assembly: When your chewing gum’s lost its flavour

scameron — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:55:35 +0000

Engagement
Leader: Didn’t the area where we live look different under all that snow over Christmas and the New Year? Each time there was a fresh fall it covered everything in pure white. Every ugly building and piece of wasteland, probably even the town waste disposal site, looked like a scene from an Alpine holiday promotion. There it lay, deep and crisp and even as it says in the Christmas carol. As far as the eye could see there was an unending, even covering of white. It was perfection.
read more

Primary assembly: Miep Gies

scameron — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:54:11 +0000

Aimed at: Key stage 2
Resources
read more

Primary Assembly: Hard winters and reminiscences

scameron — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:49:10 +0000

There’s nothing new about hard winters of course, yet every time we have one, people come up with stories about how much worse it was in ’63 or ’47 – which it was. But, of course, in both those cases, our country was a different place, and comparisons aren’t easy to make.
read more

Secondary Assembly: We are all ‘Time Lords’

scameron — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:30:43 +0000

Resources: Three readers and a leader. The video clip of Dr Who’s regeneration may still be available on the BBC iPlayer.
Engagement
[Two pupils chatting on the first day back at school after the Christmas holidays]
Reader 1: [Grumpily] Hi. We’re back again…
read more

Secondary Assembly: We are all 'Time Lords'

scameron — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:12:31 +0000

Resources: Three readers and a leader. The video clip of Dr Who’s regeneration may still be available on the BBC iPlayer.
Engagement
[Two pupils chatting on the first day back at school after the Christmas holidays]
Reader 1: [Grumpily] Hi. We’re back again…
read more

Primary Assembly: The Turner Art Prize

scameron — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:45:54 +0000

Every year the Turner Art Prize has people arguing, ‘but is it art?’ This year’s winner, Richard Wright, won the prize for a work of ephemera painted on a wall.
This assembly looks at the history of the prize, Richard’s work and looks at both sides of the ‘modern art’ movement.
His piece of work will be on display until 3rd January 2010 – and then painted over with white emulsion.
Resources
read more