Pre-Prep children celebrated their second faith day of the year by looking at the beliefs and values held by different religions and recognising the similarities between them.
In Reception, children learned about how Buddhists celebrate the life of Buddha on the festival day of Vesak. They made Mandalas - decorations used on Vesak – and found out that Buddhists believe in being kind, helping the elderly, giving to those in need and living in peace and harmony.
Year 1 enjoyed learning about Hinduism. They discussed the key points of the religion and shared if this was comparable to any other belief they know about in the world. The children looked at various artefacts around the room and thoroughly enjoyed studying picture cards depicting aspects of the Hindu faith.
Each child created a Mehdi Henna Pattern that is traditionally put on for weddings and celebrations, after watching a fascinating video where this was applied to the skin. It was so good they watched two more videos, with different patterns and one with white henna. Lastly the children read ‘A Row of Lights,’ the Hindu story of Rama and Sita, and coloured and made their own Diwali lanterns which were proudly displayed around the classroom.
Year 2 researched what is was like to be a Jewish child and how a Seder plate and meal is used to symbolize the Passover. They looked at the similarities between Islam, Christianity and Judaism as well as stories they share, such as God giving prophet Moses the ten commandments.
They learnt that Jewish people worship in a synagogue and have a special book called a Torah. They looked at traditional Jewish clothing and talked about how important it is to show respect and understanding to people who believe in different things, as our world is a rich kaleidoscope of culture and traditions. The children also had fun trying to work out how to make a Star of David out of paper. They took instructions home so parents could have a go, too!
Molly and Francesca enjoyed learning about the Yad, a special stick used for pointing at the Torah, because it shows respect for the holy book. Johnny and Henry liked making the Star of David.
Year 2 class teacher Romney Walton said: “As Religious Studies coordinator in the Prep School, I enjoy planning these days to inspire children to be excited about the world we live in. It encourages their curiosity by asking questions to help them understand why and how people have and follow different faiths. This fosters the Pocklington School value of respect, so our pupils can contribute to society in a positive way and with greater understanding.”