An idyllic countryside location was the venue for Brighstone Primary School’s Harvest Festival celebrations.
In
a field close to St Mary’s Church in Brighstone overlooking a
stream and rolling downland, the children’s harvest festival
performances were watched by nearby sheep as well as family and
friends who were able to join in a whole school event for the first
time since the Covid pandemic began.
Celebrated through dance, song and readings
Led by Reverend Jackie Maw, the special outdoor service celebrated the harvest through dance, song and readings performed by all of the school’s classes from Reception through to Year 6.
Performances included a Harvest Hoedown dance (main photo), presentation about corn dollies, a signed retelling of The Enormous Turnip, a harvest song to the tune of George Ezra’s ‘Shotgun’ and another called ‘What the harvest brings’.
The
service also included harvest hymns and songs accompanied by Reverend
Jackie on her guitar and a reading by Andy Dorning from South Wight
Area Youth (SWAY).
Foodbank collection
The children also presented items they had collected for the Isle of Wight foodbank, which linked to their current Collective Worship theme of thankfulness and being grateful for what we have and sharing with others.
Reverend Jackie Maw said,
“Harvest celebrations are always a delight and I was particularly glad to be able to celebrate harvest with the children on a local farm on a beautiful sunny day. The children sang harvest songs and led prayers of thankfulness and concern for people in need.
“It’s so important to help our children make the connections between the food we eat and the land we farm, so I am particularly grateful to John and Lyn Wannop for giving us the use of their land for this year’s harvest celebration.”
Lennon: Very lucky to have such a close and supportive community
Headteacher, Rebecca Lennon, said,
“It was so wonderful to be able to celebrate our Harvest Festival outdoors among nature in the beautiful countryside surrounding our village. The children’s performances were fantastic; they showed confidence and enthusiasm and perfectly represented the school’s values of love, courage and respect.
“It felt very special to be able to invite parents, grandparents and members of the local community to join together with the whole school; it is something we have missed very much.
“We are very grateful to the Wannop family for allowing us to use their land for our celebrations; we are very lucky to have such a close and supportive community in Brighstone.”
News shared by Debbie on behalf of Brighstone Primary School. Ed
