Covid 19
Although it is many months since we in New Zealand have had our schools closed due to Covid-19, we are aware that people overseas are accessing this website so we have decided to leave this page here for any of you! It's also a sign that we're not taking our present happy situation for granted: we could join the rest of the world any day, back in the world of Covid-19, and we are aware of that.
The resources below are grouped under "General", "Chapel and prayer" and "RE". Keep scrolling down - there is a lot there!
Our Anglican Schools team is in the process of changing, but we will always be available to offer support. If you require any resources or assistance, don't hesitate to get in touch.
General Resources
How to talk to your kids...again
As we head, again, into whatever lockdowns are in front of us in Aotearoa New Zealand, here are some tips about how (and how not) to talk to young people about it. It comes with a range of activities to help students work through what they are thinking and feeling.
Talking with Children
The illustrator for "The Gruffalo" has worked with various writers to produce a free downloadable book, designed to help you talk through Covid-19 clearly and in a non-scary manner with young people. It's quite a gift - I recommend it!
When there is no funeral
Sadly there will certainly be students and staff across our schools who lose someone to Covid-19 this year, and may do so at a time when lockdowns have made tangi and funerals impossible. This will bring extra layers of pain to an already grief-laden time. Below is a helpful PDF of advice for getting through such times from the Funeral Directors Association of NZ, which it is important we have on hand to share.
Useful numbers
A handy list of phone numbers for information on Covid-19, mental health services, foodbanks, and help for family violence.
Covid19.govt.nz
The official website for all current news and developments regarding the Coronavirus in New Zealand.
Chapel and Prayer Resources
Physical Prayer for Zoom
"Engage Worship" put up new and interesting resources regularly, so their website is always worth visiting. This idea involves leading people through a prayer which is expressed through each person's hands. They say: God cares for us as whole people, and the Bible asks us to bring our physical selves to him. We suffer from a lack of the physical at the moment, unable to meet in the same room, unable to shake hands or hug our friends. So, when we pray now, we want to pray in a physical way, using our hands and bodies.
Encouragement Bookmarks
A simple and beautiful resources for you to print off and give to staff or students as an encouragement at this time, from Jennifer Macleod.
- Get some light card (A4, white, approximately 170-200gsm)
- Print the attached file (colour, double sided, 'long-edge bind' or 'head to head')
- Use a guillotine to chop the printed pages into six bookmarks
A series of liturgies: Beauty will save the world
A resource from across the Tasman. Richard Browning has written five liturgies on beauty and faith, designed for use at a distance, in the home, or in school chapels. Within the resource are numerous examples of spiritual practices, as well as opportunities for cross-curricular involvement.
Google Meet Service
Each of our schools has explored different ways of running chapel services over this time. At St Margaret's, Peg ran the service over Google Meet with the students taking part on Sunday evening, recorded it, and then made it available to students on Monday morning through their homerooms at chapel time. Have a look at an example of how it worked, here, and take part in a service on forgiveness.
Letters from Lockdown
In this week's "paper chapel service", St Hilda's students are being taken through a letter Paul wrote in lockdown. This rich little document could give you the basis of your own chapel, or even a series of RE lessons. Who brings you joy in isolation? How could we shine like stars in lockdown? There's so much to think about here - have a look for yourself!
A virtual prayer wall
How do we stay connected with the students of our school as most remain at home during Level 3? One idea from a chaplain in the US is to set up a virtual prayer wall that students can open each morning and add to easily. She made a video introducing the concept of a prayer wall to them, and showing how it works.
Strandz worship
Strandz has collected some worship media on their website, with popular children and family songs. If you are using online media for worship, you may like to check these out
A chapel, Episcopal-style
All around the Anglican world, chaplains are dealing with the same issues of using sometimes unfamiliar technology, and seeking ways of promoting inclusion and involvement. Here is a sample of one from an Episocopal School in the USA where students are involved from their own bubbles.
St Paul's Soulfood
St Paul's Collegiate has started a Youtube channel for the resources they're creating over this time. Peter Rickman's daily services (including Eucharist on Sundays and creative different ideas for each day of the week) are all up there. Be inspired!
King's Prep Chapel at home
John Goodwin is streaming his chapel services from his own home, complete with miniature altar (and a miniature priest!) Have a look at some of the ideas he uses here.
Rev Bosco Peters
After hearing the news that New Zealand go into lockdown in response to Covid-19 coronavirus, Rev. Bosco Peters, Chaplain at Christ's College (Canterbury, NZ) reflected briefly on this for the community where he serves. These thoughts, hopefully, may also be more widely useful. As we increase physical distancing and isolation, let us increase social engagement digitally. Let us pray for one another. Be kind.
A Service of Thanksgiving and Remembering
New Zealanders have not been able to grieve together over recent months when someone has died. Perhaps this year, more than ever, offering our full school community a service of remembrance could be an important gift. Here are a range of ideas to help you put such a service together, whether on All Soul's or any time through the year.
Digital Family Prayer Adventure Map
As part of this year's "Thy Kingdom Come", they have produced another "Family Prayer Map" but have augmented it with an app which allows you to interact with the map and play games with it. "The app will feature daily games and videos which will all be delivered through innovative augmented reality! Due to the situation around Covid-19 we have re-worked the map so that it is now available in A4 and can be downloaded and printed at home. It will still work with the augmented reality app, whether printed in colour or black and white." It is available for free download on this site.
Digital Family Prayer Adventure Map
As part of this year's "Thy Kingdom Come", they have produced another "Family Prayer Map" but have augmented it with an app which allows you to interact with the map and play games with it. "The app will feature daily games and videos which will all be delivered through innovative augmented reality! Due to the situation around Covid-19 we have re-worked the map so that it is now available in A4 and can be downloaded and printed at home. It will still work with the augmented reality app, whether printed in colour or black and white." It is available for free download on this site.
Hope
- Love is stronger than death and fear,
- forgiveness is more powerful than hate,
- and light is more powerful than darkness
When students are being bombarded with online-everythings, perhaps guiding them through a quiet service they can follow on a piece of paper is the way to go. Have a look at the wealth of ideas Gillian fits into one service here on "hope".
Prayer booklet for Primary
Sarah King prepared a prayer booklet and pack of activities for the Primary school - in the nick of time to be handed out on Monday before school finished. Attached is that resource, and she is very happy for anyone to use it for their own school.
St Hilda's Chapel
"While many things have been cancelled because of the coronavirus, love is not one of them ..."
In this lovely service, Gillian Townsley guides her students through remembrance of the mosque shootings, and acknowledgement of anxiety surrounding Covid-19, tying them together in terms of love and community.
Night Prayer
Strandz have produced a copy of a beloved Night Prayer, from A New Zealand Prayer Book He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa. Great for pupils to print out and read before bed, particularly if they are anxious or worried.
Online Anglican Prayer Book
There is an online version of A New Zealand Prayer Book He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa which you may like to use, if taking chapel services or lessons over Zoom. You can share your screen and use the website as a template for worship.
Free digital Bible aids.
Bible Society and Manna Christian Stores have prepared a range of free digital resources for you, to help you find God’s comfort and peace in these uncertain times.
These include a free copy of their Kiwi Audio Gospel of Mark, weekday Bible reflections, the Bible 2020 app, and activities to do with the children. Also a great little film on hope.
Resources for spiritual comfort.
As the world goes into lockdown, Emmaus Productions is offering us their video and music resources free: "Resources for Spiritual Comfort and Support." There are resources for both adults and children, with the children's ones focusing on being loved and expressing and dealing with fear. Some beautiful materials here.
Palm Sunday, Holy Week & Easter
“Engage Worship” is a website worth checking regularly. This year they have a range of resources up for Palm Sunday and Holy Week that could be used in online services, or in the home. They include videos of songs specific to the theme of each day, interactive readings, prayer stations, illustrated or visual readings, and a Lent Family Journal with suggestions for a meal together and footwashing.
Homeroom Chapels
At Woodford, chapels have moved from the whole school together to homeroom chapels. Raewyn has taken the opportunity to use some of the resources from "Prayer Spaces in Schools" with the smaller groups, but she has also provided each room with a service powerpoint to guide them through running the services themselves. In the two we have links to here and here, she has used two of the beautiful photos of Kelvin's which we have turned into contemplation aids (see our "Christian contemplation" page!). Enjoy.
Lockdown reflections
Jennifer Macleod has created this simple but effective resource for your chapel space as students start to return to school. She writes, "This is a sheet that I will use to provide a 'drop in' space in the Chapel. I will print it on sheets of different coloured paper, chop them into quarters, and have them available in the Chapel with some blue-tack. The idea is that students can come in, choose as many as they feel like, write their thoughts/feelings, and blue-tack them up on the wall. This is to give them a chance to reflect and express what's going on for them."
Bubble Church
Diana Langdon put this great little film together to help explain to young people what's happening with church during the lockdown. It could easily be used to think about chapel during lockdown - and it's a joy to watch in any case!
Doubt and suffering
"For every complex question there is an answer which is clear, simple, and wrong." We've likely all heard that quote, and it is particularly apt when we think of the question of reconciling belief in God with the world's suffering. Here is a sermon in which Gerald Morris grapples with ways of approaching this deep question. There may be some ideas there to help your own thinking through how to talk about the question with your students.
What do we say?
What do we say to our students and staff in chapel talks or online assemblies over this time? It might be a good chance to think about how our values are embedded in our Christian faith, and what a difference that makes. Go to our Values page on this website, and look particularly at the "Bible verses and reflections" under "hope," "courage and confidence," and "resilience" for ideas on what we can say to bring God's hope, faith and love into isolation and uncertainty.
Graves to Gardens
With everyone being a bit overdosed on screens, The Prayer Collective has designed a beautiful set of prayers and homes-based activities for Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Day that can be downloaded and used away from the screen.
Blogsite
Mannie Marara from Hadlow has taken the “blogsite” approach to communicating lessons and chapel messages to his students. Have a look at this for a range of ideas and links, growing daily!
Virtual Chapel at St Matthew's
Lesley at St Matthew's, Masterton, is preparing "DIY" chapel services for students at home, and sending them out through their school app. See how she's managing this here.
Prayer Spaces in Schools
Prayer Spaces in Schools have put together some prayer ideas for COVID-19. A login is required, but it is a great website to have bookmarked.
Useful Youtube links
Bible stories, songs and hymns that could be useful at this time, shared by John Goodwin. It would be great if you could send in any you've found that we could add to these.
Talking to the camera
This is a great little video of hints for how to speak to the camera, particularly when doing online services as so many of you are.
Liturgy and Prayer Resources
This page contains prayers and intercessions for personal or group use, special prayers for use if it isn’t possible to meet in church, and a simple form of prayer for the morning and evening, which can be downloaded, printed, and shared with those remaining at home or who are unable to access the Internet.
RE Resources
Diocese of Dunedin Children's Activity Booklets
Rev. John Graveston the Child, Youth and Family Educator for the Diocese of Dunedin has put together a fun booklet for younger primary school aged children to use at home based on each Sunday of the August 2021 Lockdown, a new booklet is added each week.
RE Lockdown Workbook
Processing Lockdown
Jennifer Macleod is seeking ways of helping her students process all that has happened as they return to school. Of this resources, she writes: "This is a sheet I will use in my RE classes. I will get them to write rather than type as the evidence is that we do process better this way (even those in the 'technology-native' younger generation). My experience with a reflection like this is to be adaptable. Let it be humorous (lockdown words: bubble-buddy, curve-crusher, unprecedented); let parts be private if students want; let it be flexible (if you don't have pets, did you have any teddies in your window?). I will then ask them to share with their neighbours some things from their sheet - remembering to listen well and to respect others' privacy."
Sparkhouse
The "Sparkhouse" resources are normally difficult to access from NZ, as they only post to US addresses. But from now until Trinity Sunday, they are producing a weekly "Sunday School at Home" downloadable set of worksheets and activities and video which could be used selectively either for RE or chapel.
Gratitude lesson ideas
Vanessa Gamack works for Anglican Schools in Brisbane, and is a tireless producer of resource ideas for primary RE. Here are a bundle of ideas she's put together on gratitude over this time.
CPX Youth & Schools Resources
Resources and activities for use in high-school classrooms and youth groups. All of these resources are designed for students with a range of experiences and attitudes towards the Christian faith.
RE Today
The National Association of Religious Education (UK) is making its resources available free over this period. At the moment some videos are blocked, due to BBC constraints, but we're working at getting that fixed! This is remarkable opportunity to make use of their huge range of resources.
Spots and Stripes
The Philosophy Man is making his 100 short discussion-starter "Spots and Stripes" videos available free over this time. Each poses a thought-provoking philosophical question, and leaves it open for discussion (in the classroom or the home). Click on the link below for the youtube channel, and here for instructions on using them.
Max7 Resources
This is a remarkable site packed full of resources for teaching and services at home, with a huge range of activities, videos and lesson ideas. It's well worth checking out.
B Kinder
The "B Kinder" website has a range of resources, but right now is offering free activity sheets on kindness and hope. There are three different activity sheets designed for the following age groups:
Sunflowers and Rainbows 5 – 7 years
Hope and Acceptance 8 – 10 years
The Bigger Picture 11 – 14 years
Each of the activity sheets comes in three parts which will be made available free over the coming months.
Illustrated Ministry
We are almost certainly all aware of the resources that Illustrated Ministry makes available: beautiful, intricate opportunities to pray as we colour together. Over this Covid-19 period they are making their weekly resources available free of charge: a great opportunity to try them out.
Philosophy (in a Godward direction) at home
If you'd like to get your students digging deeper into some tricky questions, perhaps with their own families and "bubbles", this link will take you to a resource which will grow over the next couple of weeks. It provides ideas for thinking about freedom (a pertinent issue during Covid-19 restrictions), grace and courage. You can use it for complete, short lessons, or to supplement other lessons, or as at-home activities for students to lead with their bubbles.
Journalling
Gillian Townsley suggests: Journaling is a great idea anytime, but it is especially useful when you are anxious, uncertain, confused, or you just need to write about the incredible period of history in which you are living so your grandchildren will have a record of all this!! Here are some good ideas and prompts to help you do some journaling while we are in isolation ...
The Bible Project
In response to COVID-19, the BibleProject are sending out weekly resources to help some ways facilitate Jesus-centered conversations at home.
Each weekly email includes BibleProject videos, some suggested Scripture readings that focus on the ideas explored in the video, and discussion questions for each Scripture reading that could be used for a group conversation or personal reflection.
Fuller Youth Institute
The Fuller Youth Institute has a number of resources that are worth checking out, and the most recent blog post on naming loss and gratitude could be a helpful exercise. Find it here. There is also a 4 week high school curriculum on faith in an anxious world which could be useful for ideas now, and for lessons when students return to school.