Shoebox Appeal 2014

Today we welcomed John from Samaritan's Purse into school. He reminded us of the reasons with continue to give generously to the ShoeBox appeal. Last year we managed 520 boxes... Can we beat it this time around?

How To Pack Your Shoebox (Watch VeggieTales guide)
What To Pack

• Toys: Bear, soft toy, tennis ball, finger puppet, jigsaw, yo-yo, building blocks, small musical instrument, trucks, cars, dolls, clip on earrings, etc.
• Education Items: Calculator, felt pens, pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser, colouring book, notepad, picture or puzzle book, chalk, pencil case, stickers, etc.
• Hygiene Items: Toothbrush, toothpaste hairbrush, comb, hair clips, bar of soap, flannel, etc.
• Other Items: Sweets (sell-by date to be at least March of the following year), gloves, scarf, sunglasses, cap, hat, bangles, necklaces etc.

All gifts should be new, please include items from each category.

FINAL DEADLINE - FRIDAY 21st November 2014

Y7 to 10 will have an RE lesson dedicated to making a shoebox with their friends. 

Y12 will have a General RE lesson putting their 'Faith in Action' and making a shoebox on 17th November.

Y13 will have a General RE lesson putting their 'Faith in Action' and making a shoebox on 11th November.

Please also remember we need £3 to cover the transport cost for each

Read last year's info:  <here>

We know that every shoebox you send brings joy, hope and smiles to a child whose life has been haunted by poverty, disaster, disease or war. What is more, every shoebox gift that is freely given to a child overseas is a symbol of the true meaning of Christmas, of God's unconditional gift to mankind, the birth of His son Jesus Christ. 

Each year in the UK alone, hundreds and thousands of people wrap and pack shoeboxes so that we can deliver them to children who may otherwise never receive a gift.

Faith In Action

A new part of our General RE for 6th Form course includes an element of 'Faith in Action'. Students are asked to complete one hour a week of voluntary work either in or outside of school. 

As part of this we invited Church of England Pastor from St Luke's in Cranham. He is contactable, as he offered, through the church website <here>.

He spoke about a few projects he was involved in and you may want to find out more:

• Christians Against Poverty - providing debt relief to anyone who needs it
• Above Us Only Sky - a homeless charity that provides a range of services including sleeping bags
• Hope 4 Havering - an organisation that provides shelters for the homeless around Havering 
• Harold Hill Food Bank - providing emergency food for people in crisis

It's quite amazing to see the range of organisations working in our local area and shows the great needs of nearby communities. 

Do we do enough to support local charities? Do you think that enough Christians 'walk the walk'? What could be done to encourage more people to put their 'faith in action'?

Shoebox Appeal 2013

It's that time of year again in Sacred Heart of Mary Girls' School! We have had our visit from Samaritan's Purse and it is now all go on organising, purchasing and packaging our shoeboxes.

Deadline: Friday 22nd November 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra1Orafn7bM 

How To Pack Your Shoebox (Watch VeggieTales guide) What To Pack  Toys: Bear, soft toy, tennis ball, finger puppet, jigsaw, yo-yo, building blocks, small musical instrument, trucks, cars, dolls, clip on earrings, etc. Education Items: Calculator, felt pens, pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser, colouring book, notepad, picture or puzzle book, chalk, pencil case, stickers, etc. Hygiene Items: Toothbrush, toothpaste hairbrush, comb, hair clips, bar of soap, flannel, etc. Other Items: Sweets (sell-by date to be at least March of the following year), gloves, scarf, sunglasses, cap, hat, bangles, necklaces etc. All gifts should be new, please include items from each category. Y7 to 10 will have an RE lesson dedicated to making a shoebox with their friends. Y12 and 13 will have a General RE lesson putting their 'Faith in Action' and making a shoebox with their form.

What I did...

I went on to eBay and searched for 'party bag fillers' and hundreds of ideas came up! For just £21, I purchased the following:

• 50 bouncy balls
• 12 maracas
• 20 colouring books
• 18 packs of crayons
• 20 packs of hair clips
• 10 toothbrushes
• 20 stretchy-man toys
• 12 bracelets 

Who wants to share or swap?

Please also remember we need £3 to cover the transport cost for each:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwPTUB93o98 

Lots more information here: http://operationchristmaschild.org.uk

Please please get involved this year and bring a smile to a child this Christmas

We know that every shoebox you send brings joy, hope and smiles to a child whose life has been haunted by poverty, disaster, disease or war.  What is more, every shoebox gift that is freely given to a child overseas is a symbol of the true meaning of Christmas, of God's unconditional gift to mankind, the birth of His son Jesus Christ.

Each year in the UK alone, hundreds and thousands of people wrap and pack shoeboxes so that we can deliver them to children who may otherwise never receive a gift.