The gift of giving at caring Bishop’s School, Thetford
December 15, 2023
Traditionally, Advent calendars are used to count down the days of Advent in the run up to Christmas. The first day of advent falls between 27th November and 3rd December, but most calendars start on 1st December and run until Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
The Advent calendars comprise a series of doors or windows to open, revealing a picture, small chocolate or little gift for each day. But the ‘reverse Advent calendar’ turns this trend on its head. Instead of receiving a gift, those taking part in a reverse calendar ‘donate’ an item each day. This helps children understand the school’s value of service.
Mrs Lorraine Ratcliffe, Headteacher said: “The school council at The Bishop’s Church of England Primary Academy, part of the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust, wanted to help others at Christmas time and instead of focusing on what they might receive at Christmas, wanted to make sure others had things they needed. They decided to hold a reverse advent calendar where staff and families could donate items of food and toiletries each day.”
At the end of Advent, the calendar will result in a collection of goods which will be collected by our local food bank at a time of year when many people in Thetford are finding it difficult to make ends meet.
The school council are delighted at the amount of donations given by the very generous community. The school council have asked if it can continue after Christmas for the school community itself and are now designing a ‘shop’ for the community to use when they are having a tough week.
Mrs Ratcliffe said: “I am proud of the children showing the school values and wanting to help those in need. She loves working at The Bishop’s where there is such a kind and caring community.”