Mr. Wilson was pleased to welcome everyone to our special Harvest Celebration. He extended a warm welcome to Rev. Jessica and Emily from St’ Johns Epping and Margot from the Epping Food Bank, who joined us to give thanks for the abundance this Harvest brings.
The assembly opened with the children singing Thanks Be to God, accompanied by Iman from Year 6 on the violin. Mr. Wilson spoke about the importance of gratitude at this time of year, acknowledging the food we enjoy and the hard work of farmers who have labored all year to bring in the harvest. He encouraged us to reflect on families, both around the world and in our own country, who are not as fortunate and may not have enough to eat. He emphasized the importance of coming together as a community to support those in need during this time. We are especially grateful for the work of the Epping Forest Food Bank, which makes a significant difference in the lives of many within our community.
The early years students delighted the audience with their performance of Big Red Combine Harvester, earning enthusiastic applause. Mr. Wilson then announced the winners of the Harvest Descriptive Writing Competition: Olivia, Susie, Olive, Blake, and Jenson from Year 3, and Phoebe from Year 4, who were all proud to receive their awards.
Next, KS1 performed Super Sun, followed by Year 5 students, who shared a reading about how the seeds we plant today will yield benefits later in the seasons and in our lives.
Reflecting on these messages, we enjoyed another performance by Iman on the violin, playing All Through the Night. This was followed by a reading of The Harvest Moon by Ted Hughes, presented by Maria and Felix from Year 6. Josiah then explained the significance of the harvest moon—the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. He shared how its bright light allows farmers to work late into the night to complete their harvest. The harvest moon is also known as the Corn Moon or Barley Moon. Josiah proudly displayed a picture of the Harvest Moon that his class had created.
The senior students then took the stage to read the poem Diary of a Church Mouse by John Betjeman. Mr. Wilson reflected on the poem’s message, noting how animals often show more gratitude for their food than humans do.
Rev. Jessica expressed her joy at being welcomed so warmly and thanked everyone for the wonderful assembly. She spoke about the importance of faith, likening it to planting a small seed that, when nurtured, grows into a valuable member of the community. She emphasized the importance of a caring, supportive community and concluded with a blessing, wishing us all joy in the wonderful things we do each day.
Xander and Iman, our head boy and girl, then led a prayer, thanking everyone for their donations and acknowledging how we rely on each other—and on God—in times of need.
Margot from the Epping Forest Food Bank also spoke, expressing her gratitude for the generous donations and explaining how the food is sorted and distributed to those in need. She shared that 130 volunteers work to create food parcels and deliver them to those who are unable to leave their homes. Margo thanked us for welcoming her into our community and for helping support the wider community.
Mr Wilson brought the assembly to a close thanking Rev Jessica and Margot for visiting our school. We also applauded Mrs Hogarth and Mrs Jones for their hard work behind the scenes for us to enjoy this wonderful reflect on Harvest and what this means to us all.
