Students and staff at a Birkenhead school have surprised local care home residents with a hundreds of cards and festive treats for Christmas.
The Birkenhead Park School’s lovely surprise for the elderly citizens was the result of their participation in a ‘Christmas Kindness Challenge’, which has been running in the last weeks of term as part of the national TES Classroom to Care Home campaign. The campaign was created to not only spread Christmas joy in this particularly difficult year but to also forge strong connections between students and elderly members of their community.
The school chose to donate to The Park House Care Home, with whom they already have close links.
Students from all year groups within the high school took part in the challenge. Young people in Years 7 and 8 wrote personalised Christmas cards to the care home residents, with so many students taking part that each resident had a bundle of seven Christmas cards to open. Other year groups made a Christmas video in which they shared messages, good wishes and sang Christmas songs. Staff also gifted chocolates, biscuits, and other goodies to create a hamper for them, which had over 40 items in it.
Assistant headteacher at The Birkenhead Park School and coordinator of the project, Antonia Clarke, said, “It’s important for us to continue supporting vulnerable people in our local community – especially at Christmas time. Our school community takes pride in demonstrating our values and we wanted to launch this Kindness Christmas Challenge with all our students so they can develop their character, understand the value of helping others, and to share some joy and laughter. The students have been excited about taking part and have enjoyed creating some lovely messages to the individual care home residents.”
Millie, a Year 7 Student who wrote one of the Christmas cards, said, “I really enjoyed doing the Challenge because I think that it’s important we help people in our community.”
The Birkenhead Park School has a range of activities designed to contribute to the community and add value to both other people’s and students’ lives outside of the classroom.