Aim

To reflect on the beginning of a new school year.

Lesson

Begin by welcoming children to a new school year.

• How do they feel about it?
• How do you feel about it?
• What are their hopes and fears for this new year?

Following discussion, inform the children that this term, they are going to be exploring two different festivals, both of which are associated with celebrating a new year. The two festivals are Divali and Christmas.

Divali is a festival which marks the start of the Hindu New Year and is celebrated by different Hindu communities throughout the world. Divali is known as the Festival of Lights.

Use a video, images or text to describe the celebration of Divali.

Activity

Following discussion, groups of children could:

• set targets for the year ahead
• write a review of their previous year
• make a list of the rituals surrounding the start of a new school year
• devise a list of questions on Divali
• devise an assembly to mark the start of a new school year.