SAFC's Samson the cat joins children for Santa dash to collect food for Sunderland Food Bank
Richard Avenue Primary School headteacher Claire McKinney and PE lead Simon Spoors talk about the school's Santa dash for Sunderland Food Bank.
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00 [Children playing]
00:28 Q. Okay, Mr Spurs, just tell me about what today's Santa Dash is all about then.
00:32 So as a school we work with Sunderland School Games and nationally it's Santa Dash, so we joined in with that.
00:37 And so all the children will come out and do a few laps around our running track.
00:42 But as a school we've chosen to link that with our Sunderland Food Bank donation.
00:46 So as the children come outside we will put their food into our sledge.
00:50 Q. And how important is it that we teach the children about considering others at Christmas and it's not just about getting presents themselves?
00:57 It's really important. A lot of our children, because of the work that we've done as a school, are very aware that we might return home to somewhere warm.
01:09 We've got meals, we've got choices. For a lot of families that's not the case.
01:14 And increasingly because of cost of living and lots of other factors, this time of the year is particularly difficult.
01:20 And we know how important it is as adults that we've got awareness of those that need support.
01:26 And if we're able to, then at this time of the year particularly, it's important that we can give back for the children.
01:34 We know as they become older and they go through life, it's not just about what they've got, but it's about if I can, am I able to support others that have less than me?
01:44 Particularly today, the weather isn't wonderful. Mrs Boers and I did chat about, 'Oh, weather in the North East, do we go ahead, do we not?'
01:52 Yes, we do. It's that important. We've talked to the children about us being able to return to our school building and warm up.
01:59 Again, for some families that's not a possibility. So again, I suppose it's an extra dimension, but it's something which is really important.
02:06 In our school, we've got incredibly supportive families and a focus on, yes, making sure that children learn what they need to learn.
02:16 But it's also about the values we take through life. And this is an example, one of many, which gives us the opportunity to give back.
02:23 How did Samson get involved today? How did that come about?
02:26 Samson came along because we as a school were close with the Foundation of Light.
02:30 They come and deliver some PA sessions with us and we attend lots of festivals at the Beacon of Light too.
02:35 So when we were chatting to Jake from the Foundation of Light, he agreed that Samson would come along and help us today to promote what we're doing today.