Together for Christmas at Erskine Waterfront Campus

This year our Christmas celebrations at Erskine Waterfront Campus (EWC) started in a very different way from to what we’ve all been used to in the past three years - we were all together!

Staff and pupils organised a fantastic Christmas fayre complete with home baking, hot chocolate, homemade class crafts and music provided by Alexis & Friends (music teacher and pupils). With no Covid restrictions pupils invited friends, family and staff from the residential units. The only infectious thing this year was the excitement and joy!
As families arrived and pupils waited with anticipation to see who was there for them, one boy was overheard saying, with a huge smile on his face, “you came!”

We learned again that being together, especially at Christmas, and making these kind of memories is special and significant.

We are very fortunate to have strong community links with Erskine Parish Church and Rev Dave is always around school supporting both staff and pupils. David led our whole school community in a Christmas Service and when he asked if anyone knew what Christmas was about, a few hands were quick to go up – “It’s about Jesus’ birthday” said one pupil, “it was just out of the blue” said another, “it’s impossible”, “its kind of like being adopted” and “he was born in a stable because there was no room anywhere else”. This highlights that the pupils connect with the Christmas story.

Everyone was given a candy cane to remind us all about God's love; sending Jesus to earth so we could love, and feel loved.

Another favourite time at EWC is our school assemblies where we get together to celebrate success. With a Christmas theme in mind, we found out who won best decorated class, best Christmas card design, best window decorator, funniest window scene and lots more beside – all in all 27 various certificates were given out to remind all of our pupils that we value them and celebrate in their success.

A sing-a-long is a great way to get everyone to join in and we are very blessed to have a music teacher who loves to get everyone involved! Staff and pupils were heard ringing out old familiar songs, with pupils happy to play their chosen instruments.

Music and Christmas seem to go hand in hand and just like the angels on the first Christmas night our pupils sang out the Christmas story.

As we reached the end of term it was time to think about presents and enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner. All of our pupils choose a gift with the help of their class teacher and everyone looks round to see what each other picked. It’s like Christmas morning with presents being opened and shouts of “look what I’ve got!”. Everyone ate far too much chocolate but still left plenty of room for their lovely Christmas dinner!

Eating together and sharing around a table promotes a sense of wellbeing and allows staff and pupils to connect and build positive relationships.

From jumpers to fayres, assemblies to sing-a-longs, food to presents, Christmas is a time to be together to share in the love of Jesus, to love each other and to feel loved.

We are all very different with different types of families; for some, we are loved by staff who become our family, others have huge extended families made up of both friends and relatives and for some it's a much smaller gathering, but, however your family is made up, from our family here at EWC we want to wish you and those whom you love a very happy, joy filled Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

Hear from Kyle Fleming, Head Teacher and some of the pupils: www.vimeo.com/crossreach/ewc-crandscsunday 
With thanks to Erskine Parish Church for letting us share this.

For more information about Erskine Waterfront Campus.