In the middle of the Seal Chart woodland is St Lawrence Primary School. https://www.st-lawrence-sevenoaks.kent.sch.uk/ We are very small, eighty children in total, but our size does not stop us thinking big. At the start of this year we were inspired as a community by the parable of the mustard seed; the idea that something so tiny could grow so large was a challenge to us and made us believe that the children (and adults) of our small community could have a big impact on the world and bring about positive change. So, we launched 'The Order of the Acorn' inspired by the beautiful oak tree in our school woodland. We didn't know where this would take us but we metaphorically planted an acorn believing that our small community could and would do something big.
A few weeks ago it became clear where this was taking us, and the metaphorical acorn began to grow. To our surprise we have become a hub for Ukrainian refugee children and their families. As well as welcoming several families into our community, we have also welcomed Oksana, a lovely Ukrainian lady and skilled English teacher. She is a special gift to us and is proving invaluable as a tutor and translator.
Welcoming these families into our school is an amazing joy and privilege, but also a challenge. All the children who have joined us need to learn English and we need the resources to help them do this as quickly and effectively as possible. This will drain the school's budget and it is important that we do not neglect our responsibility to the 80 children already on our roll.
So, we need help. We are trying to raise £6000 to go towards Oksana's salary, buy books and resources and give practical support. Any excess resources will go towards supporting the language needs of all the children. Please give if you can.