Chelsea Children Bring Christmas Cheer to Local Community
Children from Chelsea’s Cameron Vale School, an outstanding independent school situated in the heart of London, have brought Christmas cheer to the local community through an array of festive events taking place during the build-up to the big day.
Youngsters kicked things off by singing seasonal carols at the Bluebird Café on Kings Road on 29th November, bringing joy to people who were out and about through a variety of Christmas classics.
Continuing the momentum on 5th December, students and teachers hosted a festive bake sale at the school, with funds going to local charity ‘Gold for Kids.’
Each year the pupils vote for a charity to support and this year ‘Gold for Kids’ was selected. Established in 2018, Gold for Kids collects small amounts of scrap precious metals used in dentistry and broken bits of old jewellery to convert into cash for good causes. The charity was chosen because of their work with children's national charities.
The celebrations at Cameron Vale continued on 7th December, with the children delivering that annual classic, the nativity show. Dress rehearsals and final preparations went according to plan and on the day of the performance, proud parents were able to come along and watch their children shine.
Drama and the arts play a crucial role in school life at Cameron Vale, because acting on stage instils confidence in youngsters and gives them an enormous sense of achievement. It also teaches them valuable life lessons in understanding how to manage their nerves and feelings, whilst also learning how to work together as a team.
Bridget Saul, Headteacher at Cameron Vale, said: “For our youngest cohort, the nativity can be a daunting experience in having to stand up on stage in front of so many people. However, with the children being prepared and supported by teachers, they developed confidence so that when the day came, they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
“They seem to just take it in their stride and offer each other support along the way. It’s a hugely uplifting event, and we’re always so proud of everyone for giving it a go, even if being in the limelight is not something they would naturally choose to do.”
With 25th December drawing ever closer, Cameron Vale also paired together the traditional Christmas lunch for children and staff with Christmas Jumper day on 8th December.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed wearing their seasonal jumpers as they got together to share in a tasty turkey feast. Even the brussels sprouts got given the thumbs up by most of the children!
The Cameron Vale School children then had an exciting trip to the Wimbledon Theatre to see the Pantomime ‘Snow White’, whilst The Chelsea Nursery had their own Christmas party, with a visit from magician Mr Lolly, for some festive fun, magic and dancing.
The children had a very special visitor on the 14th, with Santa Claus himself taking time from his very busy schedule to deliver gifts to all the children.
Later that day, some of the Class 6 pupils delivered gift bags collected by the school to The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, to be distributed to children in the hospital over Christmas.
Mrs Saul added: “Christmas is a time of giving and celebration, and we want to be a part of bringing that joy to our community, especially in these more difficult times.
“We had a wonderful reception from the people who listened to our children carolling the other week, with many complimenting them on what a lovely occasion it was. They’ve been practicing really hard, and we’re really proud they sang so beautifully on the day.”
To round the term off in style, a final encore of Christmas carolling took place just around the corner from the school, at St Luke’s Church, on 16th December. As well as singing those final renditions of ‘Deck the Halls’ and ‘Jingle Bells,’ the children also had a chance to learn more about the Christmas story and see the nativity scene set up in the church as part of the overall celebrations.