Growing Pains  by Tim Parsons & Nadia Mead  -  7 to 11 yrs  -  KS2 

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Theme  –  Dealing with difficulties in life 

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Story  –  by John Kenward   (approx 9 mins)

Extract:
A deep rumbling roar boomed from the mountains above.  Startled, the children looked up.

Beneath them the ground shook violently. They screamed, knowing this was an earthquake, and that their little houses would crumble like sandcastles, turning to dust and rubble.  In an instant, they were on their feet and running, as huge rocks and boulders crashed down the mountain side, knocking them over like skittles in a bowling alley. 

Rakesh was sent reeling down the side of the hill.  Another boulder seemed to catapult him through the air into the shallow ravine on one side of the village, where he landed in the top branches of a straggly tree. There came an ear-splitting crack as part of the mountain side, complete with the remains of the village, slid down and disappeared into the raging river below. All Rakesh could do was to hang on to the branches for dear life...

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Song  –  by Tim Parsons & Nadia Mead  

Rakesh's perseverance is a great example to our children, but this song deals with the more familiar frustrations of a their everyday lives: forgetting books, messing up spellings, failing tests, unfairness, etc.  The message is that those things don’t last forever, and when life feels tough we just have to try and keep ourselves positive.  Set in a very laid back groove, with a two part section at the end.  (Sample on the audio player above.)

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Reflection Points  –  Samples

1.  What did Rakesh lose in the earthquake?  

2.  What do you think happens to the people affected by disasters when TV cameras leave?

3.  What do you think your biggest challenges might be, as you grow up?

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This assembly is from 'Assemblies Alive KS2'. There is a parallel assembly on the same theme for KS1 'One Day At A Time'