Pupils Embrace Elephant's Tea Party for Charity

Published on isbi School News dated Tuesday 18th of June 2013

Pupils Embrace The Elephant's Tea Party for Child Bereavement UK

Last week, Friday afternoon lessons went out the window, as all pupils, staff and parents focussed their attention on charity by hosting an Elephant's Tea Party in association with Child Bereavement UK.

Thousands of schoolchildren from the age of three upwards across the country are to receive lessons on how to deal with death.

In an effort to make the subject more palatable, elephants are used as a theme running through the campaign. Teachers are advised to explain the concept of grieving by telling pupils that when an elephant dies the rest of the herd are sad and show this by gathering around the body, unwilling to leave it. Another suggestion is to use the idea of an elephant never forgetting as a way to discuss memories of family members or even pets that die.

Ann Chalmers, chief executive of Child Bereavement UK, which has launched the initiative, acknowledged some parents may be initially concerned about such a sensitive issue being discussed in the classroom. But Ms Chalmers said she believed it would be beneficial to bereaved families. 'When children are bereaved, so often we hear their experiences aren't handled as well as they might be in schools.'

To embrace this initiative, pupils at Lambrook have received lessons about bereavement, and last Friday a tea party was held on the school's croquet lawn which included an elephant mask parade by pre prep and senior pupils, a parade of elephant design tee shirts by junior & middle school pupils, a visit by cuddly elephant mascots, the release of memory balloons, elephant themed games and stalls as well as wonderful cream teas!