“Together Means We Listen and Help”
Learning objectives:
By the end of the lesson, children will be able to:
- Say that being together means more than being in the same place; it includes listening and helping.
- Give one example of togetherness at home/school.
- Describe togetherness as a kind of care for others (solidarity), not just “being nice sometimes.”
- Recognise that in a Christian way of life, welcoming others matters.
Resources:
- PowerPoint
- Action cards for ‘Mirror’ game
- Ball or soft toy
- My Togetherness Adventure Handout
Summary of session:
- Introductory prayer
- Icebreaker: When we are Together …
- Story – The Stone Soup (Traditional European folktale) and guided discussion
- Game – Mirror
- Concluding Activity – My Togetherness Adventure
- Concluding Prayer
A – Opening prayer (students can repeat after the animator)
Dear God, Thank you for our class and for everyone here. Help us be kind together. Help us listen with our whole hearts. Teach us to help and include others.
Keep our community safe and loving. Amen.
B – A Quick Icebreaker: “When we are together…”
- Sit in a circle.
- Animator says: “When we are together, I can use my best listening ears.”
- Pass a ball/soft toy to one child. Ask them to complete this sentence:
- “When we are together, I can …” (Keep answers short)
Sample answers: When we are together, I can … help my friend; share my toys; listen to others; be kind; play with someone who is alone; take turns; say kind words; make someone smile; help tidy up; invite others to join our game; encourage my friends; say sorry; forgive someone; be patient; cheer someone on; be a good friend.
C – Story: Stone Soup (Traditional European folktale)
Link to “Being Together”
- Everyone belongs and welcoming matters.
- Every contribution matters.
- Sharing builds community.
- Working together creates something beautiful that no one could create alone.
Summary
A group of hungry travellers arrive at a village hoping for food, but each villager hides what they have because they fear there won’t be enough to share. The travellers smile and announce that they will make stone soup. Curious, the villagers gather around as the travellers place a large stone into a pot of boiling water.
As the soup begins to cook, the travellers casually remark, “It would taste even better with a few carrots.” One villager brings carrots. Then they suggest onions, potatoes, herbs, and other ingredients. One by one, everyone contributes a little of what they have.
Soon, the once-empty pot is filled with delicious soup—far better than anything the travellers could have made alone. The villagers sit together, eat together, laugh together, and realise that when everyone shares a little, everyone has enough.
Discuss:
- Were the travellers welcomed in the village?
Not really because the villagers were not generous with them. Jesus always welcomed everyone he met because that is the first step in showing love and care and building friendships.
- What is the story trying to tell us? Main message:
Together, we can achieve far more than we can alone. Every person has something valuable to contribute, no matter how small.
- What is one small thing you can share with others—not just objects, but your time, kindness or talents?
- If the villagers ignored the travellers and did not use their listening ears, what would have happened?
The travellers would have remained hungry.
- Had not the villagers shared their food, what would have happened?
They would not have become friends and shared a lovely meal together.
D – Practical activity / game: ‘Mirror Game’ —Listen, Help, Include
Setup (minimal materials):
- Flashcards with action pictures.
- If no flashcards are used, whisper the action in their ear and the students mime them.
- How to play.
- Place the 6 picture cards face down on a table in a corner of the class. (Have multiple copies)
- Children each have a turn to run to the table choose one and mime the action shown.
- Animator explains what the action is and the rest of the class mirror the action or make their own interpretation.
Examples:
- Listen: make “listening ears,” then nod.
- Help: pretend to help someone who fell. (need another student to act the victim)
- Welcome!: gesture “come join”, shake hands.
- Encourage: thumbs up / gentle clap.
- Think of others: finger points to head and then to people
- Share: hold something and pass it to someone else.
Real-life examples:
Short discussion ask: “Where and how do we practice togetherness?”
Family: e.g. We share jobs at home (e.g., tidying toys together, wash plates)
School: e.g. We let people play with us
Church: e.g. We are silent and respectful in God’s house. We listen to His word
Neighbourhood/local community: e.g. We are kind to people in our area
Sports/hobby clubs: e.g. We cheer for others
Country: e.g. We care for people far away too—by being kind and respectful
Tie it back: solidarity means care for others as part of community life, not random generosity
E – Concluding activity
Give each student: My Togetherness Adventure Handout (To download)
Explain the activity (short instructions found on the handout)
F – Closing reflection / prayer
Dear God, help us be together with kindness. Teach us to listen, help, include, and encourage others. Make our community a caring place. Amen.
This session was prepared by Ms Anne Marie Gatt, a pastoral worker within the SDS team.
“Being Together Builds Strong Communities”
👉 Learning objectives
By the end of the lesson, children will be able to:
- Explain the difference between being near and being together (requires actions like listening/helping).
- Use the word “solidarity” correctly as a Christian attitude: commitment to others in a community.
- Identify how students can practice togetherness in: family, school, neighbourhood, clubs, and country by discussing real-life situations and positive ways to relate to others.
- Demonstrate respect in a multifaith setting by talking about shared values rather than arguing.
Resources:
- PowerPoint
- Community Forming Challenge – Handout (downloadable)
Summary of session
- Introductory prayer
- Quick Icebreaker: Together or Just Nearby?
- Story – The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde and guided discussion
- Group work – Community Mission
- Concluding Activity – Little of Acts of Kindness (handout)
- Concluding Prayer
A – Start with a short prayer
Dear God,
We thank you for bringing us together today.
Help us to remember that being together means more than sharing the same place.
Make our school a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and cared for.
Amen.
B – Quick Icebreaker: “Together or Just Nearby?”
On the board (or orally), read short statements and children vote with hands:
- Together (two hands open)
- Just nearby (arms crossed)
Statements:
- “Two students sit together but don’t talk or include anyone.”
- “A student notices someone is new and invites them to join.”
- “Someone waits their turn to talk.”
- “A team cheers only for themselves and not for others.”
- “People work together to clean up after an activity.”
- “Students during a student council meeting discuss how they can educate fellow students on how to better the school environment.”
Connect quickly to Catholic teaching: Solidarity is a direct demand of human and Christian brotherhood.
C – Story: THE SELFISH GIANT – by Oscar Wilde
Link to “Being Together” –
We all need one another.
Communities grow when everyone is included.
Kindness changes hearts.
Being present for others brings joy to everyone.
Summary
Every afternoon, the children of the village, after school, go and play in this marvellous garden that belongs to a big Giant. But the Giant is nowhere to be seen. He had left many years ago to visit a friend.
After being away for several years, he returns home and becomes angry upon finding the children there. He is a grumpy, selfish giant. He builds a high wall around the garden and puts up a sign that says, “Trespassers will be prosecuted.”
Without the children, something strange happens. Spring refuses to come to the Giant’s garden. While flowers bloom and birds sing everywhere else, his garden remains cold, snowy, and lifeless. Winter seems to stay forever. The Giant could not understand why this was happening.
One day, the Giant hears birds singing. Looking outside, he discovers that the children have found a way back into the garden. Wherever they are playing, flowers bloom, trees blossom, and spring returns. But one little boy cannot climb up a tree. Seeing this, the Giant’s heart softens. He goes to him and gently lifts the child up the tree, and immediately the tree bursts into blossom.
The Giant realises that it was his selfishness that kept happiness away. He tears down the wall so that all the children are always welcome. From then on, the garden is filled with laughter, friendship, and life, and the Giant himself becomes kind, generous, and deeply loved.
Start by asking the students what the story was about. Then discuss the following questions:
– What do you think the message is? When we welcome others instead of shutting them out, everyone thrives—including ourselves.
– What are some ‘walls’ people sometimes build that stop others from feeling welcome? How can we help bring those walls down? – being judgemental; being afraid of ‘new/different’ things, ideas, cultures; being glued to screens for too long and, as a consequence, ignoring the needs of others around me; being comfortable as I am and not being willing to make sacrifices to make others happy/welcome/included.
Pick other questions to discuss depending on time:
- What is the difference between being near and being together?
Being near means being physically close. Being together means caring about each other, sharing and including everyone.
- Which action matters most: listening, helping, including, encouraging, caring—why? Including others is very important because everyone wants to feel that they belong. But all these actions help us to care for one another.
- How does Jesus show us how to make each other feel welcomed? Jesus welcomed everyone, especially people who were lonely or left out. He listened to them, cared for them and treated everyone with love.
- How can we be kind to each other? We can be kind by listening, helping, sharing, forgiving, including others and using kind words.
- What would real togetherness look like in our school? Everyone would feel welcome, included and respected. We would help each other, listen to each other and make sure that nobody is left out.
Reinforce that solidarity is not only individual acts; it is community-minded responsibility.
Note for the animator: regarding multifaith:
- “We don’t try to prove who is right. We try to be respectful and learn from each other.”
This mirrors Catholic teaching that interreligious dialogue requires openness while maintaining clear identity (we respect but we do not accept everything).
D – Practical activity / game: “Community Mission”
Instructions:
- Split the group into smaller groups.
- From the PowerPoint, show the following scenarios and discuss each one by asking the 3 questions mentioned below (keeping in mind what God might do in such a scenario):
- What is happening? How are the people feeling?
- What is our mission? How can we make the situation better? Eg To make sure not one eats or plays alone or to encourage the player and remind everyone that a team wins and loses together.
- What is the announcement? E.g. “Our mission is to include everyone, so no one feels alone” or “Our mission is to encourage instead of blaming.”
Scenario examples:
- “A new student wants to join a game, but everyone ignores them.” (Include + encourage)
- “Someone makes a mistake, and others laugh.” (Care + help them, not the teasing)
- “Your team loses, and people stop trying.” (Encouragement + solidarity)
- “A friend feels worried and won’t speak up.” (Help + listening)
- “A community event needs helpers, but no one volunteers.” (Encouragement + Community care)
- “Someone posts something mean online.” (Respect + charity)
E – Concluding activity:
Give each student the handout: Community Forming Challenge
Instructions found on the handout (to be done later in class or at home).
F – Closing reflection/Prayer
Let’s be thankful for one another and thank God for providing us with so much: family, friends, our school, etc. People who love and care for us – a brief moment of silence as we reflect on this.
Let us ask God to help us practise togetherness with listening, help, inclusion, and encouragement – a brief moment of silence as we reflect on this.
May our school be a community where everyone feels welcomed and valued.” Amen
This session was prepared by Ms Anne Marie Gatt, a pastoral worker within the SDS team.
Building Long-lasting relationships and a true communion
A 40 minute-session.
Introduction: The many ways of being together
5 minutes
- Animator introduces himself and the year theme: Togetherness – and says that we will be discovering this theme in a variety of ways throughout the year.
- Animator says that at the beginning of the scholastic year we can share together about the meaning of being “together,” what brings us together, and why.
- Animator asks students to form groups and to try and complete as many sentences as they could with “being together …” and they say how, for example, “together in the same team” or “being together online”. The team with the highest number of ideas wins.
1. What brings us or binds us together?
5 minutes
- The animator uses the same ideas from the students concerning the “how” of being together and poses the question regarding the “what” of togetherness: in every circumstance, what is bringing us together? The point is that there are things in common, shared interests; we can call them “language”: if it is a virtual relationship, then the internet; if we are on the same team, then our sporting interest, for ex.
- The animator pauses on the “what” behind us being a class or a school: in reality, we were simply tossed together; what do you have in common? Again, we can make a short list.
2. Why being together is not automatically communion
10 minutes
- The animator stresses that having things in common – the same language (the same classroom, not even rubbing shoulders etc.) – is not automatically communion – students are not automatically in friendship -and thus it is not enough to be “truly together” and have a meaningful relationship: even robbers can “be together” until they commit their crime – What would happen if any one of them is caught? Their language and their relationship are broken.
- The animator can here make a quick reference to the story of the Tower of Babel from Genesis 11:1-9, as an example of how:
- Having “a single language” and coordinated effort are not automatically good if they are used for self-affirmation (to make a name for ourselves – v. 4) and excluding God – in practice, students are called to discover, not re-invent, the reason behind them being a class within a school, etc. and to cooperate in such a way as to help each other arrive at this goal.
- Using one another to arrive at our evil objectives – bullying, cliques, time-wasting, etc. – above the dignity of persons can only produce a very fragile unity and breaks down.
- Sin, rather than truly uniting us, actually seperate us from God and one another.
3. Who can make togetherness become true communion?
5 minutes
- The animator points the students to Matthew 18:20: Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
- The animator notes that Jesus specifically says that the prayers made “in my (Jesus’) name” would be pleasing to God and can produce true and long-lasting unity with God and amongst believers.
- The animator says that the word “gather” here is συνηγμένοι (synēgmenoi) — in other words, to be “in sync”, like a symphony: the sense of “togetherness” in Mt 18:20 is tied to “being of one accord” with the will of God.
*The animator can clarify that while God still hears our personal prayer, the prayer of the believing community is stronger, for a “solo Christian” is a contradiction in terms.
Conclusion: How can I contribute to safeguarding true communion?
15 minutes
- The animator invites students for a prayer activity Love Your Neighbour (for Middle School) or Building Bridges (for Senior School).
- The animator asks students to share their prayers audibly.
- The animator can wrap up session with two concluding quotes such as Mt 10:40 and Mt 12:30.
Finally, the animator can promote the upcoming events related to the year’s theme.
This session was prepared by Mr Matthew Gauci, a pastoral worker within the SDS team.