大象传媒

In short...

Themes: celebrating St Valentine's Day; the life of St Valentine; customs associated with St Valentine's Day; saints.

Summary: This assembly celebrates St Valentine's Day, which falls on 14 February each year. The video animation explores what we know about the 'real' St Valentine: he is believed to have been a priest-cum-doctor living in the 3rd Century at the time of the Roman Empire who married Roman soldiers against the wishes of Emperor Gothicus. The assembly is particularly suitable in the days preceding St Valentine's Day, or used in conjunction with our other content exploring the lives of well-known saints.

Resources: The , an illustration posing the question and an illustration showing .

The video

Each year on 14 February we celebrate St Valentine's Day by giving our loved ones cards or gifts, such as flowers or chocolates. But who was Valentine and what do we know of him?

It is believed Valentine was a priest living in the 3rd Century at the time of the Roman Empire. The Roman Emperor - Claudius Gothicus - banned his soldiers from getting married, because he felt marriage was a distraction from fighting. But Valentine continued to marry Roman soldiers in secret.

When Gothicus found out Valentine was thrown in jail. The story continues that the jailer had a daughter who was blind, but Valentine was able to restore her sight by praying to his Christian God. The jailer released Valentine, but when Gothicus found out both Valentine and the jailer were sentenced to death.

On 14 February Valentine wrote a farewell letter to the jailer's daughter - the very first Valentine's Day letter.

Duration: 3' 54"

End of speech: '鈥ust like St Valentine did, all those years ago.'

Video questions

  • St Valentine is Patron Saint of Love鈥nd what else? (People with epilepsy; beekeepers)
  • Where and when did St Valentine live? (In Rome in the 3rd Century)
  • Why did the Roman Emperor ban soldiers from getting married? (He thought marriage was a distraction from making war)
  • Why did the jailer not like Valentine? (Because he believed in Roman gods and Valentine was a Christian)
  • What did Valentine do on 14 February? (He wrote a farewell letter to Julia, the jailer's daughter)
  • What does doing something anonymously mean? (Doing something without being identified)
  • St Valentine features in the work of which two English poets that are mentioned? (Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare)

Key links

Download / print the assembly framework ready for use

Assembly framework (pdf)

Click to display the image full-size

Image: Love is..?

Love means... A group of primary school children say what the word 'love' means to them

Click to display the image full-size

Image: St Valentine's Day celebrations

Suggested framework

1. Entry
Play your chosen music and display a focus image if you wish to (see Key links).

2. Introduction
Begin with some questions on the theme of love, before moving on to St Valentine:

  • What does the word 'love' mean to you and who do you love? Who loves you? (You could play the short video 'Love means鈥' - see Key links above).
  • If you had to chose one idea to finish the statement 'Love is鈥' what would it be?
  • What happens on St Valentine's Day?
  • Do you think Valentine was a real person? Who do you think Valentine may have been?Explain that now everyone is going to watch a short animation about who the 'real' St Valentine was.

3. Play the video
The duration is 3' 54" and the final words are: '鈥ust like St Valentine did, all those years ago.'

4. After the video - time to talk
You could ask some or all of the Video questions to consolidate pupils' recall and understanding of the film:

  • St Valentine is Patron Saint of Love鈥hat is a 'patron saint'? (A saint with a special connection to either a particular place or a particular community of people)
  • Where and when did St Valentine live? (In Rome in the 3rd Century)
  • Why did the Roman Emperor ban soldiers from getting married? (He thought marriage was a distraction from making war)
  • Why did the jailer not like Valentine? (Because he believed in Roman gods and Valentine was a Christian)
  • How was Valentine able to use his Christian faith? (He was able to heal the eyesight of the jailer's daughter, Julia)
  • What did Valentine do on 14 February? (He wrote a farewell letter to Julia)
  • What does doing something anonymously mean? (Doing something without being identified)

5. Opportunity to sing
An opportunity to include your chosen song. Suggestions from 大象传媒 collections below.

6. Opportunity to reflect
Now it's time to be quiet and think about some of the things we've heard about today鈥
We've been thinking about St Valentine's Day and the word 'love'鈥
We've seen that a Valentine's Day card can be a fun way to tell someone else that you care for them鈥ven if you don't actually say who you are鈥
Love is a powerful thing鈥t can make a very special bond between people鈥 friends鈥 families鈥 communities鈥
Think for a moment about the people who are most important to you鈥 friends鈥 family鈥 class-mates鈥 teachers鈥
Think of ways that you can show that you care for them鈥

7. Opportunity for prayer
Begin with your usual form of address ('Dear God', 'Let us pray', etc) and:
Thank you for all the people that are important to us.
Help us to show them what they mean to us.
And help everyone to feel cared for.
Amen.

Suggested songs

Song: 'Chain of love' (All about our school, no 14. Vocal version)

Song: 'Being a friend' (All about our school, no 8. Vocal version)

Song: 'Peace is flowing' (Come and Praise, no 144. Vocal version)

Other assemblies about patron saints

St George's Day. collection

KS1 / KS2. Celebrating St George's Day (23 April); the life of St George; saints; courage.

St George's Day

St Patrick's Day. collection

KS1 / KS2. Celebrating St Patrick's Day; the life of St Patrick; showing courage and determination.

St Patrick's Day

St David's Day. collection

KS1/KS2. Celebrating St David's Day (1 March); patron saints; the life of St David; devotion.

St David's Day