To speak to the school?

[Orchwoid]

I've just been to collect my son from his school and he's told me that he won't be cast in his school Christmas play but all the other children will.

I am fumming. I am going to go and speak to his teacher first thing tomorrow morning but I am so angry that I can't work out whether I'm being reasonable or not.

No, the origins of Christmas are the winter solstice. When the nights get shorter and the days get longer. A celebration of family and food and warmth.

filee777 I go back to the point of the thread which I have posted ^^^ it isn't about religion its about a parent who has expressed in writing she DOESN'T want her DS to be included in any religious observation but then is very angry when his school comply with her express wishes.

My analogy is the vegetarian and then wanting him to have a bacon sandwich!!

BTW I wasn't married in a church and neither of my DC's were christened/baptized etc and when I pop my clogs I intend to be cremated in the local crematorium not a church in sight.

As I said, I would expect the school to deal with it more sensitively for the sake of the child.

Filee, so in your view, a Christian school couldn't celebrate Christmas? Would you propose the same to any other religious schools or is it just Christians who must adhere to wintervals and shit?

Yes, but that is not CHRIST MASS that is winter solstice- different beasts.

Christmas Day is on the 25th because of the movement of the sun in the northern hemisphere.

The Yule festival is a month long, not a day long.

What's not to love about the nativity? The donkeys, the people coming in 3's just as in any good story, the angels and finally the peace, hope and awe at the birth of a child in a stable.

But they're not celebrating Yule, they're exercising their rights to celebrate Christmas, the same as you're free to celebrate yule if you see fit.

Bonkers thread. Easter not a religious festival? How come? Because there was a spring festival around the same time/before that used eggs as symbols of new life? Newsflash. Two sets of belief can exist you know. And be similar. Weird.

I know it's a bit mean to laugh at spelling but fumming is very funny. Because it sounds the opposite of fuming. It sounds funny and fluffy and very sweet.

at Martin Amis!

I'm not the one telling people what they can and cannot celebrate, there should be respect and room for all people and any issues should be dealt with sensitively.

nkf Fumming is not as fun and fluffy as you may think

By the way, Winterval was not supposed to replace Christmas, just link together all the celebrations that occur during the autumn/winter period, of which Christmas is one.

"I dont want him being a god part because that is against my religion which is atheistical"

Brilliant! Please stay. I bet Louise is really glad that she brought you over

Ever watched a film called Diner de Cons ?

filee777 how could it be dealt with more sensitively by the school? Would you be saying that if they were to 'speak to' the parents of a JW or Muslim child to check? And where does the parents of the child stand when it comes to protecting and being sensitive to their child seeing as it was their decision to exclude -NOT THE SCHOOL! FFs the school has even offered him a part and OP is still not happy - what now filee777, what should the school do?

Regardless of the fact of why a day was chosen to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the fact that many believe an existing pagan date was hijacked by early Christians. It is a church school and they celebrating an aspect of their beliefs. Instead of slagging off teachers and the school channel your anger into campaigning for Christianity to be removed from schools if you would rather we didn't do Christmas. We have to be broadly Christian in nature - again THE LAW. Unless it is changed.

Filee777. Well aware of the origins of lots of celebrations but we are discussing christmas. school is not celebrating a pagan festival. The queen has chosen to celebrate her birth on a different day to the actual. Christians celebrate Jesus birth on 25th December.
Enjoy Month long Yule but that has nothing to do with christmas and what school are celebrating. Your point isn't related to this post

What the actual fuck.

best. thread. ever.

How did I miss this thread?

I might give dh a good fumming later. Except it's not his birthday or Christmas and we're atheistical too.

Hope you feel better soon op.

I haven't said anything about 'checking' anything.

I have said the school could have contacted the parents and explained the celebration so that the feelings of exclusion to the child were expected and dealt with sensitively.

I cannot see why that is such a difficult concept for some people.

Maybe the school assumed that the OP would have explained to her child why he wasn't involved in religious elements of school life. Maybe they thought it would be very patronising to ask, "Have you explained to your child that not being involved in religious assemblies/god shit at school means that they won't be involved in the Nativity play - hmm?"

Filee - I think this problem is one of the OP's making, not the school's. she told them she didn't want her child involved in anything religious at school, and is now upset because they have respected her wishes. It is not the school's fault that she has not thought this through properly, and didn't consider the Nativity play.

They have offered him a part - and shepherd is a pretty good part, for an ingenue - and she has turned it down.

It sounds to me as if she had no clear idea about what she actually wanted the school to do, to sort this situation out - she just expected them to wave a magic wand, and produce a non-religious winter festival celebration for her son to star in. Never mind that it may be the school's tradition to do a nativity play, and that most people may want and expect a nativity play.

Why should the school contact a parent to tell them that they are putting on a Nativity play?! a) every single school in Britain will have one and b) the OP explicitly stated to the school that she didn't want the child involved in anything religious.

I Cant believe I have missed this thread until now. Fantastic!

I am still trying to think which parts in a nativity wouldn't class as "god parts" if a shepherd does!

Unless the parents are completely thick I'd have thought it went without saying that if you put it in writing that you don't want your child to be included in all that 'god shit' they won't be included be included in the nativity play

I reckon you're Louise filee777 Are you??