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.

I'm a bit worried about DS' forthcoming nativity. He is autistic with a Harry Potter obsession and such is the force of his will, I fear that the class may be singing, "The little Lord Voldemort throughout Away in a Manger"

MaryZ - well unless MNHQ are going to delete their own posts upthread for breaking guidleines, I'm safe on those ones. This one I'll cop for, fair do's!

I think that's probably where their mistake lies, friday. I'm working on the assumption that as it's a new school they haven't met the OP yet. It's probably not a mistake they're going to make again.

Removing a child from religious ceremonies does not have to include removing child from the Christmas play. This is what I've been saying. Celebrating Christmas is a cultural thing far more than a religious thing for most people.

What a lot of fuss over a child that does not exist...

...except in the eyes of the Lord

how can you be in a religious based play without having the child exposed to religion though?

FFS filee what don't you get? How can you say there are non religious roles in a religious nativity play - the whole performance is religious by nature of it being A NATIVITY.

to add with regards to the school trip - who supervises the child who is not visiting a church? Do the children who are visiting get reduced supervision because a member of staff has to wait outside for a couple of hours with a child who's parent doesn't do 'god shit'?

The subject is not contentious - yours and OP's attitude is

Are you the OP Fillee?! Of course it means removing them from the play are you mad?! A nativity is a religious play about a religious event, how is that not clear to you?

Ok sorry, I'll let you all get back to insulting the op because she can't spell very well.

Apologise for showing a different perspective to the 'attack attack attack' thing you've all got going on.

Nice one TJ!

Filee - if the school is supposed to contact every parent about anything that might upset their child, how do you expect them to get any teaching done?

OP you said in your post on pg3 of this thread:
I don't want them to teach him about religion, or make him be forced to pray or sing any religion songs.

This is entirely incompatible with being in a Nativity play. Regardless of the role, your son will indeed be taught about religion and definitely be made to sing religious songs.

You sound confused about what you want and what you believe. Your DS's distress is is the result of your confusion.. The school is not at fault here.

Orchwoid. There is no such thing as a non God part in the nativity play

Wasn't someone first lobster in "Love Actually"? I think there was an octopus too.

Whoever suggested the OP home ed must have sadistic tendencies. Hasn't this little boy suffered enough already?

I think what Filee777 wants is Christmas without reference to any religion!

No it's not wrong, the winter solstice is the longest night and shortest day, for three days there is a long night and a short day and on the 25th December the sun returned and the days start getting longer again.

So the celebration on the 25th was always for the returning of the sun.

I really have to go to bed now, but I'm so looking forward to waking up with this in the morning! Please let it still be here!

Celebrating Christmas is a cultural thing far more than a religious thing for most people
That is totally beside the point! Just because people leave the religion out of Christmas doesn't make Christmas non religious!

In a big Christmas play there would be plenty of place for a child or two of different religious persuasion. With interaction from the parents to establish what they could get involved in and what not. Needn't be a bother.

Just would take a bit of care, and sensitivity

Oh dear I near wet myself

someone has asked for this to be moved to classics haven't hey (I had to miss the middle bit because I was laughing so hard)

We know that Fillee, we know that Christians appropriated the festival, but that fact of the matter is that the OP's school is holding a nativity which is by definition a Christian festival. That's the issue, the here and now.

How many times?!!!!! There would be no place for a child from different religions because it is a Christian bloody play!!!