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.

[Orchwoid]

He doesn't go to assemblys because I don't want them to teach him about religion or make him be forced to pray or sing any religion songs. But I never said he dcouldn'tt be in the Christmas play because that is a really important part of the school year in my head. I am still fumming that they didn't ask me first and just told him. It is so rude.

[SoupDragon]

Ok then. It is your fault he has no part in the religious celebration of Christmas.

[Souredstones]

Last I checked Christmas was a religious festival

You have removed your child from collective worship of 'God and shit'

You do the maths

[YoureAllABunchOfBastards]

Eh?

If it is a religious play, and you have asked for him not to be in religious activities, then that may be the case.

I am amazed they are even thinking about it yet.

You do come across as rather entitled, by the way. I think you'll find the school can do what they like. And if you came up and spoke to me in the tone you're typing in, I'd make damn sure he never got a speaking part ever.

[LookingThroughTheFog]

I think you're a day ahead to be fuming. First, you need to check whether your son hasn't got the wrong end of the stick. Assuming he hasn't (I suspect he has) you need to find out why.

If you start out fuming before you have all the facts, you're going to do yourself a mischief.

[SoupDragon]

The school is simply complying with your wishes.

[MrsOakenshield]

YANBU to speak to the school, but please do so calmly. Sounds like there's been some confusion.

oh, and don't say anything about 'God and shit', you'll be doing him no favours whatsoever.

[Sindarella]

That solves it then, you did say he couldnt be in it, its a play but also an assembly

[YoureAllABunchOfBastards]

Ah, crossed posts.

The Christmas play does tend to be a little bit religious, you know. Ours often feature God and all that shit.

[Orchwoid]

At Christmas all the family comes round and we have a chicken or a turkey dinner and give all the presents out from Santa Claus.

[FannyMcNally]

I love the word fumming! I'm going to try and use it more often.

[spiderlight]

I can virtually guarantee that there will be crosed wires here. Ask his teacher in the morning before you waste any more energy fuming about it. My DS came home one day last year and declared that he was 'Not anything in the Christmas play. Not Joseph OR Mary!' but he was actually one of the narrators. Every child in the Infants had a speaking part. I would be very surprised if (a) the cast had been decided yet and (b) your son had been excluded unless, as mentioned upthread, you have withdrawn him from collective worship and they've assumed that this means withrawal from the play as well.

[TheProsAndConsOfHitchhiking]

I luff Mumsnet

[Dominodonkey]

You have get to answer the question. Have you withdrawn him from collective worship? If you have then the school is being entirely reasonable to assume you would not want your child to take part in a nativity.

[Buzzardbird]

My spidey senses are detecting some T-Rexing coming on...

[YoureAllABunchOfBastards]

And hymns are a pretty vital part as well.

[YouTheCat]

He said that they said that I said that he couldn't be in the play

Wtf?

You have said then - if you have removed him from religious teaching and the Nativity comes under that heading. You can't have it both ways.

[Souredstones]

buzzard mine too

[SantanaLopez]

So he's right- you did tell the school that he couldn't be in the Christmas play.

[TheProsAndConsOfHitchhiking]

Is Louise the new Sharon?

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

It sounds like miscommunication, for which you and the school are both partially responsible, Orchwold. I think you need to have a CALM discussion with the school, and make it clear that you are happy for him to be in the Christmas play. It is weeks 'til Christmas - there is plenty of time to rectify the situation, and include him in the play, if you deal with this calmly, politely and quickly.

Yes, go and have a chat with the teacher, and ask her how this situation can be resolved.

[YoureAllABunchOfBastards]

Maybe they could do one of those modern nativities - with the T-Rex in it.

Sharon might do the refreshments, if you ask her nicely.

[MrsOakenshield]

ah, just read your last post. So you have withdrawn your child from collective worship, and so unsurprisingly the school, and you son by the sound of it, think you don't want him involved in the Christmas play due to, I have no doubt, the religious aspect of this particular production.

Well, what did you expect? You can't expect the school to second-guess your inconsistencies. Either you don't want him involved in anything of a Christian nature, or you do. Make your mind up.