Primary School Xmas cards

[wrigglepigg]

Every year children can post Xmas cards in a box (and this year will be quarantined for 72 hours) which are then handed to each kid after lunch once a week in the run up before Christmas.

This seems to be pretty universal through primaries unless I’m mistaken.

AIBU to think that this is a negative because it damages the self esteem of the shy or less popular children? My eldest was always quite embarrassed when they were handed out as she would always get less cards (or none at all) While those seated next to her would get more.

It’s a bit of a popularity contest isn’t it.

Not hard to ask that if a child wants to do cards they should write them for all of their class members, to avoid the feeling of rejection for the less popular pupils?

I have never known children not write one for the whole class in primary school throughout my career as a teacher and as a parent. If that changes in secondary then that’s sad.

My experience is of primary - at my girls’ this always happens - a few of the kids get mountains of cards and others don’t.

Our primary is avoiding the issue by banning cards 🙄

All the children I know write them for the whole class. I’ve already written DS’s and we’ll be sending them in to school in December. I expect to get them back from most children too.

I do remember at secondary school that people started only writing them to their friends and it was harder getting so few cards but at least there was no public ha fing them out like at primary.

Then that shouldn’t be allowed. It should be the same rule as is usually in place for party invitations - if there’s one for the whole class then they can be given out in school, if not, the parent has to give them out discreetly outside school

Always did full class at primary and just close friends at secondary ad our classes got mixed for some subjects. If someone gave me one I would always reciprocate though.

A card should be sent to every other member of the class. It's supposed to reflect the Season of Goodwill and goes against the spirit of this not to.

Just banned at ours.

We are only allowed to write a card to the whole class, ie “to Mrs Smith and primary 1a, love from Jenny”.

I think teachers have got enough to do without checking that every child has wrote a card for every pupil!

Our school have this year said you can send in one card for the whole class but individual cards can’t be given out in school which makes much more sense to me

My son hates writing cards and normally only does a few but we have decided this year to buy a couple of books which he has really enjoyed and give them to the class to go in their library. Will attempt to get him to write in these instead! Stops all the waste as well and I know the class doesnt have many books at the moment to share around.

I’ve just emailed the head to point out this issue and asked if maybe parents could be encouraged to include their child’s whole class if they are planning on writing any. I hate to be a party pooper but it seemed to put a dampener on my DDs day quite often last year and I’m sure she can’t be the only one.

We shouldn't be encouraging children to send cards at all regardless of the pandemic. If there are 30 children in the class that's 900 cards per class (there are 15 classes at our primary so that's 13,500 in total) that will sit in a rucksack for a few days, sit on the mantelpiece for another few days then get chucked out. And not all cards are recyclable.

Why not just sponsor a chicken or goat with Oxfam; then ask DC, or the class teacher, to explain in class thats why DC will be sending no cards to anyone. Oxfam send the sponsors a card or leaflet about the benefit it brings. so DC could mount this on cardboard with a statement and pin it up in class.

I think it is valuable in a way for teaching them a bit of empathy. They need to write one for everyone because how would they feel being the only one left out?

Christmas cards are more and more beginning to be a relic of the past. Great to send one to your nan or any elderly people who would truly appreciate them, but not really needed for others when weighed up with the environmental costs.

Our primary does them but I haven't ever been given a full class list so dc tend to write them to the handful of classmates they can remember and like. Or anyone who has also sent them one.

Our school has banned them this year but in general I thought all cards were written and sent to every child in the class.

My DD has generally sent and received cards from everyone. It would be a bit odd to single a handful of children out.

Our primary has banned cards this year due to the potential infection issues/quarantine faff which makes it all easier!

It wouldn't work this year because of the pandemic - - - but a teacher in the the primary school that my children went to had a genius idea

Each child brings in a card they like from home and writes their own name on the envelope - the card is circulated around the class and every child in the class signs it and maybe writes a nice little message on it. Teacher probably had a few spare cards in case anyone "forgot' theirs.

At the end of term, each child goes home with one card, signed by all his or her classmates.

Kind to the environment and kind to everyone in the class, genius!

I have never heard of that in any school I've worked in or my kids / step kids schools. Totally agree its awful, sounds like mean girls with the candy canes!! All banned this year anyway, I agree that the whole class cards are a terrible waste

I've never heard of this - what a horrible arrangement! Surely you'd just give your mates a card at pick up time?

aw that's really sad. we don't send them because my children don't know half the kids names, the ones they do know I'm not sure how you spell the names and the teachers don't give out lists of names any more.

When my son was in primary he only sent them to his friends he had friends in both classes and in different year groups. While I feel sorry for any child who dosent get any I'm not going to purchase lots of extra cards for kids he never spoke to or in some cases bullied him. Thankfully in high school sending cards dosent seem to be a thing.

SageRosemary that is indeed genius, and I also like what FelicityPike mentioned with cards sent to teacher and whole class. Much nicer, and older primary children still get to have their moment as Christmas posties (although perhaps not this year).