Christmas in year 3 compared to Reception

[LIZS]

Feeling a bit sad on ds' behalf. It is his first Christmas in England so not experienced much of the traditional build up before. His sister in Reception has come home with a bag full of Christmassy arts and craft stuff whereas he has made a wooden Santa, a Christmas card and a few bits to decorate the classroom , which haven't come home. She had a Nativity play and a Christingle service and he had a Carol Service.

I'm sure he's enjoyed it all and obviously has done other stuff in RS and music but it just seems a bit flat in comparison, as if he has missed out somehow.

I assume this is fairly typical ?

yes

My Y4 dd has a nativity and a christmas party lunch today, She has also made lots of xmas bits, I have a christmas tree ornament on my dest and I type.

Depends on the school , I think.

DS1 lost interest in 'crafty' sort of things at this age, so he didn't mind at all that they didn't "create" so much (junk) at school.

They still have a party though, go to the Nativity play (performed by KS1), have Christmassy assemblies, etc.

Forgot they had Christmas lunch and dd had a party too.

Think I probably feel sad because ds didn't get the same opportunity to do so many Christmas things at that age and is only now interested in arts and crafts, so has missed the boat a bit.

I currently teach nursery and doing arts and crafts constantly is the staple of our curriculum together with socialisation. I also teach Year 3 Spanish in the afternoons and notice that each of the year 3 classes didn't have many displays of seasonal things up. Having also taught Year 1 and 2 before ds was born, I would say that there is so much pressure to teach an overloaded curriculum that teachers just don't have the time, as kids get older, to spend as much time on art and DT. Sad but true.

Why don't you do a few things at home if you get the time? I know it's not the same but you and your child will have lots of fun together.

DD's Y4 and they've barely done any work for the past 1.5 weeks. They have watched a film every day, I think. On Tuesday their teacher slipped in a maths assessment and a science assessment between their Xmas Actvity Books (photocopied books of activities, colouring, puzzles etc), a film and watching their twin class (Reception) in their Xmas production.

No organised party with sarnies but they were asked to take in snacks for a fun charity day on Friday and they have made various cards and a calendar.

A few parents have been complaining about the lack of work but I suspect the teachers are confident that they have covered what they need to this term. And the children have been told it's hard work next term!

My dd missed 2 weeks of school through illness and caught up with anything she missed workwise in one day as most of the time was taken up with school production.I work in reception downstairs and it was full on till 3.15 friday i kid you not.
In reception there are so many firsts-calendars,cards,crackers etc that are expected to be sent out.
When the children are bigger they have a wider life socially too out of school so it is all wind down time.Our yr3 had play carol service,play, visit to old peoples home to sing for them and a disco.So although it isnt work on paper it is still xmas stuff.