Would any of you other Christians with children at CoE or Catholic schools............

[HRHQueenOfQuotes]

be slightly (or very) annoyed at this.

I've just realised that our local CoE school is doing absolutely nothing for Easter, instead of a service in the church (which they have at Christmas, Harvest and end of school year) they're having a "mini olympics" tomorrow - which the children are supposed to get sponsorship for.

I've been so busy with work and stuff that it hadn't dawned on me that they weren't celebrating Easter and it was only when chatting with a friend today who pointed it out that I realised.

This is a school who 'prides' itself on it's Christian ethos - yet it deems it ok to 'skip' Easter!!!

Would you be annoyed or are we just over-reacting.

PS - on principle I haven't got any sponsorship for DS1 for his 'olympics' tomorrow - although he will of course be joining in.

i think that is very odd. my kids are not at a religious school but have still done the story of easter and understand what is behind it. they are also doing a decorated hat and egg competition. if i sent them to a religious school i would expect them to be taught religion!

I think they have done the story of Easter at school - but while they had a party for Chinese New Year, and did something small for Diwali (with which I had no real issues) they seem to be ommiting the 'celebrating' of Easter entirely and it's somewhat hacking me off ATM.

Yes I would be annoyed too

DS is at a CofE primary and tomorrow we have a service in the church for whole school and parents etc.

I would be hopping mad, pardon the seasonal pun.

Extremely strange seeing as it's only the most important Christian festival!

My DD goes to a catholic school and to be honest I'm not sure how i would feel if they hadn't mentioned easter in any way at all. But perhaps this is because i know that they have.

I do think it's a bit unfair not giving your DS any sponsorship though, but i realise that's not the point.

Ainsmum - I know for a fact that he's not the only child who isn't being sponsered - even by parents - for this event on the principle that Easter Celebrations have been replaced by it.

Fair enough, all i meant was i think it would make more sense to discuss your issues with the techer or the head, rather than with hold sponsorship in some kind of protest. As I presume, at the end of the day the sponsorship money will go towards school funds from which every child would benefit from.

Very annoyed.
My dd will get this at school,but I'm i charge of covering it at Sunday school,just so I can be sure!

My friends sister spoke to the head on Monday apparently and was told "I'm not the only one who makes decisions in this school you know"............

TBH - I'd actually forgotten about the sponsorship form until talking to said friend today - we were given it at the start of this half term - and have had no reminders home about it - I bet most oft he parents have lost them LOL. It may well be for the school funds - but it's not exactly like they're 'lacking' in them as it is, and I don't think £2 from us would make much difference.

I think this is outragious. Can't imagine what reason they could give for not celebrating Easter. Have you spoken to the school? would be very interested in what they had to say. I would be suprised and annoyed if a non religious school didn't celebrate or at least put some focus on Easter, let along a religious one.. Just makes me realise what I have to look forward to when my dd (2.3) finally goes.

Very odd. Why would a Christian school not celebrate or mark the most important Christian festival?

Have they usually done something in the past? Just wondering if they haven't this year because schools are breaking up 2 weeks before it is actually Easter... My kids have made Easter cards, etc and I'm sure have covered the Easter topic in RE, etc but there hasn't been an end of term service/assembly type thing which parents would be invited to, which there often is.

kaytp - they've always (or at least for the last 15yrs) done an Easter service of some description in the church, even in the years (like this one) where schools have broken up 2 weeks before.

They even have a service at the end of the school year when there isn't any Christian festival to celebrate !

They've come home with Easter Cards that they made today and DS1 does at least seem to know that Easter is "about Jesus" (though he could have remembered that from Sunday School) but the replacing of an Easter service with a "Mini Olympics" has really irritated me (and other parents)

I've just seen this. Yes, I would be annoyed as well. DD is due to start nursery at a coe school in Sept. and I most certainly expect her to be exposed to all the major christian holidays. And Easter is definately a major one.

That's strange Q of Q. My kids are doing Easter in sme depth (and they were already asking for lollies urely so they could make them into crucifixes). My issue with the school conversely is their complete refusal to acknowledge any other belief which is sa shame in this age, i even offered to go in and help.

The school goes to Church most weeks from what I can see and there is an after school service available once a week too, a toddler friendly one

I went to a Catholic primary school and we really enjoyed "the story of Easter" although had we referred to it as a story the nuns would have been furious.

We had costumes and a carboard tomb with a huge papier mache stone to roll away. Boys could be pontious pilate or roman soldiers (with swords) and girls could be weeping/wailing women ; the Catholic Church isn't big on equality of roles.

We got to take accessories like swords home although we did make easter cards with chiks and daffodils on etc as well.

The non-Catholics joined in (condition of entry to the highly regarded primary school) just as they had to got to mass with the rest of us and do the interminable stations of the cross etc.

I think the kids are missing out on a lot of fun although I appreciate that it is about more than fun.

I'd be very disappointed and flag the matter up to the vicar/priest connected with the school.

I would be annoyed. My children's school do have a lot of other religion's festivals celebrated but they always have a Christmas and Easter thing.

Evil flourishes when good men do nothing, so I would recommend that you get involved more in the school, maybe take up a seat on the board of parent governors and make your feelings about this known.