Christmas card sending in primary school

jackomdj

But they are children and it is fun to send cards.

However a quick google has found this http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/club/treehouse/ccrs.htm
We do this at work, it could fit in with your schools green policy. Hope to help

Spendless

juniper_berry wrote: »

Why not look to recycle at least the fronts of the cards by asking the children to bring them all in in the New Year and then storing them to make pretty gift tags for the next Christmas?

I remember doing this at Junior school in the 1970s. The gift tags were then bundled into packs of x amount and sold via the school's Xmas fayre.

System

mrs_monkey wrote: »

is there an alternative to sending xmas cards in primary schools, i know the kids love it but all that money wasted on cards could be better going toward pta. we are a c of e school and wondered if any others had tried alternatives. we are also an eco aware school so surely every child in every class sending one another cards has an eco impact too... even in a small school, 130 pupils, thats a heck of alot of waste.... any advice out there please?

Don't spoil Christmas for the children ! While i understand the need for school to make money [sort of] i think denying children the pleasure of giving and receiving cards is the wrong way to do it .

A lot of parents and children will cut up the cards for next years tags so actually it will introduce them to money saving and recycling without any effort.

zanuda

Last year it was a thread what people do with old Christmas card. I can't find it now, probably it was merged with some craft thread. Some ideas was absolutely fantastic, like decorative ball made from Christmas cards. You could go anywhere from here. If your question meant "raising money for school" then collect old card, give kids to make Christmas decoration and "designers" cards and tags and sell it on Christmas fair. If your concern is your budget - then you're saving on craft stuff for you kids.

picnmix

My kids love sending and receiving cards, even my 5 year old sat last year and wrote each and every card, she was very proud of herself (as was mummy). They love the excitement of bringing home cards and hanging them in their bedroom.

A couple of years ago at work someone suggested no cards and buying a goat (obviously not for our workplace). We clubbed together for the goat and then still sent cards to each other (except for the person who suggested it). I would feel sad at Christmas if I didn't have the lovely cards around me.

IrishRose12

As someone who works in a school....... and as a parent I cannot believe that this is being discussed!
I mean not to be rude, but why are people so intent on ruining the innocence of and fun for children?? I mean come on.
Each of my children get excited when they come home with a Christmas card from their friend at school, each one has their own card holder for their cards. And they enjoy, and get excited when they sit down to write their Christmas cards for their friends.
Also as working in a classroom of 31 children aged 4-5 years old I see the excitement and big eyes in each child when they receive a card, and the saddness in their eyes when someone in the class doesn't give them a card it breaks my heart, I always keep a spare box of cards in the classroom for children who don't receive cards from someone and leave it on the table for them when they aren't looking. I myself also give each child a Christmas card. There are some children who don't have the same Christmas as others, their parents struggle to give them a gift, or basically couldn't give a damn about their child, so for the sake of a christmas card why take away a child's enjoyment??
Children also love giving out the cards also, and it helps with their confidence, again, why stop this?

In the school we recycle all year round, and we ask all the children to bring in their christmas cards after christmas to recycle them. Notes are sent home to parents, and it's put on the school's website.
And just to add, we have our green flag for eco-schools so a few christmas cards isn't going to break the bank, or ruin the world!

This thread has actually made me sad TBH and if my children were told not to give their friends a Christmas card, I'd tell the school to go jump and wise up to themselves!

Serendipitious

Well said, Irish Rose xxxxxxxxxxxxx

pixtotts

you can suggest it sure... to find that every other child in the school gives and receives cards and your child only receives... doresnt really get anyone anywhere

vikki_louise

mrs_monkey wrote: »

I hear what you are all saying but christmas cards have nothing to do with the christian element. if all 130 children sent just cards to their class, approx 30 then that is 3,900 cards going through the school, if my maths is right! doesn't anyone else think that is a massive amount of waste when they see their school friends and teachers daily? and the reason i ask if there is an alternative that also enables the pta to raise money too means the children benefit from that anyway, my understanding of pta money raised is for the "nice" things that local councils no longer fund? i am not being a ba humbug, i embrace the christmas spirit. and would never suggest banning them, just would like to maybe re educate our up and coming generation not to pander to the commercialisation of christmas.

Thats 3900 smiles then as people haves said how much the kids enjoy the process. Some see cars as the commercialisation but I think it's nice when kids send cards and enjoying the build up and not just what Father Christmas will bring

rach_k

How about asking parents/children to buy smaller Christmas cards if they want to send them? There is such a variety of sizes from big to tiny... if every child used the tiny ones instead of big ones, that's quite a paper saving! You could also remind children to look out for cards made with recycled paper, then after Christmas get them to bring the cards in to make into gift tags for the PTA to sell next year as somebody suggested earlier.

When I was in primary school, there was a big cardboard Christmas letter box by the school office. Everybody posted cards in there in the morning, then the office staff sorted them out into classes and each day two different children from Year 6 dressed up as elves and delivered them to the right class rooms. You could establish something similar if you don't already do it and have PTA volunteers do the sorting (and perhaps dress up to deliver them too?) and leave a voluntary donation box out for parents to put a few pennies into.