sunnyday Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Hi all When I checked my grandson's school bag this afternoon (looking for homework ) ........I was really surprised to find a 'note' that said....... Our Harvest Festival will be held etc.etc.............Children should bring £1.00 into school tomorrow - the Farmer's Market will make up boxes of 'Harvest' goods - these will as usual be distributed among the village elderly...... WHAT!!! - How will the children feel any connection to the boxes and indeed to the Harvest Festival.........children have always, always taken in their own offering - the sight of a 5 year old struggling along the road and into school with a huge marrow, is in my humble opinion - fantastic! We live in a rural village - most parents 'grow their own' or keep hens and if they don't surely they would rather buy something - a few apples or whatever....... I have to keep my opinions to myself.........'nanas' can't expect to have a say! Do you think I am hopelessly old fashioned - feel free to say yes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denisse Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 I agree. If they were involving the children in using the money to go and choose the items that were going to go into the boxes and making them up then this would have been a more productive way of making the harvest festival have a meaning and the children learning something from it! We are doing it the "Old Fashioned" way!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondie Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 i agree completely with you - the children also love to take in something that they or mum/dad, gradad/gradma has grown in their garden -they love to talk about how it grew etc., - never the same to just take in some money. and as you live in an area that people grow lots of their own its even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 I agree completely - I plan to take the children up to the allotments to pick a few things and top up the box with their chosen items from our local greengrocer - all part of the experience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted September 28, 2009 Author Share Posted September 28, 2009 Thank goodness - thought maybe I was even closer to becoming an 'old biddy' than I realised! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Oh dear, isn't this another part of our cultural heritage being chipped away at? Whilst one can understand the reasons for changes like this it just makes my heart sink. One year my son's school collected stationery and pencils rather than "harvest". The intention was a good idea, the school was equipping another school in Albania, but from a parental point of view it was disappointing not to see the pattern of our way of life going on, surely there could have been a place for both things to have been undertaken. I suspect to parcel up the items the children bring in takes too much time and effort - so much easier then to offer the same basket to all the people they deliver to from the famers' market, rather than random items. A great shame, especially so in a rural area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 whats wrong with a trdaitional havest festival and good old cauliflowers fluffy? we are doing farm africa and filling a welly with pennies??? i did not asked just did as i was told ha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 We are not in an area where produce is grown.Our children are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and the approach to giving and charity vary and we need to accomodate these cultures. Our children of muslim backgrounds-monetary donation is the expected method of giving.Christian families traditionally like to give produce and our Hindu families gifts of presents or cash.The last few years we have done christmas shoeboxes for the Eastern block, a collection of tinned goods for 'Curry Run' which feed the city's homeless and a cash collection after harvest/Eid/diwali assemblies which usually goes to an internation charity like Water Aid. Many years ago we did the boxes of goods but we had issues with delivery,storage and the eldery refusing the goods. As a Christian my own family will celebrate with customary fresh goods at our local church but its the giving and thinking of others that's important so I have no problems presenting Harvest in differing ways as long as our children are learning important principles of life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 Excellent points very well made biccy.........but.......they just do not apply to our very small village school! It is losing traditions..........and the fact that the children will feel absolutely no 'connection' to the Harvest Festival 'gifts' that bothers me..... The school has a strong PFTA - they will help the year 6 children to distribute the boxes around the village as usual but will not be helping them to 'make them up'......... The school does some amazing and varied fund raising throughout the year - all good stuff! But I would just love to see this event recognised in the time honoured way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 We were going to offer some fresh items to our local home for the elderly [sorry can't think of the pc title at the minute] last year.They could not accept any for residents: day care service users could accept them at their own risk! I think we shall take flowers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquieL Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Sad isn't it? For children to learn to give and see the fruits of their labours is so important isn't it, but circumstances alter how we do it? This is a time when children are being encouraged to 'get growing' but H&S means that they can't give produce away easily. I'm an old 'biddy' who loves a traditional harvest and in Church but all our local schools do it at school now, so the children don't want to contribute twice. I suppose culture evolves doesn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 I suppose culture evolves doesn't it? I does - but it doesn't always need a push! Our school still use the church for Harvest Festival - in previous years their 'offerings' would have been taken down the evening before and arranged beautifully in the church......... From one old biddy to another then! Now I really must 'let this go'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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