Advent

[Guest]

Hi all,

 

Has anyone got any ideas for the topic of 'Advent' that covers the 6 areas of learning.

Thanks

Gail

[JacquieL]

Well the week before is Stir up Sunday so you could do Christmas baking which involves maths, literacy and PSE as well as K&U. Advent is about preparation for the birth of Christ so you could do work on birthdays, making cards, presents for a new child etc. You are working towards the Xmas celebration so that can be included with the cross-curricular links. This is really rather a broad question and activities would depend on the age range.

[Guest]

Off the top of my head . . .

 

Maths - lots of opportunities for counting and number recognition 1-24,

 

PSE - talking about Christmas festival and the time spent waiting and preparing - making an advent ring

 

Creative - making group advent calendar, using old cut up christmas cards to stick behind the flaps, or what we have done in the past was use sticky velcro to attach pre drawn bells onto a christmas tree with a number on one side and a picture on the other.

 

CLL - words beginning with A,

 

KUW - talking about cultures and beliefs - designing/ creating a stable scene from junk

 

PHY - in some churches the beginnng of advent is associated with lots of music and the ringing of handbells - what about advent dances and making musical instruments

 

 

 

????????

 

is this the sort of thing ????? or have I lost the plot?

[JacquieL]

If you look on this site you will find out all you ned to know about Advent. Remember it is the time we prepare for Xmas so all the usualy Xmasy things will apply, and Myhenroxanne has given you some good starting points. I love the themes at this time of year.

www.cresourcei.org/cyadvent.html

[Guest]

I don't mean to get on my hobbyhorse cos you are all lovely people but surely the point of the season is Christmas, as in 'Christ'mas, not Xmas...... who is 'X'?????

Lets all try and hold on to the real meaning of Christmas and not get sucked into the hype and commercialism? Sorry! Rant over!

[Guest]

LJW, I always have to think twice before using the X, my parents constantly told us off as children for referring the Jesus as X, I think it is a valid point to make, well said!

[Sue R]

To be fair, I think people have made their point about Christmas - it's sometimes a bit finger twisting to be keep typing the full word, so the X thing might be used here on the Forum (not with the parents, of course - who does??) as shorthand. Shall we invent our own??

 

I'm sure we are all very aware of what it really means.

[JacquieL]

Thanks Sue I use it to save typing Christmas out. However X is a symbol for chi (alpha) which is the greek word for Christ - the symbol for chi is X. In fact our vicar has a XP (omega) on one of his stoles.

 

The word "Christ" and its compounds, including "Christmas", have been abbreviated for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern "Xmas" was commonly used. "Christ" was often written as "XP" or "Xt"; there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as 1021 AD. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters ? and ?), used in ancient abbreviations for ??????? (Greek for "Christ") (see Labarum), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ.

[Susan]

Agreed, Jacquie--just found this too

 

Xmas

This abbreviation for Christmas is of Greek origin. The word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. During the 16th century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ's name, "X" in place of the word Christ in Christmas as a shorthand form of the word. Although the early Christians understood that X stood for Christ's name, later Christians who did not understand the Greek language mistook "Xmas" as a sign of disrespect.

[JacquieL]

I've found a lovely simple image of the chi ro to share.

[Guest]

Thanks so much ladies, you just wait until I visit my parents at the weekend, I have copied and pasted your wise words and will never feel bad again about writing XMAS,

 

you live and learn - thanks from my arthritic fingers also!!

[JacquieL]

I've found a lovely simple image of the chi ro to share.

 

 

no problem we learn something new every day and at least we can all save our fingers.

[Sue R]

Oh, you stars!!

 

Thank you all so much!!

 

Sue xxxxx

[JacquieL]

Stir up Sunday is the time when Xmas baking is tradtionally done. This is called this, not because of the baking, but because of the Collect for the day. It is the last Sunday before Advent.

 

' Stir up, Oh Lord

the wills of your faithful people;

that richly bearing the fruit of good works,

they may by you be richly rewarded;

through Jesus christ Our Lord.'

 

Hence the baking with fruit- xmas puddings are supposed to be made then.

 

 

JacquieL - RE advisor to the forum

[Guest]

I used to childmind a boy called Christian and always shortened it to Xian on my calendar for my own benefit!

Also, my daughter attended a C of E Primary school and their emblem was the chi ro until some new head decided to come along and change it as it was out of fashion... no comment!

 

I always felt bad using Xmas I must admit - even though I knew the origins - I think I had been guilted by people seeing it as disrespectful.

 

Regarding stir up Sunday, when I ran a Sunday schoolw e celebrated this and the children all helped make the mixture before taking home their own small pudding. It was lovely.

 

While we are a little ranty can I just say it saddens me that we go to town on Diwali, Chinese New Year (don't get me wrong, I think we should be teaching all children about all cultures) and yet Christianity is brushed under the carpet often for fear of offending childrne from other religions...????

[Susan]

Jacquie, I'm sure that title can be officially bestowed if you so wish!!

 

Ive always wondered why stir up sunday, dont remember that from my church going days which Im sad to say are too long ago.

 

Agree Pandemonium, things are rather cockeyed at times. RE is one thing Im never really comfortable about teaching, not because I dont believe but because I dont want to offend anyone in the process.

[Sue R]

Just to stick my oar in, again , For exactly the reasons you state, Pandemonium, I make absolutely sure Christianity is featured as prominently in our setting as the others. I will take issue with anyone who dares to criticise!!

 

Sue

 

( PS, the children love looking at and learning about Buddha and making lotus flowers and decorated elephants for Wesak, which is another one that often gets forgotten)

[JacquieL]

We always celebrate festivals with the children reflecting those in our setting- Chinese New Year, Eid etc. but Xianity as in Xmas and Easter have always had more emphasis. I really love the diversity of religions and the celebrations and the different ways these religions are used to explain life, humanity and the spiritual. There is also so much that thee religions have in common- especially stories and their roots. There is also so much that has been incorporated into Xianity that builds on Pagan beliefs. The more you look the more intersting it gets. I really like the 'Dreamtime' stories of Australian aborigines.

 

So who is X? X is Christ. ( Great site this - we all learn something new everyday)

 

Er I'll pass on the RE advisor bit as I just don't know enough.

[Sue R]

LOL, JaquieL, sure you do!!

 

Agree with everything you've said!!

 

Sue

[JacquieL]

Think I'll stick with the drama. Anyway I got my alpha and omega's muddled up with my chi ro. Nasty that.