Christmas comes but once a year, thank goodness

Teaching Matters/Valerie Monaghan: If you don't love Christmas, don't go near your local primary school around now. Teachers and pupils are totally caught up in preparations for this major event in the lives of children.

No area of the curriculum escapes the Christmas theme as children's natural interest is used by the teachers to engage them in learning.

In our school, no-one is allowed to mention the "C" or "S" words (Christmas or Santa) before December 1st, but come that deadline the whole programme goes into overdrive. I wonder if anyone has ever calculated the amount of glitter, glue and crepe paper that schools use this month.

Decorations are made to go on the Christmas trees, classrooms and corridors. Children make chains from styrofoam padding, angels are shaped and decorated to top the tree and the scene is set. One little junior infant lad proudly brought me to see their tree and all the "declarations" on it!

At assembly, we practise the Christmas carols and children learn the same songs as their parents did.

It brings us all back a little to memories of our own childhoods. I remember growing up in the suburbs of Dublin, lying in bed at night, hearing carol singers outside in the street as they collected for local charities. It's always been a magical sound. The children learn all about the story of the first Christmas and it's amazing how they just love this, even though they have heard it year after year.

They begin to dramatise the story and despite the squabbles about who plays Mary and Joseph (the Innkeeper's role is popular too), everyone soon gets excited about dressing up in curtains and teacloths to perform for parents.

I bumped into one flustered staff member the other day as she made her way to the staffroom. "I need a cup of coffee," she said. "I've just built Bethlehem."

The special Christmas post box has appeared again this year on the junior corridor and children make cards for their friends and post them for future distribution.

The important letter to the man in red is drafted, redrafted and perfected before the visit to the local post office where the children buy their stamps and carefully drop their letters into the big green postbox.

Lessons in good letter-writing skills and manners were slipped in here. These included enquiring after Santa's health, thanking him for last year's gifts and asking nicely for this year's choice.

The traditions of Christmas are also observed. The Advent wreath is in evidence, everyone gets to stir a wish into the Christmas pudding and history lessons explore the origins of many practices.

City children learn about the Wren Boys and chant their song. This is what education is really about, making learning fun and relevant.

The air of expectation heightens as the holidays approach. Parents are invited in to hear the story of Christmas at the carol service and to see the concert items performed so proudly by their children. It's always a moving event and just for a few moments, we all escape from the mayhem of preparations and purchasing.

And on the final full day in school we have the Christmas party. This is a major highlight for the children. After a Mass in the local church the children go back to school and dig into their dinner.

There's lots of crackers, paper hats and noisy blowy thingies that seemed such a good idea in the local cash and carry. Fizzy drinks are allowed - the healthy lunches policy is shelved for the occasion. The plum pudding is set on fire to whoops of delight and everyone - staff, parents and children - has a great time.

But everyone is aware of the rumour, the big man is due to arrive any minute - with presents!

Finally they hear a sound, an old school bell is heard clanging down the corridor. Expectant faces turn and strain to get a look. He's here. There's enough adrenalin and excitement to fuel a rocket at that moment.

All the effort of buying, parcelling and labelling is well worth the time when you see the enjoyment they get from receiving a modest present.

We must sing a song for Santa - Jingle Bells of course - and he joins in with gusto. Then it's time to leave and everyone wants to touch, shake hands and have a special word. This is the dodgy time, how to get Santa out unscathed.

Even the older pupils, who don't want to be seen to take too much interest, linger a little for a quiet word and then turn their attention to the disco.

At 3 p.m., it's all over. Staff collapse into the staffroom, ears ringing from the noise and not quite ready to inflict themselves with the afternoon traffic just yet. Is it any wonder that last year's decision to send out the inspectors and the rather ill-informed comment from a parents' representative that "not a huge amount of work is going to be done" caused such resentment in schools.

Christmas is a fabulous time of year for children and schools but thankfully it won't happen again for another 12 months!

Valerie Monaghan is principal of Scoil Chiaráin, Glasnevin, Dublin