Class Assemblies

[Over40]

My class (Y3/4) have just done their class assembly to the whole school, to which parents are invited. Only had one child who didn't want to be involved (I don't force them) and it went well with a good parental resposne.

To me the assembly is a chance for the children to show what they have learnt and, if I'm really honest, for a bit of positive PR with the parents.

What do you like to see??? What are the bits you hate. It's difficult to be objective from the other side of the fence!!

[IndigoBell]

Oh I hate class assemblies :) It means I have to take a day off work to hear my child say one line badly - or never be forgiven for missing her assembly :(

I have never been to a class assembly which showed me that the kids had learnt anything....

[lovecheese]

Don't get me started! The idea of them is nice, good PR etc but the thing that pisses me, and loads of other parents off too, is the fact that it is always the same kids time after time who are chosen to read their story out or recite something. GGrrr.

[Whocantakeasunrise]

Give lots of notice, so that work time can be arranged, do it first thing in the morning, so that parents can get off to work - 10.30 or 2.30 useless. Yes there will be parents collecting at 3pm, but what about all the parents who's children stay for after school clubs etc.

Never been to a class assembly that has shown the topic they have learnt.

Have been to 'music recitals', lots of recorder playing and singing for those who don't learn an instrument, but that is nice, to give children confidence to perform in public. Can be painful for the ears though.

[Over40]

Heavens!!! Would love to see some of the ones you guys have been made to sit through! Everyone should speak (if they want to). I quite often include video of what we have been doing and/or interviews with the chd which is a great help to those that are a little nervous. We have mikes as well so everyone can be heard...

[redskyatnight]

At DC's school the assembly is first thing. It is always on the current topic and every child gets to do something. The children who get the "bigger parts seem to be different in every assembly too. There is normally a mixture of spoken lines, songs, dance, acting (infants school).

My one gripe is that they are always on Fridays which is the day I work earlier in the day so I always have to take time off to go to them. I'd rather the day they happened changed around to make them more accessible.

[HumphreyCobbler]

Over40, you sound like a really nice teacher.

When I taught I used to dread the assembly week. Frantic preparation which had to be fitted in around the normal school week, lots of tears from children who didn't want to do it (this is why it tends to be the same ones over and over again), trying to get children to speak above a whisper, organising tea and coffee afterwards. It used to drive me mad!

Still used to do my best though, but reading the comments on this thread reminds me why it is a thankless task.

[luciemule]

Anything sounds better than our 'celebration assembly'. Our school has Golden Children which I think is awful. They make so much of asking each teacher (and there are 10) why that child has been chosen to be the GC that week. So there is a Golden Child assmebly every week, along with different stage merit certificates being dished out.

Why on earth they can't just bring the certificate home and only have Gold certs for parents, is beyond me! We were in there for 45 mins yesterday listening to the deputy head drone on in a really patronising way.

I would much preferred to see my children do something perhaps once a term/half term and just their certs home.

At DDs old school, we had seasonal assemblies, where every class performed something (song/poem etc) altogether as a class so nobody was singled out as being better or worse. So there was the Easter, harvest and Xmas plus the school play. That was plenty! Then they had a 'Time to Share' every half term where you just dropped in after school for the kids to show you their drawer of work.

[Whitevanmam]

We had our first assembly last year and I didn't speak to one parent in the class that had a negative thing to say about it - in fact they loved it. We had a few dcs who had 2 lines rather than 1. It was so nice to see all those beaming faces, proud to be on the stage in front of all the Mums & Dads.
I like them to be fairly low key - no mad panicking and stressing the kids over costumes and learning lines - something to allow the kids to practice being on stage and help to build their confidence.

I love them and so do my children - keep it up!

[ruddynorah]

whitevanman are you the teacher? not sur emany parents would say, when asked directly by the teacher, that they thought the assembly was rubbish!

maybe ask for confidential comments, slips of paper in a box type thing for more honest feedback.

[onimolap]

Our school does vary the times, but I think it's best if they can be first thing (working parents can often - though not invariably - arrange to get in a bit late much more easily compared to having to take a bite out of the middle of the day).

I realise you probably have to choose a "reliable" child to have the opening lines (ie the one least likely to freeze, and that might limit choices a bit) but it's nice to make sure as far as possible that all the other children get decent parts of similar length.

And don't ask much of parents in the way of costumes: the best from my point of view was one where the only costume was a headdress made in art lessons with no parental input at all.

[Whitevanmam]

No most definitely not the teacher . And to encourage the teacher to do it again we all went up and thanked them for their effort and told them how much we enjoyed it. One mum even went to the Head expressing to give very positive feedback, she was told it wouldn't be happening again because the teachers thought there was too much work involved.

Poor kids, they loved doing it - back to literacy, numeracy and preparing for the bloody SATs!

[Whitevanmam]

One mum even went to the Head to give very positive feedback - Oops see definitely not the teacher {blush]