to think a whole week of Nativity rehearsal is a bit OTT?

[XBenedict]

Maybe IABU but my DCs haven't done anything at school this week apart from rehearsal for their play next week.

Now I love their school plays and I realise a lot of effort from the teachers and the pupils goes into these performances but a whole week of nothing but rehearsals just seems a bit much.

Does your school do the same?

How old are your DCs? They might be exaggerating.
Having said that, my DS used to get fed up of Christmas play rehearsals, especially as his contribution was minimal.
I didn't feel it was good use of school time either. The children get more and more hyped if they have a big role and more and more bored if they're not doing much, with the inevitable results.

I suspect your DC may be exaggerating- yes there may be rehearsals every day but probably no longer than an hour. After all, each year group needs a turn in the hall to practise.

No they're not exaggerating, I do know it's true. The school only do 2 plays, an infant one and a junior one so the different years don't need individual hall time. The infants have now done their play so the juniors have got the hall to themselves.

My daughters prep school nursery have been practising every day for weeks! Obviously not the whole day but certainly an hour.

Whether you're BU depends partly IMO on how involved the children are.
Some schools let the children design and make props, write a script, stage-manage if old enough etc. Those children have a sense of achievement.
My DC's school used to trot out very similar rubbish plays year after year and spend an inordinate amount of time over it. It used to make me mad.

choco - I'm pretty sure it's all about the singing and acting. I don't think there's any stage management going on. Homework last weekend was to design the front cover of the programme.

Perfectly normal.

it's lovely, you are an unreasonable grinch!

I would have agreed until I helped with the play one year. 30 five years remembering when to stand up and say their bit. I doff my hat to reception teachers.

30 five year olds*

How do your DCs feel about it XBenedict?

IMO some children get much more out of it than others.
I don't care if this sounds awful....I wouldn't have minded the enforced hour after hour of rehearsal time at my DCs school if the end result was good and/or the children were proud of their efforts. If the teacher in charge - an excellent in every other way and greatly-loved lady - was particularly good at drama or music I think my DCs would have got more out of it. We sat through lack-lustre singing and embarrassed children standing around awkwardly on the stage while lines were woodenly recited. I know that sounds horrible, but I used to wonder why they didn't enlist the help of someone who had a flair for amateur dramatics!
Or if the children had some input into it.
IMO you're probably NBU.

As a teacher it does feel like all we do is the Nativity play - actually it is probaly about an hour or so everyday for a week which does feel like alot.

But you have to remember parents are judging you and expect to be able to hear/see their little darling - all this takes time.

What do you mean there's no stage management going on? How do you think they organise who stands where at what time etc without a bit of stage management?

It's highly unlikely that they have done nothing except rehearse. At the school I work in, rehearsals for the junior and infant plays have been going on every day all week, but not all day every day. They have done other stuff too.

Cazzy, I'm judging the teachers on the amount of understanding by the children of what they're doing and whether they're enjoying it/feeling involved.
The ditsy one singing enthusiastically in the rests, the little king who brings, "more" or "frankenstein" to the baby Jesus, the angel who's visibly proud of their role and doesn't mind that their halo is on back to front; those add to my enjoyment - bored juniors/seniors who'd rather not be there are the ones being let down by the teachers.

Stage management meaning scenery, lighting etc?

What do you mean there's no stage management going on? How do you think they organise who stands where at what time etc without a bit of stage management?

Of course there's stage management going on but my comment was to an earlier question about how involved the children are in the play aside from the acting and singing - they are being directed by the teachers, there is no stage management, script writing, etc from the children. As I said earlier the only extra to acting and singing they have done is design the programme front cover for homework last weekend.

Choco DS (Y3) doesn't mind - he hasn't got to any work after all. He's in the choir. DD (Y5) is bored!

I'm looking forward to the play on Tuesday, it should be good!

DD is the rear half of a camel!!

My DD was the second half of a camel in Y6 too!!

Hope you enjoy it.

I still remember being in nativity plays when I was little so on the whole I do think it's a worthwhile project - also brings much festive cheer to many in the audience

We did a tableau with songs and narration (KS1/YR), which took 4 or 5 practices. The performance lasted about 20 minutes and was really sweet.

We took the view a couple of years ago that it's a total waste of time spending weeks and weeks rehearsing for a play, when valuable curriculum time is lost. Also, there are always a number of children who don't enjoy singing and performing, who will be bored senseless and drive the teachers to distraction during the hours and hours of rehearsals!

And then there's the stress factor.......

I do too Juggling, I'm sure it will be a lovely evening, I love Xmas and all it brings especially for the DCs. It wouldn't be Xmas without an nativity play. I am not the grinch someone described me as earlier on in the thread.

I just think a whole week of nothing else but rehearsal and singing is a little excessive and I wondered what other children at other schools are doing.

Only a week?! It usually starts in October. YABU. If you want a children's show, this is what it takes.