to almost hope that DSs don't win an award at school next year?

[myotherusernameisbetter]

just back from the award ceremony and even as a grown adult with the patience of a saint it was cripplingly boring.....poor kids had a rehearsal all afternoon and then had to give up their entire evening to sit in the cathedral for 10 seconds of walking up to the front to get a certificate.

Scant reward really for an entire year of hard work - hoping guessing they will maybe try less hard next year.

Next time I'd just book a family evening out and say they can't attend.

I'm just back from a painfully dull ceremony too. Wonder if it was the same one!

definitely Mama - I don't think I'll go back until their last year (if they win anything)

Any does it begin with D and end in E?

I have a nasty feeling DD might be in line for a science prize again (zzzzz).

I used to doze off in primary, sharing assemblies too.

At least it's warm, I have had the 'treat' of the Cathedral in midwinter.

Got home from mine a minute ago. DD1, DD2 and DS2 were fast asleep when DH, DS1 and I got home, baby sitter was lovely but next time I'm going to use younger kids as an excuse so DH can go alone (ha ha) and I can relax at home. DS got two awards and was singing in choir so wasn't too bad.

Elephant - it was a cathedral but wasn't too cold as it was packed to the gunnels. The heads speech was very similar to last years only longer - the guests speech was a barely disguised political brainwash, the choir sang beautifully but it was very formal choral music and was far too much. It was a lot to have young teens sit through imo especially after a full school day and and an entire afternoon rehearsal. Eldest had the rehearsal, got home had homework and his dinner, had to then get uniform back on and back to the cathedral, so he has had no down time at all - just letting him have a bit of a read before lights out. Much more adult orientated when actually it should be an reward for them.

Why oh why is it necessary to have speeches, nothing more guaranteed to turn teens off than the HT waffling on.

I'm glad to say our new one is much better at parents events than the old one. DDs assure me she still drones on in assembly.

DD1 got particularly irritated when they missed maths for a special assembly telling them something they already knew all about.

Yes it does. Have you recently changed your name?

Yes any - a couple of times, just ducking and diving :o

I know who you are now - didn't remember your mn name :)

Hmmm - or maybe I have it wrong - just checked the program - unless the child I know you for isn't on it then I have it wrong.

It is me. Was there for DDs, not DS. I'm in total agreement re boring speeches, every time he speaks he says the same thing.

I was at a boring prize evening last night too. Dd1 seems intent on making me sit through these things every year I did offer to let my parents go instead of me but they saw through my cunning plan

It's supposed to be an honour and a reward, so why do they make them so dull?

Sounds grim.

Well, poor you; a whole evening supporting your child who has achieved an award. You should be bursting with pride, instead of complaining about a 'ruined' evening; clearly sitting in a cathedral and listening to choral music and educated speakers is a novelty for you; try and learn from it.
And what an example to set your child; the school is trying to raise his aspirations; you are trying to depress them.

goblin if you'd actually cared to read any of the posts, you'd see that actually I was on the side of the kids here. I am immensly proud of my children, they know it and they don't need a boring evening and a piece of paper to prove it.

Personally, I'd limit it to the senior pupils only who are receiving actual cups and trophys and accademic and personal achievement colours. It would half the time and also be worthwhile them attending. Making 12 and 13 year olds sit for nigh on 3 hours (plus 2 hours in the afternoon) to hear speeches that are aimed at the parents rather than them is really not a reward in my view.

And last time I looked, there wasn't a rule book that said you aren't allowed to laugh in a cathedral.

I was at one last night for my eldest DS...it was too warm in the hall, some of the speeches were a little long (but way better than the previous headteacher's would have been!), but I was so so proud of my boy and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Bit disappointed ours wasn't in a cathedral though

The children who get awards usually are proud of themselves even if it only for a few minutes picking up a certificate the children are under no obligation to go they can stay home if you know it was going to be sooo dull why did you let your child go

Having sat through long, hot, boring prizegiving for ds1, I didn't press the point when ds2 refused to attend his. He'd left school by this time and started college and didn't want to miss lectures to go back to school for the event. Which gave us a jolly good excuse to decline the invitation He knew we were very, very proud of him though and obviously we'd have hone if he wanted to.

gone

I'm with goblin on this. Don't go then - and just 'stealth boast' on Mumsnet instead.

For our kids to win an award would be a f miracle. They reluctantly do their homework - at a pinch. If the school contacted me to say - please come to the awards ceremony as your DS has won xyz I would absolutely delighted.

Why is it grim FFS?

It must be lovely to be so clever and advantaged that winning prizes and accolades is dreary and tedious.

isit not a stealth boast at all, you must have a big chip on your shoulder. The reward was for effort - that is all the younger students are rewarded for, advantage and intelligence actually has nothing to do with it.

If your kids reluctantly do their homework, that says more about your parenting than your kids tbh. You don't have to live a privelidged life to involve, engage and motivate your children. Both my OH and I were brought up in poverty - a lot more poor than those classed as in poverty are nowadays. Didn't stop us working hard and providing a nicer life for our children and also encouraging them to do the same.

The point here is that the ceremony was designed so that the head etc could show off to a certain element of parents and dignitaries and didn't take into account the fact that it was meant to be a reward for the children. They could have shown them a movie in the school hall with a bag of popcorn and handed them a certificate at the end and they would have felt more rewarded and i wouldn't be any less proud.

We went because although my son didn't particularly want to go, he felt obliged as the school had a 3 line whip in operation and as he is a good lad, he does what is expected of him. We went to support him. I'll be suggesting to him that he wont be letting us down if he doesn't want to attend for a few years.

DS did not get an award last year and I was much relieved when I went to collect him from school because I hadn't realised it was such a dress up event and I would have turned up in my well worn casual clothes to sit in a sea of high heels and dresses.

We used to all have to go to our school prizegiving - it was on the last day of the summer term and was part of a couple of traditions which were a fantastic way to say goodbye. Yes it was a bit tedious, but we all survived - even the guest speaker who had a cardiac arrest in the middle of his speech and had to be resuscitated by various parents in the audience!