To be annoyed they've cancelled my son's nativity

[JudesBiggestFan]

I'm just so tired of the arbitrary and pointless decisions that rob children and parents of yet more joy.
Last year my son had his nativity play cancelled at preschool. This year, the school (after designating him a shepherd and giving him a line...the excitement!) have cancelled again. Because Covid. Never mind all the pubs, restaurants, Christmas shopping, family parties that all the kids, teachers and parents will be going to.
The nativity is some kind of super spreader event that must be forfeited!
It's not going to make the news, but I'm just so bloody tired of it all. He'll never be this little and innocent again...I tolerated it last year but my patience is gone.
Anyone who wants to be is jabbed, we have lateral flows, it's as safe as it ever will be.
Yet the commercial stuff can go on, but the pure joyful ness of a kids Christmas nativity can't. Just wanted to vent really. No point complaining in real life anymore!

@Siameasy

Would you call it "anxiety issues" to a child whose parent died of Covid?

No, that’s grief

*Trivialising the very real seriousness of the pandemic is offensive to everyone who has been so deeply affected. Those who have lost family members and friends. Those who have had essential medical care disrupted because the NHS has been forced to focus on Covid care. Those now horribly unwell with long Covid.

You can be frustrated with restrictions, that's fine. But dismissing and minimising what the pandemic is, what Covid is, is just a horrible thing to do. 145000 people have died in the UK.*

I’m horrible and offensive then so what😂😂at least I don’t have anxiety rushing through my veins

Show me the benefits of being very anxious about Covid. I’ll wait….I think posters like you enjoy drama.

If you were genuinely in fear of dying of Covid at any time would you really want to live these potentially precious last days of life in a state of worry?

You or I could possibly die of Covid but we probably won’t. When we are dead, you won’t get a special prize for angsting more than me about it when you were alive.

You’re spreading fear to others but they do say misery loves company; it’s very selfish.

I'm CEV and my own doctors have told me how dangerous Covid would be for me, actually.

Even with that being the case, I normally experience 0 anxiety about Covid on an ordinary day-to-day basis. Your assumptions are so ill-informed and shallow; I'm sure it's convenient for you to assume that anxiety is what motivates people who take the pandemic seriously, but you are as wrong about that as you are everything else.

OP I’ve only read your posts not TWT but I wholeheartedly agree with everything you have articulately said.

Last year, it was pre-recorded on zoom so we could watch it

This year, it’s going ahead like normal. We had their carol service yesterday, and that went ahead. Nativity is on Tuesday. It’s a shame not all schools will do it

OP I hear your point.

I’m bloody fed up of all the commercial activities still being able to go ahead, pinging money into the country coffers but our children are being penalised again and again. These are all moments they and we will never get back.
I am not detracting in any way from the seriousness of this pandemic but it really is not right that kids cannot do special activities at school when outside of it everyone is allowed to mingle and pack places out. Masks in school - at my kids school all day every day, not just communal areas - but pubs & nightclubs are packed with people taking no precautions?!! It’s blooming lunacy…

@SuzCG

OP I hear your point. I’m bloody fed up of all the commercial activities still being able to go ahead, pinging money into the country coffers but our children are being penalised again and again. These are all moments they and we will never get back. I am not detracting in any way from the seriousness of this pandemic but it really is not right that kids cannot do special activities at school when outside of it everyone is allowed to mingle and pack places out. Masks in school - at my kids school all day every day, not just communal areas - but pubs & nightclubs are packed with people taking no precautions?!! It’s blooming lunacy…

It's not unfair at all. Children are not jabbed. -Most adults are. . Hospitality such as restaurants and pubs are 100 times safer than schools. There are no safety measures in schools to stop the spread in to the community, and according to the teachers I know, children are frequently sent to schools when they are clearly ill! Besides. Pubs, restaurants. Cinemas etc need people to spend money in them, to keep them open. and to keep people in jobs.

Nativities would be lovely at the moment. But in our school we have on average 6-15 children off in each class on any given day because of covid/symptoms/awaiting results/other family members ill or isolating/ill themselves. Rehearsing for a nativity or show in KS2, and performing it, for us would be a logistical nightmare! So we're doing a Christmas Carol service per class and recording it for parents to watch.

I really feel for those who had their summer fair, school disco , Xmas fair and now nativity cancelled

My dd 4 started school in sept - Pre school didn’t have Halloween or nativity when was 3 due to covid

Summer fair moved to sept which was nice and had their disco, Christmas fair was today, with a fab fc, to see dd4 face was ❤️

Nativity is on Monday

Head has asked all to do lf and wear masks

Yes cases are low/none at our school but they are so hot on testing pcr and sending kids home on first cough till they have a pcr

Friends kids at other local schools are allowed in with kids coughing no. Stop, then wonder why cases in classes

As @BogRollBOGOF said it’s not just one nativity

It’s many things twice

And maybe 3 times next year

I am grateful to our head for allowing to go ahead

The kids have been practicing so hard , dd loves singing the songs etc

I definitely spoke too soon as ours has now been cancelled for the second year in a row. Maybe by year 2 I'll get to see one!

No, if schools are open, with no restrictions in them, then there is no reason to not do the fun bits. The kids are in and mixing without vaccines every day. If they can do pe together, they can do a nativity performance. The "danger" comes from the adults coming into the school to watch. This can be minimised by moving it outside (no more risky that school drop off/ pick up), limiting to one adult per child so chairs can be spread out, asking for negative LFT before attending, masks etc... it is unfair on kids that have missed out on so much to not try. So glad my dcs school is finding ways to make sure they don't miss out.

@HughGrantsHair

Nativities would be lovely at the moment. But in our school we have on average 6-15 children off in each class on any given day because of covid/symptoms/awaiting results/other family members ill or isolating/ill themselves. Rehearsing for a nativity or show in KS2, and performing it, for us would be a logistical nightmare! So we're doing a Christmas Carol service per class and recording it for parents to watch.

Sensible I think. Covid is rife in schools and I am quite surprised PP in the last 24 hours confirming their events are going ahead. I’d read that many LAs have now advised against on the advice of public health. However I do agree that our children are most affected by all of this however old they are 4 or 14. Mine included. The nightclub / Christmas market / football match / music concert issue is the thing that gets me, the majority of the adult population with no school age children are going about their business without a care in the world. For me that is a government decision and so, if you want change you have to get our government to act decisively when they get information about a new variant not ignore it for weeks until the papers get hold of it and then of course it’s too little too late. Write to your MP get them to actually DO something instead of spread the ‘everything is ok just go to the pub ‘ message. The Dfe have been putting MASSIVE pressure on headteachers to do nothing around Covid measures in schools all term -the spread has been as a result of the political mantra that Covid has gone away, now we are back to masks again.

This year is spookily sounding like last year - Christmas will be ok ‘ oh wait hang on....’

Just a point out that sometimes schools don't have a choice, we were planning on doing ours but have been told by the United Kingdom health security agency that we are not allowed to because our cases are too high. It's so frustrating to hear government ministers say that nativities can go ahead, when a different government department is directing schools not to have audiences.

Anyone would think the government don't know what they are doing...

@scandikate

I definitely spoke too soon as ours has now been cancelled for the second year in a row. Maybe by year 2 I'll get to see one!

Same. They only do them in reception and year 3 at our school. We've missed both now

Ours has just been moved online and I’m surprised how upset I am. It feels like the final straw. I was honestly looking forward to the class nativity more than anything else this Christmas.

My son's took place today, outside. Parents socially distanced and masked. Worked really well and the school did a fab job without cancelling it.

Ours was also on today

Head said the children needed some fun and been working hard etx

All adults masked and did a lf

Was lovely to see - I did have a little nose tingle and tear in my eye

Very grateful head allowed

Ours is happening this week(fingers crossed) but it’s parents only , one class at a time and we are asking parents to ‘Flo before you go’ so do an lft first plus wear a mask.

Happening today at our school. Unfortunately my child now has covid and is isolating and can't partake. The world is a shit fest at the moment.

I've just returned from my children's reception class school play. We were lucky that the school felt able to go ahead with an audience. I want to make a point to those making derisive and scornful comments mocking those of us who think these events are important. I just watched 40 odd 4 and 5 year olds performing, bursting with pride and joy at showing the achievement and courage it takes to get up on stage and perform in front of people. Some of them overcoming enormous anxieties and nerves and visibly swelling with pride at the applause. Every kid had a part to play. Many of these kids won't be academic wonders, or sporting stars. But today each and every one of them was a winner, and a part of something to be proud of. That's why it's important. Yanbu op, and for those of you that think it's all ridiculous, it may be to you, but to many kids it's really important.

Yes @ladygindiva !

My friend’s DD asked for a speaking part which was brave for her as she’s very shy. They’re gutted it’s been cancelled, it was a big deal for them.

Nativity plays are a rite of passage for children and parents alike. Anyone who thinks they are tedious can piss off.

@ladygindiva

I've just returned from my children's reception class school play. We were lucky that the school felt able to go ahead with an audience. I want to make a point to those making derisive and scornful comments mocking those of us who think these events are important. I just watched 40 odd 4 and 5 year olds performing, bursting with pride and joy at showing the achievement and courage it takes to get up on stage and perform in front of people. Some of them overcoming enormous anxieties and nerves and visibly swelling with pride at the applause. Every kid had a part to play. Many of these kids won't be academic wonders, or sporting stars. But today each and every one of them was a winner, and a part of something to be proud of. That's why it's important. Yanbu op, and for those of you that think it's all ridiculous, it may be to you, but to many kids it's really important.

One of my isolating kids missed his today. Both of us have cried buckets. Heartbreaking.

Ours have just been cancelled today. We managed to do just over half of them, but the finally ones have been cancelled.

Sadly PHE advised it could be likely they'd advise this earlier in the week due to local numbers in our school community. Those numbers have increased and we are having rising numbers every day amongst pupils and families. So they've had to be cancelled.

We were already recording them for those parents who couldn't attend, so we will do the same for these classes.

The classes who are missing out on live performances are holding their own 'film premiere' days in school next week - they can wear their glitz and glam clothes, have popcorn, sit in rows of chairs laid out like a cinema, a 'red carpet' laid out, a 'speech' by the SLT etc. Their films are being edited to include applause at the end and 'film premiere' style red carpet/curtain openers and film credits with names at the end, we are trying to make it an exciting event for the children.

We know parents will be disappointed - we have already had emails, though fortunately so far the majority have been supportive - but we really did try to keep them going. As staff, we really really wanted them to go ahead for our children and their families.

And you can't get another PCR test until 90 days have passed so can't be the same teachers isolating repeatedly.

Of course you can get another PCR within 90 days.
They just warn you it may still show a positive for a while after.
However, if you have one and are negative - but then test positive two months later, then you'd probably have been unlucky to catch it again.

Most people don't actually test positive for 90 days after infection. It's also a sliding scale - so the likelihood reduces with each day post infection.

@Abraxan

Ours have just been cancelled today. We managed to do just over half of them, but the finally ones have been cancelled.

Sadly PHE advised it could be likely they'd advise this earlier in the week due to local numbers in our school community. Those numbers have increased and we are having rising numbers every day amongst pupils and families. So they've had to be cancelled.

We were already recording them for those parents who couldn't attend, so we will do the same for these classes.

The classes who are missing out on live performances are holding their own 'film premiere' days in school next week - they can wear their glitz and glam clothes, have popcorn, sit in rows of chairs laid out like a cinema, a 'red carpet' laid out, a 'speech' by the SLT etc. Their films are being edited to include applause at the end and 'film premiere' style red carpet/curtain openers and film credits with names at the end, we are trying to make it an exciting event for the children.

We know parents will be disappointed - we have already had emails, though fortunately so far the majority have been supportive - but we really did try to keep them going. As staff, we really really wanted them to go ahead for our children and their families.

I wish my daughter's school would put in this much effort. Not only did they not even try to hold a nativity for parents to watch, they didn't even bother sending out an explanation. Just automatically assumed that it would be a video'd performance from the start of the autumn term.

Oh and I've just seen on Facebook pictures of a friend's little boy doing his nativity today. Held outside, but going ahead.

Posted too soon. He's at a private school - can't help but feel that with fee paying parents, schools find a way to make these events go ahead.