to feel disappointed over nativity casting

[madamearcati]

We are a small village school and every year the school has a nativity and so does the unattached pre-school.
It always seems to be the nicest looking children who are the angels and Mary and Joseph. The ones with the round cherubic faces ,pink cheeks and usually blonde hair
It can't be coincidence !In fact I once heard the TA discussing whether it would be 'ok' to cast an absolutely drop dead gorgeous mixed race little girl as an angel (because of her colouring )
Before the inevitable 'sour grapes' comments I would like to point out that my DD will be off for the nativity this year recovering from a minor operation.

There's loads of stagecoach kids in DS's class and it's always the same ones who get the lead roles...

It REALLY hacks me off - surely because they go to stage school they should give the OTHER kids more chance in their school stuff as these kids do it week in, week out in their own time?

DD was a star last year, but kicked off when it came to the stage, stage fright me thinks, she was 2.7yo

This year, she's a shepherd, but her bestest friend ever is also one and nursery didn't want to seperate them and have them crying for each other across the stage!

DS (2.7yo) will be a donkey.

Really don't think there's any particular casting going on at DS's school; apart from having children with louder voices and happy to speak saying more than those who aren't.

The angels last year definitely didn't all have blonde hair.

I apologise ofr not having alot to say other then BitOfFun that has made me weep with laughter!

Brilliant!

I am looking forward to the casting of the nativity with both glee and trepidation this year. DD1 has moved up to yr3 so they just have a carol concert. DD2 and DSD are in the same class in yr1, both blonde and pretty (well I think they are) but DSD is much better behaved and DD2 is very confident and can memorise anything

Tears before bedtime methinks, either the teacher has to cast them both in lead roles or neither and I know that DD2 is her little star, o the dilemma for her rofl

Our school don't pick on looks, I don't think, it appears that they pick based on intelligence.
What irritates me is that it's the same children are picked to do the main role every assembly and every nativity.

My dd told me who would be getting the lead parts long before the teacher announced it. She was right.

Teachers: Do teachers from previous years not talk to each other?
Do they genuinly not know that Jonny and Jane were the lead roles last year? ...or is that not an issue?

Just seems a shame, that's all.

Aw, Riven I would have loved to have been at your dd's nativity! THink I would actually have wept with laughter and cuteness.

Hmm.... if I am slightly wibbly at your tales of cute children in the nativity, I'm going to be a quivering wreck when it's my turn to watch my little darlings

When I was in the Brownies we were doing a Nativity for the old people's home. All of the blonde haired girls were angels and the girls with brown hair were shepherd. This really annoyed me (I have brown hair) as I didn't want to be a Shepherd, so I didn't participate!

in my school they cast three naughty boys (including my DS1) as angels, and we all laughed at seeing them in halos.

....until they started throwing their halos around.

Anyway, I thought that was a funny and PC choice (not often see the two together)

I think I was some sort of background angel in the reception nativity. A couple of years later I was A DEAD BODY I must have been a really awfull looking child if they used this rule! (sob)

Dd1 was Mary last year, (white, blonde) Joseph was a little black boy, the baby jesus doll was black, dd piped up ONSTAGE 'mum, this cant be my baby cos he has curly hair!!'

Maybe cause they think it is important for children to know why we celebrate Christmas? I guess they could teach about the winter solstice too - as an atheist I wouldn't mind but am basically glad for my kids to know it is a bit more than a present-fest.

rofl @ lanismum's dd. !! priceless. gotta love them!!

oh there's a panto this yr instead of strict nativity. dd'sentire class are going to be bunnies

it's Puss in Boots. where are there rabbits in puss in boots???!!

riven - I cant remember the exact storyline but I remember it that there were detectives in the play and I was the dead body - I had to sit up and say "it wasnt me". I was so proud it was my first and only speaking part in the whole of primary school

my parents loved my parts because the costumes were so easy.

Ha! My eldest 2 went through KS1 without once being cast as a leading character in a play. Inspite of being (of course) drop dead gorgeous . DS#2 was cast as Joseph (it is his name after all) and was so cute in his costume. Unfortunately he spent the entire play picking his nose, throwing his legs in the air and kicking the manger. I suspect his teacher was wishing she has chosen someone plug-ugly and biddable [grin[

DD got the lead role in the junior school play last term and i have to say I was a bit . She is pretty confident but not a stand out child in any way.
waaay after I asked the teacher why her. She said they wanted a girl who was unflappable - that kids will forget their lines, props will fall over etc - they wanted a little one who would not be put off.

I have told her it is because she was so good and looked lovely and said her lines so well. Truth is it was her ability to look at life and go [meh]

I don't care about nativity roles.
I hate the casting for the school play . You get the sheet of paper which names the part and details the costume. Otherthan last year I always seem to get

part :third chorus child from the left
Costume : giraffe costume with hooves for dance routine and easy removal or adjustment to turn into princess with gloves, taira and small silk purse or bag for finale. parent to provide.

Agree the TA was out of order...

But does anyone else find that sometimes schools go out of their way to overcompensate and be uber politically correct.

E.g. our school is in a predominantly white area, so only about 2 Asian children and 1 black child.
We also have one child with dwarfism (apologies if that is no longer the correct term!).
I'm not exaggerating, but every time there is a photo of an event in the paper, or on a school newsletter, or on the website it features one of these 4 children.(Out of a total of over 300...)
I can imagine the discussions that happen and lead up to it, but I'm beginning to feel it makes the school look a bit silly really - as if it's trying too hard IYSWIM?

Dd spent the whole of her last pre-school nativity play sitting cross-legged and crossed-armed in a major huff in the middle of the stage behind the main characters, repeatedly grumping "I wanted to be Mary!"

It was sooo hard to keep a straight face.

We never did the nativity in my class. But I was always a rubbish part:
Councillor (Cinderella)

Lost boy (Peter Pan) didn't even have a costume for that one. Had to wear my PE kit which was pink mini mouse shorts and T-shirt. Desperately wanted to be a fairy like all the pretty girls

Narrator 1 (The Nightingale) did get to wear someone else's very nice Chinese PJs though.

Did finally get to play Cinderella in village Am dram production when I was 15. Was delighted to be asked for my autograph by a little girl on a bus. Almost made up for all those times I was overlooked at primary school

My DSs went to a single sex school/nursery so both Mary and Joseph were always played by boys. One year the little boy playing 'Mary' had a black eye from an accident - it looked just like Mary and Joseph had been having a bit of a domestic...

at coffeee addict

we had similar. DS2 is at a special school. Both he and mary refused to get changed into their costumes so sat there in their uniforms. DS2 had his hand clamped over his ears like a man in denial and Mary sat holding baby jesus by his feet and bouncing his head off her shoes.
Jeremy Kyle would have had a whole programes worth of material...

'MAry and Joseph were from Egypt '

No. They came from Nazareth in Galilee.

always the same kids get picked - cos parents on the PT fucking A.

one year ds1 came home and announced he was joseph - i was well chuffed until i found out that the whole nativity had been written from the sheeps POV and joseph said fuck all