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Original poster

Should Christmas school shows still be going ahead?

130 replies

justamumseekingadvice · 12/12/2021 17:53

It’s not so much of a AIBU but just a general thought started by the imminent update from Boris tonight.

I have personally got my daughter’s school show coming up in a couple of days, but given the rising cases with this new strain and also people potentially having to isolate over Christmas which many people have been looking forward to after this last year…

Should school shows still be going ahead?

OP posts:
MrsHamlet · 12/12/2021 20:42

Schools are responsible for the well-being of their students.
If you choose to go to a show in the west end and get covid, that's on you. If little Bob gets covid in the school show, that's in part on the school.
And ten days from the school show is plumb on top of Christmas. No school wants to be responsible for Bob not being able to see granny again.

AlandAnna · 12/12/2021 20:57

Yes. How many Christmasses will it take before we accept Covid is here to stay?

Thewiseoneincognito · 12/12/2021 21:12

No they should not be going ahead, it’s incredibly irresponsible of schools to encourage gatherings of strangers as we are in the midst of Omicron getting started. How many will get infected and have their Christmas ruined?

Madness.

Blondeshavemorefun · 12/12/2021 21:13

@RoastedParnsip

My DC school cancelled their play weeks ago. Angry Utterly ridiculous if you ask me... can go to a football match with thousands of people but I can't go sit in a hall with 50 odd other people. 🤦🏻‍♀️
Ditto

And people you prob see /talk to /be near every day while waiting fir kids to come out if school

Where matches are strangers from many places

Luckily our head said kids need fun as well so Lf in am and masks

Was lovely to see baby blondes now reception blondes in her first nativity last week

TempsPerdu · 12/12/2021 21:13

Of course they should.

EcoCustard · 12/12/2021 21:17

Yes they should go ahead. My children’s school have moved the Christmas play to a bigger more ventilated venue with a little help from the local community and that has allowed more space between parents too.

FancyNedFlanders · 13/12/2021 00:57

My sons got cancelled a few weeks ago! Most in our area have been. Gutted because it was their first and was really looking forward to seeing it - one was a rat and one was the innkeeper 😂💙💙

rrhuth · 13/12/2021 05:14

Rationally, no they probably shouldn't.

Emotionally, I don't know if people are up for cancelling them again.

DockOTheBay · 13/12/2021 05:23

Ours is going ahead today. Limited numbers (more than one performance), LFTs and masks.
Our kids spend all day all over each other so I don't think there is a big risk.

rrhuth · 13/12/2021 05:27

@DockOTheBay

Ours is going ahead today. Limited numbers (more than one performance), LFTs and masks. Our kids spend all day all over each other so I don't think there is a big risk.
This type of comment has driven me a bit wild since the start!

Yes there is significantly increased risk when you put more people into a room, even if your kids are at school together.

I am not saying it should be cancelled, but there's no denying the reality of covid and how it spreads, especially with Omicron doing it even faster.

stayathomer · 13/12/2021 05:37

Last year our school videoed it, I thought it was done really well. I don't think its anything to do with vaccinations, Christmas shows simply can't be the same as usual if every parent wants to go, we're crammed in like sardines on a normal year!

stayathomer · 13/12/2021 05:40

Emotionally, I don't know if people are up for cancelling them again.
I don't think parents are, I think if you told the kids you were recording it and they got to have a party after they'd be fine!!

Missey85 · 13/12/2021 05:54

I don't think they should way too many people stuffed in one room can't end well but I do feel bad for the kids though

DanaScully53 · 13/12/2021 05:59

I don't know about our schools, but our Morrisons had a choir of school children singing the other day. All unmasked within 1 to 2ft of shoppers leaving the tills. So if they're doing this when people have no choice but to be in close proximity to them, I dont see the difference to parents actually being allowed to choose to go to a school.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 13/12/2021 06:05

Schools are responsible for the well-being of their students.

They’re also responsible for the well-being of their staff. Saying that parents can choose not to go if they’re concerned about covid is not taking into account that the children and staff can’t choose not to go. Not putting on a live performance is a choice to keep everyone safer.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 13/12/2021 06:07

@stayathomer

Emotionally, I don't know if people are up for cancelling them again. I don't think parents are, I think if you told the kids you were recording it and they got to have a party after they'd be fine!!
I think my class would be happy because I’d show them the recording too so they could watch it. I’m happy with a recording because it saves me trying to get time off to watch my DD’s performance. My head teacher always lets us have the time but it’s a logistical nightmare with so many of our teachers having children doing performances.
rrhuth · 13/12/2021 06:08

@DanaScully53

I don't know about our schools, but our Morrisons had a choir of school children singing the other day. All unmasked within 1 to 2ft of shoppers leaving the tills. So if they're doing this when people have no choice but to be in close proximity to them, I dont see the difference to parents actually being allowed to choose to go to a school.
Two wrongs don't make a right...

That was a silly move by Morrisons, just needed to think more about positioning probably.

DanaScully53 · 13/12/2021 06:29

@Rrhuth
Don't get me wrong, I totally disagree with them being there at all and no way would I go to a school play. All I meant was if the school are prepared to send them to a shop to sing, then as a parent I would be annoyed if they cancelled the school concert if I was prepared to go whereas the shoppers have no choice.

RichTeaRichTea · 13/12/2021 06:29

So far my preschooler’s show is going ahead. It will be in an enormous hall where households can be separated, masks worn etc. Given the unmasked and undistanced activities that are allowed I will be pretty annoyed if the show, with all the mitigations in place, doesn’t go ahead, but there isn’t very much I can do about it.

Tumbleweed101 · 13/12/2021 06:49

Our nursery play went ahead last week. Parents wore masks and doors and windows were open. We also filmed it for anyone who couldn't or felt uncomfortable with coming in. There will always be a risk now but it has to weighed up against other things.

MultiSkills · 13/12/2021 06:52

@RoastedParnsip

My DC school cancelled their play weeks ago. Angry Utterly ridiculous if you ask me... can go to a football match with thousands of people but I can't go sit in a hall with 50 odd other people. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Same here 😞
It was amidst a surge of cases in the school though...

They are doing an outdoor Christmassy sing song instead.

MrsHamlet · 13/12/2021 07:09

@BeingATwatItsABingThing

Schools are responsible for the well-being of their students.

They’re also responsible for the well-being of their staff. Saying that parents can choose not to go if they’re concerned about covid is not taking into account that the children and staff can’t choose not to go. Not putting on a live performance is a choice to keep everyone safer.

True. Since my head gives not a fig for staff well-being, I tend to forget that some heads do :)
Switch82 · 13/12/2021 07:14

One school has cancelled parents attending. The other said they are not doing one this year at all as due to amount of work to catch up on, and the fact the school has managed to keep its cases low and finally because it’s a very large primary school 3 form entry so the affect on the community at large could be huge if they have an outbreak. They’ve also had a member of staff catch COVID-19 and then this person’s husband caught it and passed away. Really sad - so as a community trying to be very careful.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 13/12/2021 07:24

Since my head gives not a fig for staff well-being, I tend to forget that some heads do

Mine doesn’t either normally but it impacts her if we’re all off with covid. Wink

ichundich · 13/12/2021 07:29

Ours is, and my kids can't wait! We will have all doors and windows open , parents are asked to take a LFT and wear masks. Instead of 2 shows there will also be 4, one for the parents of each class only.