Christmas show - would like to hear from teachers

[OldAndUngraceful]

Year after year I have felt aggravated over the customary xmas show where 8 children get to shine for a full hour whilst the remaining 122 sit around or get to do a 3 minute dance.

I am genuinely interested in understanding the school's rationale over doing this. This is how I feel:

• I understand not every child can get a part on the play but really, just 8???

• Out of those 8, year after year there's usually three or four children who get parts, same children.

• I don't believe parents are interested in enduring a whole hour of seeing the same 8 children babbling something about Bethlehem whilst another 122 children sits around bored

• A lot of lessons have been missed during the last few weeks for the show rehearsals. How is this at all justifiable when hardly any children get to do anything substantial?

• This is not an opportunity for children who are not strong academically or in sports to shine; as I said, only 8 get to really do anything and often is the same children year after year.

• As a parent, I really much rather children forgot their lines, couldn't hear them properly, had stage fright at the last minute... as long as I was under the impression that the show's intention was to give every child a few seconds of protagonism.

I'd love to hear from teachers to understand things from their point of view as I feel aggravated over this.

I would be interested to hear aswell! Also a big bug-bear of mine!

You need to speak to your teachers.

I'm s teacher, and all 60 kids in KS1 have a part in the school play this year, as every year, and all of them are on stage for the whole time, and every 5 minutes there is a song and dance that they all join in.

I would personally love to see something like an "Abba" concert, where each class or year group take a song and maybe do a dance routine; Everyone would be involved,and the more confident - or talented - could sing or dance more. Any thoughts?

Not sure how to comment on the situation at your school, but here are a couple of ways around the dilemma:

1. Progression of roles eg. everyone knows that in Year 1 you are musicians, singers and dancers but in Year 2 you get speaking parts. No arguments, that is how it is.

2. The 'non rehearsed' school performance - avoids everyone getting hyped up about who is doing what, no long hours sitting in the hall during rehearsals, each class just rehearses on their own and then it (sort-of) comes together on the night

3. Keep it simple - just well-sung carols/Christmas songs. No acting or costumes.

I have seen each of these approaches work very well.

The problem is that the sort of perfomances that parents love (impeccably rehearsed Nursery and Reception children with multiple parts/costumes/dances) tend to be rather stressful for the children and use up huge chunks of curriculum time.

The only problem with each class doing an individual 'turn' is that those concerts can then become exhaustingly long, particularly if done throughout a primary school.

But why is the alternative to mix two year groups with two classes each, and then pick 8 children to have a speaking part throughout the whole play? And how is missing lots and lots of lessons for the rehearsals justifiable?

Our infant school has 90 per year, so 270 pupils and EVERY child is in the Xmas play as well as the Harvest festival and Easter play.

There's a song every few minutes, some dancing, some instruments as well as a bit of acting. They don't all get a speaking part obviously, but not all children want to do that anyway.

I am yet to understand the storyline of any of the plays I have witnessed, but they all sing their little hearts out and are very proud of their part in the play.

I think it's just mean to have only 8 children involved. At the partner junior school there is a smaller production for which they audition but it takes place in the evening. I'm pretty sure that everyone who wants a part, gets one, even if its just in the background and not a main part.

We have always managed to give parts to all 82 children in the FSU - dancing snowflakes - twinkling stars - flocks of sheep each with their own personal shepherd - hosts of angels looking beautiful and inn keepers plus spouse.
In KS1/2 we do a carol performance with all children involved (200+ )

Our school has an infants performance where everyone gets a part, older ones get lines to read, little ones get acting roles. All sing and play instruments and all are on stage together. The juniors sing, some (not just the best) get solos and it is truly brilliant. I see it every year and it always brings a lump to my throat.
It does seem unfair to include just 8 children.
The key words of the moment are 'Every Child Matters' 'Inclusion' and 'Differentiation' it doesn't sound like your school is addressing these. We are supposed to include every child whatever their ability and to differentiate so that the children get tasks according to ability. The school play is an easy subject to address these points.
Perhaps you should be the one to raise the issue? If you're feeling brave!

I work in an infant school. Or Y1 play this year is Whoopsadaisy Angel. There are 90 children in the year group. All 90 have a part and appear on stage at some point. Several are narrators with 1-2 lines each. There are some snowflake dancers who perform a dance, the band play instruments, there are some singers who do a short group song, and then there are the nativity parts. Whoopsadaisy is the main part- one little girl is this, but she still only has a couple of lines, although does appear on stage a bit more than the others.

Hulababy- Our foundation unit play is Whoopsydaisy angel too.

The nursery will be the choir with the 70 Reception children playing the other parts. I'm really excited to see it and will be interested to see if my son (who is an angel) manages his line "Hip hip"

My dd will be in Whoopsydaisy angel too! She's a snowflake and very excited about it!

Shame is that it was meant to be this morning byt school has been closed for over a week now...maybe opening on Thursday?

Feel for the teachers who've lost the rehersal time! Hopefully will be rescheduled!

We closed for two days so not too bad rehearsal wise. We can't walk to the venue for our dress rehearsal tomorrow though - has had to be postponed. But we are practising hard in the meantime!

My dd (3) was in a performance of Whoopsadaisy Angel this week. She was very excited about it then refused to wear her costume, stayed wearing her jeans and sweatshirt, began her angel dance with her frends then burst into tears when someone else went a bit wrong and sat on my lap for the rest..... Having said that she says she loved doing it and when can she do it again!

I agree that it is irritating when the same children get the "good roles", but there are ways and means to make it fun and include everyone. My very shy older dd (5) gets a real confidence boost just from being on a stage and having people come to watch her - even if she doesn't have to do a lot!

My dds Junior School have completely forgotten the 'Every Child Matters', Inclusion etc thing too chocolatecustard. Dd auditioned, didn't get a part (fair enough) but isn't in the production at all. Where is the incentive to audition again? Where is the audition to actually go to the performance if our child isn't in it??? It's all rubbish IMHO

incentive, not audition

Hotchristmasbunny - that's disgraceful - she's not in it at all?! I remember at senior school, even if we didn't get a part we got to be in the chorus if we wanted to take part. At junior school, I think that's shocking!

I'm glad it's not just me then. I'm not having a great love affair with the school, and it's easy to lose perspective. I do think all those children who want to participate should be able to tho...

I'm a teacher - my year group has about 60 children, EVERY child has a part. I ask them what they want to do, whether it be speaking/acting/dancing/solos/backstage etc (I'm very aware that some children HATE the idea of being on stage but would love the importance of helping the teachers - lighting, cd player, computer etc - these kids are stars!
We then give out parts according to what they want, working out who would be most appropriate, but on the whole, everyone is happy, and on stage for the same amount of time (ish, obviously some are diferent!) and there are songs where EVERYONE joins in, singing and dancing! (including us teachers!)
I LOVE the Christmas play, I am so overwhelmingly proud of my lot at the moment!

I love the Christmas play, too. I've never noticed any child having a particularly special part each year. In fact, there really aren't any special parts that enable a child to shine at everything - there are singers, dancers, narrators, characters that look nice central stage but don't actually talk... and each year my ds1 has been involved, he's had a completely different part in a different take on the Christmas story. I think it is hugely valuable for the children all to be involved in what I always find immensely entertaining and suprisingly professionally done, particularly given it is a bunch of 4-7 year olds on stage the whole time. Not at all like the Nativity Plays of my childhood, where if you weren't Mary, Joseph, an Angel, a Shepherd, a Wise Man, or a recorder player, then you might as well go home.

Everyone in our school has a speaking part. The R/1/2 children are telling the nativity from the camel's point of view, yrs 3/4/5/6/ are telling the story of Christmas around the world, including singing in 6 different languages They sing better in Latin than they do in English! Each child might have only a line or two to say but they ALL appear on stage and they all join in. The only major parts are the Narrators and those parts are taken by the Head Boy and Girl-it comes with the territory!

We have a 3 plays in our single form entry school - KS1, Y3/4, and Y5/6. Every child gets to be on stage, and they try to select plays which do not have one or two main parts. They do a lot of rolling narrators, multiple angels, shepherds etc.

It is a lot of work for the teachers, but as a parent I love it and am very grateful for their effort.

Sounds like our school have missed the mark somewhat then Think they need to up the effort a bit... Madsometimes sounds like your school have hit a good compromise.

Well my DS1's reception play was terrible. 10-15 minutes and only 2 children had a speaking part, the Y5s were singing and the other 28 children just sat doing nothing, in their shiny costumes (angels, shepherds, etc).

My son cried all night as he says he didn't get to "do anything" and he hates Christmas plays.