Overload of school activities in December

[shebird]

Perhaps it's just my pre Christmas meltdown but I am so fed of of all the extra activities that the school before Christmas each year. This year seems to be particularly packed leaving both me and DCs frantic and exhausted. So far this month we have had

School fayre (this is on a school day afternoon)
nativity for each DC (these are expected so no issues there, although some are evening performances involves some late nights)
2 home clothes days (donations for school fayre and charity)
2 charity days (involving dressing up)
1 school trip
1 historic theme day( costume required)
Class Xmas party for each DC on different days (party food items to be taken to school for each day)
DD2 inter school sporting event
DD1 poetry day (come to school to listen to childrens poems)
Arts festival (items to be brought to school and also open afternoon of looking at their art work)

We are only half way through December! Is this just total bad planning by the school or is this the norm in other primary schools.Just wanted to know before I mention it to the school.

Wow, our school wasn't as bad as yours but has still felt totally OTT with the amount of stuff going on.

Then January goes very quiet. I don't get why some of it can't be held over until then.

Perhaps the thinking is that as not much gets done teaching-wise in December, may as well write it off? Or perhaps it's lots of different teachers/PTA folks not working together to keep things sensible.

It goes nuts again in June/July. Exactly the same.

That sounds like bad planning to me. The dc's school only does nativity in reception year, leaving all the other years free to work as normal.

Then it's just the school Xmas fair. No dress up days. I think that Y3/4 had a trip at the start of the month though.

December is busy, dark and cold. It's the one time of year I don't want to be having to deal with extra bits for school.

I do think it is bad planning and shows lack of consideration for parents. I suspect The teachers must also be frantic from the constant chaos and lack of routine in the classroom. Although they are not the ones at home creating costumes for various events

My dd doesn't do school but has either a rehearsal, concert/recital, or filming for most days in December and January, so I guess its all comparative.
I do see you point though, it does seem a lot for a school.
There are lots of concerts for dc in our borough as there are lots of musical opportunities, we are off to string ensemble concert tonight.

It's great that schools do all this stuff. But I do sometimes wonder if there are adequate (termly?) co-ordination meetings to minimise pile ups (and to make sure events are spread overvdifferent days if therecare late finishes). With a PTA rep - to look at it all from a parent's eye too.

It's a bit inevitable at Xmas, as nativities, parties and fetes all need to be late on, and if ransom for home clothes day is contributions to a fete that needs to be close too.

But perhaps in OP's case, the art, poetry and other dress up days could have been better spaced.

It's all too much for me too, and the kids. Though we've not had so many activities as you have, poor thing. It does seem too much for any kids, especially ks1s.

We have

Whole school half day trip to the pantomine ( I am not a total kill joy and think this was great for the kids)
School fayre after school one evening ( not keen on these, dcs gorge on sweets again and buy yet more tat, dcs end up cross and tired)
1 home clothes day ( donations for school fayre)
X-Mas party ( half day eating yet more sweets and playing rather than learning, think this is not needed at all)
Music recital ( go to school and be deafened by 36 7/8 year olds playing the clarinet, this is great, so glad my dd is getting the experience)
Celebration assembly ( go to school and see children get prizes, DS is getting one for a poem, this may be recited by someone, but not DS, who refuses all public speaking and dd for a collage she did, this is ok, but so long the younger kids nod off. )
Special Chrismas lunch ( wish I could join them, the school cook is genuinely talented)
And my bugbear, there is never end of term without all classes watching several films all the way through. Why oh why?
My kids are in juniors and arn't doing nativities, but they get to watch a dress rehearsal ( seems a good idea)
Visit to church for Christmas service ( parents can go too, I don't as I work, takes up nearly half a day for the whole school, but I'm in favour of it)

I am happy that the school does these activities Auntie just not all the the space of 2/3 weeks.

Ours isn't far off yours, Shebird.
It's the constant demands for costumes and special clothes that gets wearing, and need for dh to take time off work. I am a SAHM but we have 3 kids and I can't take the younger ones with me to everything.
I just had to say no to 'Christmas jumper day' last week, which I felt bad about because ds1 was upset but I simply can't afford to go out and buy 3 Christmas jumpers, having already had to provide stuff for Nativity costumes, Christmas fair, money to spend at Christmas fair, etc, for 3.

I am seriously thinking about sending a note to the head to say please could they scale down a bit in future. Makes me look like a miserable sod but....

We get hit with a similar amount of activities, first year it happened I was floored by it all...after that I learned to have all my Christmas prep done in November in preparation for the December craziness. Kids are usually exhausted by the end of term though.

I work in an infant school. We have more on than usual but nothing like what is on here. Th following list looks lie lots - but depends on how many children you have I guess.

EYFS classes

Fri 29 Nov - Christmas craft workshop afternoon (some parent volunteers - but def no pressure)
Fri 6 Dec - African dumming (part of topic) - parents invited to watch about 2:30pm
9-11 Dec - Each class doing thier Christmas assembly (1 per class) - parents invited to watch from 2:30pm
Mon 16 dec - Watching Y2 Christmas assembly at 1:30-2:00
Fri 20 Dec (pm) - EYFS Christmas party - parents invited to send in some food for party

Year 1 classes

Wed 4 Dec - Christmas craft workshop afternoon (some parent volunteers - but def no pressure)
Thu 12 Dec - Christmas nativity - parents invited to watch 10-11 (involved children out of school all am as performance off site) Parents asked to help with costumes in some situations - but very simple, many provided by school
Tue 17 Dec - Watching Y2 Christmas assembly in am (30 min)
Thu 19 Dec (pm) - Y1 Christmas party - parents invited to send in some food for party

Year 2 classes

Fri 6 Dec - Christmas craft workshop afternoon (some parent volunteers - but def no pressure)
12-13 Dec - Victorian classroom, 1 am or pm session per class. In school. Dress up provided
17-18 Dec - Y2 Christmas assembly - prents invited to watch either Tuesday at 2:30pm or Fri at 9:15am
Wed 18 Dec (pm) - Y2 Christmas party - parents invited to send in some food for party

ALL

Thur 12 Dec - Christmas fair arranged by HSA, 3:30-4:30pm
Mon 16 Dec - Father Christmas visiting each class with a class gift
Wed 18 Dec - school Christmas lunch (optional)
Fri 20 Dec - Dress Up day arranged by HSA, own choice dress up, optional donation of any amount

Glad I am not alone with the pre Christmas madness. This is just the school stuff not including the extra curricular extra things. It's no wonder we are always ill over the holidays.

Don't worry Tunip I think I could out grumpy you right now.

Definitely way too much IMO. At our school the christmas fair was on november 30th (saturday), YR/1/2 had a trip to the theatre earlier this month, and the plays (one by YR/1/2 and one by Y3-6) re this week - that's it for events and other than this week teaching has been pretty much the same as normal in the mornings with a bit less of the non-core subjects in the afternoons to make way for rehearsals. Definitely not a case of 'not much learning' happening.

Our school has done nothing at all this year due to a bad OFSTED in July. Such a shame, the children should at least have a party but no just extra homework!

Far too much at our school too. Both my children were in total meltdown tonight.

So far we've had school fair, Santa grotto, whole school panto trip, Christmas party eyfs, family craft session. Tomorrow and Wednesday they will perform the play 3 times! Then there is Y2 party and sing song in the playground too.

Plus they have an extra curricular show. Too much. I feel like we can't do annoying as a family as they are overloaded at school.

I don't think saying "we're only half way through December" as though you expect twice as much stuff for total. I expect you're breaking up on Friday, so you've done 2/3 of the time in school.

My dc love the busy-ness at school in December though. It really makes the end of term special.

Well most of those are not Christmas related, so I guess might have been better scheduled at another time of year?

TBH, DC's school does so few activities I am feeling like I am missing out!

They have a Christmas party each (bring in food to share).
DD is in the school Christmas concert.
DD gets to see dress rehearsal of local infants nativity (so no parental involvement required).
Christmas tombola (send in £1, job done)

And that's it.

Just think

It could be worse

They could be at private school

Or be a teacher

Just think

It could be worse

They could be at private school

Or you could be a teacher

Just think

It could be worse

They could be at private school

Or you could be a teacher

Perhaps because they break up earlier. So the festive stuff you want in December has about a week less to be crammed it in to.

DeWe I was just making the point that so much has been crammed into such a short space of time. The Christmassy stuff I can live with but my issue is that adding the other things to the mix makes things manic and less enjoyable. I am exhausted, the kids are exhausted and now we all have the lurgy. Happy Christmas folks!

Private schools worse because the added costs are worse, trips and extras