Rehearsal time for nativity

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Many primary children are still having disruption, due to either positive tests or requests for testing if they have a cough or other symptom.

It is surprising that our school has decided to do both a whole KS1 & KS2 nativity which involves many, many hours of rehearsal, including for those who have minimal "choir" roles.

I love the arts and believe performing arts are wonderful and a real chance to shine for those who may not always get a chance. But, not when it involves sitting doing nothing for hours on the back of a lot of disruption.

How much rehearsal are other schools doing?

Thank you

We are doing 2 hours a week at the moment and singing the songs at every opportunity in the classroom. We will probably need more time from next week though.

Also ours has loads of songs in it so the children who don’t have big parts aren’t sitting doing nothing for very long at all.

Ahh come on. They are primary school children. Let them have a normal school year & be children! It’s been so shit for them, why would you not want them to do something fun?!

My DD is younger primary & they split performances into KS1 & KS2.. but they are rehearsing for a couple hours a week, lots on singing as I understand. Sometimes the practice singing outside, sometimes inside if it’s raining 😅 They have a big rehearsal day on 6th December which is fine..

Perhaps it's just very boring at our one, that's why. Wasn't trying to be a damp squib.

Rehearsals are fun though. It’s ok for children to have some fun in school, it doesn’t always have to be intensive academic learning.
Nativities are hard work for the staff involved though, usually involving even more unpaid hours than the usual weekends and evenings spent marking and planning.
The school plays are usually very popular with parents and children.

I'm glad ours are doing the nativity. I'm very thankful my DC's school are putting in a lot of effort for the children this Christmas.

Productions & rehearsals have huge learning & mental health benefits.
Millions of children have had nothing like this for 18months. Bubbles bubbles bubbles. DC are still very much recovering from the pandemic.
I think you are forgetting this

Ours are doing carol concerts outside or in the outside classrooms if raining, DD says the teacher has them practising in the quiet moments in class, it's quite genius really and DD says it's funny to sing while doing maths.

Rehearsals aren't fun for lots of children who aren't that involved in the nativity play, or only have 1 line. They just aren't.

All ours have all involved most of the kids the whole time but that will be the ones they choose

Theres a pretty even split in my class of those who like singing and rehearsals and those who don't now they are in y 5 and 6.

We are aware that a. They are making up for list schooling time and b. We have kids dropping out with covid isolation then back in. So we are doing a good old fashioned carol service with readings rather than a show as that takes a lot less practice and also makes it easier for other children to step in if someone is off on the week of the service.

A lot of the people on social media bemoaning not being able to go to school to watch their child in a Christmas concert perhaps don't consider the practicalities of doing it.

It has always been this way. That's the magic of nativity. Boring tear-your-hair-out rehearsals for hours on end so the parents can beam with pride when their child says one line. Children missing out on normal learning so they can sing the same songs over and over again.