It Is Not Too Early To Buy The School Nativity
Let’s face it; summer is over. Sigh. Sad-faced emoji. Hashtag ‘gutted’. Gloomy picture of a rainy beach on Instagram. Er, yes, it was over pretty much as soon as it had begun. And if you missed the two weeks in June when temperatures soared, well at least you avoided the discomfort of sunburn. But with Autumn creeping into sight, at least it will finally be okay to have a cosy log-fire, or the central heating back on without that lingering sense of guilt which accompanies such actions in late summer.
And with the nights drawing in, it is also okay to start thinking about the school nativity. Yes, honestly, it really is, even if the word itself has you making a beeline for the nearest full bottle of Merlot (a nice Autumnal drink!). But wait, resist, stop and think; you might just be able to make your life a whole lot easier. And here’s why.
Busy Busy Busy
A school nativity play is generally performed in early December. This gives you around three months to get things in place. More than enough time, for sure. But then again, the Autumn term is one very busy time; new pupils, new parents, harvest, Halloween, Guy Fawkes, parents’ evenings, reports (aargh!), class assemblies, Christmas fairs. Plus, producing a school nativity is not the walk in the park that some people (even other teachers and school leaders) seem to think it is. The administration alone could keep somebody nicely employed for a good few weeks, and that’s before a single child has sung a note of the seven or eight songs which need to be learned. Then there’s rehearsals, rehearsal space, staging, scenery, costumes, props, letters to parents, emails to support staff, more letters to parents. Exhausting. But less so if you get ahead of the game.
Help Is Available
The sooner you purchase the school nativity play, the sooner you can start creating your blueprint for a memorable production. Knowing the school nativity inside out is a great starting point. Take one of our offerings, Niki Davies’ wonderful new nativity Follow The Star. Not only does it come with a CD of the songs and backing tracks, but you can get a full digital download of everything you need too, including an adaptable WORD script (let’s face it, every script needs adapting to suit the school which is staging it, so why make extra work by not letting people have an editable copy?). Whichever nativity you choose, getting to know the songs, picturing your staging, and even thinking about how to cast it will all help to keep you from feeling the pressure when the school term gathers momentum.
Enhancing The Curriculum
Much of the planning for this term may already in place. Equally, it may still need some padding out, so knowing your school nativity at an early stage allows you to include it within your schemes of work, especially as part of your PSHE curriculum. A school nativity play provides innumerable opportunities for classroom exploration, as well as for performance. Our whole school nativity, The Amazing Advent Calendar includes all manner of discussion topics, reading and writing activities, art and craft suggestions, and even a Christmas Wordsearch.
And Finally
Every Headteacher loves being able to demonstrate how well-run their school is, how organised and efficient their staffing body. Brownie points are clearly available for the teacher who can relay with confidence the name and nature of this year’s school nativity play.
Still not convinced? Take a look at the blog below. It might just change your mind.