School days – nativity practice and target certificates
This week’s school days has been busy again as usual. Although N’s mind has mostly been focused on one thing. How long it is until Christmas.
Nativity play
N told me his role is very important. He has no lines as far as I know, and that’s probably a good thing. He’s not the sort of child to get involved and make himself the centre of attention. In fact very much like me as a child – I’d have been mortified if I’d been made to say lines (although I was happy playing music) unlike my brother who had the lead in several primary school musicals.
But he’s been giving me a low down each day after the practices. Who the mum and music teacher is who comes to teach them. Which children are which role and what they have to say (the lead villager’s lines have been said with great gusto as have another of the older boy’s…maybe I have got a little actor on my hands after all). Although I still don’t know who is Mary and Joseph.
N’s also been singing away the various songs, although I think there’s a lot of mumbling still.
This week though, he did come home without his jumper.
‘Where’s your jumper?’
‘At school, I forgot to pick up the bag. It had lots of blood on it from my nose’.
A first nose bleed, during the play practice. It seems that despite N’s excitement about the play, he was quite impressed that he had to go and sit out in the classroom until it stopped.
I’ve had to get hold of a villager outfit, long tunic, belt (still to get – we don’t do belts in our house), tea towel and head band. I don’t really want to sew, so I’ve gone for tabard style – just a long piece of brown material, I’ll cut a hole in it, give him a beige/brown long sleeved shirt for underneath, he can wear his trousers. Top with tea towel and band round the head, so just need to find a belt now. Easy.
One other concern that N has, is whether my boss will let me have the time off work to see the play. My work’s fairly flexible like that, and as long as I make the time up, it’ll be fine. I’ll just work from home, drop N off at morning club before school, do an hour’s work, and I’ll be back to watch it.
Bronze target award
This week N had his target assembly, and he was awarded his bronze target. It sounds like in the youngest classes, they all get them together until they start doing more complicated work, and the ability stretches out. They do have target cards with a tick list of what they need to achieve in literacy and maths, but apart from the start of the school year, they’ve stayed at school so I don’t know what has been ticked off or not.
But it’s another certificate for his scrapbook.
Illness
Thankfully N didn’t catch my horrendous cold. But it seems that there’s quite a few others who’ve been off sick. N’s best friend’s been off for a couple of days and when I asked N who he’d been playing with he said “No-one. Everyone else is too busy doing other things’. Aw. I suggested that he ask others to play but he said he did and noone said yes. I’m hoping he did actually play with some others, but I suppose I’ll never know.
As well as general bugs and illness, there’s also been letters home about nits. Fun. Thankfully we already have an itty bitty comb that we use sporadically. But N hates having his hair properly washed so there was a lot of screaming when I was trying to condition his hair without getting wet while he was showering the other day.
Writing
N’s quite enjoying his phonics journey so far. He’s two thirds through the sounds I reckon, and he’s much better at recognising the letters and sounds. Luckily he doesn’t mind having some fun tests, and the other day was writing all the ones he knew.
The next step has been Christmas cards. We’re working on 2 or 3 a day. He’ll only do his name, so I’ve done the recipients’ names, and now N’s working his way through them with his signature. The one thing I’ve learnt is to buy bigger Christmas cards. Small ones are no go when he’s got a long name (and big writing!)
The register
It seems N’s new favourite thing about school is going to get the register from the office. If he gets to go, he can choose another pupil to go with him. So I get the low down on who he chooses, when he goes, and how important it is. It’s so funny to hear what things he really thinks are important and fun about school.
What’s been going on in your school days at the moment?
aww this post has just brought back lovely memories. My son used to love getting the register or taking it back to the office. It was the highlight of his day if he was chosen
I actually remember going to get the register from the office. It was actually one of my favourite things to do – Makes you feel important (I know where he’s coming from)
Such a little cutie pie
Charlotte x
My favourite was counting the swimming money…admittedly when I was a bit older
There’ so much happening at school right now isn’t there? I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like when they’re bigger! All good fun though. My daughter is narrator 10 in her school nativity – she seems to be excited about it but I am a little nervous for her… not sure why!
Wow, 10 narrators. It’ll definitely get busier. Madness but fun for them.
N’s doing such a fantastic job. I bet soon he’ll sing beautifully once he can pronounce the words without mumbling.
I’m sure he will. He does have a reasonable singing voice, it’s just the remembering the words that’s the issue.
I think N is doing really well and I too would have been mortified to have to speak in a school play!
That would have been me too. Although I’d have been fine as a narrator as I was quite good at public speaking and doing readings. Mind you, when I was a guide, my best friend and I made great Ugly Sisters in our panto!
Im a horrible mum LOL i made my little man write the whole card himself he he, We have been doing them over a course of a few weeks though having had 45 to write over 2 classes. x
He’s only started phonics and handwriting this half term, and only just learnt his name (9 letters, previously proclaimed it too long past the first 3), so bit unfair to expect him to do the rest. He did do the whole of his cousin’s though – 3 letters in his name!
Wow your son is talented! You must be so proud to be his mom! I wish the all the best to the both of you!
Thanks Lizelle, that’s so kind
Awww what a lovely round up, sounds like mummy has lots to be proud about at the moment. My two boys have just been given their parts in the preschool nativity play too, i have a donkey and a villager, lol and they’re both singing the Christmas songs for it non stop. Well done to N on his Bronze Target Award! xx
Thanks Vikki. Do you have to make the costumes too? Donkey could be interesting. I’ve just bought some cord for a belt, because he doesn’t have one, and it seems you can only buy children’s belts with trousers! Let’s hope either I can teach him to tie it by next Tuesday, or the teacher will do it.