What have you been asked to provide for your child(ren)s school play?

[PoppyAnna]

I ask because my friends were a bit shocked what I have been asked to provide.

Eldest DD is in year 1, this year they are showing how Christmas was celebrated through the ages. One class is doing WWII, another the 80's....you get my drift. DD's class is doing the Tudors
They've got her down to tee as shes going to be one of Henry VIII's entertainers The letter that was sent home gave pictures and notes on dress for male and female entertainers at that time, including a fancy dress website to give us ideas. The notes included information on materials used (fur trimmed velvet etc). This letter came home on Monday with the costume to be in school by 8th December There was not one suggestion on the letter about how and existing outfit could be modified or enhanced.
Now, I have many domestic talents but running up a Tudor costume is not one of them a Victorian apron/mop top is one thing but this is entirely different.

I think it was very insensitive to parents that are already approaching christmas with it's normal expenses as well as loose change money envelopes for the fete, own clothes day (bring a bottle today for the fete), day trips, school photos and cakes for the fete next week, thats just in two weeks
Some parents complained, as some of you will know it's even worse when you have more than one child at school, the teachers were sympathetic but suggested we visit charity shops

DH said not exactly a credit crunch play is it

I ordered an outfit for DD from ebay and it cost me just over £16 delivered which won't break the bank but that's not the point.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Childrens-Girl-Fancy-Dress-Costume-ROYAL-TUDOR-PRINCESS_W0QQitemZ320319507821QQihZ011QQcategoryZ1068QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

Just had to vent

 

[cap'njack.]

We have been asked to make Kacee costume so that he could play the part of a star in the play. He is only 16 months old so I guess there is a limited amount of parts he could have

 

[wideeyes]

I am lucky and just have to provide a white tshirt and tinsel.

 

[natalielongstaff]

I have brought costumes in the past, im too lazy to make them though

 

[Nubbedy]

At the school I work, we have asked the parents to provide a long sleeve T shirt and tights in a particular colour. We are buying any costumes we need using our fundraising 'toast' money for the month. I know, as a staff, we do feel bad about the amount of things we have asked for lately - Samaritan's Purse boxes, trip money, raffle tickets, school photos... It's the worst time of year.

Tudor themed costumes though

Sara.

 

[GlendaONeill]

DS2 is a train which is ok as it will a cardboard box over the top job as he's nearly 3. DS1 is a snowflake, which isn't surprising as their school likes them to 'explore all aspects of play to prevent gender specific play' BUT to top it all off DD is an astronaut. All these plays are supposed to tell the nativity story but all I can think of is that Chris de Burgh song.
Anyway getting back to the point.....
DS1 is having something made because the only outfits for snowflake I could find were snowflake fairies. I don't care what the school says because I sure as hell am not dressing my 5 year old son as a fairy!!!!!!
Another parent came to my rescue with an astronaut suit for DD.

 

[PoppyAnna]

At the school I work, we have asked the parents to provide a long sleeve T shirt and tights in a particular colour. We are buying any costumes we need using our fundraising 'toast' money for the month. I know, as a staff, we do feel bad about the amount of things we have asked for lately - Samaritan's Purse boxes, trip money, raffle tickets, school photos... It's the worst time of year.

Tudor themed costumes though

Sara.

Thank you for your opinion Sara.

The thing is, I am on the PTA so I know how much we raise PA and I know that we could easily purchase these costumes. We are one of quite a few small schools in our area with just one class per year. The headteachers meet on a regular occasion, would it not be prudent for the schools to rotate the costumes each year, it seems to me like it would be easy to build up six different sets of costumes between the school so that parents never got the same play twice in a childs time at a particular school.
As the PTA we manage to swap and share equipment between schools for the fetes, what can't the school admin manage the same

 

[wilma-bride]

You should all think yourselves lucky - Daniel is a stable animal and the letter he brought home on Monday says he needs to wear a cream or brown long-sleeved top and cream or brown tights.

You try telling a 6-year old boy he's got to wear tights He has already said he'll wear socks but no tights and I certainly don't intend to try and make him so the school will have to make do with beige cords

 

[PoppyAnna]

You should all think yourselves lucky - Daniel is a stable animal and the letter he brought home on Monday says he needs to wear a cream or brown long-sleeved top and cream or brown tights.

You try telling a 6-year old boy he's got to wear tights He has already said he'll wear socks but no tights and I certainly don't intend to try and make him so the school will have to make do with beige cords

Oh Joh, I do sympathise, our boys have got to wear all sorts of tights and britches....at least I don't have to talk Anna into wearing a fancy dress. At least you're getting a chance to see him in the Nativity, the other absurd thing about this is that only reception do the Nativity and as Anna was a January starter she didn't take part last year - I'll never see her in a school nativity

I guess I'm just new to this lark I was just so surprised at the timing and how different it was to last year when apparently they just had to wear a white t-shirt and jeans/leggings....oh I wished Anna was doing the 80's, leggings and a baggy t-shirt

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

Gosh, is this what i have to look foward to when it comes to school plays?

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

That dress Joanne is really adorable.

 

[PoppyAnna]

That dress Joanne is really adorable.

LOL lets just say the photograph is very flattering, the quality isn't that great. It'll probably fall apart after both performances.....

 

[Pinky166]

LOL lets just say the photograph is very flattering, the quality isn't that great. It'll probably fall apart after both performances.....

If it doesn't then you should try and sell it on ebay to get some money back.....it's bad that they expect so much from everyone at the most expensive time of year.

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

LOL lets just say the photograph is very flattering, the quality isn't that great. It'll probably fall apart after both performances.....

Maybe you can re-customise the material after for next years play

 

[Cyrano]

Individual parents have nevered been asked to provide costumes in troops school. So I agree it is insensitive to put some on the spot.

Our PTA/Parent Council have met requests from the school to buy materials/costumes so indirectly the parent fund items

 

[emily1982]

Have you noticed the advert on the bottom of this thread? A santa suit for $500!!!!!

 

[Snowy-girls]

Dd7 is to be an Angel this year.She was last year as well,so still have her outfit,which only consisted of a white xl t-shirt,a strip of tinsel to go around her waist,white snowflake tights+i made her a headpiece with a halo covered in tinsel.Thankfully mine only cost aprox £8.
Dd3 is in Nursery and only had to sing Twinkle Twinkle and all we have to provide is some tinsel to tie around her head+wrists.99p from the 99p shop.x.

 

[DLPdaft]

The most any of the parents at my DD's school have to come up with are certain colour tops and bottoms - they don't have to be tights, as long as they are self-colour, and the right colour for whatever part they have in the play.

The nativity is done every year by the KS1 kids, and the costumes are recycled every year. We have all the nativity characters, animal masks for the stable, even choir costumes.

 

[CHEK]

Both my DD's are now in the juniors and this year's production is "Joseph" the Year 6 take the main parts and the Yr's 4 & 5 are the singers and dancers, so this year it's a pair of black trousers and colourful t-shirt
Whilst in the infants we we're really lucky the costumes we're always provided by the school

 

[The Fetherstons]

Ds school this year are doing a play based on the school and what Nativity means, some children are acting the role of teachers and others as pupils Adam is a pupil therefore he has to wear his school uniform so this year its easy for me