School festivals (for Jr. high) usually start out with chorus contests. Each grade sings one song that each class in their grade has too, followed by their classes song of choice. After this one group is chosen as the winner in each grade, as well as an overall winner. The overall group gets to preform against the other schools in the area at a big hall concert. After singing each class/grade performs either a dance or a play. Than there is lunch time, in which the students help to serve the lunches (usually made by PTA moms in Jr. High). Than finally in the afternoon each class sets up their games/shops, and the parents and others get to shop around and play the games the kids created.
The elementary school festivals are not as intense. They last only in the morning time, about 9 - 12. First, they start off with the whole school singing a song, as well as their school song. Than each grade performs either a play or does music/sings. Each grade gets about 30 minutes to preform. Than everybody goes home and the poor teachers have to clean up the gym.
The great thing about Japanese schools is that they have things like this. The bad thing about things like this is....they tend to use time that should be spent studying in the classroom on it. Often two weeks before the festival the schools will slowly start to cancel afternoon classes so that the students can work on their festival instead. Sounds great right!? No, because they still have to get though the textbook by the end of the year. This means after the school festival teachers tend to push though the textbooks super fast to make up for lost time, which in turns means the kids don't have any idea what is going on, (at least in English).
Don't get me wrong though, I love school festivals. I just wish they could do them without missing so much class time.
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