The school year has come to an end, and with it comes the end of Sophie’s primary school days and the end of infant school for Thomas and all the emotions that have come with it all! We’ve had all the leavers’ celebrations for Sophie over the last week, starting with her prom last Friday, her leavers’ assembly on Monday and then a leavers’ party in the park after school finished on Tuesday lunchtime.
Thomas’s end of term came a little later than anticipated as there was an incident just before pick-up time which resulted in the school going into lockdown. We were reassured that the children were safe but they weren’t able to let them out until after the police had arrived. Thankfully Thomas wasn’t worried, although he was very sad at pick-up because he didn’t want to leave infant school.
The end of Thomas’s time at infant school also meant saying goodbye to the school that Jessica attended. It was nice though to have the premises manager pull me aside just as we were leaving for the last time to let me know that she had Jessica’s butterfly plaque safe and that I was welcome to pop in in the autumn term to see the new piece of playground equipment that it would be going on.
We also had the end of the dance festival year for Sophie on Wednesday. She finished off the year on a high, coming first in her character solo, third in her modern solo and first in her musical theatre duet.
While Sophie started off the week in primary school, she’s ending it at secondary school with two days of summer camp at her new school. She enjoyed her first day there yesterday and spending time with the new friends that she made on transition day.
Thomas’s time as a six-year old is also coming to an end with his seventh birthday tomorrow. He’s very excited about his birthday and has been counting down to it all week. While we will be focusing on celebrating seven years of our beautiful boy tomorrow, there will also be the sadness that this is a birthday that Jessica never got to celebrate.
Thomas overtook Jessica in age a little while ago, but this birthday is a milestone one that hits a little harder – as do all the other milestone this week that are ones that Jessica never got to experience. We took time to visit her this week and share the things that her siblings are doing. I wish so much that she could be sharing those experiences with them.
What I’ve been grateful for this week:
- Day 199 – I am grateful that Sophie had a lovely time at her Year 6 Leavers’ Prom.
- Day 200 – I am grateful for new experiences. Had a lovely evening singing as a soloist in a concert with an orchestra and singing an aria from Cosi fan tutte and a couple of G&S numbers.
- Day 201 – I am grateful for a fun afternoon making a start on finding all the sculptures on the Gromit Unleashed 3 trail. 12 down, 41 to go!
- Day 202 – I am grateful that I brought tissues when watching Sophie and her classmates in their Year 6 leavers’ assembly – such an emotional assembly looking back on their time at junior school and looking forward to the next step in their learning journeys.
- Day 203 – I am grateful for a leavers’ party in the park and a water fight to end Sophie’s primary school days.
- Day 204 – I am grateful for a lovely end to the dance festival year with a 1st place for character solo, 1st place for musical theatre duet and 3rd place for modern solo.
- Day 205 – I am grateful for sunflowers.
Other things that have made me smile this week:
- Sophie making bracelets as leavers’ presents for all her friends.
- Feeding the goats at the summer fair.
- Listening to Sophie and Thomas laugh while pushing each other around the church on a church member’s walker after the service.
- Admiring the views at a couple of the sculptures on the Gromit Unleashed 3 trail.
- Having a client pop in to the office who I last encountered the day before Jessica was born as he was the event manager that my husband memorably introduced me to with the words, “This is my wife. She’s in labour, but don’t worry she’s just going to sit over there and get on with it.” I didn’t really remember him (other than knowing he was the event manager that day), but he remembered me!
- Making a set of “Colorballs” for Thomas for his birthday with the help of one of his drawings (they’re his favourite things but as far as I can tell they exist only in his imagination).
- Holding Sophie’s hand on the last walk to primary school.
- Sophie being awarded a medal for being the PE champion of the year at school. She definitely doesn’t take after me or my husband for this – both of us were rubbish at PE at school!
- Spotting lots of cinnabar caterpillars in the garden.
- Putting together our summer activity list.
- Thomas’s spark tape rainbow of “versitle colors” (versatile colours).
Joining in with Raisie Bay for Word of the Week.
Oh the last week. It comes around far too quickly. I hope Sophie and Thomas both enjoyed their last weeks and Thomas finds his next school just as wonderful. He looking quite the seven year old already. Well done Sophie with her final medals for the year. Hope you all enjoy the break. Clever you making the colourballs for Thomas. I’m sure he will love them.
What an emotional week of endings, but filled with so much happiness and colour too.
I’m glad everyone was safe at Thomas’s school; that must have been scary.
Well done to Sophie on the P.E award and her dance festival medals.
I saw a video of your solo on Instgram, you have a beautiful voice, Louise.
It’s lovely that you take Jessica with you in spirit wherever you go. I know the milestones must be incredibly difficult.
Wishing Thomas the happiest of birthdays, I’m sure he will love the Colorballs you made; they are brilliant.
What an emotional time with school coming to an end. Oh gosh, the incident sounds so worrying. I am glad everyone was OK. Aww! That was so kind of the premises manager to pull you aside to let you know about Jessica’s butterfly plaque.
Good job to Sophie with the dance festival and I hope her time at the secondary school went well.
Happy birthday to Thomas! I hope he has a great day.
Fab photos! Sophie suddenly looks so grown up, especially dressed up for her prom. x
Double moving with schools. Big moments for both of them. Sounds like there’s been some lovely memories this week with your singing, dance festivals, school events and more.
The end of an era, but how lovely that you can pop back in and see where they are moving Jessica’s plaque. I hope you all have a very relaxing summer
It is so interesting for me seeing how other countries do it. Our school year ends in December. So it is always strange when school years end in the middle of the year 🙂 Exciting times ahead for you guys though because with endings come beginnings!
I just can’t imagine how it must feel with the end of infant school and the connection to Jessica. It’s lovely that the school have invited you back to see her butterfly plague. Our oldest son turns 36 next month, the age Stephanie was, I hadn’t given it much thought till I read your blog.
Will you look at Sophie all grown(ing) up. The sunflowers are so pretty.