The last day of school
The six-week summer was finally here :)
The last day of school was momentous. The year had flown by, and it was surreal to think that this long-awaited day had finally arrived. It was happening, and I was living it, seeing it and right in the thick of it. The much-anticipated six-week summer was ready to unwrap, and I couldn't wait to blissfully indulge in every last moment of it. I was overwhelmingly proud of all that I'd achieved and thrilled that I'd conquered every hurdle. The day felt celebratory, but it was also tinged with sadness. It marked the end of an era, as I would be saying goodbye to my very first class and some remarkable children.
The generosity of my pupils and parent community was completely overwhelming. I received countless thank you cards and gifts, which I was truly grateful for. Some of the cards are still on my window sill because I just love reading them. Carrying everything home that evening was a real struggle, but I was resilient to the very end. Single-handedly managing three different bags and a blossoming plant was my final hurdle :).
The amazing gifts and cards from my pupils & parents
On the final day of school, my class and I spent some time together first thing in the morning, and I gave out some small gifts (stationery and hairbands). Pupils then gathered together in the hall to watch a movie while teachers decluttered their classrooms. I spent the final few weeks of school gradually preparing my classroom for the next teacher, so it wasn't such a huge job on the last day. Bags of rubbish were collected from each classroom and chucked out by the bucket load. I would advise all teachers to keep on top of their classroom clutter throughout the year, to avoid a mammoth clean-up operation in July. Send work home with children, chuck out old resources and keep your drawers and cupboards tidy!
Pupils had break time and lunch as usual and were dismissed at 1:30pm. Once they had all gone home, it was time for staff to have some fizz and celebrate. My phase leader kindly brought in some pink prosecco, and it was lovely to have a celebratory drink. All staff later gathered on the school field for some lovely food and even more drinks. It was a beautiful sunny day, and it was great to finally breathe out and relax. There was music and laughter, and everyone was thrilled that the summer break was upon us :).
The headteacher kindly thanked all her staff for their hard work, and all those leaving the school were invited to say a few words. Around seven members of staff were leaving, and I was one of them. We were all showered with lots of lovely gifts and cards, and I was really thankful. I knew that it was going to be the best summer ever, and I couldn't wait to indulge in a sunny six weeks of sleep and me time :).
