Last week two of the children finished phases of their education. Pixie is moving onto the juniors and Hpops will be starting her journey in senior education in September. It hardly seems possible that they have both grown up in what seems like the blink of an eye. It is traditional at their school to have a Year 2 leavers assembly. As I watched Pixie I couldn’t help but remember the time four years ago when her sister had stood on the benches singing hymns and was collecting her mug and certificate. How could it now be Pixie moving on? It honestly doesn’t seem like four years can have gone by so quickly.
Imp moves up the upper echelons of KS2 in September, and seems to be most worried that Pixie will annoy him and his friends when she shares a playground with him once again. I have to admit I was very sad that Pixie was leaving KS1. For the last eight years we have had at least one child in the infant part of the school. They have all loved it and all been upset when they have had to leave the staff that make it so special for them. It will seem odd (if welcome) to drop them all off at the same time and, for the most part collect them all at the same time. I am hoping this means a lot less waiting around in the car -either baking or freezing!
Drop off will be around 8 as the little two can go to the early morning club while Hpops can be dropped and walk up to the senior school. On the way home she can walk back to meet us or go to homework club, we’ll see how her organisation comes along. I am more worried about the journey ahead as now I am approaching the part of education which I am less familiar with. When I have been to meetings at the school I can’t help thinking how big it is and confusing and wondering how on earth she will be able to find her way about if I can’t. On a recent visit there I discovered a hall I never knew existed as it is hidden between lots of English and History classrooms!
Of course having talked to a fair few of the students it seems that by the end of the first couple of weeks they pretty much know where they’re going, and indeed around this time the parents are invited to school to see how they are settling and see what extra curricular things they would like to participate in. Early indications are good as they actively encourage the children to try lots of things out and discover for themselves what they are good at! As an August birthday though she will still be the youngest in the class and whilst I am sure she will hold her own it does seem a big gulf, she turns 11 in a few weeks and some of the children will celebrate turning 12 within a week or two or returning to school!
I am hoping that Hpops will embrace the new opportunities on offer and gain some new experiences and confidence. Pixie, a child not short of confidence certainly is – she wants to do everything she can; dance, yoga, fencing, gym on top of riding and theatre school at the weekends. We don’t want her to overdo it and with violin as well she needs some downtime as well as time for homework and practice! We’ll see how she gets on. Imp is also looking forward to the new term with his new found ability to join in after a goof recovery from his Easter surgery! He wants to return to fencing and renew his interest in football, plus LAMDA and viola.
I think perhaps I am more worried than they are about their transitions. I feel as if the influence that was once guiding them has been wrestled away. Certainly I now see Hpops caring what her friends are doing, wearing, saying. Perhaps one of the scariest thing is the instant nature of the world they are growing up in. When I was their age we didn’t have mobile phones and iPads where you could instant message everyone to tell them what you are doing, or send a selfie so you can show your friend the dress you’re thinking of buying! I think as Hpops moves to ‘big school’ I feel less needed, and more superfluous. Obviously to some extent they need me, and I am here for them whatever they do need, but at the same time I am starting to look towards my future.
I have been privileged to watch them grow up, be there to hear about their triumphs and wipe away their tears when things haven’t gone right, and for the next fours years for Pixie this will still be the case. As we head rapidly towards the teenage years however I am writing more, studying more and working in school a bit more with a view to increasing this as they need me less, hopefully that way we can all grow together.
