End of School

Today was the first official day of the kids' summer holidays.  Whew!  It felt so strange this morning to not have a school run and to have them both around all day.  We did a few of the fun summer items that I had planned, we baked a cake for Jon's birthday tonight, and we went to the Milton Keynes Play Association.  It was a nice warm day, too, sunny enough for sunscreen and Popsicles (ice lollies) and a cool bath when we got home. 

It was a very good school year for both Joseph and Jocelyn.  Joe started at his primary school in year three and has really grown into such a little man, even though he hasn't changed much in stature this year.  He did very well in school going from struggling in reading to attending the highest level.  His annual report was very impressive as he got an A for effort in each subject and was either at or above expectations in each subject.  Then, with a week left before the end of school we got a letter asking us to attend the end of year awards ceremony as Joe had been selected to receive the class award, but it was to be kept a secret from him until the ceremony as they wanted it to be a surprise.  When the day came, I was nearly bursting with anticipation for Joe.  When they called him up he was absolutely shocked and so, so happy.  We are very, very proud of him and all the hard work and amazing attitude that he has shown towards school this year.

Jocelyn had a bit of a rough year at school, or so I thought.  She had been thrust into year one almost a full year behind the other children in her class.  She didn't know how to read when she first started, and just tonight she read A Tiger Came to Tea to me.  Joci does have a problem with fidgeting in class and at lunchtime, which has garnered her a nickname of ants-in-her-pants.  Jocelyn is excelling at numeracy and art, especially in her color selection and usage.  She has made such enormous progress and is looking forward to doing even better in year two.  She is my baby, and thus the one that I worry about most, as I did all year with her.  Then, at the end of the year after really talking and listening to her teachers I found out that I had worried so much about her lagging behind that I had not really seen how far she had to truly come.  We are so proud of her and how much work and effort she's really had to do to progress so much.

So, as we have fun this summer we are looking forward to the new school year quickly riding towards us from the horizon. 

Joe with his lovely teacher.  She was such a guiding light to him this year.