P365 – Day 355 – the end of school

Today was Juniordwarf’s last day of school for the year.
When I dropped him off today, I took a few photos of him in his classroom, the room he’s been in for the past two years – last year in pre-kinder and this year in kinder. A room that I’ve come to know very well and that we will see, but no longer be a part of, after today.
I took some photos of him with his teacher and his kinder aide, who have been wonderful – encouraging and supportive of Juniordwarf in his first year of formal school. I remember the doubts I had at the start of the year as to whether he was ready (is there anything I don’t doubt?), but he has proven them to be completely baseless, and the staff in his classroom have contributed a huge amount to his development this year. I can’t thank them enough.
As has come to be normal when dropping him off these days, I waited with Juniordwarf in his classroom until the bell went, letting him lead me around the room, showing me things he’d done that were proudly on display. I read him one of his favourite stories and watched his classmates dance around the room, clearly excited that the year was almost at an end.
What a contrast to his first day – which sometimes seems like a whole lifetime ago, and at other times feels like it was only yesterday.
The uncertain, nervous excitement of the first day in a new school was replaced by almost a party-like atmosphere, with kids who were comfortable and relaxed in the school environment. There were no anxious parents waiting to see how their child would react, no uncertainty as to who puts what where, no nervous ‘hellos’ and wondering how we were going to remember everyone’s names, no tearful goodbyes.
Oh except for me.
As I watched how well adjusted Juniordwarf and his classmates had become, how comfortable they were in the environment and with each other, I started to feel a bit teary that this was the end of another stage of his life.
Just like on his first day.
This post still makes me cry.
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