The End Of An Era Is Upon Us

The time has come. My daughter leaves primary school this week. The end of an era is upon us. 

I vividly remember when she started school. How can that be so many years ago now?

At 4 years old, there was no doubt in my mind that she was ready for school. I wasn’t, I wanted to keep her with me! I wrote about it in the run up to her starting school, all those years ago. 

Boo took to school life instantly. There wasn’t even a moment’s hesitation, a nervous glance back at me.

She was happy to be there each and every day, from day one, and this has remained the case all the way through.

When I look back over the past seven years, I don’t know quite where the time has gone. Of course, Year 5 and Year 6 have not been in any way normal for her, and it feels like time was snatched away from her during her final years.

Seven years, though?

So many moments remembered, both ordinary and special.

The school runs, the many, many rounds of parties, the assemblies, the workshops and all of those lessons learned. Along with these ‘ordinary’ moments, we can throw in a whole summer of home learning and then hibernating during the winter remote learning as well. 

And then, as with all primary school children, there’s this huge learning curve, from start to finish.

Everything from learning how to read and write to growing more socially and independently. Primary school is that foundation, isn’t it? The spring board to the next chapter and adventure. 

She has made so many wonderful friends. I have said so many times over these years how fortunate she is, they are a great class of kids. 

From Reception, her very first nativity play will always stay with me. She had so many lines and threw herself into it with such confidence, I was amazed! Then there was ‘fun’ ( I use the term very loosely) with phonics, learning to read, writing her first sentences, making so many friends. 

After that first year, the time seems to have whizzed on by, year after year. School trips will be remembered fondly by her, along with the school sleepovers, the Christmas panto trips, school parties, forest school and so much more. And at the core of it all, the people she’s been surrounded by. 

Alongside all that Boo has experienced and learned, we as parents have been on a journey.

Meeting other parents, and making great friends ourselves. Watching them all grow up together, looking out for them all, celebrating in all of their successes. 

I remember seeing those Year 6 parents on their kids’ last days over the years, getting super emotional and being thankful we still had plenty of time left. And now it is my turn. Already. 

Their leavers’ party is this evening, but then with current restrictions, there will be no final parents’ evening where she can show off her work to me, no last sports day to cherish and cheer at, and no ‘in-person’ leavers assembly to silently sob through. We will get that virtually. And there will be sobbing. My heart also goes out to all of those year 6’s in isolation all over the country, unable to see out their last few days in person with their friends. It’s so hard. 

Primary school has been a pleasure for Boo. Memories have been made that will stay with her for a lifetime. 

She is ready for secondary school. She is ready for that next challenge and new experience. But she is oh so reluctant to let go of all that she has now. It’s going to be an emotional week in our home this week. 

Of course, I won’t be ‘leaving’ the school just yet. Little Man will be moving up to Year 4 in September, so we still have three years left of school runs to a place that is now so very familiar to me. But with one less hand to hold, it definitely feels like the end of an era is upon us. 

 

 

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