Tuesday’s Fostering Blog
It is the last day of the school year. We have been counting down the number of “get ups” for weeks – and now we are finally here. Charlie and I have just returned home from the year six leavers assembly. When we arrived at school we found there was already a huge queue of year 6 parents waiting outside the school waiting to go in. By the time I had dropped Lauren and Alice at school and joined the queue I was fairly near the back. Ordinarily this would have felt a little disheartening, however, I had one thing that they didn’t have – and that is a husband that volunteers in the school. This meant that he had already gone in ahead, to help put out chairs for the service. This meant as soon as he had finished helping with the chairs, he would get us the best seats available!! I would then walk in with the rest of the parents, and join Charlie on the front row.
Throughout the service, there were many tears from the year 6 parents. As Lauren had only been at the school for a year, we didn’t share the same emotions as those parents whose children had been there since nursery. We however just enjoyed the service. It was lovely hearing the year 6 children’s memories of their time at their school. Lauren recalled one of her first weeks at school when she went on residential. Right on cue, just after Lauren had shared her memory, Alice starts crying. When I say crying – it’s the fake crying that can be turned on and off at will. Everyone looked round. She said she was crying because she didn’t want Lauren to leave the school. Fortunately her teaching assistant was on the ball and was able to quickly distract her before she caused too much of a distraction.
The rest of the service took a slightly more serious tone when the vicar from the local parish talked to the children. He reminded them that although they might be feeling sad about leaving the school, it was simply the end of chapter and they would be soon embarking on a new chapter as they start their new schools in September. He also talked about celebrating the heroes who have been helping them along the way. And as he talked about heroes, he pulled out several boxes of Cadburys Hero’s – this was when both Lauren and my ears pricked up!! She was especially happy when he dished out several boxes to each year 6 teacher – and asked them to share them with their classes. Shame there weren’t enough to share with the year 6 parents too!!!
So at the end of today my youngest birth daughter will have left primary education. We will still have our foster daughter Alice at primary school for a another 3 years, but I know a milestone in our family has been passed.
A Less Ordinary Family Foster Care Blog
