Amelia started school on Wednesday. She is in what here is called Reception at the same lower school Jon attended after moving to Biggleswade. It is roughly the same as Junior infants in Ireland. As next year is what they call ‘Year One’ and ‘Year Thirteen’ is Upper Sixth or roughly the same as Sixth Year in Ireland. All very confusing. To make it even more so the system hereabouts is 3 tier rather than the usual 2 tier meaning we have lower, middle and upper school as opposed to the more common primary and secondary. These are the things that caused my head to spin during the entire six weeks I did of a PGCE (before it turned out the funding wasn’t available due to my length of residency at the time).
Thankfully Amelia has taken to school like a duck to water and we’ve had no tears or squiffy moments from either of us. On her first day her drink bottle and book bag did go amiss but they were found again the next day, I suspect someone couldn’t read their name properly and mistook Amelia’s bag for their own. Things have been sharpie-d in larger letters and we (me) are slowly getting to grips with things and amounts to put in lunch boxes. Little sausages have been added to the mix, squishy fruit and oat bars are out but plain Tracker bars are in.
Since she’s gone up to school with two other children from the fantastic childminder (as well as her youngest) and the brother of her best friend from the childminder she already has some firm friends and it was really nice for me for her to be greeted on the second day as we came into the playground by Nicola’s youngest son as he clambered about on the climbing frames. He may be in Year 2/3 now but has known Amelia since she was not yet two and knows she’s always up for running about and climbing, he even informed me after the first day that she had eaten pretty much all her lunch!
I’ve started making short, minute or so, videos of Mimi after she comes home of what she deigns to share with us about her day in school. As you can see her enthusiasm for it has lasted through the first three days. And when told this afternoon after returning from visiting Nana and Granddad that she’d be going to school again tomorrow was very pleased.
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Special guest of Lucy, background noise brought to you by Jon opening a box.
