Friday

Phew.  What a scorcher it was yesterday.  Baking hot and variable humidity through the day.  It was made all the more intense by the fact that we were moving stuff around all day.  Books, boxes of things, more books.  it was very busy, very sweaty and we couldn't have done it without a small army of lovely helpers including TAS and year sixes.  I am VERY thankful that, although I'm changing year groups, I am not changing my base.

I think most of the moving was done.  Of course, there's days of work still to go because everything was shoved behinds cupboard doors willy nilly to make it all look neat and tidy so it will all have to come out again for a proper tidy up during the holidays.  I have to say the same for my own in-class cupboards too which are in a bit of a state and need a good clear-out.  However, it really doesn't look all that bad: well, it does, but it could be so, so much worse.

By afternoon play I was whacked and the knee was protesting vigorously.  I was also on duty but that was nice.  I sat in one of the shady places, keeping my eye on the field and the adventure playground and children came to me.  By the end I had quite a collection of children wanting to stay cool and we had a grand old chatter about all sorts of things including how tired they all felt because the heat had woken them in the night and they couldn't get back to sleep again.

I have to say, mine are all looking very weary and wan right now.  It doesn't take much to start them off in whichever way their temperament dictates - tears, tempers, sulks or whatevers.  I'm keeping a careful eye on them right now.

Earlier this morning we had a tremendous storm.  It was the lightning that woke me (deafness can be a wonderful thing) and I opened the curtains to watch the dramatic display.  I can't see many of the children sleeping through it so I guess they will be even more worn out today after such an early awakening.  Looking out, it is still clouded over so I wonder if there's more to come.  One good thing though - no need to water the garden this morning although I must check the plants in the growhouse.
[fifteen minutes later after watering them (yes, they needed it) the skies are clearing]

And so we move into the last day.  Not long before my class is mine no longer.  I always find this a very hard time.  Being with them for most of the day for nine months or so means I get to know them pretty well and I get very fond of them too.  You have to have a relationship with the littlies - after all, their teacher is one of their significant adults - and to have it suddenly changed is always hard.  I'm still not really used to it after all these decades of teaching and it doesn't help when the children and parents start in too.

Better go and find a selection of DVDs, I suppose!