The Weirdest School Year is Over.

What a school year it's been.  Terms 2 and 3 went so slow, but Term 4 absolutely flew as usual.  It's always such a busy, but fun term.  Book Week was postponed this year because of Covid, and we all had a laugh about how everything else seemed to be cancelled, but Book Week still happened! The kids absolutely love dress up day at school, and I secretly think us teachers love dressing up just as much.  

I always pull out the old witch costume as an easy costume.  The kids absolutely love it, and I always get lots of 'is that you Mrs King!?'

Every year at school we either have a Science Expo or Maths Expo. This year was the Science Expo, so I asked my cousin Levi (Tassie Boys Prospecting) to come along.  We had his YouTube videos playing of him prospecting for gold, and he set up all his gear, including lots of gold to show the kids.  I had shown my students his videos before the expo, and they were so excited to meet 'a real YouTuber!'

Unfortunately while he was at the Science Expo, he found out that his brother Jarom passed away so he only stayed for a short time.  

The boys were so happy to be able to play in the school basketball tournaments, which are played over two days on a weekend.  At first we weren't sure whether it was going to go ahead at all, because of Covid. Kobe had so much fun playing with his mates from school, until he got a huge injury in one of the games. 

He went down to grab the ball, and came back up and his cheek went into another boy's head.   A huge lump came up straight away and he said it felt like his bone 'popped out' so we knew we had better go up to the hospital to get it checked out.  

We spent a couple of hours in emergency (masks were compulsory in there, and it was our first experience of having to wear them), but he got the all clear. The bruise hung around for a good week or so though. 

 At the beginning of the year we were looking forward to Harri and Kobe having a great year as students leaders, and finishing off primary and high school with all the usual special events, but things quickly changed with Covid. Tasmania has been so lucky with Covid and have had no cases for months, but we still had Covid restrictions at school, businesses and in the community. 

Kobe got to go along to the Remembrance Day ceremony with the other student leaders at his school, and got to lay a wreath on behalf of his school. 

It really hit me when Kobe got his Grade 6 Leavers top, that his primary school years went so fast.  He went through the whole of primary school without Aaron around, and I'm so proud of him. 

Harri often complains about school, but this term he kept saying that he felt sad that high school was almost over.  This was at the inter-high athletics carnival.  I'm not sure what the shoe is about! 

This year Kobe's school had their Celebration Night just for Grade 6 students (instead of the whole school) and they were able to have 3 guests per student.  I wished that Mum could've come along as well, but was grateful that Jay, Harri and I could go along.  He was every item including Taiko drumming, the grade 6 dance, and the end of year song which they all write together, about teachers at the school. It was a lovely surprise that Kobe won the 'Respectful Student Award' which included a $50 voucher for a bookshop. 

He was excited to go and spend it and bought two Harry Potter books (he put some of his pocket money in, so he could get the second book). 

Harri's Presentation Night also had restrictions and only two of us could go along to it.  Jay and I actually loved it, because it was much shorter than usual, as it was mostly just for Grade 10 students. 

It was a big surprise that Harri won the Sport Science award, and he also got a $50 voucher, but to a sports shop, which was perfect for him!  He was the house captain of Allen house, and was really shocked that they won the shield this year (they never win!). He was also presented with a certificate to recognise him as being on the Student Leadership Board, being House Captain and Treasurer. 

It was lovely that his mates from primary school were on the student leadership board with him, and also received awards. 

My work dinner was a lovely way to celebrate the end of the craziest school year ever.  We had a beautiful meal and then went out for karaoke later, which was a lot of laughs. 

For a while it looked like we may not have any end of year events, but restrictions eased enough to allow schools to have limited visitors at end of year events, and leavers' dinners could go ahead even with dancing (for a while it looked like there would be no dancing allowed).  Kobe and Harri's leavers' dinners were a night apart! 

Kobe has had had some lovely mates during primary school and I'm so happy that they're all going to high school together next year. 

We had to get a photo of the mums together as well :) 

Harri looked very handsome all dressed up in his suit.  The nights of both boys' leavers' dinners were so hot. 

I think that a lot of the reason Haz is sad to leave high school, is because his girlfriend Josie is in grade 9 :) 

All of these guys, except one, went to Primary School together. 

Great mates since Primary School.

The '10A Boys' 

When I asked him which girl he was going to ask to the leavers' dinner, he said he didn't want to ask anyone because he wanted to go 'with the boys'. I actually loved that he wanted to go with his mates, because it's the biggest night of his high school life, and I knew he would have a lot more fun going with his friends, than sitting with someone all night that he wasn't really close to. 

Seb and Harri ended up going together.  They've been good mates since primary school. 

They went in Seb's brothers very cool car. 

I remember feeling really sad when Jay finished primary and high school, but I didn't feel sad that the boys were finishing primary and high school this year.  I think with Kobe I just know that he's so ready to move onto high school.  He's never loved school, but I think he's going to enjoy high school a lot more than primary school.  We've also had one of the boys at the same primary school for the past 17 years, and it just feels like it's really time to move on. 

I know once Harri gets to college (year 11 and 12 in Tasmania is called college) that he will love it, and he'll love going to school with lots of people he knows that went to different high schools.  

Jay has had the best year at Uni in Hobart. After Covid restrictions eased and he was able to get back to Hobart, we hardly saw him, but I was really happy about it, because it meant he was having so much fun with all his friends he made this year.  I've loved hearing all the things he's been up to including sport, camping trips, dinners, balls and parties.   It's nice to have him home for a few months for summer, before he heads back down for his last year of uni. 

We are all so happy to be on summer holidays.  I'm already loving the sleep ins, being able to go to the gym during the day, reading and having time to do things in the garden and house, without feeling exhausted all the time.