Last Day of School

It's the end of term, end of school, end of Prep.

It's also J's last day at daycare for this year.

From tomorrow morning, I won't have to wake up at 6.30 and rush around trying to get the girls ready for the school run.

But you know what? Beth will probably rise at dawn and ask if it's time to get up for school. Kids are strange. When it's a school day, they struggle to get out of bed. When it's the hols, for some reason they're up super early.

Next year, Beth will be in Grade One. She won't be a shy, bewildered Preppie anymore, but a seasoned student.

Well, maybe she'll still be shy. You can't change personalities dramatically. But one year of school has sure helped her to come out of her shell.

• She has performed publicly.
• She has got over a hump in her musical progress and is now happy to commit to another year of keyboard lessons.
• She can remember tunes and lyrics after just one hearing.
• She can (finally!) sing in tune.
• She has enjoyed a year of dance lessons and is now ready to try gymnastics.
• She has learnt to speak up.
• She questions what she reads and what people say to her.
• She has made some really good friends and can appreciate the Aussie sense of humour.
• She knows the names of students and teachers from other classes, even those who don't teach her.
• She's always attuned to what goes on at school and is a reliable conveyor of information.
• She knows all the footy teams and can sing Advance Australia Fair by heart.
• She knows more about the Aussie lifestyle than her dad and I do.
• She loves Sunday school and being a helper to her teachers.
• She struggles to speak and think in Mandarin, but I know it's in there somewhere and we'll draw it out of her someday. It just takes time and maternal patience. (Meanwhile, I'm working on J!)

My funny, quirky, can't-make-her-out-sometimes 6 y.o. has experienced one year in the Victorian independent school system and is richer for it.

I am so thankful for the teachers she's had this year, especially her class teacher Ms Holmes, whom all the children adore (you should see them cluster around her in the mornings!).

I am particularly grateful for Heathdale Christian College and its Principal and staff, for the way they have nurtured, encouraged and developed the students, and for their continuing commitment to teach and to model Christian excellence.

It's wonderful to be part of a school community that supports the family unit and welcomes parent involvement the way Heathdale does.

J loves being part of Heathdale too. I reckon she can't wait to start school and get in on what her big sister is doing. Just this morning, she waved bye-bye to Ms Holmes as we left Beth's classroom.

Every morning for ten months, J has watched all these boys and girls in their navy uniforms lining up, playing, chattering and going about doing all the fun things students do.

Sometimes, we stop to say hello to other moms and dads. Sometimes random people come up to say hello and "Hi gorgeous!" to J. School is where we meet people we know from church, like the S boys and the H girls.

Here's wishing the peace and joy of the Good News to all the Heathdale community.