Farewell not Goodbye

Don't really want to post this photo as it officially acknowledges that it's all real

Lottie's last day at junior school and she was devastated .

Final assembly was lovely and the head teacher did a fabulous talk about change and transitions and farewells .

Everything she said is of course true , change is part of life . The kids will understand this and reconcile it all in their heads when they start at high school , but for that hour they were all in tears .

They all left assembly first to spend the last 5 minutes in the prayer garden and , as is tradition , the current year 5s leapt into the empty year 6 benches , ready to take their place . Then all the year 5s formed a guard of honour as year 6 walked under it and left school through the front doors for the final time .

Sitting here writing it down is making me cry again. Lottie is with her Dad and Erin for the weekend and I hope she's ok.

After school we all headed for tea at the pub for a more light hearted farewell.
It's been a heavy day .

Lottie says goodbye to St Walburga's after 7 years there. I say goodbye after taking both girls there over the last ten years . It's not been perfect but it's been a 95 % perfect school and they have been well looked after.

Time for change and new starts .

Sob...