And now the end is here
And so I face that final curtain
Saying goodbye to Year 6 is tough, every time I did it I thought it would get easier – I was wrong.
Y6 is a unique experience, the highs and lows of that final jam-packed year of primary school. They start the year as nervous bright-eyed children and end as confident young people ready to take on whatever secondary school throws at them – you did that! You shared the nervous excitement when they found out which secondary school they were going to; answered the questions about Y9 bullies and lockers; eased their concerns about getting lost and assuaged rumours about strict secondary school teachers.
You shared the journey to the second week in May – the dreaded SATs. The constant reminders about the passive – remember ‘by zombies’; the subjunctive – think Beyonce not Bieber; FANBOYS; BODMAS; KFC and so on. You smiled encouragingly on test day, hid your horror as you noted their answers on the Maths paper and handed out tissues, pens, pencils on request. You forgot about it until results day – the gateway failing to load; the mystery of the missing papers; the relief that the data looked ok – all things considered.
You shared their triumphs – abseiling off a bridge; mastering long division; being picked for the team; being Star of the Week; making a new friend; being brave enough to audition for the Leavers’ performance and were proud of each and every one of them – your bond with this group of children is strong, but you have to cut them loose, let them out into the big wide world.
Many tears will be shed as you wonder how they will get on in the future – you held their hands for the last year; lost sleep over how to help them next, but you know, in your heart, that your job is done.
So, as you wish Year 6 2022 well and every success in the future, raise that final curtain with a smile on your face, even though your heart may be breaking a little. It’s the last thing you can do for them.
Goodbye Year 6, we’ll miss you!
