School Days – sports day and multi-skills

It’s been a busy week at school this week.  It’s felt like they’re really winding down to summer with sports day and sports week this week.

Multiskills morning

N’s been talking about the year 1 multiskills mornings for a couple of weeks. Mostly because it was a morning out, with a coach journey to another school.  When it came to it though, I didn’t hear much about it, other than the bus driver on the way forgot to pick up N’s school (they were sharing a coach with another nearby school). And they did lots of different stations to do each skill (but he was put out that the last 4 were all based on football).

Joining up with other schools, and doing lots of different activities is something N’s school do very well.

Hair cut day

N goes to after school club most days, but Wednesday was a rearranged day for pick ups because the OH was taking him for a hair cut at his sister-in-law’s sister’s.  N takes change in his stride, and loves his aunt picking him up from school.  He came home after a couple of hours with a smart short hair cut and was obviously excited enough to go back in the next day and tell his teacher all about his haircut.  It is funny what 6 year olds think is exciting enough to tell their teachers about.

Singing

N denies he likes singing and he would avoid the choir like the plague. But he sings a lot at home, mostly songs he’s been singing at school, usually those from assembly.  Some he seems to think I should know (the water of life – no idea what that song is) and others are old school favourites. N always seems surprised that I know songs.

Sports day

N is very much a middle of the road easy going child. Sports day just shows that even more.  N knows he’s never going to get on the podium unless there’s a miracle. His has 15 boys out of 17 in the year, so they have to split the boys races into 2. He’s been unlucky enough to be in with the 4 fastest boys in the year and another really sporty one. While N enjoys tennis and the other sports they play at school, he’s not a natural sportsman (unless there’s a bat and ball involved, then he can hold his own), but he generally enjoys everything he has a go at.  But not winning doesn’t matter. He knows where he fits in the ranking, and he was quite proud to say ‘I came 4th or 5th in all my races’ (or 6th in 1).  Because he tried, and he enjoyed it.

Their school is lucky in that all the children are supported. They have a sports council of children who through the year do sports with the younger children at break-times and encourage good sporting behaviour and effort. All the children get cheered over the line even those seriously lagging behind. Everyone takes part, and the head cheers the final person over the line and tells them well done.  I was in the top 8 for sports at my primary school so did well in most of the serious races we took part in, but I don’t ever remember having children and teachers cheering everyone on like N’s school did.

I am always amazed by how many children of different ages end up in tears for not winning, or thinking there’s been a finishing line placement error in giving the positions, or just being embarrassed because they’ve fallen over. I don’t remember as much of that happening back in my day, but the kids do get back up there. And no-one laughs at them doing it (unless of course they play up to their falling over).

Our sports day is a good event, and N really enjoyed it. He was even proud of his Well Done sticker which he was given because he’d not had any podium finishes.

Next year, us parents must remember that it’s never as warm as we think it’ll be, sitting outside for 2 hours watching them. And remember the sun lotion even when it’s grey, cloudy and windy. Damn that wind burn!