The Long Goodbye - Part 1 - Goodbye 1st Years!

Sunday 10th June

The first years finished the semester 3 weeks early and so for their lesson, we went into the playground and we played some run-around games which they absolutely loved and couldn't believe their luck that English could be such fun.

It seemed like a good opportunity to try out “The Big Ship Sailed on the Alley-Alley-Oh” as with 22 children we needed space.  I did this in the village school in the classroom as there were half the number of children but even with two teachers it proved to be an ambitious plan! Instead of moving in a line under the arms of the front 2 children they kind of randomly broke out of the line and went where ever they wanted.  Never mind!  We moved on to “What’s the Time Mr Wolf” and they soon got the hang of it and didn’t get tired of screaming as I turned into a fierce wolf at “Dinner Time” and chased them around the playground.   The sun was beating down on us so we moved into the shade and did the “Hokey Cokey” which was they enjoyed particularly the boys when we did the running into the middle part as they could crash and fall over”  What is it with boys that at any opportunity they do this?  They are all the same worldwide!

The beautiful roses that filled every vase for
every teacher brought in by children from their gardens (or the local park ...!)

There was of course an end of semester concert which I attended and enjoyed but didn’t understand any of it as it was all in Georgian and involved recitation and patriotism with the hand on the heart and the national anthem.  Although some of them hadn’t quite got the hang of it!  The girls were dressed in their finest and sang a song which involved the swishing of their skirts.

Recitation is a serious business in Georgia and students make the pledge

Skirt swishing is about to happen!

The children all learning dancing from a young age - the best are chosen to perform  today

It’s always interesting to look at the audience and these are 2 of my second years no doubt thinking that it seems a long time since they were first years.  Just look at the mums with the mixture of anxiety and joy on their faces.  Mums are the same the world over.

Mothers exhibiting an array of emotions as they watch their children - pleasure, anxiety and horror .  I wonder if any of these is the mother of the girl who hd to run off the stage to get to the toilet VERY quickly?

My second year class wondering where the years have gone