School is Out for Summer: End of Reception
School is out for summer! I reflect on the Reception Year with much joy and pride watching our kiddo blossom into independent and energetic little people.
Phew – we made it through the Reception Year and school is out for summer! It honestly went by in a blink of an eye. I remember nervously waving to Lady Yeya when she started school in September 2022. We are very happy that Lady Yeya is so enthusiastic about school and learning. She is always the first one through the gates with a big smile on her face. Miraculously, Lady Yeya never got ill this year and only missed one full day of school to fly to California.
Reflections on the Reception Year
I wasn’t sure what to expect as rookie parents with a school-aged child. In no particular order, here are my reflections on the Reception Year.
School Admin
Ready or not, school admin is coming for you. Yes, you’ll have to keep up with weekly school newsletters and announcements; video updates from the Headteachers; and booking After School Clubs if you need it. Luckily, all of our essential information is all in a school portal.
Half-Term Breaks: Goodbye are the days of travelling during the shoulder seasons. Half-term breaks come around quickly, so be sure to stay on top of booking clubs or a family holiday. Be prepared to pay double on airfare as demand is high during the school holidays. Thanks to BA vouchers, we travelled to Madeira and Lanzarote for October and Christmas break, respectively.
Parents WhatsApp Group: The Reception parents WhatsApp Group is quite active. You’ll have numerous messages about misplaced uniforms to holiday clubs to socials and events. If it all gets too much, you can also mute the group. For the most part, it is useful to connect with other parents. Everyone is friendly and helpful. We are grateful for an awesome cohort of parents to share this new phase of life.
Reading Hour: Carve out time to support your child with reading daily. It’s a real test of patience helping your little one with reading. I’ve had many frustrating moments where I wanted to pull my hair out. Not only do they have to work on phonics and sight words, but also on fluency and comprehension. You may think if your child will ever get to Reading Level Sky Blue by the end of Reception. But it is absolutely amazing when they start reading on their own. Hard work does pay off!
Socials and Friendships
Little Friendships: There is immense joy and pride watching your child blossom academically, emotionally, and socially. It is also lovely to see new friendships form with their new classmates. If you hear about a particular friend regularly, it may be time to organise some playdates. Also, do not fret if your child comes home saying ‘Nobody played with me.” Not true. It just means that no one wanted to play “their” game.
Birthday Parties Galore: Get ready for many birthday parties during the Reception Year. We averaged around two birthdays per month. I highly recommend stockpiling some age or gender specific gifts in your closet, just in case Amazon won’t deliver in time for Saturday’s birthday party. And don’t take it personal if your child doesn’t make the cut for smaller birthdays.
Poo, Pee, and Wee Jokes: Much to our chagrin, like many 5 year olds, my child loves toilet humour. Yes parents, watch out for poo, pee, wee, and bum bum jokes at school, at the playground, and at home. It drives us crazy but hopefully this is just a silly phase. At the very least, it helps them with their digraphs “oo” and “ee”. Parents, you’ve been warned.
End of School Year Activities and Formalities
The last few weeks of school are filled with fun activities to mark the end of the school year.
End of the School Year Celebration: I had not anticipated the sheer number of end of school year activities from Sports Day, School Fete, Awards Night, Parents Workshops, and School Picnics. Phew, I’m exhausted thinking about it. Be sure to block out some time in your diary in July. It is a lovely way to celebrate the end of the school year. That said, as working parents, it is totally fine if you cannot make it to every event.
End of Year Reception Report: Of course, there are also formalities. For Reception pupils, parents will receive an End of Year Report Card following the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework. This covers: Personal, Social & Emotional Development; Physical Development; Communication & Language Development; Understanding the World; and Expressive Arts & Design. At Reception, no formal grades are given. In Year 1, learning is more formal with less emphasis on free-form play. Homework, here we come.
A Relaxed Summer Routine
Now that school is out for summer, we are looking forward to relaxed mornings without the pressure of school runs and homework. We’ve booked Lady Yeya in a variety of day camps from multi-activity camps, to theatre clubs and music camps. We are less strict about bedtime routines, but we will endeavour to keep a nightly ‘reading hours’ to practice her reading, writing, and maths. On the social side, Lady Yeya’s weekends are fairly stacked with playdates, sleepovers, theatre outings, and neighborhood fayres. Of course, we look forward to our much needed R&R summer holidays later in August before starting Year 1.
There’s a saying that we only have 18 summers with your child. Here’s to making the most of summer memories together. School is out for summer – have a great one!
