08 October 2015

Last day of school

One of the hardest things I've had to do here at the end of our time in New Zealand, was to say goodbye to the school the boys have attended the past year. I spent a fair chunk of my days making lunches, taking the kids to school, checking up on Steven at lunch and shuttling the kids around to school activities. I found myself choked up several times during the day watching the kids kick around on the playground for the last time.
Dressed and ready for the last day
Jack's classroom
My friend Raewyn, the school secretary
I wouldn't call the New Zealand elementary school system particularly rigorous, academically speaking. But the thing that the Kiwi education system does right, is to let kids be kids. They have loads of unsupervised play. The kids climb trees, play chase, fall down and skin their knees (or worse) and, in general, just play rough. And the kids love it. I will certainly miss that aspect of Kiwi culture.
A pickup game of rugby
Unsupervised play, at its finest
Getting some pals together for a last photo
The boys have made some great friends along the way. We threw a simple party at our house for their friends on Sunday. I went around during the party and took movies of each kid and asked for a parting statement from each to Steven and Jack. The kindest words came from Steven's friend, Oliver. "Steven should stay! New Zealand is way better, eh Steven". Such good kids.
Going away party
Mobile device lan party
Olly and Michael
Rough housing in the back yard
L to R, back to front: Issac Woodhead, Jack, Luke, Ethan Woodhead, Jacob White, Oliver Arnold, (kneeling) Seamus Walsh, Rain Hortillosa, Bradon Walsh, Steven, Conner Cook, Michael Hipp (reclining)
Before we came over, I was worried about the kids making friends. Now I worry about them getting reacquainted and reintegrated with their friends back home.

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