Fin,
Today will be the last ever day you walk through the doors of Ton Pentre Juniors, almost 4 months since the last time you walked out, due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
These last few weeks should have been spent with all your friends, on a trip to London, practising for your Leaver’s concert and getting excited for the end of year prom.
Instead, the majority of the last 4 months have been spent at home, just the four of us muddling through home schooling and trying to keep each other’s spirits up. There have been days when the four of us are in the dining room; you singing, Cian rapping along to his air pods and Daddy typing like Daddy Pig and I’ve wondered how on earth I can get through another day with all four of us in one room. But then I’ll have a rant, someone (normally you) will say something to make me laugh and then we have an hour off out the garden, in order for the stress levels to decrease, and all is good in the world again.
I’ve been so proud of how you have handled the isolation of lockdown, especially due to your love of being outdoors with your friends. In fact, the only thing you have moaned about during this long, drawn out period is doing school work. Something tells me that you are going to have a rude awakening in September! As much as you enjoyed impersonating the Nutty Professor in the transition evening, your school work is going to become far more time consuming than you have been used to of late, so make the most of your next 8 weeks of freedom!
Admittedly, it’s hard to remember when life was normal but despite the end of your journey in Ton Juniors being so disappointing, you’ve had an amazing 3 and a half years there.
So many different dress up days and all raising money for good causes. International Language Days, Roald Dahl days, Comic Relief, World Book Day, Red, White and Blue day, Type Onesie day and Christmas Jumper days to name a few.
Starring roles as Paul Hollywood and Freddie Mercury in the School Christmas productions.
School sports days (your first and last in pictures)
School Trips to Cardiff Bay and the Senedd, Dan Yr Ogof caves where you met Adam Jones for the opening of the JDRF Land Train…
… and not forgetting that trip to the beach where your bag was almost as heavy as you, due to all the medical paraphernalia you had to take, and you came home utterly exhausted.
You’ve loved working with the Sporting Marvels and had a blast at your first ever “parent free” disco last Christmas.
You undertook the cycle training and passed all three levels of the course.
And you were selected to represent the school in a swimming gala and the cross country event at Gelligaled Park.
You were over the moon to receive the “Most Likely to be a Comedian” award by Miss Barnard when you left Year 5.
And just to prove that you can be serious sometimes, you were also elected as Chair of the School Council by your class!
And how could I forget the Eisteddfod. You smashed your role of “Mam” in the Ymgom along with your cast members and made the main stage of the Wales Millenium Centre, live on S4C. The judges ruled you all as second place but everyone thought you were robbed of first!
You had an amazing time on your residential to Llangrannog and Mrs Roberts and Miss Barnard took exceptional care of you, which enabled you to take part in every activity over the three days. The kitchen staff provided all the carbs for your food and due to your Coeliac disease, you had a pass to go to the front of the queue which made your trip!
But out of all the lovely memories you have made, school rugby has, unsurprisingly, been the highlight of your time in Ton. Year 5 saw you as part of one of the most successful rugby teams that the school has ever produced. Champions of not only the Super 8 finals at the Cardiff Arms Park but also the Cliff Morgan shield. It was a really successful year and one that you will remember for a long time.
And so, whilst everything feels unfair at the moment and nobody can deny that the Year 6 children of 2020 have been robbed, no-one can take these memories away from you all. You’ve made some lovely friends and I’m sure you will expand that circle when you arrive at Treorchy Comp in September.
There has never been a day where you haven’t wanted to go to school and I for one will be eternally grateful for all the opportunities you have been given and the unwavering support you have received with your health care. The staff have enabled you to become more responsible in your own time and you are emerging from Primary School, fully capable of taking care of all aspects of your treatment, which is more than I could ever have hoped for when you arrived there 4 years ago.
So today, on your very last day, take a look around, remember the good times you’ve had, say your “Thank Yous” and “Goodbyes” with your bubble of friends and walk home for the last time, knowing that you are extremely lucky to have had such a happy and successful school life so far. Long may it continue!
I’ll end this post with the poem we (and I use “we” in the loosest sense of the word) wrote to commemorate your time in Ton Juniors.
One early morning in September, that walk to the Juniors I’ll always remember.
Feeling so nervous as I approached the front gate, but at the same time, I could hardly wait.
I needn’t have worried, it was so much fun and before I knew it my first day was done.
Mrs Roberts, my teacher, was lovely and kind; my first day worries were soon left behind.
My favourite memory throughout Year 3; Paul Hollywood played by my brother and me
The whole way through holding my moustache, until I finally gave up and made everyone laugh
Year 4 saw me join Miss Barnard’s tribe, the fun we had, I can never describe
The care she showed me with my Type 1, can never be faulted, she was second to none
I was lucky to keep her as I entered Year 5, and in her class, we continued to thrive
I was picked to represent the school rugby team, which, for me, a year early, was nothing short of a dream!
We were so successful, unbeaten all year; making the final we all gave a Cheer!
Off to the Arms Park, we could not wait and emerged the first winners of the Super 8’s
Onto Year 6 and Ms. Jones’s crew, but we never got to see the year through
COVID19 came and ruined our plans; Leaver’s Concert, London and Prom were all banned
Months and months without seeing our friends, this was not how the journey was supposed to end
But the main thing is we are all safe and well, and so the time comes to say Farewell!
One last day, in my school I will spend, saying Goodbye with one or two friends
And so as Ton Juniors becomes part of my past, I’ll say “Thanks for the memories, it’s been an absolute blast!”
Love you always,
Mammy
x
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