For some reason the “Last Bell” celebration on the final day of school this year was somewhat anti-climactic. Perhaps it was less exciting than last year since I knew how the ceremony was going to go and the speeches and children’s songs and poems are basically the same or maybe because this has been a more tiring and more stressful spring that last year and I felt more like the teachers around me, really waiting for that last bell to ring. Once again we gathered on the field next to school as each class marched into a large square formation. Students were awarded for their places at various Olympiads, speeches wishing the 11th form leavers all the best in life and the rest of us the best during our summers, some small children belted out some songs, and a large 11th form boy attempted to heave a rather large 1st form girl onto his shoulders to carry her around the square as she rang the last bell. Unfortunately, this year they picked a larger girl than the one that rang the first bell to open school and the last bell last spring and the boy had a difficult time getting her up onto his shoulder so he ended up having to awkwardly carry her under her armpits and sitting on his forearm around the square. It looked quite uncomfortable, but they made it back to their starting point without dropping the child so all in all a solid performance. Then I went to a celebratory lunch with some teachers and we drank a bottle of vodka.
