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It was Rachael's last week at school. Ever. Apart from the exams in a few weeks time, of course. There have been quite a few events this week including flash mobs and some masks decorated with the Principal's face. Rachael now has a T shirt with a pair of sea shells painted on the front as part of her Little Mermaid costume. And a hoodie with the letters AEL on the back. It's the custom for all the leavers to get a hoodie with their nickname on the back. Rachael chose AEL. This is to assist with all the people who keep calling her Rachel!
It was the graduation evening last night. I can't remember having a graduation evening. Or even a bit of high jinks at the end of term. Although the teachers did put on a number of optional extra lessons after the exams. The chemistry teacher did a couple of lessons on explosives. I now know what happens when you mix methane with oxygen in a gas jar and set light to the top. Went off like a cannon! Then there was Nitrogen TriIodide and Silver Acetylide. The latter had to be dried out on a filter paper before it would explode. We took ours outside and laid it on a window ledge. It was sunny, and the first years were out on the pitch playing football. Four of them came over and said "What's that?". So I told them. "Here - tap it with this spatula!". "It doesn't work!". "You have to let it dry out." Bang! Four slightly deaf first years.
Rachael's graduation involved drinks and nibbles, followed by separating out into form classes. The teacher then read out verses and prayers that she'd prepared for each one. Then we came back in, and the students came up to receive their leaving presents. These didn't contain a lot, but did have lots of encouraging words from each of their teachers. Afterwards, Rach was rather overwhelmed, and burst into tears. It's been an incredible year for her; she's lost almost all of her anxiety, caught up with her learning and developed a lot of resilience and maturity. In one year.
Wednesday afternoon was hectic. We had our Light Party (a Halloween alternative) with a rather full community hall, lots of children and piles of candy. Plus the fire brigade, lots of activities and a bit of a disco afterwards. I did Splat The Rat again, with a drainpipe Bronwyn found in the shed. My arms were aching afterwards from picking up the rat and putting it back in the pipe! Lots of fun. Six spare loaves of bread currently filling up our freezer!
Men's breakfast on the new church land this morning. Early morning. It went well, but I was tired after the graduation night and went back to bed afterwards! The plans for the new church are progressing; we've agreed a design, we're now working out how to pay for it. The old building is now a shell - only one room is left, and all the walls are gone from that. And someone left the windows open!
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