Thankfully, after the drama of the school incident last week, things have improved in our little town. The 14-year-old boy who was attacked is out of hospital and expected to make a full recovery, although that remains to be seen. The teacher has been charged with attempted murder and appeared in court on Saturday. He did not enter a plea, possibly he isn't able to do so at this stage. His next appearance will be at the end of this month. He has a lot of support from past and present pupils, and also from parents. He was a good teacher but something went horribly wrong.
It's been a sad situation all round and one that has left me thinking a lot about the future and in particular the local education system. IJ is only 6 now so no decisions need to be made about secondary schools just yet, it's a long way off. But I do know where I don't want to go, so I need to make plans for the future to ensure there are other options available to her. I've signed up for my marketing course with the Chartered Institute of Marketingand I'm excited about becoming a part-time student again, so things are looking up. There are other irons in the fire too and they are keeping me busy.
On a more upbeat note, IJ celebrated her 6th birthday with a soft-play party at the weekend and despite twenty over-excited children attending it passed without incident. We celebrated again yesterday with her favourite friends on her actual birthday which left her slightly confused about her age. She asked me at the end of the day if she is now seven!
She is in danger of becoming very spoilt and the house now resembles an Aladdin's Cave! Her favourite presents are the Dora styling head (pictured below in Granny's sink!), her Kiddizoom camera and purple teaching watch.
The problem with 6-year-olds with watches is that when I say I'm going to do something in five minutes, I'm now being timed!
