Friendship Day in the Junior Prep
Last week Friday, 12 February, we celebrated Friendship Day in the Junior Prep. The day was all about celebrating the bonds we have with each other and new friendships that have been made.
The children looked super-cute all dressed in their red, white and pink outfits. There was fun and excitement in the air, as the children couldn’t wait to show off their outfits to their friends and teachers.
There was a buzz of excitement all over the school. The Grade RR children were decorating cookies and making hearts for the special people in their lives. The cookies were too good to keep until the end of the day and some couldn’t resist eating the cookies as soon as they had finished icing them. Judging by the looks on their faces, you could tell they were pretty impressed with themselves. Their baking was delicious.
In Grade R the children went to the dam for a picnic. It was a long walk, but they explored the campus as they went, which they enjoyed very much. They got to sit with their friends in small groups and have their lunch overlooking an awesome view of our campus. They were all delighted when they opened their lunch boxes and saw that a treat had been packed for them. It was very sweet to watch them show each other what they had, contemplating whether they should eat their treat first or their healthy lunch.
The Grade 1 children made bracelets and a game of ‘Hearts and Crosses’ that they could play with a special person at home. The parents had been asked to write a letter to their child – a letter of affirmation and love. A letter that served to confirm how unique and special they are, a wonderful boost to their confidence. The children had no idea that the parents had done this and when the teachers told them they had a big surprise, their guesses included some very amusing answers. The teacher called each child and read them their letter. The children were beaming, sitting up taller as the teacher began reading their letters. Some were wide-eyed, with smiles spreading as they listened closely to the letters. When asked what they were going to do with their letters, some said they were going to keep them forever while others wanted to ask their parents to reread the letters when they got home.
In Grade 2, the children picked a friend at random and wrote friendship cards to each other. They had to write down what they liked about each other. As this is their second year together and friendships have already been formed, this activity strengthened that bond. The children read their friendship cards to each other and spent time together. They could be seen sharing jokes and laughing happily with each other.
It was a day filled with love, celebrating new and old friendships, and was wonderful to see that, although we are in the midst of a pandemic, the focus was on celebrating the gift of friendship and realizing how lucky and blessed we are to have each other.
