Fin de Curso - Parties and Presents

I cannot believe that the school year has gone already. It seems like only a few weeks ago we were all running around like headless chickens buying books and stationary for the new term. Now there’s only 3 days left until the end of the summer term and the school year!

The kids are having a great time, not doing much work, extended break times, concerts and end of term parties, that’s without the parties for all the sports activities and after school clubs.

This week, however, is a nightmare for us mums. For every party your child attends, they are expected to take a contribution of food or drink along – I’m scheduled to make chocolate brownies tonight for my son’s end of term, class party tomorrow. I must admit, though, for most of the other parties my kids have been to, I’ve sent them along with a large packet of crisps or a bottle of pop. Of course, you have to remember the week before the end of term to stock up on these party bits or you find yourself rooting around the back of the cupboards looking for something suitable or donning the apron and knocking something up yourself!!
When you’ve got two kids each attending a sports activity and an after school club that’s quite a few parties!

Then you’ve got the end of term concert. All classes participate in one form or another. The Spanish schools do not really believe in giving you much notice for anything. Don’t be surprised if your child comes home one day and says “Mum, I need a empty jar, cotton wool and seeds for tomorrow” !!!
It’s the same for the concert – if you’re lucky, you’ll get a weeks notice to make or buy (if you can source it anywhere) an elaborate costume for your kids. I’m lucky this year, my son’s class is just singing a song and they don’t have to dress up. My daughter is dancing Flamenco but she already has her dress and accessories from a previous performance. A few years ago, I had to dress my son as a “Spanish farmer boy”. My interpretation was very different to the Spanish mums!!! This year, one of my friends has to find “Chinese kimonos” – even worse, she has twins so she has to find two!! The poor woman was tearing her hair out the last time I saw her – she’d found one but was finding it impossible to find another, especially as they had to fit a 6 year old!!

Next, we have to remember to buy the teachers a present and send it in with the kids on the last day. As my son’s teacher is male, no doubt, like Christmas, he will receive 30 bottles of wine and 30 boxes of chocolates!!

Finally, there’s the kids reports to collect. Each class has a specific time to collect these reports. I can assure you that unless you are waiting outside the specific classroom at least half an hour before the allocated time, you can expect to wait at least an hour before you see the teacher. Each mum (Dad’s aren’t daft, you don’t often see them there!) is seen individually by the teacher so it takes quite a while to get through all 30 of us!!!

Most parents dread the summer holidays – after the final week of term I’m glad of the rest!