Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I am so pleased that the kids' school places a lot of value on drama! Last year, Tim's class performed two plays: A Christmas Carol at Christmas-time, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory towards the end of the year.

And who was cast as Charlie, you might ask? Well, that would be Tim. I'd love to be prideful and tell you that they picked him because of the natural acting ability he inherited from his mother; but he was actually selected because no one else wanted to play that role and he wanted to be helpful. That's my Tim.

Anyway, it was a wonderful production. They actually performed most of the script from the movie version I remember as a kid (without the songs). Here are a few pictures and clips from the performance:

• Tim as Charlie in the shared bed with his mum and grandparents
• A clip of Charlie opening his birthday presents from his family
• All of the Golden Ticket winners with Wonka in his boat
• A clip of Charlie and Grandpa Joe when they sample the Fizzy-Lifting Drink

I thought it was so clever how they portrayed that!

A few days after this play, the school held its annual Leavers' Ceremony. It's a graduation ceremony of sorts, where they say farewell to the Year 6s who will be moving onto high school the following term. This year, the school had 4 students graduating. Also, Tim's teacher, Mrs. Waller, was leaving the school for a teaching job that was taking her to Malaysia, and the school headmistress, Mrs. Buckton was moving on to another school as well. The ceremony was bittersweet. The children sang some songs (including "So Long, Farewell" from Sound of Music), and the Class 2 band performed songs on the musical instruments they had been practicing on all year. Here are two clips from the Leavers' Ceremony:


(So sweet to hear this song being sung by British kids).

And what first band concert would be complete without "Drunken Sailor?"
(And yes, that's Tim's teacher on the trombone. She took instrument lessons along with the kids. Doesn't that say so much about her as a teacher? We were so sad to see her go.)



I have to say, for such a small school, I am very pleased with all they do with the performing arts!

Summer Highlights

(I realize that I am months behind in my blog. So sorry.... I have been busy to say the least, with my new role as PWOC Pres., sewing with my friend in the afternoons, and just life in general. Anyway, I will do my best to get back into the swing of things....)

We'll start with some highlights from this past summer. We went home to the States for just two weeks at the end of June/beginning of July. Highlights included:

• spending time with Grandma Stryker and Uncle Luke at their home near Ithaca, NY
• boating and enjoying the nearby lakes
  
• going mini-golfing with Grandma
• playing in the inflatable pool and playing baseball in Grandma's back yard
• visiting with Great-Grandma Phelps
• going to the Corning Museum of Glass
• visiting with my college roommates, Tanya and Alyssa, and their families
• spending time with Grammy and Papa, Uncle Jesse, Aunt Babe and cousin Summer, Uncle Jay and (almost) Aunt Ashley, Aunt Katie and cousin Logan in East Hampton
• special time with my cousin Jane and her three kids, as well as my Granny
• lots of time in the pool and at the beach
• our annual family bivouac (including fishing and searching for crabs)

It was a very special time. Actually, since moving here, it seems like our time at home is all the more precious to us.

Sometimes, it's just the simple joys of being together...