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!