28th July 2010

DORCHESTER: Children look back before moving on

by Anita Harries

Attended by the Mayor of Dorchester Councillor Leslie Phillips, Chair of the Governors Ruth Davis, and a whole army of parents and siblings, the Leavers Assembly for the children in year four of Damers First School was an emotionally fun filled occasion.

A celebration of their time at the school, it was packed with memories and favourite moments from their time at Damers.

Every amazing project undertaken over the past 12 months was remembered with the kind of genuine enthusiasm you had come to expect from these children.

From energetic jive to gentle waltz there was a demonstration of all they had learnt during the incredibly popular Strictly Dance project headed by teacher Nikki Simmonds. Extracts from the successful school production of Atruen, the Guzzler and the Rock Pool, another superb venture put together by the children themselves, were met with thunderous applause.

Singing had played a major role throughout the year. A firm favourite among the children, they performed “The Greatest Ever Game” with so much enthusiasm they raised the roof of the hall.

There was a delightful poem about the residential trip to Leeson House, and audience participation was very much encouraged in the singing of “Boom de Ah Ra”. The children placed their memories in a “basket of dreams” decorated with balloons before voicing their hopes for the future.

Headteacher Phil Minns was full of praise for the leavers, saying they had achieved more and done better than any other year four before them.

He said: “They are an expensive necklace made up of 84 exquisite diamonds.”

Every child received a certificate from Mr Minns, accompanied by comments written by the children themselves. Two special awards were given by music maestro Geoff Edge. Jorgia Hutchings received a certificate for her effort, dedication and superb singing ability, while Faith Cheshire received one for her prowess in technical support.

And a letter of thanks from the Governing Body was given to every member of the Junior Governors thanking them for all their hard work.

This year was the inaugural year of the Julian Slade Award, presented in memory of the popular former Chair of Governors.

Julian lost a brave battle with acute myeloid leukaemia last year, and this award is for someone from year four who has made a significant contribution to school life. From the three nominations put forward by the children themselves, the eventual winner was Louis Verkaile, and the two runners up Jorgia Hutchings and Grace van Zyl.

The shields were presented by Julian’s daughter Nikita, now a pupil at Dorchester Middle School watched by her proud mum Kate.

The assembly finished with a final song “Building the Future, Creating the Past.”

PICTURE: Singing the final song, children from year four fill the stage