Rhiannon had left her PE kit and indoor shoes at her old school. We weren't really expecting her not to go back so hadn't bothered to collect everything.
As she finished school today at 1.45pm we decided it would be a good idea to drive over there and collect them while at the same time giving her a chance to say goodbye to her friends.
I let her teacher know we'd be around and received a message back saying,
"Sorry to hear that Rhiannon is leaving. She was a popular member of the class.
There was a stunned silence for about 10 minutes when I told the class, punctuated by a few genuine tears. It was very heart-warming actually.
The children would love to see her tomorrow for a final goodbye.
I hope she will be happy at her new school."
Tears? Oh dear.
Admittedly, it was a surprise to us that Rhiannon was able to start school immediately after her trial - and she'd started some subjects she really, really wanted to avoid missing, but I had assumed she'd told her classmates what she was doing. Apparently not. They had no idea she was changing schools. Oh dear, again...
Her classroom was empty as it was PE day but some of her classmates (boys) were next door. She handed out cards, received a couple in return and stood around bashfully for a few minutes. So I rescued her and we headed back out.
Then she decided we must go to the PE room to see the others and scooted off around the corner before remembering I had no idea where that was and came back to get me.
Loud music was coming from the room but it went silent as soon as Rhiannon went in. Everyone stared at her before her name was squealed out and she was bombarded by girls all hugging her. A couple cried. I mouthed an apology to the teacher for disrupting the class.
I began to feel a little choked up myself. I hadn't realised she was so loved by her school friends - we'd had no indication of it outside of school. And I don't think she realised it until today either. Even a couple of boys were doing that strange male thing of obviously wanting to hug her but fear of peer ridicule held them back.
Rhiannon held it together though. No tears. Yet...
She said her final goodbyes to them and we left the PE room.
Then, "I must say goodbye to my babies!"
"Who?"
She meant the Year 1 children.
"And I need to say thank you to my German teacher too."
The quick visit was obviously going to take longer than I thought.
The German teacher was first. He was holding a class with some younger kids who, once again, all mobbed Rhiannon as soon as she entered the room. At one point she had three hanging off each arm!
Some lovely, kind words were said to her and about her.
I got something in my eye...
Rhiannon was still holding up!
Next was her "babies". The teacher there gave Rhiannon some quiet words of advice,
"No boyfriends until after your degree. If I ever see you with a cigarette in you mouth, even if you're 40, I will remove it. And if you drink too much alcohol, make sure you haven't got to go to work in the morning."
Fair advice, I thought!
I chatted with her while Rhiannon spoke to her "babies". But I noticed one pretty little girl was looking very upset indeed. Rhiannon hugged her. I pointed out to the teacher that there may be a problem in a moment and sure enough, both girls burst into floods of tears.
Teacher went to the rescue, I extricated a sobbing Rhiannon and we headed off the grounds for cuddles in the car. Rhiannon told me some of the touching things her "babies" said to her and I got something in both eyes.
The amount of love my daughter received in that visit was humbling and delightful.
If I hadn't been so sure that Rhiannon was determined to move schools, that experience would have had me doubting the upheaval.