If Tammy can have one, so can I, though I won’t promise to have one every week.
Yesterday I had 2 “grads” to attend, one for my ten year old who is graduating from public/primary school (grade 5) and one for my son who is graduating grade 8 and will next year attend high school.
I have mixed feelings about a grad for Grade 5. Sure they are changing schools and all, but to me its not a huge milestone. We didn’t do anything like that when I was a kid (back in the stone ages of the 60s). But it obviously means something to the kids, so I was there with flowers for my daughter and a camera. She didn’t wear a “new” dress but it was a fancy one.
It was clear that many of the kids were dressed in formal wear, new dresses/suits for the occasion. I wasn’t the only one with flowers. The ceremony was fairly brief, and there was coffee and cake afterwards.
It was nice to see that we have a primary school with a very diverse group of kids – many from south east asia, the caribbean , Newfoundland, and everyone got on well. Some of these kids started kindergarten speaking no english and by Grade 5 are winning academic awards.
My son’s grad on the other hand….
Each family was given two tickets and two tickets only on account of the limited space in the hall. But somehow many families simply ignored that rule and brought 4,5, and 6 people per graduate. I would have brought my two daughters to see their brother, if I had been allowed, but I thought if there was a rule there must be a reason and I should be considerate of others. Guess I am a schmuck then since everyone else seems to care not at all.
This grad to my eyes was more appropriate for high school than middle school (grade 8). It was held in a convention centre ball room. The kids were dressed to the 9s. I cringed at some of the revealing outfits those grade 8 girls were wearing. Clearly Bratz is a major role model these days. Six inch spike stilletoes, tons of cleavage and short short dresses do not look appropriate to me for a celebration of an academic milestone. I actually thought a couple goth girls in all black floor length looked better dressed. I almost applauded a girl who wore something vintage which revealed nothing but was a pretty dress which she complemented with long gloves. Unfortunately the kids had a habit of hooting and cheering the girls who wore the most revealing dresses. More cringes ensued.
But the bigger point, and I have one, is aren’t we letting the event get more important than the thing we are having the event to celebrate?
They go through the whole giving out diplomas walk, but the things they are handed are blank sheets of paper bound in a ribbon, which they hand back at the end of the walk. The real diplomas were given to the kids the day before. So really its a photo op.
The number of awards was truly staggering. That and he fact they tended to generously award them to two recipients meant a very long ceremony. Every academic department had an award, and then there were 8 non academic awards and 4 athlete of the year awards.
Does the total number of awards not diminish the meaning? My high school had twice as many student and gave out half as many awards.
I know that somewhere a teacher is thinking I am just an old fashioned coot, and that the size and scope of the ceremony is to encourage people to have a sense of accomplishemnt. Maybe they think its some kind of push to make peopel feel better so they will stay in school longer. But I don’t think the kids they want to reach won any awards. I’m sure many of them felt ackward in formal wear (at 14 I did too). Did the kids who were marginal really enjoy a 2 hour ceremony?
I can tell you that when my middle child graduates next year, she will not be dressed like a Bratz doll.
My son and his friends skipped the dance afterwards. They didn’t want to be wallflowers.
Education is important. But to me its the actual education thats important, not the ceremony at the end. If Grade 8 grad is fancier than my high school grad (and it was by far) then what will high school grad be for my kids(I have an inkling).
Is this how we got to $50,000 weddings?
James
