Graduation Day...

...and what a fine day it was. My third year Chugakkou students, all nine of them, today (3/10) said their final goodbye's. Next week they take the entrance exam for high school and after about a two week break, in April a new school year begins. Some of my Shougakko sixth year students will become my new first year Chugakkou students and the cycle will continue.

I didn't expect the graduation ceremony to be like ours in the States. My graduation from Willard involved a packed Community theatre, rowdy parents and students, shout-outs and bull horns. Not surprisingly there was none of that today. On the contrary, it was very formal and serious. The head men of the town sat on one side, while we, the teachers, sat on the other, flanking the students on either side. On accepting their diplomas, the graduates walked very intentional straight lines and deliberate right angles to reach the stage, expressions serious and focused. I must have bowed at least 25 times (though that is a guesstimate since I didn't being counting until about 13 and soon lost track). There was singing of the school song and a pop song as well, and a slide show by the second year students provided a bit of a twist on the traditional. All was fairly quiet until Tomomi, the student chosen to represent the class and deliver the Thank you's and Good bye's, took the podium. Tears welled-up immediately and her voice quivered as she read from the fanned paper. Soon the auditorium was filled with stifled sniffles (though only from the women) as Tomomi's crying was infectious. I, despite only having taught these kids for half of the year, could not help from tearing as well, even though I only understood maybe 5% of what was being said. Goes to show how much of language and communication is not spoken (which has become much more fine-tuned since living in Japan). And as I sat there, trying to discretely stop the tears from actually running down my cheeks, I realized what a sucker I am for ceremony. I love it. I am such a sentimentalist. Put on Auld Lang Syn(Pomp and Circumstance is not used), call it a goodbye and I'm telling' you, Niagara Falls. I actually didn't go that far, but it was nice and sad. A perfect ceremony indeed.




Next week it is the Shougakko's (elementary schools) that will hold their commencement ceremonies. So, for the second time since being here, I will pull out the suit. I am looking forward to it. And at the Nursery school level, the four year-olds are playing a rather recent release called Sakura, on Pianica, drums and xylophone to see off the five year-olds and it sounds pretty good (once I figure out how to post video, I will do so). Though still kancho-ing like mad, I am quite impressed with those little ones.