Monday, February 28, 2005

Graduation

Today the 3rd year students graduated and the hairdressers must have been flat-tack on the weekend.

I knew I should have got my haircut!

I swear most of the teachers must have visited the hairdressers that weekend because everyone was glammed up to the max! Even in a suit I felt a little under dressed as one teacher (although it could be because he was a 3rd year homeroom teacher) had his hair dyed, cut, slicked and was in a tux! Very impressed!

There were no classes, just a graduation ceremony held in the school gym. Although I could hardly understand the speeches, the overall feel of the ceremony was one of vanilla warm fuzziness on a spring morning.

There was also NHK film crews and journalists in attendence which I thought was quite odd. But it was later explained to me that this year was the first year of graduating students involved in the "Environmental protection and natural disaster mitigation" course. Apparently Maiko High School is the ONLY school in Japan to offer this course. Not bad.

As the graduating students exited the gym, the teachers formed two rows and clapped as the students walked out. It was such a great atmosphere. Students were smiling, parents were proud, even some teachers were tearing, a few girls were uncontrolably sobbing, even some boys were openly crying and then there were some who shouted for joy and did a victory jig as they bid their high school goodbye.

After the ceremony I went upstairs to the 3rd year floor and took photos with the students.

The teachers were also provided with a boxed lunch. Yummo! It included adzuki bean rice which is eaten on special occasions.

*sniff* I'm going to miss my 3rd year oral communication class - they were such a great lot.

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