Graduation Ceremony

March is just around the corner, which means a new semester here in public school teaching land. This is the time of year when the kids graduate up one level. So it was goodbye to the 6th graders last week.

It was obligatory that I attended the graduation ceremony. This occurred the day after Wala Wala died so my mood was kind of somber. Anyways it was interesting to witness the Korean way of graduation from Elementary school. Although, I can not remember what my graduation was like back then. I think we just went to a ceremony in the cafeteria had some cake and went home early.

The students, teachers and family were put into the assembly hall room, which is next door to the English room.

The kids wait patiently...or not.

Here my current co-teacher comes to take her seat. Flowers were for the students.

The ceremony consisted of the Principal's giving lectures followed by intermittent clapping and bowing.
That kid on the left there, he always slept in class. Also some awards were handed out to the brightest students.

As I watched I tried to see if any of the students were shedding tears. Not all of them will move on to the same Middle school. But I couldn't really find any teary eyes. I think they were mostly feeling a sense of dread, seeing how it is that in Middle school they will be the newbies and the testing is harder.

I will miss them and hope they do very well at their next school. It would be great if I can see them again when they are more grown, but I don't know if that will happen.

Congratulations!