ANA GRADUATED KINDERGARTEN TODAY!!!!!
Jun. 24th, 2009 11:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conuly
I've read some complaints online about the "trend" of "Americans" (it always seems to be Brits making this complaint, and some cranky old people with no kids or grandkids) making a "big deal" out of things that "aren't a big deal" and how "graduating from kindergarten doesn't count" and it's stupid.
Let me make this clear, to anybody confused by the phenomenon. Kindergarten graduations (this one was technically referred to as a "stepping up" ceremony) do commemorate something important - your kid is entering Real School for the very first time. However, that's not why we have them. We have them because, damnit, this is just about their last cute year, and there's nothing more adorable than dressing little kiddies up in grown-up outfits, in this case gowns and mortarboards!
It's not much different than taking pictures of bunnies with pancakes on their heads, except that you get to pretend it's srs bzness when we all know it's not. They came in, they sang three different songs (the last one had a whole dance routine and was just beyond awesome), they pretended their diplomas were telescopes, and then we ate cookies and juice and cadged photo ops off of everybody.
Though I do think making us sit an hour and a half so they could fit in two different renditions of Pomp and Circumstance was a bit much.
Let me make this clear, to anybody confused by the phenomenon. Kindergarten graduations (this one was technically referred to as a "stepping up" ceremony) do commemorate something important - your kid is entering Real School for the very first time. However, that's not why we have them. We have them because, damnit, this is just about their last cute year, and there's nothing more adorable than dressing little kiddies up in grown-up outfits, in this case gowns and mortarboards!
It's not much different than taking pictures of bunnies with pancakes on their heads, except that you get to pretend it's srs bzness when we all know it's not. They came in, they sang three different songs (the last one had a whole dance routine and was just beyond awesome), they pretended their diplomas were telescopes, and then we ate cookies and juice and cadged photo ops off of everybody.
Though I do think making us sit an hour and a half so they could fit in two different renditions of Pomp and Circumstance was a bit much.
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no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 03:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 03:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 03:36 pm (UTC)I also think that there may be a valid point to be made. When you get your college degree, that will make five graduation ceremonies in your lifetime. Isn't five Pomp-And-Circumstance ceremonies a bit many? (I can't help but think that some 'graduates' might start to see it as "ho hum, here we go again" by the third or fourth repetition.)
I suppose it rings the same to me as the woman who's being married for the sixth time and still wants a big poofy dress, attendants, and two hours of church ceremony.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 03:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 03:44 pm (UTC)For the rest we get certificates and exam results and sometimes a teacher presents the certificates in a semi-formal assembly. No caps/gowns etc. and just a handshake and a round of general applause at the end. Most often, not even parents are there.
But, as I said, we're in the UK. Proms only got introduced about 5/6 years ago in the majority of schools.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 03:52 pm (UTC)When I graduated college, I told them to mail me my diploma and skipped the ceremony. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 05:37 pm (UTC)Also: Hell, I wish *I* brought a damned book to your graduation. IT WAS BORING. :(
no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 05:38 pm (UTC)Yes, it is a bit much, though it wasn't really very formal. They did a song and dance in the middle of it, wow. And they gave out cookies!
It would've been a little shorter if they hadn't had each teacher give a speech and also given us a little rah-rah about how it's their first year ever and we have two letters to read aloud (wtf? WE DID NOT NEED TO HEAR THE LETTERS!) and whatever.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 05:39 pm (UTC)I also told you to put on sunscreen, but nobody listens to me. EVER.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 05:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 05:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 05:40 pm (UTC)But I wouldn't be surprised if we did. All the schools in the city seem to do them, probably for the same reason I mentioned above: Kiddos in grown-up clothes are the most darlingest things ever.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 05:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 05:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 05:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 07:00 pm (UTC)I did graduate in 5th, but we didn't wear robes. I think I graduated from 8th (Middle School), but I cannot remember the graduation at all. I definitely graduated from 12th (High School) and had a robe. I didn't want to go, but I did it to make my mother happy. I graduated from college/university, but I didn't go to the ceremony nor have a good reason to as I graduated at an off time of year.
I think I'd have enjoyed more graduation ceremonies when I was younger and fewer when I was older. By the time I was older, the ceremony didn't really mean anything to me. The graduating does, sure, but not the ceremony.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 07:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-25 02:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-27 04:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-28 12:20 am (UTC)