Sans Sannensei

This Wednesday was graduation day for the 三年生 (sannensei-third year students). The ceremony took up the morning and was held in the gym. The students even got chairs for this one. For most ceremonies they have to sit on the floor. It was a bit different from America. The first order of business after the national anthem was awarding the certificates. Then, relatively short speeches by the principle, the head of the PTA, and a second year student speaking on behalf of all the underclassmen. Also, the vice principal read several letters of congratulations from various people too busy and/or important to show up at the ceremony.

Towards the end, the graduating students sang a song, which happens in America as well, except usually it's just one person or the choir, not the entire graduating class. Then, after they sang through it once, they chanted somethings or the top of their lungs in unison. Sometimes all the girls or all the boys, or just one class or just one person alone for one or two sentences before someone else chimed in. It was pretty interesting. From what I could make out, they were talking about the various events and school trips they had taken part in over the years with various thank yous mixed in.

This was the part where people got weepy. The biggest crier I saw was a student who I saw at school maybe eight times in the five months I've been here, usually being escorted from the premises by a displeased teacher. Still, there he was, bawling. He was also the only one that said anything upon receiving his diploma, other than shouting hai when their names were called which they all did. I couldn't really make it out, but it was really politely said, which was unexpected as this kid didn't seem to know any polite speech a week ago.

Anyway, that was all for the ceremony. Then the graduates met up with their parents outside, and the teachers and underclassmen formed two lines and the students and parents were lead through the gauntlet by their homeroom teachers. Then, all the underclassmen helped take down the decorations in the gym and were sent home to spend their half day off at home studying. Then after the teachers had lunch, the first and second year teachers went out to make sure the kids weren't at the arcades and sent the ones they found home.

Today was back to normal except for the absence of the third year students. The third year teachers went out in the morning to pick up the test results from high schools. Apparently, the kids did pretty well. Now, we have just a couple more weeks to go before the end of the year. I guess that wraps it up for now though.