The Grade 6 Graduation Ceremony

Climber finishes Primary School for ever in just under 2 weeks. Whilst we are all excited about the next stage of his development (Fixit and I had our High School Orientation For Parents last week, Climber is off tomorrow for his own orientation day), we are also experiencing sadness at the end of an era. How is it possible that 7 years can fly by so quickly, how?

Our primary school, like most others these days, holds a Graduation Ceremony for the departing Grade 6 children. Ours was last Wednesday. A special smart, casual outfit was required so I took Climber out shopping for a shirt with a collar and some nice jeans. This was the first time in his life that we've done that, having survived all these years with hand-me-downs, the occasional hand-sewn and the rest staple el-cheapo knockabout clothes from Kmart and the like, which don't require children to be present at the purchasing. This is what we bought him:

 

When he was trying the outfit on at the shop, there were couple of other mums who gasped a little when he emerged from the changeroom, then commented to me how handsome he looked in the stripey shirt (buy both shirts, they said, but we just got the one).  I was more preoccupied with the fact that he'd come shopping with his soccer socks and shinguards still on - getting skinny jeans on and off over shinguards is quite a struggle. Lucky he's agile.

We took some pre-ceremony shots... .



..and then it was time to drop him off at the school hall for dinner with his grade and his teachers.  Fixit and I then went and met some kindred parents for a meal at a nearby restaurant.  Cherub went to stay the night with his best friend.

At the ceremony, there were speeches and prizes.  Ten children volunteered to speak on various topics (teachers, outings, special happenings, funny stuff, friends).  I was very proud to see Climber be one of them -   he spoke very well indeed, about outings and excursions.
 
 

Then they all sang a song, during which there were tears galore, from audience and performers.  Climber was one of the kids struggling with emotion as he sang, I of course was one of the tear-drenched parents.

Finally they came up. one by one, underneath a past and present photograph of themselves and a quote they'd chosen, to receive their graduation bag of goodies and to be wished well by their teacher and their principal. Waaaaaaaaaaaah.

 

I'd cleaned myself up a bit here, but you can see the eyes, they are red with crying!



Climber came straight to me afterwards for an emotional hug, but we managed to smile for the camera.

 

Afterwards was a bit of a party, and then home to bed where Climber once more got quite upset at the ending-ness of it all.  So sad.

It was great to have a ceremony to mark the end of what has been a very happy period of our lives. I think the kids felt very special and loved, and a little bit mature too, like the grown-ups they're starting to become in the next stage of their lives. It was a very emotional night and we were quite wrung out for days afterwards.  Only the final assembly to get through now!