GK has graduated from the 5th grade and will be in midde school this fall. Her graduation was a little uneventful in comparison to other events I have attended for kids making a move from elementary school to middle school.....but then it's that school.
It was as though the principal had to make another check mark on a requirements list for central office and so hundreds of adults came to see nothing so that the principal could say she had done a graduation.....oh well.
We had a little something for GK here and will at the new moon make it more significant with ritual.
Let me pose a couple of question to you. Why are details honored even when there is no heart connection to them? And have you ever felt that going through the motions is appropriate modeling for a child?
I am just perplexed as to the why.....but then I think it is because I see so much more now "just becauses" than ever before in my life. Seems to me that things had a purpose before, a rhyme, a reason, an intention. Oh gosh I guess I am getting to be an oldie.
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Why is it necessary to celebrate non-events? My granddaughter's nursery school had a graduation event when she moved to kindergarten. I think it devalues real accomplishments when we celebrate and recognize students for doing nothing more than surviving a year of school. Graduation happens when students meet the requirements to graduate from high school. There are no requirements for completing elementary school...you get old enough and they move you on. Have a party to celebrate the end of the school year, great, but save the accolades for real accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have to disagree with anonymous. It is an accomplishment - of sorts - and certainly children can be held back or left behind academically. They aren't just passed on to the next grade, or they aren't supposed to be.
ReplyDeleteBesides, I think it's nice to celebrate that a child moves from one thing to the other. It ain't necessarily about the "surviving" but of moving through the stages of life - in this case, grade school to middle school. We had a graduation and it was a big deal to me & the other kids. Why not celebrate? Otherwise why waste our time on any celebrations at all - like birthdays? Or anniversaries? Or turning sweet 16. Life if hard enough - I say celebrate!
I did it again, forgot to put in the vert word. I just said "Way to Go GK" I think we should celebrate whenever we can, it helps combat all the negative in the world.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I agree with anonymous. Graduations from pre-school, from kindergarten, from elementary to middle school, middle school to high school, etc. take away from the big moment of graduating from high school to "adulthood". I'm of the grumpy old ilk who don't believe that a child has to be petted and praised for every dang thing they do. Yes, instill them with self-worth, honor the big accomplishments and always pass out the hugs. But some day the little ones will be out in the real world working a job and there won't be any parties for them when they do what they are expected to do.
ReplyDeleteI had an elementary school 'graduation' before I moved up to high school. I really appreciated it as a turning point. Is it necessary? I don't know, but I think to offer to have a ceremony for kids & parents and then not put any effort into it is pretty tacky.
ReplyDeleteI know that some teachers/principals do the minimum, while others really put their heart into things. I'm sorry to hear your grandchild was exposed to the former. Here's hoping next year is wonderful!
I'm with Marlene :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm kinda in the category of why are we celebrating the graduation of anything but high school, college, etc. My niece 'graduated' from the 8th grade to 9th and expected gifts -- come on -- too much like everybody on the team getting a medal even when they lost the tournament...
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