Earlier this month I attended my son’s graduation ceremony. He looked so handsome in his bright red cap and gown, smiling proudly at all he has accomplished. He clutched his little blue diploma when they called his name, and I was overcome with emotions that felt out of place. Especially considering the fact that my son had just finished Kindergarten.
Literally.
My son’s school had a graduation ceremony for the kindergartners. This has become a popular event across the United States, and I have to admit to being one of the ones who scoffed at the idea.
Graduation, or commencement, is typically saved for those graduating high school (grade 12) or college. Not five- and six-year-olds who are simply moving into the first grade. It seemed silly to spend $17 (a bargain compared to what I paid when I graduated college almost 10 years ago!) on a cap and gown for something that seemed so…ridiculous.
But then I got to thinking about what this ceremony actually meant for my son and his classmates, and I came to accept that it was something worth celebrating.
Since he was four, my son has been attending a private school that accepts children from 6 weeks through Kindergarten. This school year, 2012-2013, will be the last the school will be offering a Kindergarten program. So many public schools have switched to full-day Kindergarten, that parents just aren’t willing to spend the money to keep their youngsters in private school. The school once boasted a Kindergarten graduating class of 35 students. This year, they graduated 9 children from the Kindergarten program. So they made a smart financial decision to open a second Kindergarten Prep class, and close the Kindergarten classroom.
Of course, that small class size was the exact reason I kept paying for private school, rather than switching to public for Kindergarten. I was willing to pay so that my son would have a more personalized approach to his education. He thrived in that class, with that wonderful teacher who was able to cater to each of her 9 students and their individual learning styles. He entered that class already knowing how to read, so Miss L gave him the chance to practice by allowing him to read aloud to the class on several occasions. She planned additional activities for him, knowing that he was ahead of the other students and finished the assigned worksheets quicker. She kept him from getting bored in a classroom that was just a bit below his level.
I am sad to see that this school won’t be offering a Kindergarten class any longer, but I am eternally grateful that my son was given that opportunity to develop a real love for school.
Switching to a public school with much larger class sizes will be a bit of a culture shock for my son, but I have learned from Miss L some ways that I can cater to his learning style outside of the classroom. And in a larger class, it is more likely that he will not be so far ahead of everyone else. There will be other children on his level.
And so, I have come to accept and love that we were able to gather together and celebrate these wonderful children who will be the last graduating Kindergarten class from this particular school. It is a true commencement for them, as they venture off to different schools (my son is – unfortunately – not zoned for the same school as any of the children in his class). They are not simply moving from the Kindergarten room to the first grade, as would happen were they already in a school that offered classes beyond Kindergarten. They are moving to an entirely new environment.
And I know that they will all thrive. They will do wonderfully. I have gotten to know each of those 9 children, and some of their parents, over the past two years at that school. I am proud of their accomplishments and how much they have all grown over the years. They have made large strides, and I am proud to celebrate their graduation.
Even if seeing 9 five- and six-year-olds in caps and gowns was just a little silly looking.
Does your country celebrate a commencement for younger children? How do you mark the transition from one school to another?
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by Roxanne of Nevada, USA. You can find Roxanne at her editorial website, RoxannePiskel.com, and her personal blog, Unintentionally Brilliant.
Photo courtesy of the author.
Roxanne (USA)
Roxanne is a single mother to a 9-year-old superhero (who was born 7 weeks premature), living in the biggest little city and blogging all about her journey at Unintentionally Brilliant. She works as a Program Coordinator for the NevadaTeach program at the University of Nevada, Reno. Roxanne has a B.A. in English from Sierra Nevada College. She has about 5 novels in progress and dreams about completing one before her son goes to high school.
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As a true-blue Kiwi, I do find the idea of kindergarten graduation to be a bit odd (understatement is our middle name)…but I love your take on it and can see why it would mean so much to your son.
Our boys are able to attend a sort of private school (Rudolf Steiner/ Waldorf) here…the govenment subsidises alternative education choices to a certain extent, so while we pay more for our boys’ school than most of our friends…we only pay around a 10th of private school fees.
The night after our boys finish kindergarten they are welcomed into ‘big school’ with a very special ceremony…where the graduating 18/19 year olds walk them (one by one) into the school assembly hall in front of the school community and introduce them to their teacher for the following year – each small child brings in a Christmas lily which they give to their new teacher. The little ones where white and the older children are in their ball gowns and suits; there are teachers who play baroque music on flutes and recorders and it is really beautiful. Then their new teacher takes them into their ‘next year’s’ classroom and they have a story together while the rest of the school community sings Christmas carols etc.
The added advantage is that our boys have never fretted about their new school or teacher over the long summer break.
That sounds like such a beautiful way to celebrate! It reminds me of when I was in sixth grade and we all had Kindergarten “buddies” that we would go hang out with a couple times a week. It’s nice to get the older kids involved with the youngers.
I can totally “feel” your emotion Roxanne! My son just completed kindergarten, but he did not have any “graduation” because he is staying in the same school. That being said, he too is in a private school, which has 4-5 classes per grade, but none have more than 16 kids or so (and 2 teachers). My husband and I are discussing moving out of the city next year, but I am having a really hard time coming to grips with the idea of a classroom with 20-25 kids in it, since he really does thrive with the “personalized” attention.
I really do love the small class size. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all schools could provide that kind of personalized attention? Thanks for reading & commenting!
My daughter graduates kindergarten this week!! They had a class party last week that the parents were invited to, but we don’t have a ceremony. She will stay in the same school for first grade.
She’s in a public school, where the kindergarten is half day and there are about 20 kids in her class with one teacher. Her teacher was fantastic and had an open door policy for the parents, and we could come in and volunteer to help at any time. It was challenging to get in there with the little one, but I really cherished the times I did go in! With her schedule being half day, I really enjoyed our lunches together this year, and I’m going to really miss her when she’s full day next year!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Rox. I wish your son all of the best of luck next year in first grade!
Jen 🙂
I wish I were able to volunteer in my son’s class, but it’s really not an option for me. I mean, if I could fit it with my work schedule. Good luck to your daughter next year. First grade should be a lot of fun! Thanks Jennifer.
I enjoyed reading your take on graduation from Kindergarten, Rox. Sounds like it was perfect for the transition he and his classmates will be making.
When my oldest graduated from Kinder last year, the kids had made their own graduation caps out of red construction paper and decorated them. Parents were invited to the classroom for a small recognition of all they had accomplished over the course of the year, and we had some desserts to celebrate. It was a nice way to help our children transition from the end of the year to a new grade without being too over the top.
P.S. love the picture of your son – he looks handsome and adorable in the cap and gown 🙂
I have always thought all the “graduations” kids have today are silly. This week my son finishes elementary school and it seems like he goes to the only school on the planet that doesn’t have a graduation ceremony for that. I’m eating my words and wishing there was some kind of ceremony. Sigh. Another thing I totally didn’t “get” before I had kids.
Wow, it must be really special. My daughter’s child care centre also does this for their graduating class when they turn six and just watching it makes me think how fast they grow and very soon it will be my baby’s turn.