Kingy Graduation Japanese Style!!

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When you think about graduations you think about finishing High School and University not Kindygarten...
Yesterday the oldest class at MEK graduated..... yep they are 6 years old and they are going of to Japanese Primary school. It was the most amazing, emotional day. I could not even imagine Australian Kindygartens ever doing something like this.
First the graduating children and their mothers and fathers came to the Kindy for the very formal ceremony.

The parents were very dressed up and I was so excited to see two mothers in their Kimonos. First the children marched in while the parents and some other kindy students clapped them in. Encho the principal said a speech in Japanese and the children were then each presented with their certificates. When the students recieved their certificated they then had to present them to their mothers....it was all very formal and the mothers looked so proud of their little ones.

The children sang songs and gave a speech....there were alot of tears by the parents and some of the childen were crying quite hysterically.
I wasnt feeling sad or upset until the children started to cry and then I just felt so sad for them and even shed a few tears.
After the ceremony there were alot of pictures taken and the childen were presented with gifts from the kindy and flowers.

The ceremony was followed by a lovely lunch in a stunning hotel in Shizuoka. The parents had organised it all and when we arrived, the MEK staff, we had to wait to be invited in. I was shocked that they clapped when we walked in. The parents are so appreciative to the teachers it so nice. We had a lovely 4 course lunch. The children each said what they had enjoyed at the Kindy and sang a song which was brilliant. During lunch there were alot of speeches thanking the kindy staff.

The thing I loved most about they day was when each mother stood up and said a sppeech about their child, saying how proud of them they were and how greatful they were that their child had had a memorable Kindy experience. Of course the speeches were all in Japanese but you could feel their emotions....some of the mothers spoke a little English in their speeches and it was lovely to hear them. The most amazing speech was by one of the fathers and he got so emotional he had to sit down, it was moving to see him cry about how proud he was of his son.

At the end each MEK staff member had to say a speech to the children and parents and then we were all presented with a gift from the parents and a beautiful memory book of the graduating children.

The mothers all got on stage an sang a song in Japanese to the MEK staff....it was so beautiful and moving it made me feeling extremely sad. The mothers did a brilliant job of singing it with such emotion. Most of them were crying, it is very obvious that the parents are so thankful that their children have the opportunity to start their schooling in an English Kindy. They said so many times that they were thankful to the teachers for looking after their child so well. It is touching and their childen are so clever and so well behaved that to teach them is a fantastic experience for me and so different from the schools I have taught in, in Adelaide.

The whoe day was fantastic and extremely emotional...I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to experience it.

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Comments

[Calan]

How beautiful. You make it sound so amazing and make us envious that we could not share the experience. And how clean the children all look, that's different lol Take care Calan xx

[Kez and Eli,]

WOW!
It must be so nice to be appreciated so much, I believe that is really what teachers deserve - how lovely! it's sounds like the parents treat the teachers so well. ........and you looked lovely, hope the meal was nice! xxx Kez :)