** This thread discusses the Content article:
Graduation Day is Coming **
My boys are about to graduate from the 1st and 2nd
grades and I’m upset. We're messing with tradition. This is how it’s supposed to
look…
At the end of the school year I make a scrapbook of all of
the things they’ve seen, made, participated in, accomplished and experienced
that had anything to do with school in the past year. (I take LOADS of pictures throughout the
year because you just can't keep everything.) Then we invite all of our friends
over for a huge Open House to celebrate graduating to the next grade. The kids act as guides, explaining everything
to their guests. We put the scrapbook
out for everyone to peruse. We make
appetizers and desserts. The boys also
alternate giving a presentation every year to practice their
public speaking. They have to research a
topic, make a presentation board, memorize their “speech”, and then give it to
the group (without fidgeting), which is usually between 20 and 30 people. We've done it the same way every year for the past three years.
I normally love this time of year. I love pulling out all of their projects and
laying them out for everyone to look at.
I like displaying their artwork all over the house. I love watching them explain to their guests what a certain thing is. Sometimes during the year I question
whether we’re doing enough or learning enough, but then Open House comes along
and I see all of their hard work. They’re proud to show their friends what
they’ve done. I am proud of them.
This year all of the projects they completed before we left
are in a box in storage. I don’t have
the pictures or the supplies to make the scrapbook (and I’m scared to death
that it won’t ever get made). There is
no one here, besides us, to acknowledge their passing from one grade to the
next. No party. No food.
No friends. It’s all
wrong. I announced today that it was
almost presentation time. They wanted to know who
was going to listen. Good question. The campground staff? See what I mean? All wrong! Guess we'll just have to get creative.
We do have a video camera with us. Hmmm. Let me think...
