Another graduation day...

A third graduation ceremony for kiddo.

2008 - five months of Nursery level (Nov. to March) at a small private learning center

2009 - home home home...

2010 - seven months of K1 (?)

2011 - full year of K2 at a regular school

This is the full-year term that we had really worked for his graduation day. So this one's a bit more memorable than the previous ones.

The graduation ceremony ran for an hour and a half. It turned out quite a good one saved for a few glitches. Location was at school: well-ventilated (air-conditioned auditorium) and space just enough for the number of people attending. The program flew by, without any long speeches given by adults! It was really a neat program put together by the school.

Later that day, hubby and I ended up comparing the program with the previous ones we've attended so far. Here's what we've come up with:

GC1

Good:

• small number of people in a VERY spacious air-conditioned auditorium (it was comfortable)
• the program served as a yearbook-like thing

Bad:

• the choice of speaker was a bit self-serving (a very bad point according to hubby),
• uncontrollable picture-taking by the parents
• **awards for kids were ranked (kiddo didn't get any, he has barely turned three at that time *winks*)

GC2

Good: **not much to say except maybe that Kiddo got a silver medal (?evil grin)

Bad:

• location (open air but hot, coupled with two power outages, uncomfortable benches)
• time - program started very late and took too long since it has a lot of kids
• more than 2 adult speakers who didn't seem to think of the audience's discomfort but just a chance for campaigning (Sorry --- I really think that politicians should have no place in graduation ceremonies, specially in preschoolers! Who are we kidding!)

GC3

Good:

• location (air-con, appropriate stage)
• well-planned program (no adult speakers at all!) just kids all throughout
• adults simply said a few lines of "I confer..." and helped handing out the certificates and awards
• made use of a projector with cute slides of graduating kids' photos (optional and quite fancy but it sure added some fun)
• started almost on time
• kids were not ranked (although kiddo got quite a satisfactory number of awards, I do think that it was wise not to rank them as it seems too early and takes the joy of simple learning for them)

Bad:

• the ever-present parent-pseudo-photographers (including me)
• there were some more minor glitches but not much I can say here

** this point can is debatable and bias of course!! *sly grin*

Bottomline of the activity today? We think it was a decent one: worth the time, money and effort of everyone. As for my son, he wants to enroll at the same place next year. That we still have to think about. Cheers!

And since I had written something nice about the third GC (Graduation Ceremony), I won't be feeling bad on posting some photos of P's souvenirs (mala-wedding collection ang dating.)

Until the next graduation day! (Hopefully, that would be roughly in six years time.)

March Blues:A look back

Graduation Fever is on!

As I start cleaning up the books and papers P has used this year, I look back to the first days of his K2 life at his school. It is the first time that he has started and finished from June to March. As in a REAL whole year and not a few months short.

It seems quite sad for DM to finally say goodbye to his pre-school years. The more formal schooling will begin soon and hopefully, he'll be able to continue his eagerness on learning. Sure, we did have our setbacks but graduation this time will feel different. We managed it for a year! Think of getting up early to get to school, doing homeworks, packing the snacks, attending school meeting and going to school activities and trips.

To date, we have attended:

1. Approximately at least four times of homeroom meeting, plus extra ones for activity meetings.

The first homeroom meeting I've been to in this school was quite disappointing as I had hoped to get feedback on how the kids are doing at school generally: what they are learning, would be learning and stuff like that. Unfortunately, the general consensus of the group seems to be concern on the election of officers, the class project for the year (which I totally don't agree much on everything that was listed) and other money-generating concerns. Ah! Expenses, rather.

What were those on the list? Hmm...

cleaning materials for the room/toilet

a linoleum for the classroom

a book shelf

some water related item

I don't believe that material things such as the ones on the list is the end of all things in ensuring the kids learning. It's not the just the existence of a bookshelf that will help the non-readers learn to love reading. There are still K2's in their that can actually read. It isn't just the teacher's responsibility to instill early literacy but a collaboration between the teacher and other parents as well. Oops! I really don't want to get started on this. I'm sure almost all the parents would be able to afford hiring a private tutor for their kids. That is another road to take. Nevertheless, a stronger literacy school program for reading should really reinforce whatever they should be learning.

Let me go back to the list.

- The linoleum is all tattered and torn now. Good luck to the new students (or should I say, parents) next year. Better buy a thick carpet next time, perhaps?

- The water thing didn't last until the next report card.

- The book shelf is left at the corner, I really doubt if the books inside got changed at all. As for the kids reading level? Beats me.

Giving the report card was the highlight of the meeting and some parents barely got to attend and just simply pick up the cards. This I was able to figure out right away and kept in mind for the following meetings. Hah!

2. Extra-curricular activities (some of them has special meeting called and almost would have additional expenses again--the cost of having sending a child to school)

a. Filipino Day

b. Foundation Day

c. Family Day

d. Christmas Party

e. Field Trip

f. Pre-school Day

Some of these meeting has been basically to inform the parents of the details of the activities and I am grateful for that. As for the other matters, well...

Let me just continue to reminisce of the things that my kid was able to bring home this past year:his unzipped bag (I have to constantly remind him of stones-off consequence for this), dirty clothes from playing--finally (only started around after a few months), test papers, small and giant colorful stars and circles (for well-behaved kids or if he gets perfect score on tests), and stories of ups and downs in the very short hours that he has stayed at school. There were a few tears but there were more smiles as the year comes to close.

Graduation is coming fast. He'll miss his friends, but there is an idea of seeing them again a few months later. Still, DH has raised the idea of going back to homeschool or changing school. It makes me think and rethink some more, should I still send my kid to school next year?

Moving on.

P.S. Next post will most likely be about how the graduation program will turn out. I still have to post my thoughts on the Preschoolers Activity Day. Daume.