_valerian

Today shortly after the Kindergarten Graduation luncheon, the stage curtian was flung apart and there stood about two dozen thirty-something year old mothers on stage with home-made shiny batons in hand. Sudenly the speakers opened up with the Matsuken Samba and they began to dance. The crowd consisted of 50 six year olds who then just lost it and everyone started to “get down”. Some mothers (the ones in the crowd who were not on stage) may very well have gone home today with video footage of the principal handing me two batons and the result of that transaction may be the only visual evidence of me participating in what might be considered “dancing”.

If that was the most upbeat room I have ever been in (and it was) then what followed was just about the exact opposite. The two homeroom teacher’s whose classes graduated today proceeded to give a speech to the mothers. While they were doing that the kids were busy behind the curtain (which was now closed) lining up to sing their good bye song. While they were singing the teachers began to cry, and after the singing the kids started to cry as they met with their respective teachers one at a time. Within 10 minutes the entire room was full of sobs and tears, mostly from the little girls and most of the mothers. One poor little girl was crying so bad she had to be carried out of the room. The boys however, continued to work on their wrestling and tag-playing skills all over the place.