Sayonara, San Nen Sei!

Graduation 2006

Today we bid farewell to our third-year JHS students. After a two-hour ceremony involving a lot of tears, speeches, dramatic stage lighting, emotional goodbye messages spoken by students with melancholy piano music performed live in the background (oh, how could you not cry?!?!?) and yet more tears, we moved the party outdoors for some group photos.

The past 24 hours have been full of surprises. Yesterday I was approached by at least thirty students who wanted me to sign their yearbooks. At one point I was actually standing in the genkan with a sopping-wet umbrella signing books. No chance for escape! I felt like such a celebrity.

I was really moved by how grateful a lot of the students were for my messages. It occurs to me that, in my time here, I've never had the opportunity to tell these kids how great I think they are. Unlike my very easy and comfortable relationship with the second year students, its been more difficult to get these kids to warm up. Well, most of them. The two guys in the picture above (Hayato and Tomoya) are definately not shy. No matter where I am or what I'm doing, they'll go out of the way to chat.

As you can see, Kamada-sensei managed to be serious for the occasion!

But perhaps the most surprising of all was when the students and the PTA presented me with a HUGE bouquet of flowers. It wasn't the flowers that touched me so much as the meaning behind them. Why? Because only the third year teachers receive this honor each year. So you see, I've finally taken a step towards being a "real" third-year teacher. Yatta! I know it may seem silly but these nuances are important here. I guess I paid my dues when I was forced to wear a white wedding dress and perform ABBA's "Dancing Queen" live before my entire town (along with the other third year teachers) in tribute of the san nen sei.

And so, another school year ends. Two down, one more to go!