WWTBAM Bored

I now am the father of a middle school student.

My favorite quote from The Incredibles is the following exchange:

Helen: I can't believe you don't want to go to your own son's graduation.
Bob: It's not a graduation. He is moving from the 4th grade to the 5th grade.
Helen: It's a ceremony!
Bob: It's psychotic! They keep creating new ways to celebrate mediocrity, but if someone is genuinely exceptional...."

I felt a bit like Bob as the graduation/promotion/culmination ceremony came closer. Just how seriously should a parent take a child moving from 5th Grade to 6th Grade? Well, not all that seriously, as the program mainly stayed on the light side. There were 4 "class speakers", and I was impressed with all 4. Of course, the two boys were all about jokes, especially at the expense of teachers and parents. One of the girls gave a very well-spoken, mature speech about how she has grown and met new friends during her 5 years at Ronald Reagan Elementary.

Our son thanked us for not embarrassing him and yelling when they called his name. I am sure that every parent did tell their child afterwards that they had better stop during future "graduations", so that Mom/Dad can take photos of the handshakes with the principal and/or teacher. Those kids were sprinting across the stage today.

At least now I know what to expect next year, when our daughter's class becomes the first class to attend all 6 years (K-5th) at Reagan

Congratulations, middle schooler with non-embarrassing parents!

I think the ceremony is a great idea. By letting the kids get in front of an audience and have fun will only help them in the future with confidence in public speaking.

The elementary school I went to in northern Louisiana had a sixth-grade graduation, but they did not have it the year I was in sixth grade. The reason? The school was going to be desegregated the next year, and they wanted to have an excuse not to have it then.

We had our 5th grade graduation this past Monday. One of the things we have done for this ceremony the last two years is give each student (our 5th grade class is usually just over a hundred in number) a genuine college T-shirt to impress upon them that they too can make it to college. (most of our students are pretty poor and have very little family history of higher education) This year I wrote 303 different colleges and universities across the country asking for a shirt donation. Hey Marley, both Ithaca college and Cornell donated us a shirt. Thanks. Part of my closing remarks stresses to them the idea that they can be successful in college if they choose to follow that path. I hope it helps.

Our parents love this ceremony. We do it in our gym and it is always standing room only despite the Mississippi heat in an un-airconditioned gym. Successfully completing elementary school is the first educational goal for many of them and the parents want to celebrate. About the only people who fuss a little are the people over at the high school who don't like us calling it a graduation.

lilclyde54 wrote:Hey Marley, both Ithaca college and Cornell donated us a shirt. Thanks.

You're welcome, but I'm one of those rare townies without any real connection to either college.

If any of your Mississippi students do consider coming up here for college, I hope you warn them about our Upstate NY winters!




And as Clem will tell you, there's nothing to do here!

Lilclyde,

his year I wrote 303 different colleges and universities across the country asking for a shirt donation

Can you list some more colleges that obliged you? I hope my school is on the list.

geoffil wrote:Lilclyde,

his year I wrote 303 different colleges and universities across the country asking for a shirt donation

Can you list some more colleges that obliged you? I hope my school is on the list.

I hope PennState did also. Did you write to the University of Hawaii?

Did USC contribute or do we have to have Uly go have a talk with someone?

MarleysGh0st wrote:

lilclyde54 wrote:Hey Marley, both Ithaca college and Cornell donated us a shirt. Thanks.

You're welcome, but I'm one of those rare townies without any real connection to either college.

If any of your Mississippi students do consider coming up here for college, I hope you warn them about our Upstate NY winters!




And as Clem will tell you, there's nothing to do here!

You guys need a better advertising campaign. Have you spoken with the Director of Promos yet....?

lb13

littlebeast13 wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote:

lilclyde54 wrote:Hey Marley, both Ithaca college and Cornell donated us a shirt. Thanks.

You're welcome, but I'm one of those rare townies without any real connection to either college.

If any of your Mississippi students do consider coming up here for college, I hope you warn them about our Upstate NY winters!




And as Clem will tell you, there's nothing to do here!

You guys need a better advertising campaign. Have you spoken with the Director of Promos yet....?

lb13

Found it!

The GastoniaChamberOfCommerce is soooo happy we don't have much snowfall....

LB,
You should add the red tail hawk nests and heron nests to your avatar.

littlebeast13 wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote:

lilclyde54 wrote:Hey Marley, both Ithaca college and Cornell donated us a shirt. Thanks.

You're welcome, but I'm one of those rare townies without any real connection to either college.

If any of your Mississippi students do consider coming up here for college, I hope you warn them about our Upstate NY winters!




And as Clem will tell you, there's nothing to do here!

You guys need a better advertising campaign. Have you spoken with the Director of Promos yet....?

lb13

This is a fabulous avatar. It will win.

littlebeast13 wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote:

lilclyde54 wrote:Hey Marley, both Ithaca college and Cornell donated us a shirt. Thanks.

You're welcome, but I'm one of those rare townies without any real connection to either college.

If any of your Mississippi students do consider coming up here for college, I hope you warn them about our Upstate NY winters!




And as Clem will tell you, there's nothing to do here!

You guys need a better advertising campaign. Have you spoken with the Director of Promos yet....?

lb13

Nice avatar, but who was it who "wrote" Come to Ithaca in the snow? A previous avatar suggests MBRS could have done it.

elwoodblues wrote:

littlebeast13 wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote:
You're welcome, but I'm one of those rare townies without any real connection to either college.

If any of your Mississippi students do consider coming up here for college, I hope you warn them about our Upstate NY winters!




And as Clem will tell you, there's nothing to do here!

You guys need a better advertising campaign. Have you spoken with the Director of Promos yet....?

lb13

Nice avatar, but who was it who "wrote" Come to Ithaca in the snow? A previous avatar suggests MBRS could have done it.

Maybe someone from the medical school can run a DNA test.....

lb13

littlebeast13 wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote:

lilclyde54 wrote:Hey Marley, both Ithaca college and Cornell donated us a shirt. Thanks.

You're welcome, but I'm one of those rare townies without any real connection to either college.

If any of your Mississippi students do consider coming up here for college, I hope you warn them about our Upstate NY winters!




And as Clem will tell you, there's nothing to do here!

You guys need a better advertising campaign. Have you spoken with the Director of Promos yet....?

lb13

Well, how can there be "nothing to do" if both Angel and MBRS are here, now?

MarleysGh0st wrote:

littlebeast13 wrote:

MarleysGh0st wrote:
You're welcome, but I'm one of those rare townies without any real connection to either college.

If any of your Mississippi students do consider coming up here for college, I hope you warn them about our Upstate NY winters!




And as Clem will tell you, there's nothing to do here!

You guys need a better advertising campaign. Have you spoken with the Director of Promos yet....?

lb13

Well, how can there be "nothing to do" if both Angel and MBRS are here, now?

Clem is still the ultimate judge of that. But tourist season should be busier than usual this year....

lb13

I just realized with the imminent "real" graduation, I'm the parent of a college student, high school student, middle school student, and elementary school student.

Two years ago, it was high school, middle school, elementary school, preschool, but two were in the same building. Now they're even more scattered.

I be old...

minimetoo26 wrote:I just realized with the imminent "real" graduation, I'm the parent of a college student, high school student, middle school student, and elementary school student.

With this sweeping view of the educational scene, you'd be perfect to lead the PTA!

minimetoo26 wrote:I just realized with the imminent "real" graduation, I'm the parent of a college student, high school student, middle school student, and elementary school student.

Two years ago, it was high school, middle school, elementary school, preschool, but two were in the same building. Now they're even more scattered.

I be old...

There was at least one year, maybe two, that the five of us Beast kids were scattered out between four schools (I can't remember if the school district shifted 6th grade from elementary to middle before or after Sister #4 was there), but since the five of us were packed tighter together that wasn't a headache for very long....

And my Mom was only 38 at the time....

lb13

MarleysGh0st wrote:

minimetoo26 wrote:I just realized with the imminent "real" graduation, I'm the parent of a college student, high school student, middle school student, and elementary school student.

With this sweeping view of the educational scene, you'd be perfect to lead the PTA!

But I'm a lazy bitch.

I did just have lunch with Erin and she could bring two friends to the guest table. I bought them all ice cream and the kids proclaimed me The Best Mom, so I bet I'd get THEIR votes! Except I'm all too happy to let the other moms volunteer to do all the actual work and I send in napkins or cupcakes or whatever they ask for...