The Finale: Graduation

Graduation Day. 5:30pm. St. Joseph church.

This was the moment we were all waiting for. The final activity at St. Joe. This time there were no other students, except for a few 7th graders who handed out the program, and helped with the sound system and other logistics. The church was filled with family, friends, and supporters.

Unlike the Baccalaureate Mass, the Graduation ceremony was a little livelier, less subdued. As the kids processed one pair at a time, you can see in their faces a sense of relief -- a sense of joy that this day had finally arrived, and everything seemed surreal. There were more smiles and their marches was more natural.

The graduates were seated on the platform just below the altar table, facing the audience. Like in the mass earlier in the day, they wore their blue toga, including all the special recognition pins they had received. We did have an official photographer and videographer, and both made sure this all important ceremony was captured well. This pretty much eliminated the paparazzis from taking pictures that would have disrupted the proceedings.

Awards for academic excellence, including recognition by individual subjects, were handed out. There were 3 students who gave graduation speeches, but only one of them made most of the students and parents shed a few tears, me included. It was not only well written, but it was spontaneous and it came from the heart. The speech wasn't made to please the egos or sound forever grateful to those that ran the school, unlike the other 2. Am I ranting? More of it later.

Another segment of the ceremony included a "recognition" given by a high school to an incoming freshman from the class for some reason that I have now forgotten. Why this "recognition" was even included in the ceremony was something I COULD NOT understand because it didn't add value.

Then came the ceremonial handing of the diplomas. With only 33 students in the Class of 2013, the entire ceremony lasted less than an hour. The next thing we knew, they were processing out of the church and into the parish hall, where a simple reception of cookies and juice were served.

Now, my rant.

Why there were 3 graduation speakers, I don't know. Why not 2, as in past years? Why not 4 or 5? And why was there a graduation speaker who had been in the school for only the last 3 years? What does this say of the more than half of the class who had been with the school for 9 years since kindergarten? At least, recognize some seniority, right? Well, I can be a graduation speaker even if I joined the school on my graduating year as long as I butter-up and thank every Tom, DIck, and Harry in the school, and proclaim how great they all are. Mind you, I'm not the only one asking. Even the students were.

So what's up with this "recognition" given by one high school? If you listened closely to the introduction for this award, it sounded like all high schools gave this recognition, only to find out that only ONE did. Why the special treatment? It looked like everyone else who isn't going to this high school was "inferior" because their high school of choice did not give out such an award. Honestly, who cares about this award? This "recognition" should have not been made during graduation. Instead, it should have been given during a morning assembly because it was not a St. Joe recognition that was being handed out.

What was ironic was that the graduating students received their recognition pins (for participation in extra-curricular activities) during a regular morning assembly. They should have gotten these pins at the graduation ceremony itself so that they get FULL recognition for it, in front of their families and friends, instead of the other students, who probably cared less about it. How can anyone miss that? It is not rocket science. Only common sense.


Let me make this clear. I don't have any issues with the recipient. It could have been anyone. It could have even been my son. What I find inappropriate was the whole "recognition" activity itself.

Then, there is this whole other issue about why students don't qualify for an academic excellence award despite having excellent grades, simply because their ITBS scores did not meet a certain threshold??? Now, that is BIZARRE and UNFAIR. If you're overall average grade is A- or better, you should qualify for an academic excellence award. That's it. No other criteria or condition. The student worked hard throughout the year to earn that grade. To include another factor, such as the ITBS score, in the mix is totally unfair. ITBS test was taken at the start of the school year and, to me, it is not reflective of anything because of the fact that some kids test better than others. But it doesn't mean they are smarter. So if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed or you got nervous taking this test, you are doomed. Truly mind-boggling.

Aside from these peculiarities and inconceivable nuances, the graduation ceremony went on smoothly.

Congratulations, Class of 2013.