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
