Happy spring everyone!! Sakura trees are starting to bloom, days are getting longer, and warmer! The school year in Japan finished March 24 and 6th grade graduation was the week before. It’s crazy to think almost a year has gone by! It definitely doesn’t feel like it. Now that school is out, you’d think things would slow down a bit. HA! JOKE! Well… Yes and no. Since the school year is over, teachers are notified whether or not they will be staying at the same school or leaving. Since they are employees of the prefecture, they don’t decide in whether they stay or go. Which means they can basically be moved anywhere in Ibaraki. Most of my teachers are staying in Mito but I do have a couple teachers that will have to drive an hour or two to their new schools. They can request to be moved but it needs to get approved by someone more powerful. Teachers typically stay anywhere from 1-6 years before leaving (although I had some teachers who were there for 10 years) and principles and vice principles have about 1-3 years. Everything can change in the blink of an eye! It’s so stressful!! I wonder what it’s like in America? Are there some similarities to this or is it completely different?
Anyways, graduation in Japan is very different than in America! It was refreshing not having to hear Vitamin C’s one hit wonder or pomp and circumstance. After weeks and weeks of preparations (They started preparing at end of February and all of March), the big day finally arrived! It was a much bigger deal here than I remember by 8th grade graduation being.
Teachers (I) arrived at the usual time (anytime before 8). Dressed in a black skirt suit (Yep, skirt was emphasized in my directions). 6th graders were dressed in suits and some even wore their new jr. high uniforms! Parents wore suits, nice dresses, kimonos, anything fancy! The procession of each class was led by the homeroom teacher. The 6th graders sat in the front facing forward towards the stage and were separated by class. Behind them were the younger students who were separated by a red carpet runway and flowers. The parents were on the side separated by flowers. Teachers were on the left side facing the 6th graders and the PTA and admin were on the right side facing the 6th graders. The 6th graders would start at the back door of the gym walk down the center, and turn into their designated section. I don’t know how else to explain it other than very Japanese. Once everyone was seated, we started with singing the Japanese national anthem. There were a series of speeches made by the principle, vice principle, admin, and head of the PTA. 6th graders together gave a message to each grades and sang a song and in return each grade gave a message to the 6th graders and sang them a song. Then, they sang a song together. Once the 6th graders got their diplomas, we all sang the school song for the last time. Some awards were given out and then the 6th graders made their exit led by the homeroom teachers. Once the ceremony ended a bunch of pictures were taken and I was taken back to the teacher’s room to prepare refreshments for the guests. After about an hour, students and teachers lined up in front of the school leading to the gate to say their final goodbyes to the 6th graders. We all clapped, cheered, waved, laughed, and cried, as the 6th graders and their parents made their last walk out of school as elementary students. I can’t wait for them to come back and tell me about their life in jr. high. I know they’ll do great things. After the 6th graders were gone, the younger students were dismissed and the teachers went back in for lunch! A delicious bento was purchased and we were all served sakura cha (cherry blossom tea) which is only served on special occasions. It’s really just a salted and dried sakura flower and water. It’s really pretty. We toasted with our tea and enjoyed a good meal. Once we were finished, we changed into work clothes and cleaned up the gym, putting away all the chairs, tables, banner and flowers that were brought out for the ceremony. Seriously, who needs a moving crew when you have teachers?
From there, teachers were busy with paper work and grading because the younger students still had a week of school! Yayyy!!!!!! It was obvious that everyone was ready for the school year to be over (teachers and students). Even though it would be spring break, teachers (surprise surprise) still had to go in. Which makes sense since teachers had to clean out their classrooms… and desks if they were leaving. I’m sad that I had to say goodbye to the teachers that left but I’m excited to work with the new teachers as well. After closing ceremony, leaving teachers cleaned out their desk and, for the most part, were gone by the following Monday. People in the higher up positions (principle, vice principle, disciplinarian, office manager) stayed through the week to train in the new people and finish their work. The last Friday of the fiscal year (March 31), we had our goodbye ceremony with school and our goodbye party with just the teachers. For the ceremony, students came back to school and the leaving teachers gave farewell speeches and then at the end students gave flowers and cookies to the teachers and we said our final farewell as the marched through the crowds to the gate (just like how we said farewell to the 6th graders).
I don’t think I’ve had so much fun at a work party before. We dressed up (this particular one was suits) and we ate a lot and drank (mostly coke and tea since majority of the people were driving). Speeches are made, a ritual thingy is done that’s kinda like the final goodbye/ wishes them luck on their next chapter and marks the end of the first party. Then we moved to an izakaya place for more food and more drinks. Nothing too crazy but everyone was definitely a lot more relaxed and even though there was a slight language barrier, it was a lot of fun! I got to practice using my Japanese and my teachers were really into speaking English! On top of that, I ate some really good food. I swear if I wasn’t gluten intolerant I would be so fat. Also, if you’re ever given the option to eat tempura without the batter.. I strongly advise you against that… Just saying. At the end of the night we all parted ways.. Some for the last time.. Never to be seen again. Okay maybe not the last part but it felt like it.
The following week marked the new year! The new teachers moved into the school and everyone was given their teaching assignments for the year. I was assigned to be the AET (shocking, I know!) and was paired to sit next to my head English teacher (another shocker right). After receiving our new assignments, we had to move our desks to the appropriate cluster and what a cluster f*** that was. I think I did more harm than good and got trapped by desks! Good thing I’m small enough to crawl under the desks. After that was done, the real work began. Teachers began running around in terror! Just kidding, more like chickens with their heads chopped off. And me? I sat at my desk and worked on lesson plans, cleaned the school, and ate out for lunch. I never realized what a luxury it was to eat out for lunch… and sit in a proper chair and desk until I was forced to eat lunch in a desk that was fitted for a 6 year old everyday. I’m small but I’m not Japanese 6 year old small. That’s a whole new level of tiny.
Anyways, opening ceremony is right around the corner along with the welcome ceremony for the first graders. I’m not exactly sure what the welcome ceremony will entail but I have to wear another black skirt suit!
