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Graudation
Day in Yorito
The past week has been filled with clausuras, formal
closing ceremonies or graduations: kindergarten, sixth grade, middle
school, and high school. I  attended
four of the clausuras.
The names
of graduates are read as they enter in alphabetical order by
first name with girls first and then boys, and almost always
they sit separately. In one school the parents (or another
relative) did the entrance with their child. Mid-way
through the ceremonies names are read again, and the graduate
with two witnesses sign the official book (photo op). Near
the end names are read a third time as diplomas are given out
(photo op) by the people at the mesa de honor (head
table) of which I was on two. Then the official report/minutes
of the clausura are read with each
student again named personally.
From
sixth grade up swearing to honor and respect the flag and nation
is a part of the ceremony with each graduate holding the flag
with their left hand while the right hand is raised. All
have had to pass a written and oral exam on the words, history
and meaning of the national anthem. They can all lead
the singing of the anthem complete with hand motions that I haven’t
seen for years.
Clausuras were
all formal with a variety of formats. Included
in one or more were speeches (always short), songs by students,
a waltz with student and parent (sixth grade), candle lighting
(kinder), dancers, and special honor awards. There
was an official photographer at each ceremony, but only a small
minority of families had their own cameras to record the events.
There
weren’t many smiles during the formal clausuras until
the very end when you could see the pride of the students in
their beaming faces as they clutched their diplomas. The
high school clausura was
in a neighboring town for 60 students (ages 20-48) from all
around the area, individuals who had all overcome various obstacles
to achieve their high school graduation. In
both of the sixth grade graduations students wore their school
uniforms and in one they had the usual graduation cap complete
with tassel. It
made me sad to think that this would be the end of education
for almost half the sixth graders whose parents won’t
make the costs and time of further education a priority in
their families.
The
last clausura will
be for my English classes for teachers, but more on that in
two weeks.
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