Okay, I will start off this post by apologizing if I offend anyone. But here is my honest to goodness opinion of the recently popular practice of "graduating" Kindergartners. Absolutely ridiculous, unnecessary, and it cheapens graduations that actually have meaning, like high school and college. Even Jr. High graduations are stupid. So few children ever get held back these days, it's a given everyone will move on to the next level, illiteracy notwithstanding, so why celebrate it like it's an actual achievement? It's not. Thankfully, the Swiss see things my way. 🙂
At the end of the school year, they always have a little party for the children and their families. Since kindergarten is two years long here, it is also a way for the older kids who are moving on to first grade to have one last special moment with the younger kids. Traditionally, the parents also usually band together to make a group gift for the teachers. There is always something handmade by the children and then something purchased by the parents. This year they decorated reuseable shopping bags and then filled them with goodies for the teachers. Unfortunately, I was in the hospital when the bags got decorated, so Sophie missed out on that. 🙁
But we still got to come to the party. It was a barbecue potluck at the school. We all brought our own meat, utensils, dishes, and a salad or dessert to share. Last time they did this, they had three grills out front for us to use. This time, there was only one grill, and half of it wasn't working. This translated into a long wait for our sausages. Fortunately, there were lots of delicious salads, breads and the kids favorite, potato chips!, to munch on while we waited. After dinner, the kids ran around and played outside while the adults chatted. Then they passed out the teacher gifts, we ate dessert and went back outside for the traditional kid toss.
Yes, here in Aeugst, there is no marching to Pomp and Circumstance, no paper graduation caps, no boring speeches. Instead, all the parents line up across from each other, clasp arms around the wrists, and then the teachers toss the children one by one on the parents' arms, and they get moved down the line by a rather violent bouncing motion. It is kind of hard to explain, let me show you a picture.
I don't have one of Sophie, even though she was eligible as a second year kindergartner to be ceremonial tossed out of kindergarten and into regular elementary school. My kids think the tossing is much too scary to actually let themselves be handled in such a way. And the nice teachers don't make the kids who don't want to, participate. But for those who brave it, it seems to be rather fun, and only one kid accidentally fell through the arms and on to the ground, so it's all good. :)
This year was especially poignant, as the kindergarten teacher who has taught all three older children retired. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to spend her last year being in the classroom full time. She was diagnosed with cancer over the summer, and spent the year having surgeries and enduring chemo. But she did come into to visit most Mondays, except for the days she was feeling especially bad. She talked to the kids about cancer, showed them her bald head, and described her treatments in a matter of fact way. Sophie was always excited on "Frau Kaspar" days. She would sit with the older children and help them make special crafts, or tell them stories. She even managed to come on a few of the field trips. We hope she will make a full recovery and that we will be able to see her around town for many years to come.
The more I read your blog the more I want to live in Switzerland.