Graduating seniors

The seniors made it through! Last week they had their final festivities, and now they are unleashed unto the world (presumably to study for the big test they have to take in a week and a half).  First there was a special mass for them and their families. It's a Catholic school, after all. They each had a candle and did a little ceremonial donation of their uniforms to the church, then they each went up to receive a Bible as their graduation gift.  It was a nice service!

And then, on Saturday, was the graduation ceremony itself.  It wasn't really that different from any high school commencement back home, except without the cap and gown. They all filed in in their full uniforms, the director said a few words, and they distributed awards for the outstanding students in various categories.  My head teacher and I went up to pass out the medals for the 20 or so students who had received notable scores on the national English test.  Then they called each student up to receive their diploma, and a student delivered the commencement address.  There was some drama surrounding the commencement address, though... Apparently there seems to be a cultural tradition of students using the commencement address to stick it to the school one last time (possibly a side effect of the widespread student protest/education reform movement).  So the school had altered this student's original speech--not that it was vicious in the first place, or else they wouldn't have chosen it, obviously, but just changing some significant parts of it. But there is a joke among the students regarding the head nun, and when this student began to deliver his speech, he made a reference to that inside joke. It was the kind of thing that none of the parents would have noticed, but all the students caught it, of course, and some of them had trouble surpressing their laughter. Apparently there had been a bet... Now the student, who got wonderful grades and is the son of the librarian, is banned from entering the school ever again. Don't mess with nuns, I guess. But anyway, here are a few pictures. I took these from the school's fb page as well, because the ones I got on my camera did not turn out very great without flash : / 

so that you can see their full uniforms

the sisters. the director is the straight-faced one second from left

all the teachers who were there, including me! 

After commencement, we had a bunch of people over to celebrate for Franco (congrats, Franco!), and so all 22 of us squeezed into our house for a yummy meal. Then in the afternoon, we traipsed back out to go to Franco's confirmation ceremony. Two milestones in one day! 

Now that the seniors have no school, they are (supposedly) doing their final-stretch studying for the big test that they have to take on December 2nd, called the PSU. It's like the SAT, except way way way more intense. Everybody in the country takes it on the same day (or two days), and your grade determines whether or not you get into the schools you want. There's virtually no other part of the application process- no essays, no recommendations, no writing samples.  Either your grade fits the school's requirements or it does not.  And if you aren't happy with your grade, or if it's not good enough to get you in anywhere, you have to wait until the next year to take it again.  Talk about pressure! Most of the students (including my brother) have been preparing for this by going to additional classes 3-4 nights a week all year (some starting junior year!). I wish them all luck!