Yep.. you read the heading correctly.
My concerns over parents having to dress formal in hot weather was alleviated around midday when clouds passed in front of the sun for the afternoon and a breeze made its presence known.. what a relief !
So by the 6pm start time I was hardly breaking a sweat while standing in the crowded outdoors area set aside for everyone's nibbly-dinner.. which cost us all $10 per head and consisted of Sausage Rolls, mini-mini pizzas and quiches, and standard sandwiches with Cordial. Haven't wondered about the value obtained.. so won't bother to.
It was weird for me.. my girly had been at this school for almost all of the 5 years in high school, and yet I only knew a few of the kids and a couple of parents. I noted many of the locals knew each other and all the kids, plus grandkids, etc. Made me feel like an outsider for sure, lol.
Funny how you can live in an area for 8 or so years and still not be a local.
The girly had dressed up nicley, as had her friends.. there were some lovely, expensive, new short dresses in the crowd. I still don't understand the need for such over-the-top requirements just for finishing High School.. I mean most of us did it and it was no Big Deal like it has been made to be today.
I guess that's more about the invasion of American Culture into our's than anything else.
Anyway.. off the soapbox Oldie..
Once we all trailed into the main hall... where it wasn't too hot desite no A/c in the building.. the parents all sat and the night began.. I was dreading all the speeches, dreading having to suffer through another two or three tunes played by the school band.. just like every other thing I've attended at the school so far.
But.. there were speeches.. lots and lots of them, and they were kept to minimum length.... No school band music.. Yay!! So two girls got up on stage and sang a beautiful rendition of some top 40 song.. their voices were at opposite ends of the scale and yet both lovely voices together became SPECIAL.
Seriously SPECIAL. The vibration created by both voices caused tears of Joy to flow down my cheeks. Had to keep wiping them away and yawning to relieve the pressure.. it worked.
Man.. that was an experience I can tell you.
The kids then put on some small excerpts from their talent quest, and followed that up by playing a series of Multi-media presentations put together from the year's activities.. all very well done too I might add. That section finished with a video presentation of the Teacher's live recorded messages to the leaving students.. one in particular I liked.. every time she was approached she waved her hand at the camera-toting teens and said, "Go.. Away!!"
Cracked me up each time.
The kids then fanned out into the audience to give their Mum's a Carnation and a letter they wrote for their parents. From what I could see, I was the only Dad to get a Carnation.. and that garnered some "Ooohs and Ahhs" from the older ladies watching on nearby.
And before I knew it, the night was almost over. Time then to give the kids their Graduation Folios as we all applauded them. Then it was cake and coffee time.. which is when we said our goodbyes and gave thanks to certain very helpful staff before leaving for home.
Nice night out in the end. The girly then went out with friends and I stayed home thinking about life as an empty nester in a couple of years time.
Done for today
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