Graduation

The Japanese school year begins in April and ends in March, so graduations are happening nationwide right now. Being a teacher on three different islands means a lot of graduation day obligations and careful promising. Nick (my predecessor) and I went to Zamami until just before the ceremony started. Then we hurried to the boat and went to Geruma for the first hour of their graduation before leaving for the last hour of Aka's. The actual graduations were boring, but the significance of the event to the community was overpowering.


The classes on these islands are unusually tight and many of the members won't see much of each other come April. By now most have been accepted into different high schools in Naha (in much the same way as American colleges - with entrance testing and schools that offer different specialties) and will be on their way in the next week.

In the evening Nick and I were invited to a san-nensei (graduating class) student/parent/teacher party at the community center. There were zillions of speeches, lots of good food, a little crying, and a happy atmosphere. One of the most emotional hours I have had in years came when Nick and I went home at 11pm and watched the slideshow (shown during Zamami's graduation, which we missed). The music was sad and the birth-to-graduate following of all 13 students almost made me cry. Nick and I stayed up a few hours longer doing something that only he and I could: talk in English about current Zamami life. We discussed the futures of the students (5 of them are living alone in Naha to attend high school, so their futures are worthy of discussion), the next teacher class and the ensuing climate of each school, and what an amazing placement Zamami is for a JET. As Nick said, how many JETs were getting the email addresses of their junior high students after graduation?


Nick told me an interesting story about the girl in the above photo. She was having peeer trouble in her school in Osaka when she vacationed to Zamami in fifth grade. She declared to her mother that she wanted to move to Zamami to go to school. Her mom couldn't leave Osaka, so Emiri and her grandmother moved to Zamami and they have been here for the last five years. Zamami has turned out to be a godsend for Emiri, who is one of the top students in her class. She left today for high school in Osaka, taking her grandmother back home.

[high school freshmen (sniff, sniff) ]