Day 501 Senior Ceremony- Coming of Age

There is a VERY important event in Chinese culture that is dedicated to teens.  It occurs at the end of the first semester of their senior year.  It is called the Senior Ceremony, and it is not to be missed.  It is a Coming of Age ceremony, if you will, that carries great significance.  For the kids, it means they can begin to openly date (though some parents will still forbid dating until their 18th birthday, or until after high school graduation).  For girls, they may begin to wear make up- oh, boy!  And for all seniors, they no longer have to wear the school uniforms to class.

It also means that their senior year, in essence is over.  Their entire high school career has been focused on being the "top student" so that they can get in to their "dream school".  By this time of year, the majority of seniors have made all of their college applications (most apply to between 10-15 schools, though our Counseling Center has limited it to 12 this year).  Some seniors have applied and been admitted under "Early Decision", and the remaining are now anxiously awaiting their acceptance (and rejection) letters. For them, the stress of school is nearly all but over.  Our second semester is very short, just nine weeks, and then we are in the window of AP exams, IB exams, or CIE's (The Cambridge A level program), depending on which diploma program they are graduating. All regular instruction will end as of the end of April, and by the end of May, exams are finished. The senior ceremony is cause for celebration!

This is sweet Ginger, one of our
full time boarders who comes from
a province far, far away.  She only
gets home for Winter break. She also
is a student on scholarship here (we
have less than 10 whose tuition is
subsidized).  She is the hardest working
student I have ever had, and she puts
tremendous pressure on herself for her
grades- her family's entire future is
truly counting on her to be successful.
The stress these kids are under, the
14 hour school day, the weight of the
One Child Policy (until last year) causes
some students to crack under pressure...
depression, anxiety, eating disorders
and risk of suicide is far higher than
rates among American teens. So sad.

While students, teachers, parents and grandparents
gathered for the ceremony, one of my students,
Watson, played the 'background' music.  He
should have been putting on a concert- his
talent on the piano is incredible. Truly.

New friend and new teacher this year to BNDS,
Becca, a Swiss-French beauty.  Brains, too-
she teaches Calculus! You go, girl!!!

This is Dawn, one of the Chinese teachers and the
Grade 11 director.  I am on the Advising team
for Grade 11 students.

Another of my students, Miss Mog
(don't you love their names?!) was
so proud of her outfit that she 'made'.
Her top was a cardigan sweater
that was tied around her in the most
unusual way. She's adorable.

The senior ceremony opens with the
strangest tradition. Seniors ask a faculty
member to be their partner on stage
for the Style Show.  We were given
two different choreographed 'options'
for entering the stage, then we had
to strike a pose at the front of the stage
and hold it for five seconds for all to take
photos. The Chinese love posing for photos!

Canadian friend, Ray! (a PE teacher)

Our AP Principal, Cameron, and his
Chinese student escort, Judy, doing a
Chinese version of Blues Brothers, maybe?!

Watson and I dazzled the crowd with a little disco move....

...the Pretzel!  True to Chinese form, the audience
collectively said "woah"!  Except when they say
"woah" it is like they sing it in a rich baritone voice :)

It scored Watson some serious points with the ladies, lol.

Throughout the ceremony, different students spoke, sang,
danced and performed.  This group led the audience in singing
Five Hundred Miles which was a popular folk song that
was recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary in the 1960's.  It
struck me as ironic that these affluent students and adults
were singing, "not a shirt on my back, not a penny to my
name...." By the time they got to "Lord I'm 1, Lord I'm 2,
Lord I'm 3, Lord I'm 4, Lord I'm 500 miles, away from home"
I erupted into a fit of stifled giggles.  In this largely agnostic
society, somebody, somewhere thought this was a fitting
send-off song for our kids.  It just struck me funny.
I wanted to light a Bic and break in to Kum Ba Yah :')

The piece de resistance of this hoot'n
nanny was students being escorted to the
stage by their parents.  Once on stage, they
received three firm 'taps' on the shoulders
by Principal Li (who is an officer and
higher up in the Party), and they were
then handed a copy of the 'Little Red Book'.
Interesting.  Because Ginger's family
could not make the journey for this
special occasion, she asked my friend
Kathy, her junior English teacher, to be
her stand-in momma for the day.  Awww.

Isn't she lovely?!  Love the braid!

Principal Li then gave his address to the parents and students,
assuring the students that while this occasion is a special
one, their work is far from complete....they must now go out
into the world and become successful adults...
China is counting on YOU!!!

After Principal Li's address was given, the closing ceremony is the parents are then asked to find their son or daughter to present them with a 'gift.'  This gift is in the form of a letter to their child.  I assume it is more about the sacrifices that everyone has made for them, how proud they are of their son or daughter, and that they have great expectations for their future...something to that effect.

Among those expectations is to return to China and support the parents in their old age.  China has a mandatory retirement age of 55 to make room in the job market for new workers.  Because the Chinese are now living longer with improved healthcare, they cannot afford to remain in their costly homes and apartments on a limited income.  Hence, multiple generations of Chinese all live together, typically in only 2-3 bedroom apartments.  Two sets of grandparents are very "hands on" in the raising of their only grandchild, while their adult son or daughter works 12+ hour days, six days a week to support them all.  It makes for 'interesting' family dynamics, to say the least.  And because these only children receive the lavish attention of six adults on a daily basis when they are younger, we refer to them as 'Prince' or 'Princess'. (Not to their face, of course.)  China is so very different.

Ms. Betty is the headmaster of
BNDS.  She, and the quality of
students here, are among the
biggest reasons I chose to return
for a third year next school year.
(that, and the handsome raise I got!)

And while the seniors were out having their celebration,
the grade 10 and 11 students were sweating it out in final exams.
Honestly, I felt so sorry for these kids.  They have been pushing
themselves for months, especially so in the last few weeks.  They
looked like zombies- pale, sickly, coughing, sneezing, and big
ol' dark circles under their eyes form lack of sleep. Most exams are
 taken in large lecture halls like you see above.  One boy was literally
slapping himself to stay awake during the test, and another girl
was sniffing peppermint oil to also stay awake and keep a 'clear mind.'
Dem poor Chinese babies :'(

While I was monitoring my session of finals, I could not help
but smile at some of the shirts and sweatshirts these kids
were wearing. Most of the time they just have random letters
strung together which make no sense.... like, "viviemme
isthe westwood"  What the heck?????  At least "New York"
was spelled correctly, albeit backwards! (the numbers, too)
China is so freaking weird sometimes!

G'nite, y'all!