Friday 14 October 2016

Today we observed another milestone in my younger child’s life – her last day at high school before one week of study leave, followed by the final exams.

Their school’s tradition is to hold a Valedictory service in the school hall, attended by the staff, the student body, and the matric parents. A lot of crying happens at this gathering, and I was no meagre contributor. There are certain things they always do, like a formula, which is, I suppose, what traditions are made of. The school orchestra provides the accompaniment to the School Song, the Jubilee Song, Gaudeamus Igitur, and the National Anthem. A prayer is read, extracts from writings of world leaders (JF Kennedy and Nelson Mandela) are read, and a brief address by the Principal sends the students on their way. They also have a handing over ceremony where the current Head Girl and Boy hand over the reins to their successors. Quite touching. But all of those formalities seem perfunctory, in comparison to one feature on the programme: the address by the outgoing Head Girl and Boy.

This is the part that I’m sure everyone enjoys most. Today’s joint speech, told with loads of humour, revealed that both of them had arrived at Westerford High School as shy and introverted, in 2012. They spoke us through some of their experiences over the past five years, and many of their stories evoked laughter from all present. I don’t think self-effacing people realise how funny they can be. Dry humour, delivered with a straight face, gets me every time. And the reminiscences by these two were filled with that.  The funny photos (of themselves and fellow students) they were able to source and have displayed on the screen during parts of their speech, merely heightened the funniness of everything.

But it was essentially a day of goodbyes, a day of closure on five magical years of life. I think the actual magic of those years becomes apparent only in the last few months of Grade 12, when the reality of leaving it all behind starts to sink in.

As both Head Boy and Girl got to the serious parts of their speech, some tears broke the rhythm of their speaking. It was as though they had put up a sign saying, “You may now cry!”, because most people in the hall started “klapping a sentie” as the teens say – which is slang for “getting sentimental”. Yup – I had packed a huge wad of tissues in my bag, because I know myself so well. As happy as I was that my daughter’s high school years had come to an end (bar 15 separate days of writing exams), I also felt that feeling one gets when it’s time to say goodbye to the familiar and walk into the unknown.  I felt the enormity of the life change they were all experiencing.  

Another feature of the ceremony that I like - and here I suppose it’s because there are so few socially-acceptable (in certain cultures) ways to express emotion and thanks at a time like this - is the sustained applause that accompanies the students as they file into and out of the hall. Of course, on their way out, most of them have teary faces, just like most of the parents. Also special is the applause that accompanies the staff on their way out of the hall, at the end of the proceedings. How does one adequately say thank you?

Providing the soundscape throughout is the school orchestra, which creates a very special atmosphere. One almost forgets that it’s live accompaniment, they’re so good.   

I’ve only touched the surface of what’s on my mind right now. I’ll have to type a second blog post today. Later.

(Matric mom)