Promotion Day

Today the 8th grade students from Eben Hopson Middle School in Barrow, Alaska were officially promoted to high school!!!  All 68 of them!  There is no good way that I could explain this experience other than Prom and High School Graduation COMBINED!  These kids came dressed in the most extravagant dresses and suits complete with "the works"; ex. hair, make-up, and high heals (for the girls).  Actually, one of the boys had a bright orange tux with frills and orange shiny shoes.  (They get all dressed up only to put graduation gowns over their fancy outfits)  To accompany their gowns, they all get lots of graduation "bling": money and candy leis:

Candy lei examples (taken from google image).

The ceremony itself is also very extravagant.  The staff spend the entire year planning for it.  The students were assigned speaking parts close to 2 months ago and the decorations were being constructed around that time as well.  The 8th grade students had 3 rehearsals for their promotion beforehand: Friday afternoon and Monday/Tuesday from 9:15-12:45pm.  Plus, the students with speaking roles practiced for hours afterwards.  I spent many hours in the gym over the past few days as a speech coach, vocal coach, and dance coach!  :)  It was really fun to help the students rehearse and support them as they worked to perfect their parts (which they all did fantastically)!  Promotion took place in the gym which was transformed in approximately 3 days by the hard work of teachers and students on the decorating committee.  There was a large stage, columns for the students to walk through, a projector to display all of their pictures, balloons, flowers, lights, glitter, and HUNDREDS of chairs:

The whole promotion ceremony lasted 1 hour and 30 minutes and the program read as follows:

-Processional: 20 minutes for the 8th graders to walk into the gym one at a time so their families could get lots of pictures :)
-Pledge of Allegiance: spoken in Inupiaq and English
-Star Spangled Banner: sung beautifully by one of the 8th graders
-Welcome Remarks: from the Principal
-Invocation: spoken in Inupiaq and English
-Song Presentation: 2 of the 8th graders sang a song of their choice and did a wonderful job!
-Board Member Introduction/Guest Speaker
-President of Student Council Speech
-Dance Presentation: 2 of the 8th grade girls choreographed and performed a dance
-Tribute to Eben Hopson
-Eben Hopson's Words
-Rose Ceremony (my personal favorite part): The students each purchased roses to pass out to their friends, families, and loved ones.  In total, the 8th grade class purchased 900 roses!!!! (us student teachers were even given a few)
-Conferring of Certificates
-Inupiaq Dancers and Drummers: the 8th grade students performed their traditional Inupiaq dancing!  It was very fun to watch!!! They are VERY talented! I even joined in during the invitational after making a promise to a few of my 8th graders.
-Benediction
-Closing Remarks
-Recessional
(Snacks and pictures with friends and families and an 8th grade only dance to follow)

It was a very fun event!  It took a lot of time and planning and it was VERY well done!  The promotion ceremony means a lot to the 8th grade students and their families.  It used to be pretty typical that 8th grade was the highest education that students would receive.  Many more graduate from high school now but the tradition of 8th grade promotion still remains.   I was incredibly happy to get to be a part of such a unique experience!  I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the students that graduated today and I cannot put into words how much I am going to miss them!  They are great kids and I wish them the best of luck in all that is in store for them in the future!

As one of the 8th grade students quoted: "Some people dream of success.  Others wake up and work for it."  It is my hope that they 8th graders will work hard and strive to succeed; that they will apply themselves and take pride in everything they do.  They all have great potential and I hope that, as they journey on to high school, they will find that in themselves and "move toward the path their dreams take them."

-K