Was high school graduation a big event for you or did it pass unnoticed. As a city baby boomer high school graduation was not an event that my school, at least, made much of a fuss about. I believe that this may have well have changed with different generations and certainly by geography. I know from the American television shows (Gidget, Happy Days and numerous movies) that in the States high school graduation was quite different to what mine was.
Please join in giving your location at the time of your memory and your generation. An explanation of the generations and the purpose of the prompts along with conditions for joining in can be seen at the Times Past Page. Join in either in the comments or by creating your own post and linking. Looking forward to your memories.
Baby Boomer City (Sydney) Australia
I was at school in the days when predominantly only those going on to university stayed to sit the exams to obtain a higher school certificate. Others going into a trade left at the end of the school certificate (then 4th year high school). Nothing was done to celebrate those leaving at that time. I was going nursing and wanted to leave at this time but my parents insisted (thank you parents) that I sit the higher school certificate prior to leaving and at that time they controlled what I did.
Two years later, in the build up to leaving school our heads were well and truly to the grindstone. We had our higher school certificate exams coming up and these were crucial to your future direction. They would determine what courses you could study at university. Although I didn’t need it for my career path the pressure was still there. No-one wants to do badly. However, we did start to be a little less restrained in our senior playground.
© irene waters 2018
and no-one turned an eye at me turning up with a camera and recording our classroom and study area.
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
Our school year ended a few weeks prior to the start of the exams and this was our official end of school. The school itself did nothing to celebrate this ending hard to call it graduation) but we did have permission on the very last day to Muck Up.
I don’t know whether Muck up day still exists – I think it may have been replaced with schoolies week which is altogether a different kettle of fish. On muck up day we would arrive at school for the first time not dressed in uniform prepared to play up. We had waterfights, interrupted classes in the lower grades, kidnapped teachers, put toilet paper everywhere, stole the gardeners wheel barrows and took it in turns to be wheeled around the school. Anything went except violent behaviour, foul language and damage to property. The last thing anyone wanted was to be expelled before the exams. Neighbouring boys schools came to join in the fun and steal female students. None of us had boyfriends at this time and to us this was exciting in the extreme. Even more so when my best friend met a boy that she went out with for a short while.
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
Looking at photos often brings back memories and I was reminded that the old girls union did throw a lunch for us after the exams were over.
© irene waters 2018
And that was our graduation. What do you remember about your graduation or your childrens? I’m looking forward to reading your memories…….
Baby boomer Australian City
Graduations
Baby Boomer (tail end) Suburbia New Jersey (USA)
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Baby Boomer Central State School New York State
https://susansleggs.com/2018/01/16/remembering-high-school-graduation/
Baby Boomer U.K. Sommerset
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Baby Buster USA small town
a small town USA baby buster reminisces
Gen X Rural USA
Reflection on Graduations
MTV (Bommerang Generation) Virginia USA
http://fatherknowslittle.blogspot.com.au/2018/01/high-school-graduation-times-past.html
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 