Grade 5 Graduation time!

Yesterday was a big day for Lucas, it was Graduation Day!

(Yes, we still have two more weeks of school, but as Ramadan starts tomorrow, I guess school wanted to give all students a chance to be there for this ceremony, many take off as soon as Ramadan kicks in.)
Here's Lucas and his Grade 5 class before the ceremony:

This was his last year in Primary School (=Primary Years Program, Junior School, Early Years - same, same), next year he will be going to Middle School (=Middle Years Program, Secondary... etc).

Yesterday all parents, friends and family were invited to their Graduation, which was held in the PYP gym. The parent group had decorated together with the teachers, and the theme for this years Graduation was 'The Wizard of Oz'.

The students all marched in across the yellow brick road, and gathered up the front. The Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man were all there too!
Five classes of Grade 5 students, all very excited and happy and in t-shirts they had decorated themselves for this occasion with the motif "Express yourself".

We got to listen to a blessing sung in Korean, to a group of students reminiscing over their past years in PYP, to the Head of PYP wishing the students good luck and to the students singing a couple of songs.

But, us parents also had a surprise - a few of us mums had practiced a flash mob (although it turned in to more of a "surprise performance" than a flash mob) that we performed for the kids. Here's a little movie, I'm in the middle in the back in a black dress (without a hat...):

The kids got VERY surprised, and happy! I could hear Lucas very excitedly shout when I joined in:
-"There's MY mummy!"
They really had no idea, to see their faces as more and more parents joined in was priceless!! Lucas is on the top row, just below the lion:

"This is gonna be the best day of our life, we're graduating Grade five!" *Goosebumps*
Short clip of one of the songs performed:

After the students had received their certificates, and once the more formal ceremony ended, we moved across to the cafeteria where a buffet had been set up and we all could mingle and chit chat for a bit; and where the teachers got thanked:

Lucas and Ms Annie, who has made all the difference for him this year. Best teacher ever!

Checking out the 'Wizard of Oz'-themed wall, where the children had reflected over which character they thought they were most alike. Lucas had picked the courageous lion:

The kids were electric, so it wasn't easy trying to get them to stay still for some photos. Only managed to snap very few, but here's Lucas and a couple of his Grade 5 friends:

Now it's back to class for the two last weeks of Grade 5! :D