Graduation Day

[maddmaxx ★]

This is the day school workers both like and dread.  Womaxx just left for work, carrying dinner for tonight along with everything else needed to survive a 14 hour day.  It's raining and it may or may not be raining at graduation time.  The school administration has made the (correct) decision to move the event indoors which complicates the process.  Womaxx will be stationed (in full rain gear) out at the entrance to the parking lots directing those holding handicap passes to the appropriate reserved parking spots.  The average greedy parent will be attempting to occupy those closest parking spots anyway and will have to be chased out.  The parents are incensed that graduation is indoors and their tickets may be limited.  "But it might stop raining in time, can't you wait till the last minute".  Well, no.  There is a lot of coordination that must be changed and the equipment such as stage costs in excess of $3k plus extra manhours from the staff to set it up and take it down for a very limited maybe.

At any rate, this will be the longest day of the school year.  Many parents will breath a sigh of relief as their kids graduate and actually get a diploma.  Of course if you haven't paid the school for that broken calculator you may not get one.  Surprise.

[Airehead]

Yep, I feel for her.  I get to do it three times tomorrow.  AM and PM preschool graduation with a zillion parents.  Then at 7PM there is our high school graduation.  For our parents, who have graduates with significant needs for support throughout their life, graduation is actually kind of sad.  Many of our parents have been connected to the school and its various programs since the kids were two or three.  Now--- that connection is cut and the unknown world of adult programming looms.  

 

For staff, including me, it is definitely the longest day of the year.  I'll bring two dresses, a lunch, a dinner, and hopefully comfortable shoes.

[MickinMD ★]

1 hour ago, maddmaxx said:

This is the day school workers both like and dread.  Womaxx just left for work, carrying dinner for tonight along with everything else needed to survive a 14 hour day.  It's raining and it may or may not be raining at graduation time.  The school administration has made the (correct) decision to move the event indoors which complicates the process.  Womaxx will be stationed (in full rain gear) out at the entrance to the parking lots directing those holding handicap passes to the appropriate reserved parking spots.  The average greedy parent will be attempting to occupy those closest parking spots anyway and will have to be chased out.  The parents are incensed that graduation is indoors and their tickets may be limited.  "But it might stop raining in time, can't you wait till the last minute".  Well, no.  There is a lot of coordination that must be changed and the equipment such as stage costs in excess of $3k plus extra manhours from the staff to set it up and take it down for a very limited maybe.

At any rate, this will be the longest day of the school year.  Many parents will breath a sigh of relief as their kids graduate and actually get a diploma.  Of course if you haven't paid the school for that broken calculator you may not get one.  Surprise.

Graduation is a fun day for teachers - many attend the graduations and take part even though they are not paid to do it in most school systems.

In my county, the 12 high public schools usually have 2000-3000 students each, with several hundred graduates each year, so the graduations are often held at a college gym or event center or other large-seating location.

[BuffJim]

I absolutely hate graduations of any kind. I think I am done with them, unless my daughter gets off the schneid and gets a college degree. I'll attend any of hers. Potentially would attend grandchildren's high school or college graduation. None of this Pre-K or Kindergarten graduation like I saw all over facebook this week.

Good luck to all of you and your loved ones who are working in them.

I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating. We cheered our college commencement speaker off the stage. He was absolutely terrible - His topic was 'Building a Soft Drink Distribution Network in Indonesia'. He talked for about a half hour, then after each sentence the crowd would cheer wildly. After 5 times of wild cheering, he said 'I can clearly see you're not interested in what I have to say and he stormed off. More wild cheering.

 

[maddmaxx ★]

It was worse than expected here.  First, the rain continued right into the evening but that didn't stop the whining from some parents who were still saying it should have been held outdoors.  Then the traffic was unruly with some cars wildly exceeding speed limits in areas where people were walking in during the rain.  They do this on regular days too, especially around bus lanes.  One of the assigned policemen didn't show.  This was almost important later.

Remote viewing was set up in the auditorium with a PC and projector showing the streaming video of the graduation.  No one thought in advance what would happen if thousands of people will cell phones all logged in to watch.  Consequently the show in the auditorium crashed.  Some of the parents there rushed the doors of the gym where graduation was being held in an attempt to get in beyond the seating capacity.  The remaining police were busy on several fronts attempting to control the mob.  Womaxx became involved in this effort as well after coming in from the parking lot soaking wet.

My take away.  Parents are assholes.

[Airehead]

Well that kind of tops my story about the parent with no underwear on that sat with her dress bunched up and you could see the goods----- that is a classic story from a few years ago at my workplace.  I simply asked her to stand for a second so I could adjust the chairs.  She did, dress went down where it should have been and problem was solved.

You did think she might have noticed her direct skin contact on a metal chair.