a kindergarten graduation

Yesterday morning we went to the Kindergarten Grad at Carter's school. Carter isn't in 3rd year kindergarten yet, so he wasn't graduating, but his class was participating.

Grads are big deals here. I know...12th grade grad is big elsewhere too but here there is a big grad for kindergarten, for elementary school, for junior high, and then for high school. The little grads even wear the cap and gown, walk very ceremoniosly up to the front, and recieve a diploma.

Here in Mexico everything is done with much more ceremony than in Canada. I would say that their patriotism is much more evident....may sound bad but in Canada the only display of equal patriotism that I can remember seeing is at a hockey game!! :-) where they actually salute the flag and sing the anthem...

But at the grad {and at several other events we've been to it's similar} the flag is marched on stage, everyone present salutes {with your hand held firm at chest level}, and the national anthem is sung. Kids from early on learn to march and do the salutes...Carter also has been learning to do these things at school. It's very cute :-)

Below is a group of those that were graduating {without their cap and gown} on stage preparing to hand over the flag. What they did was go on stage and then a group of the class that next year will be 3rd year kindergarteners came on stage. One little kid very solemnly stated that they were now handing the flag over to the new class as a symbol that they new class would promise to carry on the traditions and patriotism of Mexico, something to that effect. Then the new class responded promising to uphold the values of Mexico.

Below is a shot of the stage. to the left is where all of the school's directors are seated and to the right is a class of kindergarteners performing. The theme was a circus...and each class did a presentation.

Carter's class did a lion presentation...bugs me I accidently shot the video in bad quality which makes it smaller and...less quality. But nevertheless, Carter is the third lion from the right. He walks to the stump and does a roar and later walks back and starts pawing it his friend to the right of him {watching it "right of him"...that is his friend René, his best friend at school he tells us}.