Goodbyes and Hellos - Graduation and Staff changes

In Japan, public servants such as teachers and police officers rotate workplaces every few years within the prefecture. April is a time for new beginnings, but it also means saying goodbye to graduating students and co-workers you've gotten to know as they move on to their next assignment.

The banner reads: Kagoshima prefecture, Koniya Senior High School.
GRADUATION CEREMONY. Left: a student is waiting her turn to receive
her graduation certificate. Center: a male teacher hands each certificate to
the principal, who in turn hands it to the student with a bow. Photo taken by
school staff and used here with permission.

The first goodbye was to the 3rd-year students, whose graduation ceremony was held on March 1st. Some were going to college, and others were starting work. Either way, I'll miss seeing them around the school.  Unlike western graduation ceremonies, which are loud and celebratory, Japanese graduation ceremonies are more serious and solemn in tone.

The students are led into the gym (which was set-up the day prior by the 1st and 2nd-year students) by their homeroom teachers, walking slowly while the wind ensemble club played. Everyone was dressed in their best suit except for the (female) homeroom teacher of class 2, K-sensei, who wore hakama, a traditional pleated skirt, which, outside of martial arts practice is really only associated with graduation. Unlike graduation in the west, which is attended only by the graduates and their parents, 1st and 2nd-year students are required to attend as well.

After a speech by the principal, each of the graduates is called by name to the stage. There is a lot of bowing, first to the special guests (education officials, local government, etc.), then to the seated vice principal and school staff before climbing the steps to face the watching students and parents. The certificate is bestowed (with a bow), and the student returns to his or her seat by running the same procedure in reverse.

Following the certificate portion of the ceremony, various school officials came up to the stage to give speeches. A 3rd-year student representative gave a speech on behalf of the graduates to their kouhai (junior students), and a 2nd-year student representative gave a speech on behalf of the 1st and 2nd-years to their sempai graduates. One more rousing rendition of the school song by all, and the ceremony was over.

The graduates are officially done with High School, but their kouhai aren't! Classes continue until the end of the month.

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The soubetsukai programme.

At the soubetsukai. So much food!

On March 24, the school year officially concluded with the closing and farewell ceremonies. This year, six staff members finished their contracts with Koniya High School: the principal (60 years old a
nd thus retiring), the office manager, three teachers, and an office staff member. Among the three teachers was my supervisor, F-sensei, who I had a good working relationship with, so I was sad to find out she was leaving after only one year. Some of the recent graduates returned to see them off, and it was a bit strange seeing them at school in their street clothes, and for the girls, wearing makeup. (High school students are not allowed makeup at school.) After the ceremony was over, some students presented the staff with flowers before saying goodbye with tears in their eyes.

The same evening, the last big work party of the school year, called soubetsukai, was held at Ajizono restaurant. A special table was set aside for the guests of honor - the six leaving staff members. Also in attendance were the PTA president and some other important non-staff members of the school.
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Saying goodbye to M-sensei from Koniya port.
Look at those streamers!

Saying goodbye to our two departing office staff members.
The wind was blowing all the streamers from different groups
together so you could no longer tell whose were whose!

The soubetsukai was not the final goodbye, as teachers still needed to move out of their desks and make travel arrangements. First to leave from the Koniya port for his new assignment on the Kagoshima mainland was Mr. M-sensei, As the ship was readying for departure, those who came to see him off held onto one roll of streamers. M-sensei held the other end. As the ship pulled away from the dock, the shouted farewells were drowned out by the horn, the streamers unrolled in our hands before finally running out, and we waved until the ship was out of sight. Even though I didn't know M-sensei all that well, it was a really emotional send-off.

Next was the Principal, who was going back to his home on the Kagoshima mainland. We said goodbye in front of the school before he and his wife drove off to the airport.

The two office staff were leaving together from Naze port on the same ship to Kagoshima, and my supervisor on a different ship to Tokunoshima the next morning, so a contingent of staff members carpooled up to say goodbye. Unlike the farewell from Koniya port, many other schools were bidding farewell to their staff members, so the shipside streamer ritual was sight to behold. I wish all of the staff members well as they transition to their new assignments.

Farewell banner for one of the office staff  (name redacted
for privacy). Poster botton row reads "Thank you! Koniya High
School" in the local island dialect.

Farewell banner for my supervisor, F-sensei (name redacted
for privacy). The middle rows says "Thank you very much!"

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Of course, with old staff leaving comes new staff arriving! This year, five people joined the Koniya HS staff. One female teacher had previously taught here 6 years prior, but everyone else was new to the islands. We had a kangeikai, or welcome party, for them at the same restaurant the goodbye party was held, so the two events were like mirrors of one another. A good time was had by all, and I look forward to working with everyone this upcoming school year.