Each year for the last 13 years, I have been required to work at Clifton Promotion ceremonies. There is a continuing debate about the validity of middle school or junior high "graduation" ceremonies - which is why they are called "promotion" ceremonies. The research shows that schools that do away with grade school and middle school ceremonies to mark the rite of passage have lower drop out rates in high school. The reasoning seems to be that for some sub-cultures in the United States, one graduation ceremony is as good as another. If you've had one after 8th or 9th grade, why stick around for another one? Hence, not getting one after 8th or 9th, inspires you to stick around for the one in 12th grade.
Because I was thinking about all this, I went hunting for middle school promotion shots of each of our kids - starting with the youngest. Fortunately having a middle school promotion didn't deter them from further commencement adventures!
This would be Noah in 2000 something - I am so bad with dates. The event of note was that Noah rumpled Mr. Pagano's hair as he strode across the stage - maybe because Mr. Pagano had been rumpling Noah's hair for 3 years at Clifton!!
And here is Hannah - and the note here is that these really are not her best friends or anything, but it did seem to capture the wonderful diversity that is Monrovia. And it's a good shot of Hannah's elaborate 'do - she really does have a great head of hair!! (Elaborate by Terrill standards I should say!)
Eliza in 1996 - I know because it's written on the back of the photo - I like the way this captures the way she strides - I can just "see" her when I look at this shot. We shopped forever - and then went back and bought the first dress she saw - and liked. She said, "But maybe there is one out there that I like better - I won't know if I don't look. And if I don't look, it will bother me!" So we looked -for a very long time too! But she does look lovely, and she was happy - and that is what is important. And the young lady in front of her is Alex, who is still her good friend.
Phoebe at the lectern in the auditorium - this was a year of tumultuous events - Grandpa T. had just died, I was in charge of the 8th grade dance, and the funeral was the day before. Sharilin Miller volunteered to help out and took Phoebe shopping for shoes! This was 1991. Phoebe is still "leading" out - probably always will! (This also appear to be the year of padded shoulders!)
Harry wanted "real" menswear - but they just didn't have it in his size anywhere we shopped - until Toni Monson told me about a store in Alhambra of all places - right by the office too!! And so Harry was decked out in all his finery - and he's still a spiffy dresser. This was 1996. That's part of Phoebe in the corner.
1984 -the year Bonny promoted - found us on Primrose - and Krissy Salazar babysat Eliza while we went. That year, all six valedictorians were girls - and lovely fashionable girls too!! I made Bonny's blouse - the outfit was of her design - and she still has that flair.
So there it is, the walk down Memory Lane. I have a wall of photos in our hall - each child's promotion photo with a high school graduation photo underneath it. I tried photographing said wall, but the result didn't do it justice - so you'll just have to drop by and see for yourself!
