Graduation day and senior high school´s party

One school year is over again and F.E. Sillanpää senior high school was celebrating the graduates of 2014 on 31^st May.  The students arrived at school wearing beautiful dresses and suits. Especially the third graders had invested in their outfit. Of course, because it was their big day. Finally it would be the time to put the white cap on, leave the senior high school behind and reach for the dreams.  

Everybody was sitting in the big hall. Full lines of students, teachers, parents and relatives. In front of the hall were sitting the graduates from 50 years ago, who were wearing their old, a bit yellow, but important white caps.

The graduates of this year arrived and it was time to start the party. Annamari Järviniemi welcomed everybody with a little speech and then our senior high school music group performed a song called “On elämä laina” (Life is a loan).

Then the graduates of this year gave flowers to the graduates from 50 years ago and one of the graduates from 50 years ago, Raimo Ylivakeri, gave a little speech and congratulated this year´s graduates and told a bit about that time when he graduated.

After that our school principal Kari Lähde announced scholarships and the music group performed a song called “Lähtövalmiina” (Ready to go).

Then the highlight of this party. Principal Kari Lähde and third graders' homeroom teachers gave the diplomas and the white caps to the graduates who took them with a big smile on their face and bowed or curtsyed in front of the audience. This was it. Three years in this school was over, and from now on it would depend on them themselves what would happen next. They had graduated from senior high school with good grades and now they were ready to make their dreams come true. Now they had the permission to put the white caps on.

After that graduates were smiling to the cameras wearing their shiny, new, white caps while the Gaudeamus igitur song was playing in the hall.

Then our principal Kari Lähde gave a speech and the school´s music group performed the song “Happy” while the video that the senior high school graders had made of this song was rolling on the screen. 






And then at the end of the party graduate Eeva Linnainmaa gave a speech and then we all sang  “Suvivirsi” (The summer hymn) and then, well, then the party was really over. Only the graduates' photo shoot and then this beautiful party was over and the summer holiday was ready to start.

Of course the party was not over for our schools graduates. No. They were heading to somewhere else to celebrate three years of hard work and senior high school´s ending.

I wish all the luck for this year´s graduates and wish them the best for life. 
And now it’s time to relax and enjoy the summer!

Written by Miranda 1B 
Photos by Kirsi Kankaanranta