Go Kartli: Last Last Bell

Last Bell Ceremony, Akhalkalaki School #2

The symbolic last bell, being run by a 12th grader and a 1st grader. Too bad it was all a tease--school doesn't actually get out for another month.

May 18 was marked the end of the school year for the 1st and 12th graders at schools in Georgia. It was the day of the much anticipated, much beloved "Last Bell" ceremony. (You may remember that the school year began with the "First Bell" ceremony.) Sam and I headed to our schools a little later than usual to watch the festivities.

My school's kids, all ready to celebrate! White tops and black bottoms were the designated attire for students, as per usual in important school events here

Sam's school's director gives a speech for their Last Bell, congratulating the 12 grade

A group of teachers from my school

As with any good school celebration in Akhalkalaki, there were the obligatory speeches by the director, teachers, students and parents, along with songs, dances, and readings of poems. This ceremony is an interesting one, akin to our graduation celebrations, but involving everyone from all grades. It's also different from American graduation in that it comes before final exams, before students actually learn if they've graduated. Other students (whom Sam and I hadn't ever seen before in any classes) return to school to join their class for the festivities, even though they dropped out of school 2-3 years earlier to start to work or to get married and start families (yes, that happens with unpleasant frequency here--in my school alone, I think I've had about 10 girls a year leave from the 9th-12th grades to get married). I've talked with lots of teachers and students alike about the Last Bell ceremony and everyone that I've talked with agrees that it makes no sense to hold the ceremony before the end of school (the rest of the grades, 2-11, continue with classes until June 15) and for all students in the 12th grade, even those who will not graduate or receive diplomas. On the other hand, nearly all of my interlocutors said that it is something nice for all students to be able to celebrate, regardless of their academic success. And it's a nice way for the students to officially say goodbye to their childhoods (even if, in some cases, they've already said goodbye).

Balloons were a nice idea, but not a second ticked by without at least two popping (or being popped) by some of the (I'm sure) very attentive and well behaved younger students

The 12th graders didn't have caps and gowns, but they did have nifty sashes

In any case, Last Bell represents another way in which Georgia and America have something in common while still having something different. We both want to celebrate the accomplishment of making it through school, to mark the end of school as a rite of passage. I do wish that American celebrations included more children dancing around with lit roman candles or setting off paper hot air balloons or releasing doves. Maybe Sam and I can bring some Georgian traditions back home with us.

My favorite performance included a group of 3rd grade girls, apparently dressed as wizards, dancing around with star-shaped wands to a song about stars raining down on us.

The symbolic releasing of doves was unexpected (at least by me). Luckily, no birds pooped on me.

Another dance number by one of my 6th grade classes featured some extremely unhappy-to-be-dancing-while-wearing-white-capes boys. I did not manage to contain my giggles during some of their dance moves.

Sam's school had some signs and decorations up for the day

His school also featured a traditional Armenian dance by one of the students

Towards the end of my school's celebration, the wizard girls came back out again and were each handed a gigantic, lit roman candle to dance around with. I thought that was a lawsuit waiting to happen until the 12th graders brought out the paper lantern/hot air balloons and lit them up