End Of Year/Graduation

At the end of the school year, it is pretty usual for a school to host a graduation ceremony for their exiting seniors. Well, the school did just that and I truly want to say it rivaled any American Idol or Dancing with the Star production. The venue was the KFCC, not Kentucky Fried Chicken Center, although the kids started refereeing to it as such, but officially the King Fahad Cultural Center, a huge venue with a seating capacity of 3000.


The EYE, as we all came to know the End of Year Event, was held on two separate nights, one for the 4 graduating boys and one for the 18 graduating girls. This wouldn’t be Saudi if the event had not been segregated: on the boys’ night, the mothers viewed the ceremony from the upstairs balcony while the fathers were on the floor. The girls’ night was 100 % girls only. No father/brother/boys over puberty allowed! Both EYEs started officially at 8:30 PM, with an actual start time of 9:15PM.

All the K-3 students were involved on both nights, with each grade having prepared a song, dance or play. Everything was prerecorded so there was no room for mess up on the actual nights. The shows had been choreographed by a team of Lebanese professionals hired especially for the occasion and flown in for 3 weeks from Lebanon. Their specialty: they work on show like Star Academy or American Idol. The production was awesome: all the children wore custom made costumes, makeup artists and hairdressers were available for final touch ups, the soundtrack had been prerecorded and the lights were professionally orchestrated. Of course, all this came with a rehearsal schedule for all participants involved: some took place during class and the week before school was on a hiatus, to let us have rehearsal. Our two children were worn out of the rehearsals, some on the weekend and with the shows going till past 11:00 PM they were on their knees! Same could be said for the teachers!

This event was truly beautiful, with songs around the theme of giving back to the local and global community. Songs included Heal the World, We are the World, Oh Africa (World Cup Theme song) and several English and Arabic plays also about helping others. The audiovisual slideshow moved the acts smoothly and quickly. The kids were amazingly well prepared and acted like true professionals.

Graduation did happen after the songs and plays and was well done too. Fathers were subdued while mothers were hooting and hollering at their daughters/nieces/friends graduating. A very different atmosphere on both nights, much more respectful and traditional for the boys, with an insight into traditional Saudi Sword dance while the girls’ evening was joyful, a look at the future and full of energy and excitement!