The tenth time I’d done this song and dance was very much like the first time. Kids sang their cute songs, and did their cute dances while parents clapped and took pictures, all the while gushing about how grown-up their darlings looked. Then I announced and gave out ‘official’ graduation certificates to all of my exiting students (even though their matriculation to Kindergarten had been guaranteed and their placement meetings settled weeks prior).

I made sure to say something positive and specific about each of the pint-sized academians. Not that they cared, but it was nice for their parents to hear how their kids had learned to count to 100 or could now perfectly write their first and last name. Some things really were for the parents.