Summer is here

Graduates of Somero Lukio 2012

One of the most definite signs that summer has arrived in Finland is the end of school. On Saturday both Cameron (11) and Lucie (15) finished their first term at a Finnish school. Up until January of this year, the children had always been educated in either English or French, so to put them in Finnish schools was quite a big risk, and a big challenge for the children.

Kari Luoto giving out reports

I am happy to say that both of them have been really happy. Cameron is at Joensuun Koulu and Lucie at Somero Lukio. On Saturday both schools had celebrations to mark the end of the school year and the official start of the summer holidays.

At ten o'clock all the primary school children attended a church service. The church was absolutely packed, with all the seats taken and people standing at the back. The atmosphere was warm and friendly. Unfortunately the weather wasn't.  the plan had been for the children to receive their school reports outside the church right after the service, but the weather was horrendous. There was very heavy rain, so the reports were given out inside the church, after which everyone ran as fast as they could to their cars.

Minttu wearing her best dress at church

Cameron with his report in the rain

 














At the same time the Lukio was full of students celebrating their graduation after passing their high school exams (the equivalent to A levels). Forty-four students received their official ylioppilas hat in Somero this year, and this high school graduation tradition is something that Finland should really be proud of. In the UK most schools don't have any sort of gradutaion ceremony until university level, and I think this is a real shame. Every house in Finland has at least one picture of a student wearing a graduation hat and hopefully we'll have one of Lucie wearing hers in two years time (although she'll need to work hard first).

Somero church

Both celebrations were full of proud children and parents, all looking forward to their summer holidays. It was a shame that the weather was not kinder to all those people who had parties planned that day, but hopefully there is still lots of sunny weather ahead. In any event it is a full nine weeks before the start of the new term, and that can't be a bad thing!