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The final exam year.
The final exam year is an exciting but also fun year for your child with many festive traditions. The diploma ceremony, flag day and maybe a prom: what can you expect from these moments as a parent?
The diploma ceremony
During the diploma ceremony your child receives the diploma and the report card. The school principal hands these out. The diploma is the official proof that your child has met the final exam requirements.
The diploma shows your child’s name, date of birth, place of birth, and for which final exam and school the diploma was earned. The date on the diploma is the date of the diploma ceremony. Your child also gets the report card. The date on the report card is when the results were determined. Your child may sign it and afterwards there is usually time to talk a bit.
Flag day
The day students get their final exam results is called flag day. On this day you see flags everywhere, often with a backpack on them and sometimes with school books. This means a successful final exam candidate lives there. The school bag shows the end of secondary school and earning the diploma.
It is of course very nice for your child to show the neighborhood that they have passed. Rules about hanging the Dutch flag apply only to government buildings, not your own house. So the flag can stay up as long as you and your child want.
The exam prank
In some schools the exam prank is a yearly tradition. Usually the exam pranks happen on the last school day of the final year. It is a tradition where final exam candidates close off their secondary school time with funny actions. Think about filling a classroom with balloons, wrapping teachers’ chairs with toilet paper or having a water fight on the school yard.
Usually the pranks are fun and creative, but sometimes things go wrong. Some actions cause safety worries. The school then interferes and a prank can be stopped. Luckily it is usually a fun, unforgettable day for the final exam candidates where they can forget their exam stress for a while.
The prom
The prom is part of the final exam year at many schools. Everyone who took the final exam can join. Several teachers from the final year are also at the prom.
In the Netherlands this tradition has existed for about twenty years. It is a party night with a band or dj where everyone wears formal outfits. Family and friends can watch the final exam candidates arrive. Special transport is often arranged, like a luxury car or a vintage car. Some students plan something very different. They come with a tractor, a tandem or a scooter.
Talk with your child about what suits them. Formal outfits can be bought in specialty stores, but there are also secondhand shops with many choices. Of course, formal outfits can also be rented or borrowed.
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