From a Mother of a Graduating Grade 12 Student in BC, Canada

I don’t usually write too much about being a mom and about my teenage son but I thought today I would write a Blog Post about being a Mother of a Grade 12 student in BC, Canada during this fun and exciting final year of High School.

I love my son but Grade 12 is one of the most difficult times I have had in a long time raising my son alone and in an extremely expensive city.  Teenage boys are interesting creatures to their mother as you can never quite understand their grunts and lack of communication.  I miss the talks and cuddles like when a boy is a child and to hear the words – Mom love you – is very rare and only when money is needed, so it can be a lonely time for a mother.

However living in Canada for Grade 12 is one of the worst years financially.

First you will be shocked at all the price of Graduating from FREE Public High School.  Your September School fees start at $270.00 for grad fees.  I am amazed that high schools still do yearbooks since that is old news as social media is where they should be concentrating their year books at, the year book fee is $35.00 every year.  Then a month into school, Grad Photos which have a deposit of $60.00 with starting Photo Packages of $150.00 plus, plus and this is in October!!!  Are you kidding me.

I love all the extra fees, $20.00 here and there every week for some special event, Winter Formal, Sport trips, Magazines for Economics class, a requirement.  On average during Grade 12 I spend $100.00 extra per month on school activities and fees at a free public school.

Then it starts coming down to Grad and Prom with tickets for Prom starting at $125.00 plus After Prom of $35-$40.  And don’t forget the Suit, Shoes, Dress shirts, Flowers, Limo etc etc etc.  Oh my GOD!!!

But here in BC, Canada the last few weeks of Grade 12 – our teachers decided to go on strike – first rotating once a week so the students then get to change their schedules and timetables based on the strike rotation.  But it gets better as the last few weeks of school my son gets to attend school and listen to teacher after teacher complain about the terms of their strike action.

What fun these teenagers and students must feel while being in the middle of this negative experience – remember it is their last few weeks of High School and do you really think a Graduating Grade 12 student cares about a Teacher Strike.

So now today I have been told that the Teachers are going on a FULL Strike and Friday, June 13 is the last day of school and the students only have to write Provincial Exams.

Tomorrow is my last day after 12 years of making sandwiches, lunches and ensuring my son attended school and finished homework.

Tomorrow it is all over for me and my Public School experience as a Mother.

But wait there is still the Graduation Ceremony in 2 weeks which is downtown Vancouver so it should not be crossing any picket lines – thank God.

So I get to sit in a hot theatre for 3 hours waiting for the 10 seconds my son’s name is called to receive his Graduation Certificate!!!

And I can’t attend the Graduation Dinner for family and students after the Ceremony since those tickets cost $100.00 for a buffet meal in some fancy Vancouver hotel.

So you want to know how a Mother of a Graduating Grade 12 Student feels here in BC during the 2014 Teacher Strike.

I feel drained as it has been a long year, I feel like the roller coaster ride is almost finished.  Thank God!!!!