In early April, all the students in a school gather for a formal ceremony welcoming the new students. At this ceremony, new students are introduced to the other students and teachers and the teachers and principal have a chance to talk to the new students. Many of the parents of the new students attend this ceremony, often dressed formally, as a way to show support for their children and to meet some of the other parents and teachers. The ceremony marks a new period of the students’ lives, as they are now in a new school and at a new stage of life.