Gilbert shows up at the Cleaver door looking for Beaver. He shows June his graduation pin; and June is pleased to see Gilbert taking graduation so seriously. Upstairs, Gilbert tells Beaver their graduation is in the bag: the class pins are out, the photos are finished, the diplomas are printed, we are as good as in high school, so let's ditch classes. We got it made say Gilbert; yeah, agrees Beaver, I got it made. That night Beaver tells Wally that he ditched English class because school doesn't matter now; Wally warns Beaver about fooling around; one of his classmates flunked because he fooled around because he didn't think the last few weeks mattered.
Next day at breakfast, Beaver is sitting at the table and expresses his feelings about how school is a waste now as the teachers are too busy to teach. Out, Out, Out and get to school.
At school, Beaver is fooling around when he bumps into Gilbert. Gilbert tells Beaver he needs to sign in as the last bell rang. Gilbert is on the way to Mrs. Rayburn office. At the door, the secretary tells Gilbert to just leave the list Mrs. Rayburn gave him on the desk. Gilbert sees the diplomas and he convinces Beaver to look through the diplomas to see if Butch Crayton is graduating. Butch is, but there is no diploma for Beaver. Beaver looks devastated and believes he is not graduating. Well, that's the way it goes says Gilbert; that's what happens when you think you got it made.
The secretary returns and tells Mrs. Rayburn that Beaver's diploma is in her desk as Beaver and three other students are being singled out and will be on stage. At home June and Ward are looking at a wrist watch they got Beaver for a present. When Beaver walks in they tell him Aunt Martha and Uncle Billy are coming for the graduation. Up in the room, Beaver tells Wally he goofed himself right out of graduation. This is a mess to end all messes, says Wally. Wally tells Beaver that he had better be Beaver on-the-spot these next few days; maybe they will change their mind.
Then Eddie shows up and Wally mentions Beaver might not graduate. Eddie offers to help. Go to Mrs. Rayburn, cry in front of her and tell her your parents are throwing you out of the house. Hey, how do you think I got out of grammar school say Eddie.
If Beaver can't cry in front of Mrs. Rayburn, then Eddie suggests Beaver try preparing his Mom. Let her break the news to Ward. That doesn't work so well. June yells for Ward to speak to Beaver right now. Ward is upset. When Beaver gives the excuse that all the guys were goofing off, Ward isn't buying it and tells Beaver that he knows better than that. Ward says that Beaver has to go in and talk with Mrs. Rayburn. Then tell her I want to speak with her.
When Beaver tells Mrs. Rayburn what he did, she laughs and explains why Beaver didn't find the diploma. Of course, Beaver is graduating, but did he learn his lesson? Up in his room at night, Beaver is talking to Wally about high school; he confides he is a little afraid. Wally tells him not to worry, he will just be going to school with kids from six other grammar schools. Now Beaver is really worried; he will be in a school full of strangers.
It certainly has been six years, both Beaver and Whitey are no longer cute little tykes. They look like giants when they are in scenes with younger students. Gilbert is still a hair away from becoming Eddie Haskell; and Beaver is just a few bricks short of turning into Lumpy. It might have been interesting if they could have added one more year to see Beaver adjust to high school. We could have had a better idea of what kind of man he would grow into. We really had that opportunity with Wally; and I would have enjoyed another year of Ward's aphoristic comments.
I spent a few years teaching in middle school, and the change in both physical and intellectual growth was amazing to see as kids went from sixth graders, still children, to eighth grades, mature young men and women. And seeing them after a year in high school was even a bigger surprise. Somehow, when they became seniors, they almost got younger just before leaving for college or work. Perhaps it was that last quarter when "senioritis" set it and Eddie Haskell seemed to be the role model. And Wally was right, there were always a few who didn't graduate because they completely blew off those last ten weeks. Or they lost scholarships, the "best" colleges really looked at the last quarter to see if their potential investments were serious students or careless ones.
Next day at breakfast, Beaver is sitting at the table and expresses his feelings about how school is a waste now as the teachers are too busy to teach. Out, Out, Out and get to school.
At school, Beaver is fooling around when he bumps into Gilbert. Gilbert tells Beaver he needs to sign in as the last bell rang. Gilbert is on the way to Mrs. Rayburn office. At the door, the secretary tells Gilbert to just leave the list Mrs. Rayburn gave him on the desk. Gilbert sees the diplomas and he convinces Beaver to look through the diplomas to see if Butch Crayton is graduating. Butch is, but there is no diploma for Beaver. Beaver looks devastated and believes he is not graduating. Well, that's the way it goes says Gilbert; that's what happens when you think you got it made.
The secretary returns and tells Mrs. Rayburn that Beaver's diploma is in her desk as Beaver and three other students are being singled out and will be on stage. At home June and Ward are looking at a wrist watch they got Beaver for a present. When Beaver walks in they tell him Aunt Martha and Uncle Billy are coming for the graduation. Up in the room, Beaver tells Wally he goofed himself right out of graduation. This is a mess to end all messes, says Wally. Wally tells Beaver that he had better be Beaver on-the-spot these next few days; maybe they will change their mind.
Then Eddie shows up and Wally mentions Beaver might not graduate. Eddie offers to help. Go to Mrs. Rayburn, cry in front of her and tell her your parents are throwing you out of the house. Hey, how do you think I got out of grammar school say Eddie.
If Beaver can't cry in front of Mrs. Rayburn, then Eddie suggests Beaver try preparing his Mom. Let her break the news to Ward. That doesn't work so well. June yells for Ward to speak to Beaver right now. Ward is upset. When Beaver gives the excuse that all the guys were goofing off, Ward isn't buying it and tells Beaver that he knows better than that. Ward says that Beaver has to go in and talk with Mrs. Rayburn. Then tell her I want to speak with her.
When Beaver tells Mrs. Rayburn what he did, she laughs and explains why Beaver didn't find the diploma. Of course, Beaver is graduating, but did he learn his lesson? Up in his room at night, Beaver is talking to Wally about high school; he confides he is a little afraid. Wally tells him not to worry, he will just be going to school with kids from six other grammar schools. Now Beaver is really worried; he will be in a school full of strangers.
It certainly has been six years, both Beaver and Whitey are no longer cute little tykes. They look like giants when they are in scenes with younger students. Gilbert is still a hair away from becoming Eddie Haskell; and Beaver is just a few bricks short of turning into Lumpy. It might have been interesting if they could have added one more year to see Beaver adjust to high school. We could have had a better idea of what kind of man he would grow into. We really had that opportunity with Wally; and I would have enjoyed another year of Ward's aphoristic comments.
I spent a few years teaching in middle school, and the change in both physical and intellectual growth was amazing to see as kids went from sixth graders, still children, to eighth grades, mature young men and women. And seeing them after a year in high school was even a bigger surprise. Somehow, when they became seniors, they almost got younger just before leaving for college or work. Perhaps it was that last quarter when "senioritis" set it and Eddie Haskell seemed to be the role model. And Wally was right, there were always a few who didn't graduate because they completely blew off those last ten weeks. Or they lost scholarships, the "best" colleges really looked at the last quarter to see if their potential investments were serious students or careless ones.
