Anyone else want to go back to 1992 when every single grade didn’t have a “graduation” ceremony?

[eggnbacon]

@monkeym24 I had graduations at 6th (before they changed to middle school it was still part of elementary), 8th, and high school. I’m class of ‘95. That said, the only cap & gowns were high school

 

[christina_nicol]

@monkeym24 I have a child whose age is still measured in months and there was definitely a ceremony. I don’t even think she’s changing classes in the fall because you have to be 2 to move to the next room.

 

[lugiboss]

@monkeym24 My kids’ school district finds other ways to celebrate moving schools and I love it.

Kindergarten is a small moving up celebration where they sing a couple of songs for the parents.

6th grade (elementary goes to 6 here) is a giant track meet across all 10 elementary schools. It’s a huge deal and the teachers are really into it.

8th grade is a big trip to an amusement park.

Then there’s the real graduation for high schools.

 

[ikon]

@monkeym24 Sorry but I love it and we are constantly pushed by the community to do more community events where I live.

However my school district only does K and 12th graduation. We also have a committee I’m on that prevents parents from paying for anything. Lunch and breakfast is always free, field trips free, and the “graduation” for kindergarten includes an ice cream party for kids and families that is completely free for everyone coming in. We have parents on the committee.

 

[mizupsi]

@monkeym24 So I did a preschool graduation growing up and still have my diploma! I thought about posting it on my cubicle as joke. That was in the early 80’s. Then there was HS graduation and finally college.

My daughter had preschool and then a clap out for 5th grade and that was it. My niece had a kindergarten graduation. We live in different counties. So all this graduation nonsense is based on the district/county and school.

I will accept a ceremony if you’re transitioning from preschool to elementary, elementary to middle and middle to HS. But a kindergartner graduation when you’re going to the same school is silly.

Heck, I am a little disappointed that my kid didn’t have an award ceremony for the end of the year but that is how her school works. Your reward is you don’t have to go to school for the summer I guess.

 

[charles1992]

@monkeym24 We only have graduation ceremonies at the end of uni here in the UK. Seems very OTT to do it at any other stage.

 

[kokavkrystallos]

@monkeym24 I'm 35 and we had a Kindergarten graduation ceremony. I've seen some really cute pictures of me from that day. The next graduations were 5th and 8th grade (changing schools) and then of course 12th.

 

[clos77]

@monkeym24 I remember having a graduation at the end of elementary school and then high school. That was it. On top of the end of year recitals, the presentations, etc I don’t know how you all do it (mine is still too little)

 

[wordfuzion]

@monkeym24 I personally love it and think it’s fun to celebrate, it’s a big deal to the kids

 

[nrg23]

@monkeym24 Honestly, I’d just have them skip the ‘graduation’ & do something more memorable, fun and worthwhile if I’m already off work for it. Ffs its a rip off and honestly, I hated graduations with gowns as a child too. Long, hot, itchy and boring. My kinder was wear whatever you wanted without a gown and a picnic in the park.

 

[nathaniel]

@monkeym24 I'm on my way to my pre-k graduation! In my school district the school grades call it a promotion ceremony. It is more like a research poster session and I'm not looking forward to it. More time, more effort on parents part of their kid isn't going to put something together, and you don't want your kid to be left out if they don't have someone there to view their poster.

 

[pithypole]

@monkeym24 My kid graduated from pre-K (so cute), 8th grade (during Covid, so didn't actually happen but a cap and gown were still involved) and high school (yay!) last Wednesday.

I think graduation from pre-K or kindergarten is ADORABLE (I myself graduated from pre-K back in 1980) but 8th grade graduation is unnecessary.

 

[singingmichelle74]

@monkeym24 I think when the kids change schools it makes sense. My preschooler will be going to a different kindergarten than his friends. And at the end of fifth grade he’ll go to the middle school that combines all the elementary school.

I remember my 8th grade graduation when we went from our middle/elementary school district (class size 90) to our high school (class size over 900). Where we live now the elementary schools all feed into the big middle school (class size is small though like maybe 250 students).

But like this morning in the car I did tell my 5 year old preschool graduation was NBD because he’s going to have a lot more. At this point it’s not like a celebration of his accomplishment it’s more like a party to celebrate the end of the school year.

 

[professorab]

@monkeym24 We had a "promotion" from K to 1st, but nothing for subsequent grades. I know there's another "promotion" from 5th-6th and from 8th-9th. No graduations at her school short of 12th. It's kinda nice.

 

[gregwootton86]

@monkeym24 My sister had kindergarten graduation in the 90’s

 

[thenotsogoodchristian]

@monkeym24 I'm in my 30's and remember "graduating" from elementary to middle school and was so confused. I thought we just had to go, so why are we celebrating something that is supposed to happen?

Anyway, it's been going on for a long time, and likely has gotten worse since I was a kid. I'm with you, seems over the top!

 

[panda01]

@monkeym24 We let my kid "graduate" from the daycare he's been in since he was less than 3 months old, to camp/kindergarten. We bought him a balloon and let him have ice cream.

I work at a park district that directly supports our schools. They don't even use the word graduate here, the word is "promote." In the two school districts our park district serves, only 5th grade (elementary to middle school) and 8th grade (middle to high school) get a big shindig, and that's still just a picnic and field day at one of our parks. All the other grades get a certificate saying they completed their grade and a handshake from the principal. No cap, no gown, no nonsense. 5th graders also don't cap and gown, but 8th graders do.

Chicago, Illinois, USA - major suburb

 

[kertaker]

@monkeym24 I agree and it really takes away from big milestone of graduating high school. It’s so out of hand. My neice’s pre-k did a prom for 4 year olds. WTF?

 

[monkeym24]

@kertaker Haha. Prom for 4 year olds. It’s too much!

 

[sarah13]

@kertaker I actually thought the preschool prom my kids did was kind of cute. My HS Junior (who has now been to a few “real” proms) was just reminiscing at dinner the other night: “Remember the preschool prom?!” Now that he’s conscious of a lot of “lasts” he’s getting more sentimental recognizing life’s big changes that are ahead.

True, all of these graduations can feel like too much - my youngest did a preschool graduation then the next year a kindergarten graduation. But, now that I’m facing just 1 more year before my first-born’s HS graduation, thinking of these things in hindsight, it’s all very sweet. I don’t think they’ll make the “big” one any less special for him next year. And hey, it’ll make a very cute slide show showing the little graduations leading to the big one!