No. I didnt have a HS or college grad party. I definitely didnt have an 8th grade grad party. FYI, you dont graduate from 8th grade, they're just moving to the next grade.
In my school, we have to call it a promotion ceremony, lest anyone in our school district get confused and believe that the kids have completed their education.
Post by BicycleBride on Mar 6, 2015 21:03:19 GMT -5
This is weird. I had no idea other people didn't graduate from 8th grade. I went to a prek through 8th school and we had a dressy ceremony and received diplomas. Professional photographers were involved. I guess I thought everyone did this. We had a class party and then I think my family went out to dinner or something.
Post by Velvetshady on Mar 6, 2015 21:19:23 GMT -5
No, my parents understand the meaning of words.
If I had kids that wanted a party, I'd have an End of the School Year Party, We Survived Another Year Party, or No More 8th Grade Party, but I couldn't call it a graduation party. And if 8th grade was going to be the completion of my kids formal schooling, I sure-as-shit would not be throwing them a "party" for that.
I could see a party to say goodbye to all your Jr. High friends if you're going to different High Schools, but no not a graduation party. My junior high had a "promotion" ceremony, but it was basically a graduation.
This is weird. I had no idea other people didn't graduate from 8th grade. I went to a prek through 8th school and we had a dressy ceremony and received diplomas. Professional photographers were involved. I guess I thought everyone did this. We had a class party and then I think my family went out to dinner or something.
But graduation means having earned a degree or academic diploma. No one gets a degree upon completion of 8th grade. Your school may have had a ceremony, and even gave you honorary certificates, but you didnt graduate or get a diploma.
We had a grade 8 end of year trip, and then a dance and ceremony at my school. I didn't go to prom, so it's the only time other than my wedding that I've gotten to wear a pretty dress and get my hair and make up done, lol. Although my best friend made out with the guy I'd had a huge crush on for the last two years, so that was no bueno. THANKS A LOT CHRISTINE.
Well I was, and now my kids are, catholic school kids, they only go to 8th grade and then usually the kids are split to different high schoolsÂ
I was going to mention Catholic school too. And my parents like any excuse for a party, so I had one for my 8th grade graduation. I don't know what the norm is for public middle school which is where my kids will be going, so I'm not sure what we'll do.
No I wouldn't. When I was in 8th grade we had a dance that was just for the 8th graders. We dressed up and I had my hair done. No parties though and no graduation.
The only time I think an 8th grade graduation makes sense is for the one room school houses out in the country. We had a small ranching community that had a school that was k-8th grade. When the kids finished 8th grade they left their little country school and were bused 60+ miles away to go to high school in the bigger community.
That too me felt like it warranted something because it was such a big change.
This is weird. I had no idea other people didn't graduate from 8th grade. I went to a prek through 8th school and we had a dressy ceremony and received diplomas. Professional photographers were involved. I guess I thought everyone did this. We had a class party and then I think my family went out to dinner or something.
But graduation means having earned a degree or academic diploma. No one gets a degree upon completion of 8th grade. Your school may have had a ceremony, and even gave you honorary certificates, but you didnt graduate or get a diploma.Â
Well it was called graduation and I have a peice of paper that says something like "Bicycle Bride has completed the course of study set by the board of trustees and is now a graduate of Main Street School" so idk. I realize there is no degree but I'd still call it a graduation. There is no kindergarten degree but people still call that a graduation (btw, we did not have a kindergarten graduation). Is this maybe a small town thing?
I went to public school K-8 and private 9-12. In public school, 8th grade "graduation" is no big deal because everyone is just moving to 9th grade. But the elementary school that was attached to my high school (again, I did not attend the private elementary school) was co-ed, while the high school was all girls. So obviously, the boys chose other schools. Some of the girls did, too. It was treated as a bigger milestone and all of the 8th grade high school choices were printed in the newsletter, just like the senior college choices.
Still not sure I would do a party, but I at least see the point of the ceremony and maybe taking the kid out to dinner.
Post by penguingrrl on Mar 6, 2015 21:40:37 GMT -5
Yes I will. Nothing big, expensive or fancy, but in June it's easy enough to throw some bowls of chips and soda in the backyard, grill some burgers and dogs and have fun. We had parties every weekend for a few weeks because parents coordinated to make sure they weren't at the same time.
8th grade was a more meaningful graduation for me than HS by a lot. I came from a small town and there were 64 of us together K-8. Knowing that it would never be all 64 of us and just us together again was a weird feeling and I was more emotional about that. In HS I was beyond ready to move on and wasn't the least bit emotional about it.
Party!! Yay!! I will use any excuse for a party. We didn't do this at my school, but if ds's school has a graduation I will totally have people over for food to party!
One does not "graduate" from 8th grade, therefore I did not have a party. I do not plan to throw any parties when my kids complete 8th grade. This is just as random as a 4th grade graduation party IMO.
I think the new trend of kids "graduating" from each school type (preschool! Kindergarten! Fifth grade! Eight Grade!) is ridiculous. You want to throw a summer party for your kid's friends? Throw a party. But throwing it as a "graduation" party for a 13 year old seems silly, IMO. It takes away from the bigger HS graduation, which not only celebrates a huge accomplishment (for which they presumably worked pretty hard), but also marks the completion of a stage of life, and them starting a new chapter, heading out on their own.
Yeah, I'm probably over thinking it, but I don't care. Bah humbug!
You are not over thinking it. This makes complete, rational sense.
Well I was, and now my kids are, catholic school kids, they only go to 8th grade and then usually the kids are split to different high schoolsÂ
I was going to mention Catholic school too. And my parents like any excuse for a party, so I had one for my 8th grade graduation. I don't know what the norm is for public middle school which is where my kids will be going, so I'm not sure what we'll do.
Hmm. Maybe this factored in to why we had/went to do many 8th grade graduation parties. Almost all of my parents' friends sent their kids to Catholic school.
But graduation means having earned a degree or academic diploma. No one gets a degree upon completion of 8th grade. Your school may have had a ceremony, and even gave you honorary certificates, but you didnt graduate or get a diploma.
Well it was called graduation and I have a peice of paper that says something like "Bicycle Bride has completed the course of study set by the board of trustees and is now a graduate of Main Street School" so idk. I realize there is no degree but I'd still call it a graduation. There is no kindergarten degree but people still call that a graduation (btw, we did not have a kindergarten graduation). Is this maybe a small town thing?
Then you are now willingly misusing the word vs just being duped by your school. When you fill out job applications and it asks for your diplomas/degrees do you list Kindergarten and 8th grade?
I've ranted here before about how this pisses me off because it's EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS that are "teaching" kids this crap. I have no issue with celebrating, just call it what it actually is.
One of my biggest beefs with teaching 8 grade is graduation. Wtf are we celebrating? Yay! You've met expectations. You've managed to do exactly what every teenager in the United States is supposed to do!
No.
Eta. We do: baccalaureate mass recognition ceremony full day party at the water slide park graduation ceremony all-night party
and then many have individual parties, too. No no no no no no no no no no no no no no.
My son had an 8th grade graduation, it was a nice ceremony. His school was K-8 so it was a milestone. I didn't throw a party and I don't remember that anyone else did either, but I don't see the big deal if someone wants to have a party.
If people here think for one minute that schools throw graduations in grade 8 because they want to, you have it completely backwards.
At some point a parent wanted it. Or a group of parents. Or didn't like what was already happening, which I can't speak to because in my 14 years in our system we have always has elementary 'graduation celebrations'. It was never the school, because it is a shit ton of work. And money. I don't know when it started but I can guarantee you a group of teachers didn't start it, lol.
Ours is held at a venue that caters weddings and one we (like personally, for our own wedding) couldn't afford. There is a whole dinner (buffet, not sit down) for the kids, it's insane. Parents pay for it (PTA), $30 a head. We only organize the academic awards part of it and valedictorian. The rest is all PTA.
Anyways, at some point it was started and once you start something at a school you can never, ever stop, because parents expect it and it is seen as a rite of passage. But please know, it wasn't ever the school's intent for it to be what it is. It probably started as a 10 minute assembly in the gym on the last day of school and the it just got out of hand.