I went to Catholic school, and we had an 8th grade "graduation" mass complete with caps and gowns and the whole shindig. I think there was a party at the school afterwards, but my parents did not throw one for me.
I agree that you are not actually graduating from 8th grade. I think calling it 8th Grade Promotion makes a little more sense, but I still wouldn't throw a party that is called a Graduation Party. When I think graduation party, I think of having a guest of honor (the graduate) where people come bearing gifts and cards and money and there are big collages of pictures of the graduate, etc. That's what our high school graduation parties were like. I would not do that for an 8th grader. I think throwing an end-of-the-year party or summer party or whatever is totally fine, but also a totally different thing than a graduation party.
I went to an 8th grade graduation party - where we did the Macarena. It was like any other 8th grade party I went to. Assuming my kid and my kid's friends aren't total asshats, I'd host.
ETA: I was assuming the question was whether or not to have a kid's party. I don't think I'd host a big to-do with family over it. My parents and us would likely take H to a nice lunch or a nice dinner or something low key.
Where I went to school, 'junior high' was grades 7-9. There was a 'grade 9 grad', but it was less of a ceremony and more of an end of year dinner and dance. I got to buy a new dress, but it wasn't formal attire. I remember it being really fun, and my friend's parents let her throw an afterparty which was really just a big sleepover with movies and junk food.
Post by JayhawkGirl on Mar 7, 2015 10:30:08 GMT -5
Eighth grade graduations made sense....when farm kids were done with their schooling and headed off to work the farm. This would have been my grandpa, but I believe his parents pulled him after 6th grade.
Now? No. It's an expectation. If the school wants to have an assembly to celebrate end of the year and make an acknowledgment of "hey, go be awesome in high school," go for it. But graduation ceremonies make no sense to me.
I am inspired to do end of school year parties though a la SueSue. Maybe that's our answer to our kids' Thanksgiving and Christmas birthdays that everyone is OOT for.
Post by killercupcake on Mar 7, 2015 10:34:32 GMT -5
I'd probably throw a "Hey! You're going to high school!" party if my kid wanted it. Parties are fun. I'd probably avoid calling it a graduation, but I'm not that picky about it.
My mom let me throw a "Hey! We're going to 8th grade!" pool party on the last day of 7th grade. lol
No. I'm very bothered by 8th grade graduations. I am okay with a celebration without robes, giving awards, and even having a party or dance as a group. I wouldn't just a party at my home for my child where people come to give presents and eat cake. I would allow them to have friends over to just have a fun night.
Eighth grade graduations made sense....when farm kids were done with their schooling and headed off to work the farm. This would have been my grandpa, but I believe his parents pulled him after 6th grade.
This is what I was going to say! When 8th grade was the most the majority were going to do it made sense. Now (thankfully) most kids receive a HS education and are not forced into the workforce or farming at 14!
Have an end of school year party if you want; have a promotion night even, but the "graduation" stuff annoys me.
Post by MixedBerryJam on Mar 7, 2015 15:34:06 GMT -5
My son who went to a school that ended in 8th got a party; my other son went to a school that started in 7th, and he did not get a party. I don't think either of them noticed.
Eighth grade graduations made sense....when farm kids were done with their schooling and headed off to work the farm. This would have been my grandpa, but I believe his parents pulled him after 6th grade.
Now? No. It's an expectation. If the school wants to have an assembly to celebrate end of the year and make an acknowledgment of "hey, go be awesome in high school," go for it. But graduation ceremonies make no sense to me.
I am inspired to do end of school year parties though a la SueSue. Maybe that's our answer to our kids' Thanksgiving and Christmas birthdays that everyone is OOT for.
Sure, made sense. Just like throwing them a Retirement Gala or a Tenth Anniversary Celebration or, hell, an Inaugural Ball all make perfect sense.
Post by balletofangels on Mar 7, 2015 15:47:50 GMT -5
In my district it is strictly stated that only high school has a "graduation." We have a high drop-out rate and it is thought we need to emphasize the real goal of graduating high school. At my school (prek-5)we do have a moving on ceremony for our Fifth Graders, which in large part is for us to show a slideshow of all the adorable pictures we've hoarded of them if they'd been with us for a few years. (Very few kids actually go all the way from K-5 in one school). They also all get a dictionary to help them with Middle School work.
Prek has a ceremony, but I think it is mostly done as a parent pleaser.
We never, ever had a Kindergarten graduation. What is that even celebrating? You get to move down the hall? Parents have only started asking if we do K graduation. I blame Pinterest.
When I was in 8th grade with did have a ceremony and then a dance. It was not formal, and though most of us did go to the public high school, there was still a fair number of kids who went private or to tech schools. My parents did not have a party and I will not.
I absolutely had a graduation and a (family) party at 8th grade. It wasn't the norm for kids in my neighborhood to finish high school, so this was often the only graduation they got. It was also a VERY small school (class of 36), so moving on to the big regional HS was also a really big deal.
Post by bohemianmango on Mar 7, 2015 16:04:43 GMT -5
My parents threw big parties for all of our graduations. For DDs' 8th grade graduations, we'll probably just do lunch or dinner with anyone who attends the ceremony.