Graduation time! How did your student mark the end of an era?

[nutmeg]

We are a few years away from this, but I would be interested to hear about how your student "finished" their homeschool-high school years. I have heard of homeschooling groups staging a graduation. Or did you have a family party? How did you mark the end of an era?

[Jenny in Florida]

We rented the social hall at our church and invited her friends and the friends of the family who had been close to her over the years. She asked everyone to dress up, and she wore her first "formal" gown.

Before the party, we took her to have professional photos taken in the gown and included those in the party invitations.

We decorated with her favorite colors and served her favorite snack foods. The music was selections from all of her favorite Broadway musicals. (Most of her friends are theatre geeks, so they had a great time hanging out, singing and dancing.)

I put together display boards (like the kind you use for science fair presentations) with photos of her throughout her homeschooling journey. One was mostly "academic" stuff, with field trips and outside classes and so on. Another was all photos of her performance experiences. I also did one full of information about the college and program into which she was going. We also had a couple of boards with projects she had done for school that year. We put them all out on the tables behind the food, and they were great conversation starters.

We put out a table with all kinds of note paper and pens and stickers and other, similar goodies and asked all of the guests to write supportive notes for her to open after she was at school.

My husband and son rigged up a balloon arch in her favorite colors, and we made sure that every guest had a picture taken with our daughter under the arch at some point during the evening.

Once everyone was there, we did a quick, very informal "ceremony" and presented her with her diploma. She opted not to make a speech, but instead sang one of her favorite songs.

Other than that, it was all pretty laid back. It was a lovely and very personal celebration of her accomplishments.

[Valerie(TX)]

would be our son. :)

We have a lovely homeschool support group and its graduation to avail ourselves of, but he no longer knew any of those kids and was badly burned by a situation there several years ago, so he had "moved on". He had also been taking classes at the college he will attend for his undergrad degree, so, in his words, he's not really starting anything new, he'll simply be doing more of the same.

At church, on Senior Recognition Sunday, he'll continue doing his Sunday morning job, running the sound, instead of "processing" with the seniors...he's a behind-the-scenes guy.

About the only concession we could get him to agree to was that we're throwing a party of sorts...he's hosting an outdoor laser tag outing at a new venue no one has ever attended, for his buds in the senior class at church--twelve boys and one girl. :) We made him up a cool invitation written in "military-speak". They're going to have a ball.

His big transition is finishing his coursework and starting a great summer job. Now that's something worth celebrating, but again, it's not his style.

I keep reminding myself that it's his graduation, not mine. :)

[Janet in WA]

We had an open house (in our home) for friends and family.

[Margaret in CO]

We've done it two ways. My oldest did a formal senior recital at the college (where she had been concertmaster for several years) in piano and violin. A lady from the Arts Center presented her scholarship and said a few things. Then everyone came to the ranch and we had a big bbq. Her orchestra director played Pomp and Circumstance whilst grilling shrimp--her violin smelled like bbq for months. We gave her a diploma that a friend had handpainted and done the calligraphy on.

Dd#2 did her cello and piano recital with her quartet at Christmas as she wanted her big sis to be able to be there. So, we just did a bbq later and everyone signed postcards to be sent during Plebe Summer. Her big "ceremony" was really at Induction Day. Her Navy Blue and Gold Officer flew out to Annapolis to do a private swearing in after the Class of 2010 oath.

I predict that will be hosting a cross-country meet maybe for dd#3!

My bro and sil did a cool thing--their ceremony was more their son's Eagle Court of Honor, but they gave him his diploma on the top of King Arthur's Seat outside of Edinburgh. His mom had put a gown and mortar board in her backpack and whipped them out at the right time!