Graduation ceremony for pre-school?

thesuninherhead · December 2009

Remember back when you were in kindergarten and on the last day you had the parents all come in and you each got given a certificate? Wasn't that quite sufficient for your first year of education, before moving onto grade 1?

I just looked on FB, and saw some pictures of my cousin and her little girl at her kindergarten 'graduation'. I'm torn between thinking that their little outfits are cute albeit ridiculous, to being horrified at the state of society that we feel the need to big note our 5 year olds with graduation robes before they've even entered school.

Thoughts?

ggmae · December 2009

I graduated pre-school at age 4, then went on to a K-5 school. We got to wear blue hats w/ tassles and had to recite a poem about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I wanted to be a ballerina.

sucrets4 · December 2009

I don't remember as much as gg, but I know I had a cap and gown when I graduated preschool in...1983.

thesuninherhead · December 2009

Kids in our system start school at age 6 (well, turning 6- they might be 5 when they start, but turning 6 that year), but they have a year of what is termed 'prep' before that.

I do think the outfits are cute, but I also find them highly unnecessary. I'm torn!

Nebb · December 2009

We never got that at my school

We did get a grade 6 graduation (school only went to grade 6), and it sucked.

I feel like my childhood was lacking!

thesuninherhead · December 2009

Perhaps this is something that has come over here from the states? Because when I graduated pre-school, and primary school (and high school, for that matter), we just wore our regular uniforms, walked on stage and got a certificate, and that was that.

thesuninherhead · December 2009

(the only time I've ever seen these robes before is at university graduations)

and Nebb, you are in Canada, right? I'm wondering if perhaps it's just a states thing which has slowly made it's way over here.

sucrets4 · December 2009

This does remind me of The Incredibles, though. I don't remember what grade the kid was graduating from, but it was a funny quote.

ggmae · December 2009

I started pre-school at age 3 and "graduated" when I was 4. I started kindergarten at 4, but turned 5 soon after. These days in the US, a lot of daycares incorporate learning and can be considered pre-school as well.

I also remember singing songs at graduation, and parents crying. It was very exciting for all of us kids, and I remember feeling really special. This was in 1991 I think.

We had a graduation at the end of 5th grade too before heading to middle school, but no caps and gowns were involved. We wore our class t-shirts.

JennD88 · December 2009

I had a kindergarten graduation as well-- I guess it's pretty normal around here.

ggmae · December 2009

Sun - This is somewhat related because it's a question about your school system. Whenever my family in Australia sends over pictures of their kids in uniform, they are wearing hats. When I was over there, they said it was a requirement that primary school students wear the hats because of the strength of the sun there. Is that true all over Australia, or just in some states?

Nebb · December 2009

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_graduation-ceremony-pre-school?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:d9676ff6-f95d-4746-8af6-23e111e1378bPost:2c6f16ca-0bcc-4302-a6fe-1f4d7a731da9">Re: Graduation ceremony for pre-school?</a>:
[QUOTE](the only time I've ever seen these robes before is at university graduations) and Nebb, you are in Canada, right? I'm wondering if perhaps it's just a states thing which has slowly made it's way over here.
Posted by thesuninherhead[/QUOTE]
Its possible, ive never heard of it done here but ive seen pictures and seen it on tv. It MUST be an american thing thats bleeding outwards.

sucrets4 · December 2009

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_graduation-ceremony-pre-school?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:d9676ff6-f95d-4746-8af6-23e111e1378bPost:110778f4-f89d-4f47-82aa-3ac0fd1da021">Re: Graduation ceremony for pre-school?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Graduation ceremony for pre-school? : Its possible, ive never heard of it done here but ive seen pictures and seen it on tv. It MUST be an american thing thats bleeding outwards.
Posted by Nebb[/QUOTE]

Celebrating mediocre achievement? Sounds American to me.

ggmae · December 2009

For me, it was--

Pre-school: cap

5th grade: nothing

8th grade: cap & gown

12th grade: cap & gown

college: cap & gown

Night_Sprite · December 2009

I only had cap and gown situations for high school up.

I am surprised at your memories. I barely remember being an m&m in 3rd grade.

thesuninherhead · December 2009

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_graduation-ceremony-pre-school?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:d9676ff6-f95d-4746-8af6-23e111e1378bPost:f605dcf7-6370-4352-b4b8-cd273194dbe7">Re: Graduation ceremony for pre-school?</a>:
[QUOTE]Sun - This is somewhat related because it's a question about your school system. Whenever my family in Australia sends over pictures of their kids in uniform, they are wearing hats. When I was over there, they said it was a requirement that primary school students wear the hats because of the strength of the sun there. Is that true all over Australia, or just in some states?
<p>Posted by ggmae[/QUOTE]</p><p> </p><p>Well, when we were in primary school, we did have to wear hats... those ones with the long backs on them to cover your neck like this: <a href="http://www.happyvalley.sa.edu.au/2000sunsmart/sunsmart03.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://www.happyvalley.sa.edu.au/2000sunsmart/sunsmart03.jpg</a>. A lot of highschools also have a school hat (actually, I'd say most do) and there's usually a rule that you're supposed to wear it when outside (although how many kids actually do this in highschool is debatable! I know I didn't wear a hat in year 11 or 12). </p><p>I live in the state with the highest rate of skin cancer of anywhere in the world, so the 'sunsmart' education was a very big and serious thing for us. </p><p> </p><p>I know most private schools also insist on their students wearing hats when outside. With public schools, most do have a hat, but how often they are worn varies. </p><p> </p>

thesuninherhead · December 2009

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_graduation-ceremony-pre-school?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:d9676ff6-f95d-4746-8af6-23e111e1378bPost:b3ac2917-3361-4e8d-a3b2-df9474228bfd">Re: Graduation ceremony for pre-school?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Graduation ceremony for pre-school? : Celebrating mediocre achievement? Sounds American to me.
Posted by sucrets4[/QUOTE]
:P

mwhitson14 · December 2009

gg, your sn is showing up for me as npricelove.

thesuninherhead · December 2009

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_graduation-ceremony-pre-school?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:d9676ff6-f95d-4746-8af6-23e111e1378bPost:74ae7ee4-0754-4eaa-9edf-ef442923747a">Re: Graduation ceremony for pre-school?</a>:
[QUOTE]For me, it was-- Pre-school: cap 5th grade: nothing 8th grade: cap & gown 12th grade: cap & gown college: cap & gown
Posted by ggmae[/QUOTE]
<p> </p><p> </p><p>We had: </p><p>Preschool: Whatever clothes we happened to be wearing</p><p>Primary school (years 1-7): Free dress day (aka whatever we wanted, as we usually wear uniforms). </p><p>High school (years 8-12): School uniform. </p><p>University: gown and cap. </p><p> </p>

ggmae · December 2009

Ah, okay. Thanks Sun! When I was there in 1992, my parents bought my brother and I one of those hats with the long backs. Mine was tie-dye!

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · December 2009

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_graduation-ceremony-pre-school?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:d9676ff6-f95d-4746-8af6-23e111e1378bPost:b3ac2917-3361-4e8d-a3b2-df9474228bfd">Re: Graduation ceremony for pre-school?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Graduation ceremony for pre-school? : Celebrating mediocre achievement? Sounds American to me.
Posted by sucrets4[/QUOTE]

<div>EXACTLY.</div><div>
</div><div>I got one and we sang some songs, so it was like an assembly but the parents were invited. In fourth grade, we got to go on a tour of the middle school (my school district had a 5-8 middle school - 4 years of hell instead of 3!) and I'm pretty sure we had 8th grade graduation.</div><div>
</div><div>I went to a private high school, so I switched schools completely for 9th grade. All the private or Catholic schools do 8th grade graduations. Even if the private elementary schools do have a high school (a lot don't, my high school did have its own elementary, though), some students choose to go to different high schools, and they have to apply to all the schools they want to go to. So in THAT case it makes sense. The school bulletin lists their names and high school choices the way it lists graduating seniors and their college choices.</div>

ggmae · December 2009

Weird! I see it as ggmae right now - anyone else see it differently? The other day for a quick minute I was Tlv. I kid you not. I posted a thread and it said it had been posted by Tlv, but with my post count and sig picture.

ggmae · December 2009

Sun - Did you get a certificate at the end of every school year? I just got them for pre-school, 5th, 8th, 12th, and college.

kate51485 · December 2009

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_graduation-ceremony-pre-school?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:d9676ff6-f95d-4746-8af6-23e111e1378bPost:630546af-6bef-4faa-b517-ebf2a679eeaa">Re: Graduation ceremony for pre-school?</a>:
[QUOTE]gg, your sn is showing up for me as npricelove.
Posted by mwhitson14[/QUOTE]

i think she's on my local, that's random.

mwhitson14 · December 2009

It's back to normal now!

How odd. Yesterday while piper_62 was posting, her sig pic and avatar showed up as Sunkissed_Bride, even though she hasn't posted here in forever.

sucrets4 · December 2009

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_graduation-ceremony-pre-school?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:d9676ff6-f95d-4746-8af6-23e111e1378bPost:2a33616a-78d3-4843-8e0e-8690be103dbb">Re: Graduation ceremony for pre-school?</a>:
[QUOTE]It's back to normal now! How odd. Yesterday while piper_62 was posting, her sig pic and avatar showed up as Sunkissed_Bride, even though she hasn't posted here in forever.
Posted by mwhitson14[/QUOTE]

Now THAT'S interesting.

She has posted somewhat recently.

bbyckes · December 2009

My son had a graduation ceremony from pre-school complete with cap and gown. He felt like he accomplished something. I'm not bugged by this at all.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · December 2009

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_graduation-ceremony-pre-school?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:d9676ff6-f95d-4746-8af6-23e111e1378bPost:1013ed99-fe7a-4c1d-b987-2b6f0831582a">Re: Graduation ceremony for pre-school?</a>:
[QUOTE]WIW, we did not have cap & gown until high school graduation, and then of course at college & university. And I too am in Canada.
Posted by mrs.jesse[/QUOTE]

<div>I've actually never worn a cap and gown. We didn't get them at 8th grade "graduation" and for high school we all had to wear long white dresses (and we each carried a dozen red roses). I skipped my college graduation because I had already moved across the country. Maybe I'll show up for my grad school ceremony, but it's not looking likely. PhD, maybe. I'll aim for that. I'll get to wear more flair. </div>

ootmother2 · December 2009

No preschool graduation (ages 3-5)

K - 12 graduation the girls wore long white gowns and gloves (all girls school)

Cap & Gown for University graduation only.

louisvillebride21 · December 2009

Haha, for my kindergarten graduation, we had paper caps and gowns. It was a fun project week for us. The hats were cardboard squares with butcher paper and the gowns were all made from bright yellow butcher paper. I had a cap and gown for high school. I'm skipping my college graduation, but they were caps and gowns for that.

ETA: My roommate just told me that my school doesn't care where you get your cap and gown or what they look like. No uniformity about any of it. They will give you the appropriate ropes for your specific college, but that's the only thing that will match. Makes me even happier I'm not participating.

Goldlie11 · December 2009

A couple of years ago, my school decided that the kindergarten graduation ceremonies were getting out of control. Now the teachers have a small ceremony in their classrooms. I think it's better that way.

Graduation ceremony for pre-school?

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