8th Grade Graduation.. About This Page:

[dejavu]

Does anyone have an 8th grader "graduating" this year? Our school is having a ceremony at the High School. Some of my friends are having parties. Is this common? My big memory from my 8th grade graduation was that my mom let me wear real pantihose for the first time! It was in our school gym and I think we got to go to Dairy Queen after it.

[Jennifer2003]

I don't think we had a graduation ceremony. We did have a dance though.

[piratelady]

I remember mine. I got a new dress and my family was all there. It was a special time.
Necie

[RobDVC]

My parents threw a graduation party for my 8th grade graduation.

[karmic]

Yes- 8th grade graduation is a big deal here- they have a semi-formal, big picnic etc. Most everyone has some sort of family party and also classmate parties.

[loobyoxlip]

Ya, 8th grade and also 6th grade around here (elementaray school goes to 6th grade)

[maggieworkman]

My DD is graduating from 8th grade this year. I guess they got fitted for caps/gowns and everything. This was news to me. We never had 8th grade graduation ceremonies when I was in school??

I am probably not going to have a big party. I talked to DD about this. I asked her what she thought and if she wanted one. She said that several of her friends were having parties and she didn't feel the need to have one. We've already received ONE invitation. One of her closest friends is going to a different high school next year because of where she lives than all of her other friends, so she is having a BIG bash. So, I guess we are off the hook this year.

I think this may have come about because there are so many people now who do not graduate that this has become their "graduation"? Although it has filtered to other places - like our school district that has high HS graduation rate.

Maggie

[TinkMulanMickeysMom]

I teach 8th grade. We do have an Eighth grade "graduation" ceremony - NO caps and gowns, and we do serve refreshments after the "graduation" ceremony in the cafeteria. The kids don't usually have parties - none that I've heard of. Its a nice night to recognize their achievements, but we try not to take it to the level of High School Graduation. We also have an 8th grade dinner dance, where the dress is semi-formal.

[disneymom9092]

Our middle school actually toned down "graduation". It is now called "promotion" and is held in the gym during the school day [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]. Matt is "graduating" but he also has his Confirmation this weekend so a big party for that. Nothing really for 8th grade.

[vsonnier]

My school did a little ceremony but nothing spectacular. Our big thing was the 8th grade dance which I spent the entire time sitting in the bathroom crying at [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[pluto_n_goofy]

Let's see...our eighth grade graduation was kind of a big deal. There was a ceremony for parents where they talked and gave out awards. Then, we had a dance with food and had year book signings and stuff as well as a board with all of our baby pictures and stuff. IT was neat. And as a special part of it, we went to Six Flags during the school day and the next day we got to go mini golfing and to the batting cages and stuff across the street. We also got to have a pot luck and do some neat stuff! It was a super fun day. Our ceremony was that night.

[Teresa]

Nope, never had this, have had 3 kids leave 8th grade, and nothing more than the usual end of school year ceremony to hand out perfect attendance, sports participation, straight A's awards.
Personally, I think it's a bit silly. Not like it' something they had any control over (gotta go to school)

[graygables]

No 8th grade graduations for me or my DDs. I went to a junior high that was 7-9 anyway. We did have a 9th grade "prom" [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img] DDs school just had the usual end of year awards ceremonies and that was it. Like Teresa, I think it's a bit silly, too, and lessens the impact of true graduation.

[Fortissimo]

We don't have an 8th Grade graduation at our school; however, we do have an awards assembly. The 8th graders do get to go to the local 6 Flags on the last day of school.

[CRCrazy]

We do a big 8th grade graduation here - our school is a K-8, so this is their first and only big change experience going from elementary to high school (joys of living in a rural area.)

The high school graduates on the Friday night before school ends - then the elementary school graduates on the Monday night following, I think.

It's a very big deal - kids are required to dress appropriately - the girls go for semiformal to formal dresses, and the boys all wear dress slacks/khakis with dress shirts and ties. They have the chorus and the band perform, awards are given out, and each student gets a diploma.

They also have lots of special 8th grade activities - a special 8th grade semiformal dance with the 8th graders from our other regional elementary school in prep for the next year when they will form a class at the high school. They also have a class trip the day after graduation, and then a field day on the last day of school.