When your kids graduate from middle school, it is a major milestone. Finishing junior high is an achievement that should be celebrated with festivities and fanfare. They did it! So what can you do to show them you’re proud of their accomplishments before they move on to their high school years? Here are some ideas.
Original image credit: © Johanna Goodyear
Let Students Have Their Say
What better way to wrap up middle school than to allow the new graduates an opportunity to have their say? In the final days of the semester, have students write speeches describing their most memorable parts of junior high. Have the kids read their work to their teachers and peers, and then let everyone cast their votes for the best ones. Look for speeches with originality, emotional depth, and humor. The students’ words will surely delight the crowd.
Make a Power Point Presentation
Pictures really are worth a thousand words. Collect photos of students in action during their final year of middle school, and not just formal shots or pictures of the most popular kids. Take photographs of as many students as possible during a variety of events, even mundane occasions such as chowing down at the cafeteria, playing games in P.E., and boogying down at a school dance. Combine a bunch of the best snapshots in a Power Point presentation, set it to music, and you will have a truly memorable slideshow to share with the students and their families at the ceremony.
Give Out Awards
On graduation night, give out awards for achievement, but not just for perfect attendance or athletic ability. Think up unique categories so that as many students are honored as possible, especially the ones who tried hard but aren’t sports stars or straight A students. Make middle school graduation an encouraging send-off for everyone in the class. Let them enjoy all of the pomp and circumstance of a college graduation from the caps and gowns to receiving of a diploma. They will walk away feeling accomplished and ready for the adventure of high school ahead.
Remember the Parents
When kids complete a milestone, their parents deserve some recognition, too. Have students write letters of gratitude to their moms, dads, and/or grandparents to say thanks. If middle-schoolers make lists of all the ways their family members helped them on their path to graduation, it can be an eye-opener leading to maturation. Don’t be surprised if more than one parent sheds a few tears.
After the ceremony is over, the fun can continue. Invite your kid’s friends and families to your house or a park for food, music, gifts, and a night of revelry for a job well done. You can have a potluck, serve ice cream sundaes with a smorgasbord of toppings, hire a DJ, or create your own playlist of the students’ favorite tunes.
This article has been submitted as a guest post.
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