Did you do anything special for your child's 8th grade "graduation"?

[traces7]

My DD is finishing 8th grade this year, they call it 8th Grade Promotion. They do have a ceremony. I was wondering what most people do for these occasions. We never had an 8th Grade ceremony when I was in school and she's our only child, so haven't been through this before.

She's done so well in middle school 3.8-4.0 GPA all 3 years! So we're really proud of her! I'd like to do something, but not sure what. I don't have a whole lot of money to spend. At one time I thought of doing a photo book from her birth to now. But maybe that's something more for high school graduation.

Anyone have any good ideas or done anything neat? Or should we just give her a card and a little money and leave it at that? I'd like to try and show her how proud we are of her. Thanks for any advice!

 

[Southernmiss]

My DD is finishing 8th grade this year, they call it 8th Grade Promotion. They do have a ceremony. I was wondering what most people do for these occasions. We never had an 8th Grade ceremony when I was in school and she's our only child, so haven't been through this before.

She's done so well in middle school 3.8-4.0 GPA all 3 years! So we're really proud of her! I'd like to do something, but not sure what. I don't have a whole lot of money to spend. At one time I thought of doing a photo book from her birth to now. But maybe that's something more for high school graduation.

Anyone have any good ideas or done anything neat? Or should we just give her a card and a little money and leave it at that? I'd like to try and show her how proud we are of her. Thanks for any advice!

We are the kind of parents that expect our kids to always do their best and don't give rewards other than an "attaboy or girl we're proud of you for grades":, etc.

We have already had 2 pass through 8th grade and did not do anything for them. Oldest DSs school had a "moving on ceremony" with a dance where the kids all dressed up in suits or party dresses and some parent ordered a stretch limo for the evening, but even that was a bit over the top to me for 8th grade promotion.

The third one will finish 8th grade this year and it hasn't even occured to me until now to do anything extra special for him.

Oldest DS graduated high school last year and graduated at the top of his class. We could not have been more proud of his accomplishments, even with that we didn't go crazy. He had 4 of his closest friends over and our close family for a small party. We bought him a computer, printer and the necessities and $200 in dorm supplies as his graduation gift. I also gave him a couple of books-"Oh the places you'll go" and "Before You Leap" with a personal message from me and his dad. But that's it.

 

[scrapquitler]

We had cake and coffee at home with my parents, siblings and grandparents when I "graduated" from middle school. A little recognition, but not a big deal kind of thing.

DD was homeschooled, so we didn't do anything.

 

[aprilgail2]

I figure I will take mine to her favorite restaurant- The Melting Pot--and give her some cash. Its been a long tough year with hours and hours of homework due to taking high school classes in Jr. High for her so she deserves something!

 

[Buckalew11]

I think I took her out to eat to celebrate making it through the year of HELL. Then, I pulled her out and homeschooled her through HS. Middle school was so awful--and it was private Christian school that I was paying for! Yikes!

ETA: let me add that I pulled her out of the school but she begged me to homeschool her. Homeschooling was the last thing I ever dreamed of doing.

 

[lizabu]

I live in Canada and school here goes from JK to Grade 8 in primary or public school and from Grade 9 to Grade 12 in high school. Grade 8 grad is kind of a big deal to kids here. They have a Graduation and a dance afterwards. The weekend before Grad I had a party at my house with a candy bar, taco bar, cupcakes, family and friends.

 

[shortbun]

No party but we built a small hoops court with a partial 3 point line in our backyard because DS got all A's, K-8!!

 

[superme80]

I think I took her out to eat to celebrate making it through the year of HELL. Then, I pulled her out and homeschooled her through HS. Middle school was so awful--and it was private Christian school that I was paying for! Yikes!

ETA: let me add that I pulled her out of the school but she begged me to homeschool her. Homeschooling was the last thing I ever dreamed of doing.

Mom is that you???? That is EXACTLY what happened to me after 8th grade, but I wasn't begging. I was glad I was homeschooled for high school though. Jr. High was hell for me too. I got to on the 8th grade trip to DC and I think my parents and grandparents took me out to eat when the year was over.

 

[Aliceacc]

We went out for a family dinner, and invited my mom to join us.

Oh, and he was due for an upgrade, so he got a new phone. Not an iphone, but a standard cell phone that made texting easier than the old model.

 

[DeniseinNS]

Grade 8 is not a "graduating" grade here. Elementary school goes to grade 6, Jr High is 7-9 and then High School is 10-12. We will prob take the kids out for a nice meal and get them a gift once they graduate from each school, High School Grad of course will be a very big deal.

 

[luvmy3]

When dd graduated from 8th we took her out to dinner and gave her a small monetary gift.

I know there will be comments about how 8th grade is not graduating, or its a whole new thing, what is this world coming to blah blah blah....
I'll be 40 this year and I graduated from 8th grade. We had a ceremony, girls wore fancy dresses, boys wore suits and we all got a diploma.
Its a way for a school to commemeorate a student's academic achievements up until that point, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Its also a way for the kids to "say goodbye" to that chapter of their life and move on to the next one, high-school.
Do whatever you feel is right for your family and don't be discouraged by any of the naysayers that will come here.

 

[jrmasm]

Nope.

 

[Erin1700]

I went to Catholic school so it was K-8. We had mass and an awards ceremony then cake downstairs. After that the parents went home and we had a dance with just the 19 kids in my class. I have nice memories of that night with my friends.
My parents did not do anything for me at home but I think my grandparents and godparents came to the mass.

 

[traces7]

When dd graduated from 8th we took her out to dinner and gave her a small monetary gift.

I know there will be comments about how 8th grade is not graduating, or its a whole new thing, what is this world coming to blah blah blah....
I'll be 40 this year and I graduated from 8th grade. We had a ceremony, girls wore fancy dresses, boys wore suits and we all got a diploma.
Its a way for a school to commemeorate a student's academic achievements up until that point, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Its also a way for the kids to "say goodbye" to that chapter of their life and move on to the next one, high-school.
Do whatever you feel is right for your family and don't be discouraged by any of the naysayers that will come here.

Thanks for your advice! It's like that here too, the girls all get a nice dress, etc.

 

[goofy4tink]

Nope...nothing special when she got out of kindergarten, nothing special at 8th grade. Only when she graduated from high school.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

The middle school my kids went to split up to different high schools. My DD's 5 close friends were going to 5 different high schools. It was a rough finish to those 8 years. So, I took them all to the beach for the day. (It's only 2 hours away.)

Not sure we did more than a dinner out for DS.

 

[Iforgetmypassword]

We never did anything for any grade other than kindergarten, high school and college graduations. And all we did was a meal out at the child's choice of local restaurant, and a gift.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

Big party - like 90 people at a banquet hall, complete with music, open bar and dinner.

Here you go to school K-8, then 9-12. I guess if it is not what you are used to it seems silly!

But we had floor length dresses and a dance. Good times.

 

[mickeyboat]

Here the kids have a class trip, special recognition at honors night, a grad dance and a small graduation ceremony. We will probably go out to dinner and I will buy them a small gift. I graduated from 8th grade at this school, too, and I got a camera for my graduation gift, and I remember the grad dance like it was yesterday. Good times!

 

[wilderness01]

The school makes a very big deal out of graduation. We also had a big party. Do what you feel comfortable with. I think the big party is a regional thing here. It was a lot of fun!