Don’t see an issue with elementary, middle school and then high school graduation. Each of those are milestones going to a new school the next year.
5th Grade Graduation
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And everyone gets participation trophies and specialty awards. You know like best defender, best team spirit or in school it's attendance pins. Coddle, coddle.
Considering that receiving a high school diploma isn't really a major milestone any longer - if you believe a college degree is required for a "real job", which I think is an issue in and of itself - then I don't see why we even make a big deal of high school graduations any longer. You still have more school to go. What reason does anyone have to celebrate?
YAY! Spend a bunch of money and waste your time to celebrate that your education will continue in a different place next year!
YAY! Spend a bunch of money and waste your time to celebrate that your education will continue in a different place next year!
I see your point and have no problem with that view. I just think that many of us grew up considering finishing elementary school and middle school a guaranteed given and high school was the first milestone where failure was an option. My 9th grade class had 400 and 263 graduated. The diploma requirements were fixed and not negotiable, unlike elementary and Jr. High.
It's a "look at me" thing for the parent. First thing they say is that's all me. They over do everything. They even do an elementary prom around here. Had 3rd graders in mermaid dresses and other things that are just not age appropriate. I'm sick of it, right along with these participation awards. It is crippling society and makes it harder for the ones that have to work with these kids
Deer god. We have this same thread every year.
I'm 36 and had a kindergarten grad, 3rd grade grad, and fifth grade graduation all at SC public elementary schools.
Folks love to ignore all the *participation trophies* that they received growing up and that they continue to receive.
As such, I want all y'all that got varsity letters in high school to give them back.
If you have ever put down a civic club on an application or resume, I want you publicly renounce those as well. All y'all Beta Club members. All y'all Sertoma Club members.
I'm especially looking at you Shriner's Club member. Give back that little hat.
Back in my day, my parents didn't put me in a car seat. And didn't decide to start buckling us up until it became SC law.
Can't wait to teach my possible future kids how not to be coddled by allowing them to ride unbuckled. I'm also not gonna get them vaccinated because our kids should have the same exact life experience as ourselves or our ancesters. They don't deserve better. They need to suffer if I did*.
*or at least how I imagined I suffered as a child even if it is not reality
I'm 36 and had a kindergarten grad, 3rd grade grad, and fifth grade graduation all at SC public elementary schools.
Folks love to ignore all the *participation trophies* that they received growing up and that they continue to receive.
As such, I want all y'all that got varsity letters in high school to give them back.
If you have ever put down a civic club on an application or resume, I want you publicly renounce those as well. All y'all Beta Club members. All y'all Sertoma Club members.
I'm especially looking at you Shriner's Club member. Give back that little hat.
Back in my day, my parents didn't put me in a car seat. And didn't decide to start buckling us up until it became SC law.
Can't wait to teach my possible future kids how not to be coddled by allowing them to ride unbuckled. I'm also not gonna get them vaccinated because our kids should have the same exact life experience as ourselves or our ancesters. They don't deserve better. They need to suffer if I did*.
*or at least how I imagined I suffered as a child even if it is not reality
1) so your highest level of graduation is 5th Grade?
2) I never got participation trophies. Usually first place, sometimes second and third place trophies. I Maybe got a t-shirt for participating on a sports team (or maybe got to keep the uniform). But no participation trophy.
3). Does a Country Club count?
4). Not many parents did. But, safety in travel is good now a days. Don't have a problem with it.
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@tigfan92 Weren’t you the old guy in the back filming on your camcorder? Don’t forget to send me a copy-haha.
@7tiget6 It took you 22 years to graduate from college. How many degrees did you get- lol.
Best 22 years of my life. Even though I wasn’t enrolled in college for a majority of that I partied like I was
I am a teacher and we had a Principal that made our end of year awards/promotion ceremony a “graduation”. Most ridiculous thing ever. She left last year and this year we went back to the previous model. Not every kid deserves to walk. Needless to say some parents were pissed; “my kid deserves this...” “we want want other kids before us had” “you better not take this from our kids”
Luckily our principal backed us up because this is what all the 8th grade teachers wanted. Those 4 years were crazy. 225ish kids in the grade and the gym would be filled with people; Standing in the back, standing in the halls, etc.
Graduate 5k ok, maybe 5th but it should be an award/promotion ceremony and 8th the same. You graduate again after high school. Our kids had this false sense of accomplishment and I even had parents get mad because I would tell my students that the real work began the next year and that they hadn’t accomplished anything yet. I was proud of them but time to buckle down.
Luckily our principal backed us up because this is what all the 8th grade teachers wanted. Those 4 years were crazy. 225ish kids in the grade and the gym would be filled with people; Standing in the back, standing in the halls, etc.
Graduate 5k ok, maybe 5th but it should be an award/promotion ceremony and 8th the same. You graduate again after high school. Our kids had this false sense of accomplishment and I even had parents get mad because I would tell my students that the real work began the next year and that they hadn’t accomplished anything yet. I was proud of them but time to buckle down.
I share the same opinion of less than high school "graduations" as I do "half birthdays."
Some of y’all crack me up. I’m 42 years old and we had 5th grade graduation. That was back in 1987. Right here in Greenville at Sara Collins Elementary. Not sure if it was such a spectacle as some are claiming it’s become but it was certainly a thing as was 8th grade graduation (although I’m not sure we called it that).
Also had graduation from kindergarten. So, it’s not some new thing.
Also had graduation from kindergarten. So, it’s not some new thing.
I was about to post a Billy Madison thing haha
I would argue that it is very much deserved. Where do you spend the most years in a school? Elementary. It’s not “rewarding” kids. It’s saying goodbye to them and wishing them well. Get over yourself.
When I “graduated” grades 6-11 and entered summertime, all I got was a lawnmower and the same message “the lawn ain’t gonna cut itself”
To beat a dead horse: A graduation for anything lower than high school is dumb. Just have an end of year awards ceremony and move on. With that said I won’t bar my kid from participating in one because I really don’t care that that much
Our schools don't call it graduation, but they do have a "stepping up" ceremony from elementary to middle school and middle to high school. Things actually change quite a bit for the kids in each of those transitions. A ceremony gives them a feeling of completion. Yes, it's an expectation, but it's also a milestone. BTW, the awards are typically only for achievement. They had top student and most improved by subject with only the major subjects, but gave awards out for each unit of students, meaning that you were the best or most improved out of 22-25 students. We had one of each. They also honored principal's honor roll (all As). A couple Bs ruled our kids out, which was good. We told them that if they want to get into Clemson, they not only need to make principal's honor roll, but they need to be in the upper half of those students. It was a good mix of receiving rewards and seeing others receive something you want.
Lolz. Someone is butthurt.
Today’s kids and college students are lining up asking for big government to remove anything that violates their “safe place.” Kids think this way because parents created these safe places for kids. You grow from the tough times, not from all the things you’re protected from.
I’m okay with it as a millennial as should you. Baby Boomers are losing a race with time and the next generation after millennials needs socialism to survive. I feel pretty good about my own success throughout the years.
My daughter just graduated from the 5th grade. The real issue here is about me though. I was there. Where's MY participation trophy?
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