Does your 8th grade have a graduation ceremony?

[Anonymous]

Apparently no parents are allowed to attend our 8th grade graduation ceremony. I guess it's not the end of the world but seems disappointing. i thought in the past they had used the HS auditorium so parents could attend, but maybe I'm misremembering.

[Anonymous]

Its not graduation. They aren't graduating from anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apparently no parents are allowed to attend our 8th grade graduation ceremony. I guess it's not the end of the world but seems disappointing. i thought in the past they had used the HS auditorium so parents could attend, but maybe I'm misremembering.

They don't graduate. It is time to scale back these ceremonies for 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

I vaguely remember my son's 8th grade event in the North Bethesda gym. One student gave a speech. More memorable was the 8th grade dance, because all the boys were dressed casually, and looked like boys, and all the girls dressed in skin-revealing dresses, and looked like adults. Many boys didn't know where to look!

[Anonymous]

I'm with you OP. It is a bit disappointing. Our ES's 5th grade promotion ceremony was wonderful. Nothing really happened for 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

12:43 again. I suppose it's a function of space, OP. My daughter is not in the same middle school, and earlier this year her school - Westland - told parents not to attend any parent-teacher conference unless their students were struggling! So I have not talked with any of her teachers, which I think is so weird. Perhaps they won't let us attend any 8th grade event either!

[Anonymous]

We didn't get a "promotion ceremony" for my DS since he was promoted from 8th grade during COVID, but back when I was an 8th grader in MCPS, we did a graduation ceremony and parents of course attended. Same thing for 5th grade at the elementary level. Why would they not want parents to be present for that?

[Anonymous]

Yes there is one at TPMS.

[Anonymous]

For eighth grade, my kid's schools had a small "moving up" ceremony. It was very simple and a nice way to say thank you and goodbye.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We didn't get a "promotion ceremony" for my DS since he was promoted from 8th grade during COVID, but back when I was an 8th grader in MCPS, we did a graduation ceremony and parents of course attended. Same thing for 5th grade at the elementary level. Why would they not want parents to be present for that?

It's completely gotten out of hand. It's the fault of the principals who wanted to look good for parents and MCPS. Students should be able to have fun and memorable activities, but a "graduation" for middle schools kids is absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We didn't get a "promotion ceremony" for my DS since he was promoted from 8th grade during COVID, but back when I was an 8th grader in MCPS, we did a graduation ceremony and parents of course attended. Same thing for 5th grade at the elementary level. Why would they not want parents to be present for that?

It's completely gotten out of hand. It's the fault of the principals who wanted to look good for parents and MCPS. Students should be able to have fun and memorable activities, but a "graduation" for middle schools kids is absurd.

Calling it a graduation is perhaps overkill, but transitioning from elementary to middle school and from middle to high school are MASSIVE transitional milestone's in a child's development and they're certainly worth recognizing and celebrating. So I see nothing wrong with "promotion ceremonies" at the 5th and 8th grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We didn't get a "promotion ceremony" for my DS since he was promoted from 8th grade during COVID, but back when I was an 8th grader in MCPS, we did a graduation ceremony and parents of course attended. Same thing for 5th grade at the elementary level. Why would they not want parents to be present for that?

It's completely gotten out of hand. It's the fault of the principals who wanted to look good for parents and MCPS. Students should be able to have fun and memorable activities, but a "graduation" for middle schools kids is absurd.

Calling it a graduation is perhaps overkill, but transitioning from elementary to middle school and from middle to high school are MASSIVE transitional milestone's in a child's development and they're certainly worth recognizing and celebrating. So I see nothing wrong with "promotion ceremonies" at the 5th and 8th grade level.

Some middle schools go to high schools for their ceremonies. It's too much. Perhaps if adults did not celebrate every single step of the way, today's kids could handle the norms of every day life. Small ceremonies and fun activities are perfectly fine for 5th and 8th graders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes there is one at TPMS.

Oh yeah? When were you informed of this? Nothing has gone out this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes there is one at TPMS.

Oh yeah? When were you informed of this? Nothing has gone out this year.

When is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We didn't get a "promotion ceremony" for my DS since he was promoted from 8th grade during COVID, but back when I was an 8th grader in MCPS, we did a graduation ceremony and parents of course attended. Same thing for 5th grade at the elementary level. Why would they not want parents to be present for that?

It's completely gotten out of hand. It's the fault of the principals who wanted to look good for parents and MCPS. Students should be able to have fun and memorable activities, but a "graduation" for middle schools kids is absurd.

Calling it a graduation is perhaps overkill, but transitioning from elementary to middle school and from middle to high school are MASSIVE transitional milestone's in a child's development and they're certainly worth recognizing and celebrating. So I see nothing wrong with "promotion ceremonies" at the 5th and 8th grade level.

Some middle schools go to high schools for their ceremonies. It's too much. Perhaps if adults did not celebrate every single step of the way, today's kids could handle the norms of every day life. Small ceremonies and fun activities are perfectly fine for 5th and 8th graders.

Our middle school holds all concerts and large events at the high school. High schools have larger facilities. I think an event can be low key and still be held at the high school.