Graduation experience?

[Anonymous]

My child's was at UMBC last Friday and I thought it was really nice. Sure it was a pain to park and finding the kids afterward was a hassle, but in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a big deal. I got to see my daughter graduate!

The location was easy to get to, the ceremony was really nice (the BOE member was present but did not speak). There was a speaker but I found him great. It was organized. We took a few pics, but then went to lunch so that's where we took our pictures.

I think you need to realize how wonderful it was that your child graduated and let the rest slide off your back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a wj freshman so I’m curious…how is the graduation location decided each year? I know the class sizes are huge but is it ever an option to have them graduate at school and set up classrooms/auditorium for livestreams?
Or should we just plan to get a hotel near UMBC the night before? 🤣

Yes, it is an option for them to graduate at school. However, it is an option that has a lot of problems, including (but not limited to) cost (ironically).

My advice is to talk to a real, live person who attended the WJ graduation at UMBC. Don't listen to the snowflake-y complainers on DCUM. If graduation is at UMBC when you go, it will be fine, and you will not need a hotel.

There were people shoving and body checking other people. It was not a pleasant experience. On the other hand, we didn't have the numerous fist fights that another school had so as far as mcps goes it was not the worst you would expect. Having your grandma walking with a cane nudged aside I'd like a negative .5 in this trash county. Having families brawling outside is like a negative one. There weren't any knife fights so the snowflakes should suck it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a wj freshman so I’m curious…how is the graduation location decided each year? I know the class sizes are huge but is it ever an option to have them graduate at school and set up classrooms/auditorium for livestreams?
Or should we just plan to get a hotel near UMBC the night before? 🤣

The new principal said if they held it at wj each student could only have 4 tickets and then buy more only if others didn't use theirs. But by having it at umbc each student could have 6 tickets. Plus it's cheaper do they Dave money. Frankly not many people brought that many people so I think it was more about the money than the tickets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a wj freshman so I’m curious…how is the graduation location decided each year? I know the class sizes are huge but is it ever an option to have them graduate at school and set up classrooms/auditorium for livestreams?
Or should we just plan to get a hotel near UMBC the night before? 🤣

The new principal said if they held it at wj each student could only have 4 tickets and then buy more only if others didn't use theirs. But by having it at umbc each student could have 6 tickets. Plus it's cheaper do they Dave money. Frankly not many people brought that many people so I think it was more about the money than the tickets.

4 tickets is enough. Livestream it for other people. It is only a high school graduation, not really a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would all high schools be able to give out 5 tickets/student if held at their school's field?

You are all asking the wrong questions. The question shpuld be, why are property taxes so high but my child is packed in a school with 700 other seniors. Surely they aren't getting any personalized attention at school! Is this why Darla doesn't understand basic spelling rules? If this county has such a large budget why can't my sga speakers compose a meaningful graduation speech? Am I an idiot for voting for the same bs every 2-4 years?

This! Why are our schools SO freakin large.

RM graduated 560 seniors this year and that was actually a small class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a wj freshman so I’m curious…how is the graduation location decided each year? I know the class sizes are huge but is it ever an option to have them graduate at school and set up classrooms/auditorium for livestreams?
Or should we just plan to get a hotel near UMBC the night before? 🤣

Yes, it is an option for them to graduate at school. However, it is an option that has a lot of problems, including (but not limited to) cost (ironically).

My advice is to talk to a real, live person who attended the WJ graduation at UMBC. Don't listen to the snowflake-y complainers on DCUM. If graduation is at UMBC when you go, it will be fine, and you will not need a hotel.

There were people shoving and body checking other people. It was not a pleasant experience. On the other hand, we didn't have the numerous fist fights that another school had so as far as mcps goes it was not the worst you would expect. Having your grandma walking with a cane nudged aside I'd like a negative .5 in this trash county. Having families brawling outside is like a negative one. There weren't any knife fights so the snowflakes should suck it up.

At WJ? There wasn't any of that at my child's graduation at UMBC from a high school in Ganglandia. Yes, it was crowded, but people were polite and considerate. I'm sorry to hear that Bethesda residents apparently don't know how to behave appropriately in public places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a wj freshman so I’m curious…how is the graduation location decided each year? I know the class sizes are huge but is it ever an option to have them graduate at school and set up classrooms/auditorium for livestreams?
Or should we just plan to get a hotel near UMBC the night before? 🤣

The new principal said if they held it at wj each student could only have 4 tickets and then buy more only if others didn't use theirs. But by having it at umbc each student could have 6 tickets. Plus it's cheaper do they Dave money. Frankly not many people brought that many people so I think it was more about the money than the tickets.

4 tickets is enough. Livestream it for other people. It is only a high school graduation, not really a big deal.

It might not be a big deal for you, it wasn't a big deal for me either, but for a lot of families, it is a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WJ? The traffic at Umbc campus was horrible both coming and going. The rain had everyone trying to depart at once, too. At arrival, grads were jumping out of jammed up cars to walk because they were threatened they would not be allowed to enter after 12:30. But at 12:30 and later, the grads still hadn’t even been allowed in. They were left outside and then eventually let in to stand in hot hallways for a very long time without water. There were annoyances as parents, which we anticipated and accepted, but it was the treatment of the grads that needs improvement. At least access to water needs to be addressed.
But the venue itself inside was spacious and fine. I’d prefer DAR but WJ is large. Is UMD too expensive?

We were wj too. My grad mentioned that there wasn't water and they had said there would be snacks since they had to leave before 21:30 am and wouldn't be back until 6pm. Of course there were no snacks. We didn't need free snacks. We would have provided them if we knew there wouldn't be any. It was the lack of honesty.

This is NOT true. Students weren’t told there would be snacks. That lack of honesty is from your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WJ? The traffic at Umbc campus was horrible both coming and going. The rain had everyone trying to depart at once, too. At arrival, grads were jumping out of jammed up cars to walk because they were threatened they would not be allowed to enter after 12:30. But at 12:30 and later, the grads still hadn’t even been allowed in. They were left outside and then eventually let in to stand in hot hallways for a very long time without water. There were annoyances as parents, which we anticipated and accepted, but it was the treatment of the grads that needs improvement. At least access to water needs to be addressed.
But the venue itself inside was spacious and fine. I’d prefer DAR but WJ is large. Is UMD too expensive?

We were wj too. My grad mentioned that there wasn't water and they had said there would be snacks since they had to leave before 21:30 am and wouldn't be back until 6pm. Of course there were no snacks. We didn't need free snacks. We would have provided them if we knew there wouldn't be any. It was the lack of honesty.

Apparently they had stuff for staff but nothing for grads, who weren’t allowed to bring anything in. Someone needs to ensure this doesn’t happen again. My DC would have been okay without the food but was feeling ill from lack of water.

Can you imagine as an adult being told that you need to go 5 hours with no water or bathroom use and that you will be standing for at least 90 minutes of it? Sometimes I really wonder what people are thinking. (The bathroom access issue had turned into one of my number one complaints with MCPS. I work in a volunteer role with kids and teens and my first rule is that if you need to use the bathroom, you can use the bathroom!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WJ? The traffic at Umbc campus was horrible both coming and going. The rain had everyone trying to depart at once, too. At arrival, grads were jumping out of jammed up cars to walk because they were threatened they would not be allowed to enter after 12:30. But at 12:30 and later, the grads still hadn’t even been allowed in. They were left outside and then eventually let in to stand in hot hallways for a very long time without water. There were annoyances as parents, which we anticipated and accepted, but it was the treatment of the grads that needs improvement. At least access to water needs to be addressed.
But the venue itself inside was spacious and fine. I’d prefer DAR but WJ is large. Is UMD too expensive?

We were wj too. My grad mentioned that there wasn't water and they had said there would be snacks since they had to leave before 21:30 am and wouldn't be back until 6pm. Of course there were no snacks. We didn't need free snacks. We would have provided them if we knew there wouldn't be any. It was the lack of honesty.

Apparently they had stuff for staff but nothing for grads, who weren’t allowed to bring anything in. Someone needs to ensure this doesn’t happen again. My DC would have been okay without the food but was feeling ill from lack of water.

Can you imagine as an adult being told that you need to go 5 hours with no water or bathroom use and that you will be standing for at least 90 minutes of it? Sometimes I really wonder what people are thinking. (The bathroom access issue had turned into one of my number one complaints with MCPS. I work in a volunteer role with kids and teens and my first rule is that if you need to use the bathroom, you can use the bathroom!).

+1000 It’s dehumanizing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a wj freshman so I’m curious…how is the graduation location decided each year? I know the class sizes are huge but is it ever an option to have them graduate at school and set up classrooms/auditorium for livestreams?
Or should we just plan to get a hotel near UMBC the night before? 🤣

The new principal said if they held it at wj each student could only have 4 tickets and then buy more only if others didn't use theirs. But by having it at umbc each student could have 6 tickets. Plus it's cheaper do they Dave money. Frankly not many people brought that many people so I think it was more about the money than the tickets.

4 tickets is enough. Livestream it for other people. It is only a high school graduation, not really a big deal.

It might not be a big deal for you, it wasn't a big deal for me either, but for a lot of families, it is a big deal.

That's why they allow people with Extra tickets to sell or give them to families who want More tickets. Not everyone has family in town. Sometimes one or two tickets is enough. Giving out 6 tickets encourages people to bring their 2 year Olds who don't have a clue what's going on and are a little cranky after sitting in traffic for an hour and then waiting in the hall for an hour and then sitting in their seats for 2 hours.
Plus the rest of us have to ship off to Baltimore to see the graduation.
Always catering to the .minority of people at.the expense of the majority. That's so mcps

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WJ? The traffic at Umbc campus was horrible both coming and going. The rain had everyone trying to depart at once, too. At arrival, grads were jumping out of jammed up cars to walk because they were threatened they would not be allowed to enter after 12:30. But at 12:30 and later, the grads still hadn’t even been allowed in. They were left outside and then eventually let in to stand in hot hallways for a very long time without water. There were annoyances as parents, which we anticipated and accepted, but it was the treatment of the grads that needs improvement. At least access to water needs to be addressed.
But the venue itself inside was spacious and fine. I’d prefer DAR but WJ is large. Is UMD too expensive?

We were wj too. My grad mentioned that there wasn't water and they had said there would be snacks since they had to leave before 21:30 am and wouldn't be back until 6pm. Of course there were no snacks. We didn't need free snacks. We would have provided them if we knew there wouldn't be any. It was the lack of honesty.

Apparently they had stuff for staff but nothing for grads, who weren’t allowed to bring anything in. Someone needs to ensure this doesn’t happen again. My DC would have been okay without the food but was feeling ill from lack of water.

Can you imagine as an adult being told that you need to go 5 hours with no water or bathroom use and that you will be standing for at least 90 minutes of it? Sometimes I really wonder what people are thinking. (The bathroom access issue had turned into one of my number one complaints with MCPS. I work in a volunteer role with kids and teens and my first rule is that if you need to use the bathroom, you can use the bathroom!).

Why would you actually believe that they were told they can’t bring snacks, drink water or use the bathroom?

[Anonymous]

Well, some didn't have a good experience, at least not after the ceremony. Sounds like more than a body check happened at one graduation: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1209682.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WJ? The traffic at Umbc campus was horrible both coming and going. The rain had everyone trying to depart at once, too. At arrival, grads were jumping out of jammed up cars to walk because they were threatened they would not be allowed to enter after 12:30. But at 12:30 and later, the grads still hadn’t even been allowed in. They were left outside and then eventually let in to stand in hot hallways for a very long time without water. There were annoyances as parents, which we anticipated and accepted, but it was the treatment of the grads that needs improvement. At least access to water needs to be addressed.
But the venue itself inside was spacious and fine. I’d prefer DAR but WJ is large. Is UMD too expensive?

We were wj too. My grad mentioned that there wasn't water and they had said there would be snacks since they had to leave before 21:30 am and wouldn't be back until 6pm. Of course there were no snacks. We didn't need free snacks. We would have provided them if we knew there wouldn't be any. It was the lack of honesty.

Recurring theme across the board in the second largest school district in MD. How hard is it to F communicate? Parents would gladly pitch in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WJ? The traffic at Umbc campus was horrible both coming and going. The rain had everyone trying to depart at once, too. At arrival, grads were jumping out of jammed up cars to walk because they were threatened they would not be allowed to enter after 12:30. But at 12:30 and later, the grads still hadn’t even been allowed in. They were left outside and then eventually let in to stand in hot hallways for a very long time without water. There were annoyances as parents, which we anticipated and accepted, but it was the treatment of the grads that needs improvement. At least access to water needs to be addressed.
But the venue itself inside was spacious and fine. I’d prefer DAR but WJ is large. Is UMD too expensive?

We were wj too. My grad mentioned that there wasn't water and they had said there would be snacks since they had to leave before 21:30 am and wouldn't be back until 6pm. Of course there were no snacks. We didn't need free snacks. We would have provided them if we knew there wouldn't be any. It was the lack of honesty.

Apparently they had stuff for staff but nothing for grads, who weren’t allowed to bring anything in. Someone needs to ensure this doesn’t happen again. My DC would have been okay without the food but was feeling ill from lack of water.

If your school hasn't yet had a graduation or you have a younger child who has not yet graduated, plan to send in a small sized water bottle that they keep in their pant pocket or stuff their bra.