Anonymous wrote:OP: Thanks for the feedback! I was thinking the same - gifts for doing something that isn't really an "accomplishment" but more just an educational right of passage seem a bit over the top. But someone I talked with said gifts for 5th and 8th grade graduations are expected so I doubted myself. So...maybe I'll do a card and call it a day or a very small thing.

When my DD graduated from 8th grade, I was horrified by what a spectacle it was. They called up EACH kid (thank god it's a small school so only about 100 or so kids in 8th grade) to personally shake their hand and give a diploma. There were people who'd brought their entire extended families - aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. And people SCREAMED when their child's name was called. It disgusted me.

And then I realized. This kid may have gotten farther in their education than ANYONE ELSE IN THEIR FAMILY. Or. They may have NO CONFIDENCE that their child will graduate from high school, let alone college, so this could be the only graduation ceremony their kid ever partakes in.

I saw a lot of bouquets of flowers, money leis, flower leis, etc.

If you are at a K-8th school, then a little more ceremony seems appropriate for a kid graduating from 8th.

Otherwise, dinner out or ice cream makes sense.

Anonymous wrote:To someone who is not my own child? No, never. Even my kids it’s a token gift and a dinner out.

Same here. We definitely mark the end of the school year, and the end of ES/MS, but it's not a gift-giving occasion, more like a go-out-to-dinner occasion.

OP: Thanks for the feedback! I was thinking the same - gifts for doing something that isn't really an "accomplishment" but more just an educational right of passage seem a bit over the top. But someone I talked with said gifts for 5th and 8th grade graduations are expected so I doubted myself. So...maybe I'll do a card and call it a day or a very small thing.

No!

That seems weird and excessive. This whole "graduating from the 8th grade" is over the top. Congrats you did what you were supposed to do but complained about all year long? Um, no.

Anonymous wrote:In MCPS 5th and 8th grades are promotions, not graduations. I don't think either is a gift giving occaision, but ice cream or pizza at the pool seems a nice way to celebrate the end of the school year!

Same in FCPS. These are not graduations in any sense of the word. In our family, we do not recognize them in any way different from the regular end of school year.

To someone who is not my own child? No, never. Even my kids it’s a token gift and a dinner out.

We went out for ice cream. We also didn’t invite anyone because it’s not a big deal. I don’t know what people who invite extended family to these shindigs expect.

We did not do gifts, just out to lunch with friends.

In MCPS 5th and 8th grades are promotions, not graduations. I don't think either is a gift giving occaision, but ice cream or pizza at the pool seems a nice way to celebrate the end of the school year!

I think it is more hs and college. Ice cream or flowers sound nice.

Unless there is a party, no gifts. I would never think it’s required or necessary to give a gift unless there’s a party

When my DD graduated from 5th grade, I took her out for her regular end of year ice cream.

When she graduated from 8th grade I let her dictate what we did, and she wanted to stop at a playground and swing, so I sat on a bench for 20 minutes while she did that. Seemed weird to me, but whatever.

Grandma sent a bouquet of flowers to the house.

My cousin's kids are graduating 5th and 8th grade this year. Is it expected to give gifts? Or is that more for HS and College? If I do give gifts, any ideas? The 8th grader is a boy into video games, sports, math. 5th grader is a girls into video games, youtube, fashion.