Anonymous
06/09/2026 11:45
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:IMO cords are dumb. I went to MIT and it didn't allow anything. In a crazy rat race we don't need even more mini races that don't matter.
+1
It used to be that we made a very big deal out of post-graduate degrees, a big deal out of college graduation, and a minor deal out of high school graduation.
Now, we make a huge deal out of high school graduation (even throwing parties that cost $10K or more), and we expect promotion ceremonies and major school awards at the end of preschool, kindergarten, sixth grade, and eighth grade.
It has gotten way out of hand.
So what? People can celebrate how they want to.
Fine, you can celebrate how you choose. But expecting the schools to host major awards and promotion ceremonies, give trophies for having a pulse, and allow for obscene displays of grandiosity at graduation is out of hand.
So now an NHS stole and a service cord are “obscene displays of grandiosity”? You sound insane.
Aren't most college-bound kids in NHS? Doesn't seem like it's worth any special fanfare.
Anonymous
06/09/2026 11:40
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
If this is true, I recommend y'all reach out to the school board and Gatehouse and voice your opinions. Remember, the loudest voices get heard and appeased!!
Anonymous
06/09/2026 11:39
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why is there a Girl Scout/Boy Scout cord but no cords for sports?
It is not for participation.
The Eagle Scout and Gold Scout awards are international honors that take years to achieve.
Athletes that win a state medal can wear them at graduation.
Students cannot wear scout participation or sports participation or club participation medals or cords at graduation.
Only honor societies, academic honors and major state/national/international honors are worn.
NP here. I'm pretty sure I saw an Eagle Scout cord listed in a FCPS graduation program last week.
Anonymous
06/09/2026 11:38
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This pisses me off. My son has been working his butt off for the 40 hours for the service cord. And how he can’t wear it??? Wtf.
I think the real WTF should be that your child is ONLY volunteering so he can get the service cord and not because volunteering is both good for him as an individual and for his community. WTF, indeed.
Volunteering is good for him and the community. How does wanting a cord to show his accomplishments change that? The two are not exclusive. The cord was an incentive.
It’s no different from getting a trophy after a sport season. Is your child only playing a sport to win a trophy? No, but it’s a nice way to end the season and it recognizes their hard work.
1. That's pathetic.
2. Did you just compare your kid's volunteering cord to a participation medal/trophy? What a joke.
Anonymous
06/09/2026 11:14
Subject: Re:No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
OP, which school does your child attend? I have a rising senior and have not heard of this change. It seems like something that would be communicated division-wide and not on an individual school basis.
Anonymous
06/09/2026 11:11
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
11 pages of most people being complete morons, having no clue what the actual policy is, and fictionalizing things to be upset about.
10/10 great job
10/10 great job
Anonymous
06/09/2026 11:04
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:IMO cords are dumb. I went to MIT and it didn't allow anything. In a crazy rat race we don't need even more mini races that don't matter.
+1
It used to be that we made a very big deal out of post-graduate degrees, a big deal out of college graduation, and a minor deal out of high school graduation.
Now, we make a huge deal out of high school graduation (even throwing parties that cost $10K or more), and we expect promotion ceremonies and major school awards at the end of preschool, kindergarten, sixth grade, and eighth grade.
It has gotten way out of hand.
So what? People can celebrate how they want to.
Fine, you can celebrate how you choose. But expecting the schools to host major awards and promotion ceremonies, give trophies for having a pulse, and allow for obscene displays of grandiosity at graduation is out of hand.
So now an NHS stole and a service cord are “obscene displays of grandiosity”? You sound insane.
Anonymous
06/09/2026 10:55
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
Anonymous wrote:Where's the list of cords?
Doesn't matter because kids are wearing/buying their own. Too many grads for the school to check and approve.
Anonymous
06/09/2026 10:26
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
Anonymous wrote:\Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else's child come home and reported this update for all FCPS graduations next year?
I'm told that since we don't want to make some kids feel bad - no graduates will be allowed to wear honor cords showing their achievements starting with next year's graduations.
Is this what we've come to? Protecting the fragile feelings of some kids who has chosen to concentrate their achievements elsewhere (ie, could be community, sports) or just decided academic achievement wasn't a focus for them. And now no graduates are allowed to celebrate academic achievements.
So disappointed, FCPS.
Want to know if others have heard this as well.
Athletes who win a state championship should absolutely be allowed to wear their medal.
What medal? Don't they get rings?
Track gets medals.
Yes, they can wear their state medals (and rings) at graduation
Anonymous
06/09/2026 10:25
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else's child come home and reported this update for all FCPS graduations next year?
I'm told that since we don't want to make some kids feel bad - no graduates will be allowed to wear honor cords showing their achievements starting with next year's graduations.
Is this what we've come to? Protecting the fragile feelings of some kids who has chosen to concentrate their achievements elsewhere (ie, could be community, sports) or just decided academic achievement wasn't a focus for them. And now no graduates are allowed to celebrate academic achievements.
So disappointed, FCPS.
Want to know if others have heard this as well.
Athletes who win a state championship should absolutely be allowed to wear their medal.
They are.
Atheletes who win a state medal are encoraged to wear their medal, just as students who win an academic, arts or activity state medal are encouraged to wear them at graduation.
For example, my student was selected to all state for music and national history day. They wore their medals.
Anonymous
06/09/2026 10:24
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
That is a disappointing news. Kids should be allowed to celebrate their achievements. I don't think those sensitive kids are into sports either because sports teach them be sportive, success and failures are part of the game.
Anonymous
06/09/2026 10:23
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:IMO cords are dumb. I went to MIT and it didn't allow anything. In a crazy rat race we don't need even more mini races that don't matter.
+1
It used to be that we made a very big deal out of post-graduate degrees, a big deal out of college graduation, and a minor deal out of high school graduation.
Now, we make a huge deal out of high school graduation (even throwing parties that cost $10K or more), and we expect promotion ceremonies and major school awards at the end of preschool, kindergarten, sixth grade, and eighth grade.
It has gotten way out of hand.
So what? People can celebrate how they want to.
Fine, you can celebrate how you choose. But expecting the schools to host major awards and promotion ceremonies, give trophies for having a pulse, and allow for obscene displays of grandiosity at graduation is out of hand.
Aaaand none of what you describe matches reality.
Anonymous
06/09/2026 10:23
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
Anonymous wrote:Where's the list of cords?
It's on the class pages on the official fcps websites.
It is also listed within this discussion on one of the 6/8 posts.
Anonymous
06/09/2026 10:22
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why is there a Girl Scout/Boy Scout cord but no cords for sports?
Why would there be cords for sports? Also, for those with younger kids who might not know, although FCPS includes an official list of the cords in the program, most of those are purchased by the student, not FCPS. My DC received a service hours cord from FCPS, but her other cords were paid for from the dues to the activity.
Cords are for service and academics only. Not sports. Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts are about service - that’s why they get cords.
The scout award are also international honors that very few kids achieve.
Anonymous
06/09/2026 10:20
Subject: No more Honor Cords, Stoles etc at future FCPS Graduations?
Anonymous wrote:Why is there a Girl Scout/Boy Scout cord but no cords for sports?
It is not for participation.
The Eagle Scout and Gold Scout awards are international honors that take years to achieve.
Athletes that win a state medal can wear them at graduation.
Students cannot wear scout participation or sports participation or club participation medals or cords at graduation.
Only honor societies, academic honors and major state/national/international honors are worn.