Homeschool Graduation by Jean
What will your homeschool graduation look like?
Jean was kind enough to share her graduation day photos. There were only two graduates in this ceremony. There were a couple of others in the homeschool group that were graduating this year, but they didn’t want to be recognized in a service. Each family of the two graduates invited whomever they wanted to attend the ceremony and reception. Together, the two families invited over 400 people and there were about 175 people in attendance.
Graduation can take many shapes and forms, but I encourage you to celebrate. You and your child have worked hard for this moment, so enjoy the celebration!
I urge you to present a diploma to your homeschooler. There are times they will be asked “Do you have a high school diploma?” You want them to reply “YES!” without hesitation. If you award a diploma with some pomp and circumstance, they are likely to unhesitatingly say “Yes!” without mumbling anything like “I dunno… I was homeschooled.” You can get a great-looking diploma from HomeschoolDiploma.com
I wholeheartedly agree that graduation should be celebrated. A lot of hard work from both the parents and the student should be recognized. The more we stand up and recognize such achievement on the homeschooler’s part, the more others will come to acknowledge and appreciate homeschooling.
We chose to recognize our daughter’s graduation with a blessing ceremony. During the party, we presented her with a diploma, collected special work over the last 13 years, and a ring. We read a blessing over her. We the invited others to come to her and lay hands on her while they read a prepared blessing. We collected all of the written blessings in a book for her. It was lovely. And different. But so is homeschooling!
What a lovely idea, Robin!
Blessings
Robin
Assistant to The HomeScholar
We are currently in the planning stage of our home school graduation ceremony and party! As missionaries in the Philippines, we have a unique circle of friends, many of whom will be invited to witness our son’s graduation (and a simultaneous good-bye party as he leaves for college soon). As parents, we will welcome our guests and say a bit about home schooling and our son’s character and work. Then a pastoral couple will share a word for all about their hopes for Ben’s spiritual future. Then a staff member from our ministry (a Filipina teacher)will share 10 minutes about the benefit of pursuing higher education. Then, open mike time, for friends to say a word to and about our son. We’ll present his diploma and pray over him. Then our son will be asked to share a short speech: a word of thanks and explanation to all about his college choice and what he plans to study. Then…. food, volleyball, hanging out til late! We’ll have congratulations letters printed out, those sent from far-away family and friends, for all to read. We’ll decorate with colors from his college and have a box where friends can write a word of encouragement to him that he can take with him to the USA. I got tons of ideas from Pinterest (type in: graduation party ideas) It will be a bitter-sweet day for us as he is our only son and Ohio is very, very far away!
What a lovely gift to give your son, Nancy! His graduation will be a loving memory, in addition to a call to ministry. You are giving him a legacy of blessings!
Robin
Assistant to The HomeScholar