Top 3 tips for high school graduation

When all of the schoolwork is completed, the last test has been taken, and your homeschooled child is ready to pursue the next phase of their life, it’s time to graduate!

While some folks believe graduation ceremonies are an artificial milestone, they are also a rite of passage in our nation. They signify both an end…and a new beginning. In addition to marking the transition to another phase of life, they also recognize the achievements and hard work that helped the student reach that point.

Most local schools will not allow homeschoolers to participate in the local school district’s ceremony. That’s fine…your child’s homeschool education has been such a unique and personalized experience…their graduation should be tailored to them as well!

Here are three things to consider when planning the perfect homeschool graduation ceremony for your child.

1. It’s Their Day
The Number One rule: find out what your homeschooler wants to do for graduation. Since it’s their day, they should definitely have some say in the matter! Your teen’s personality will play a huge role in determining how the commencement should occur. Are they shy? Are they interested in a great deal of pomp and circumstance? Remember, the graduation is a celebration of your child’s achievement…let them help decide how they would like to mark the day.

2. Singular or Plural?
Homeschool graduation ceremonies can be formal or casual…and large or small. Decide if you want a private ceremony – with your child as the one-and-only star graduate – or a public ceremony with other homeschooled teens. Many homeschool groups offer local, regional or state graduation ceremonies in which your child can participate. Likewise, some parents and students opt for a small ‘friends and family’ style ceremony…or even just a dinner out to celebrate.

3. Formal or Informal?
Will this be a formal “walk down the aisle in cap and gown as Pomp & Circumstance plays and they pick up their diploma” kind of event? Or will it be a more casual backyard party? If so, did you send out formal invitations? Or an email invite? Will you be renting a hall? Or have you picked out another location that will accommodate all of the guests? Will someone be recording the event for posterity? Who will speak at the ceremony? Friends, tutors and family members can all share words of encouragement!

Remember, your child has enjoyed a very singular and unique educational experience. Throwing them into a group of three hundred strangers at the local high school may sound like the right decision, but it wouldn’t be…so be grateful it isn’t an option! Instead, make their ceremony as special and memorable as their education has been.

What do you remember most about your graduation?