8th grade graduation gift

[tag98]

CONGRATS to all your kids who have graduated 8th grade!!! My oldest son Corey has graduated as well this year. The ceremony was held last Thursday. We are going to Disney World this Saturday for 8 days so that is part of his graduation gift as well as our family vacation!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I haven't thought about getting my son a gift. I'll have to think about it. I did volunteer on the 8th grade dance committee and my DH is grilling for their picnic. We've already put a lot into his graduation celebrations!

Lori

 

[aprilgail2]

My son "graduated" 8th grade a few weeks ago and I didn't get him anything or take him to dinner. Actually, I didn't even know there was going to be a ceremony until 2 hours before it happened. I'm not one for having a big celebration for something I expect from my children.

Our school has a very large graduation for 8th grade on the football field- complete with invites going home, names being announced as they go up to get their diploma- its usually on the Friday night since they have high school graduation there and they do that one on Saturday morning. I won't be having a party for my daughter for junior high but I am sure I will buy her something nice.
Even 5th grade has a big ceremony, they also have their big 5th grade trip, and their golf outing and their canoe trip. They have a 5th grade day that they have a DJ outside all day and dance, they have their 5th grade celebration where they bbq and have a big party with a DJ, then their moving up ceremony, complete wih invites and risers and names being called, slidshow etc. They also have 5th grade cap and gown pictures. They make a pretty big deal out of it. Its sort of leaving your little kid place and moving up to the big kid place.
Kindergarten has some type of cap and gown ceremony but I don't know what thye do there, my daughter missed hers due to a surgery.

 

[torinsmom]

My son went to the same school from Pre-K-8th grade and they did have an 8th grade graduation "ceremony". It was outside and pretty simple, but they wanted to celebrate the children completing the curriculum. I got my DS an electric guitar he had really been wanting. We didn't have a party, so I just surprised him after the ceremony.

Marsha

 

[Rora]

A nice dinner out with family sounds just about right.

ITA. No gift needed for an 8th grade graduation, IMO.

 

[lewdyan1]

My son finished 8th grade yesterday and he got the Summer reading books for 9th grade...that's it! I will do something when he graduates high school.

 

[ilovejack02]

Many moons ago LOL .. I graduated from 8th grade from an all girls Catholic school. Prob I would say it was 1987

I got a really nice beach towel , swimsuit and new suitcase from parents because I was going to be gone most of the summer with friends . I would have gotten it anyway LOL. I also got a beach towel from the family I would spending the summer with.

Most of my CLOSE friends gave my little guy a webkinz when he finished kindergarten and I have done the same for them.


I always get my kids an end of the year goodie ( not a HUGE present but a goodie LOL).

I enjoy buying little treats for my guy and close friends kids. I never feel obligated , just something I like to do for the people I love.

Op if you do get your kiddo something, just get him something to start the summer with. Doesnt have to be anything huge.

 

[Katie]

My son just graduated from 8th grade. Our school as a semi-formal dance for the 8th graders and a huge class trip to Washington DC.

Instead of the class trip, my son and a few of his friends,and their mothers are taking a 7day cruise to the Caribbean!

It's a mother-son cruise! We did this with our daughter when she graduated from 8th grade also.....it was a blast!

He got a card with some money from his grandparents...but that was the extent of presents.

The dance itself cost me :
55.00 dress pants
36.00 dress shirt
29.00 tie
33.00 flowers(corsage for his date)
52.00 dinner (dinner for two at the local place by the lake )
20.00 after party

The kids(DS and date) had pictures for 1.5 hours before with a photographer...they were beautiful..however, nobody believes they are only 14. Some of the pics, looked like wedding or engagement pics!
But they are both great kids!

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

Oooh, the cruise idea sounds cool!

Thanks everyone. It is interesting how there are varried opinions on this. I think we are going to stick with dinner. We'll let him pick out the restaurant we go to.

 

[SpecialK]

Why is everyone putting quotation marks around the word "graduated"? Eighth grade graduation marks the end of elementary school. It IS a graduation. In my neck of the woods, it has been marked by a ceremony and a celebration since I was in eighth grade, and trust me that was a looonnnggg time ago.

I don't see the point of kdgn or fifth grade ceremonies, but eighth grade marks the end of one part of a child's education, and it's commonly celebrated among my friends and family. Just because you expect them to continue, does that mean you don't acknowledge that the first step has been accomplished?

 

[Becky2005]

The kids had a ceremony but we didn't do anything special for 8th grade.

I can't even remember if we went out to dinner! I know we talked about doing that but I don't think we ever got around to doing it. It wasn't high on my priority list obviously.

 

[Becky2005]

When I was in school we didn't graduate from kindergarten, 5th, or 8th.

We apparently DID graduate from 8th but there was no ceremony. We had an 8th grade dance & during the dance we got a certificate. I, of course, left mine there because I totally forgot about it. The next day at school, they called all the kids to the office that didn't go to the dance to get their certificates. I was called down & took it home then. I have absolutely no idea where that piece of paper is. I'm venturing to say it doesn't exist anymore.

No ceremony & my parents didn't buy me anything either.

Over the summer last year, my DD was invited to an 8th grade graduation party for a new girl she had met on the HS cheer squad. We did give her $10. I figured $10 was good enough for 8th grade graduation, especially when we didn't really even know the girl.

 

[allison443]

My kids attended a Catholic school for K through 8th. After 8th grade the class splits up among a few different Catholic high schools and a few different public schools (the elementary school draws from a few different towns). There is a graduation Mass followed by a graduation ceremony including caps and gowns. The kids receive diplomas from the archdiocese. Earlier in the year they have an 8th grade trip to NYC for a Broadway play. No prom though!

We did have a family party for 8th grade graduation, and a few kids usually have pool parties or bbqs for the whole class. Just to clarify we don't treat finishing 8th grade as a momentous accomplishment, more as a milestone on the kids' journey through childhood. My oldest just graduated from college so I don't think having the 8th grade graduation ceremony/party harmed her in any way.
Also, I expect my kids to graduate elementary, hs, and college as well, but I still think it's okay to celebrate even though it's expected, kwim? I also expect them to get a year older but we still celebrate their birthdays.

 

[TinkInPink]

I didn't get anything at mine several years ago. I think these sorts of things are really over celebrated and it takes away from the excitement and uniqueness/specialness of the actual event in high school. I would say a card, and make his favorite dinner/dessert. something like that.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I am so glad I won't be alone when I don't do anything for my DD "graduating" from 5th grade next week, and my DS will be "graduating" from 8th grade next year.

You graduate from high school. Anything else along the way is just bells and whistles to get the kids excited about moving on to a new school.

 

[tar heel]

I can tell you why a big deal was made of 8th grade graduation at my rural mountain school: over half the "graduates" were not ever going to do it again.

I've never bought an 8th grade graduation gift and never intend to. It IS a passage between schools and an end-of-the-year assembly and school party are very appropriate. We had the same thing in 5th grade -- also appropriate. They are switching schools -- that's really all IMO. We don't do K grad here -- that's just the lowest grade of elementary school. We did have an end-of-year program at preschool, but no caps and gowns, thank goodness.

I'd never heard of caps and gowns for 5th grade. I personally think the K ones are beyond silly. I wonder who thought this up -- companies standing to profit from selling miniature caps and gowns, maybe.

 

[tar heel]

I don't use the word "graduate" when there is no degree or diploma. My kids finished kindergarten, 5th grade and 8th grade, and in the latter cases moved on to another school -- they didn't graduate.

 

[TinklednPants]

I guess I'll be the oddball but in my experience, yes....8th grade graduations are acknowledged with fairly elaborate celebrations with around 100 guests/gifts/meal/open bar/DJ's etc.

 

[tar heel]

I know I live in the Bible Belt, but an open bar at a celebration for a 13- or 14-year-old is just weird.

 

[kinntj]

My kids will get what they get every year after they are done with a school year. We got out to eat and they get a high five for a great year.