How were kids seated at Graduation? updated post #86

[FlightlessDuck]

My was alphabetically

My kids.....were top 10 in front row because they gave speeches.

Ugh. 10 student speeches, what a drag.

 

[Meriweather]

Ugh. 10 student speeches, what a drag.

not at all

 

[tvguy]

I assume you're talking about the public schools in your area. I've never heard of "graduates" walking if they're not receiving their diploma, public or private schools, now or even back when I graduated from (private) school way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

For older DD's graduation the val, sal & class president sat in the front row because they were speaking, but all of the rest was alphabetical, including our special ed kids who are cognitively impaired. It was touching to see the typically abled kids reach out to support the impaired kids when their nerves kicked in.

December graduates always walk at graduation the previous May here. They do that since so many of them will be away at college the following May.

 

[usd2bmd]

Do you mean number, or percent?

Sorry, I meant number.

 

[aprilgail2]

One of the high schools here did theirs by GPA. As they went up the steps to the stage, they handed the person at the mic a card with their name on it. I originally did not know this was how they were lined up. It wasn't until a couple days after the ceremony that I found out. I went to this graduation because a young lady I am like a mother to was graduating. When my DD graduated, the top 10 or 20 were in the first rows and the rest were just lined up any way. They did the same thing with the card with their name. I was talking to a friend and when she graduated there were only two high school in town and so they had large class sizes. I said "I bet you lined up alphabetically" and she said yes. I said that was the way it was when I graduated. I guess I am old school and think it should be alphabetically.

Wow that would stink doing it by GPA-feel bad for the last couple kids called, how embarrassing! For our jr high 8th grade awards they start with the kids getting one award and those are always like-excellence in gym-then work there way up and by the time it's the last group of kids they are all getting like 16 awards each. I always felt bad for kids getting called up first.

 

[LBIJim]

Ugh. 10 student speeches, what a drag.

Yeah, that seems excessive.

Our valedictorian just droned on and on. After about 10 minutes he paused and everyone though it was over. A few started to applaud, and when he continued there was an audible groan from the audience.

 

[stm61]

Always alphabetically, with a teacher on each end of the aisle to make sure nobody does anything stupid lol. The special ed students are mixed in, with a teacher next to them as needed. The only exception is for wheelchair students, who are seated on the end of the aisle, but called alphabetically to receive their diplomas or certificates. The kids know to stop and let the kid in to the correct place.

My niece graduated in another state Tues. night. I've never seen it done quite this way before. Her class was lined up alphabetically, but they split in half. A-K went to one side of the football field, L-Z went to the other. They had 2 students calling out names of the graduates. The 1st would call an A name, the 2nd would call an L name. They had the kids coming in 2 lines, from opposite sides of the field, meeting up at the podium. Didn't make it go any faster, so I'm not sure why they did it that way.

 

[ronandannette]

Wow that would stink doing it by GPA-feel bad for the last couple kids called, how embarrassing! For our jr high 8th grade awards they start with the kids getting one award and those are always like-excellence in gym-then work there way up and by the time it's the last group of kids they are all getting like 16 awards each. I always felt bad for kids getting called up first.

So this was an "everybody gets something" environment? Not sure participating in gym class or whatever warrants receiving an award. There also must have been waaay too many categories of awards if some kids were getting 16 apiece. It just gets a little meaningless after a while, doesn't it?

 

[KAMLEM]

For those of you who were lined up by height, how many were in your graduating class? We had about 250-275, and I can't imagine trying to figure out that lineup!

There were about 170 in my DD's class.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Yeah, that seems excessive.

Our valedictorian just droned on and on. After about 10 minutes he paused and everyone though it was over. A few started to applaud, and when he continued there was an audible groan from the audience.

Are valedictorian and salutatorian spoke together. It actually was a rather poor speech.

A teacher spoke, and at times you could tell he was really trying to play up the whole "we teachers love your kids" (during a contract dispute year).

The superintendent basically told the graduates "hey, you are going to die soon, so make every Saturday count!". (see: http://www.godswork.org/emailmessage42.htm)

 

[keiraliz]

When I graduated, we were seated alphabetically. Our class officers did sit in the front row because they each had a part in our program, but I don't remember if they sat in a particular order as well. We were all seated on stage (I graduated with a class of 54).

 

[diamondpixienc]

Wow at this point does it really matter? I mean the top 10 or 20 or honor students have always been recognized separately during the ceremony so why should it matter. IDK but IMO this just seems over the top for the parents to be raising a stink over something so trivial. Who cares as long as they get their diploma. I guess they would have really freaked at my cousins graduation where they seat and give out diplomas in reverse I.e. Z-A. Why you ask? Well, they figure that the Z's and/or other kids with last names other than A can finally be called first. The kid's last name was Zieglar and he got a standing ovation.

 

[bigbabyblues]

The val/sal, honor students were seated on the stage by GPA, class officers also on the stage as they participated in the ceremony, and the rest were seated by height.

 

[bethbuchall]

I honestly cannot remember my own graduation at all. (No, I wasn't drunk or hungover; I'm just old. )

My two oldest children graduated from high school in 2009 and 2011. Class rank was determined at the end of January based on weighted averages for the first 3.5 years of high school (9th grade-first semester of senior year). The top 10 students came in first, followed by everyone who earned a summa cum laude diploma (certain class and grade requirements had to be met) in alphabetical order, followed by those who earned the regular diploma in alphabetical order. Someone told me that they used to go in reverse alphabetical order every other year, but they stopped doing that a few years ago.

There is one valedictorian and one salutatorian. They and the class president each give a speech. The top 5 students are awarded medals. Anyone in the National Honor Society can choose to wear a special stole, and there are cords for certain other activities. I don't remember what all of those were now. Anyone who is planning to graduate after summer school also walks at graduation, but they don't get their actual diplomas until they have fulfilled all the graduation requirements.

I know that it's an emotional time for most parents, and it may seem like a big deal at that moment, but I think it's completely ridiculous that anyone is getting bent out of shape over this. I'd be just as happy if they saved all the awards, etc. for another time and just let everyone graduate in the same way. Once the summer is over and college/military service/jobs have started, no one is going to care in the least what your class rank was.

 

[spacemountainmom]

Wow at this point does it really matter? I mean the top 10 or 20 or honor students have always been recognized separately during the ceremony so why should it matter. IDK but IMO this just seems over the top for the parents to be raising a stink over something so trivial. Who cares as long as they get their diploma. I guess they would have really freaked at my cousins graduation where they seat and give out diplomas in reverse I.e. Z-A. Why you ask? Well, they figure that the Z's and/or other kids with last names other than A can finally be called first. The kid's last name was Zieglar and he got a standing ovation.

Since I married a Z and our dd was the last graduate called, this would have been awesome!

DH always said the only time he got to go first for Mantoux tests. I guess that means we are old!

 

[elgerber]

Our school seats the top 20 in the front row. This is the only recognition they get, they are not recognized verbally at the ceremony. Behind them is the student council, the the NHS, then after that it's alphabetical.

 

[rcpae]

I did read some of the replies, but not all. In my opinion, our high school seats the kids odd.

Each of the graduates gets to pick a staff member that congratulates them as they walk off the stage. Typically the kids pick a teacher, or staff member that has had some influence on them.

The kids are grouped by the staff member that they picked. My daughter picked her favorite teacher, and others that chose her, were seated together.

Strange huh?

 

[mom2rtk]

I did read some of the replies, but not all. In my opinion, our high school seats the kids odd.

Each of the graduates gets to pick a staff member that congratulates them as they walk off the stage. Typically the kids pick a teacher, or staff member that has had some influence on them.

The kids are grouped by the staff member that they picked. My daughter picked her favorite teacher, and others that chose her, were seated together.

Strange huh?

I actually think that's pretty cool. Those special faculty mentors really make the high school experience for many kids.

 

[gjl]

R

 

[scrapquitler]

Was it strictly alphabetically or the top 10 or 20 in the front row?

There has been serious drama with my daughters graduation. At practice when it was announced that they would be seated alphabetically I have heard from several kids that a couple of the kids flipped out. Primarily because they are in the top 20 and not being seated in the front row. These kids are always recognized at the ceremony but have not been seated in the front row for several years.

a few parents of these kids went to the school board and caused quite a stink and they have now changed the seating for the ceremony.

Now I am one of those parents who does NOT have a super smart all honors AP child. but she is graduating and quite honestly I am over the moon that she did it. I honestly don't know what my reaction would be if I were in their shoes. But I thought I would ask here and get a feel for how they do it around the country.

Senior Class Officers (Class President, Vice President, and Treasurer) and those students who were speaking at Graduation (Class President, and the 2 students selected to speak for the Varsity Scholars -- Valedictorian does not speak at my child's school) were all seated on the podium with the principal, VPs, Mayor, School Board Members and Superintendent of Schools.

All the students were seated in Alphabetical order and were presented and given their diplomas in Alphabetical Order, except that the Valedictorian was seated first and graduated first. As each student was presented, the 'Varsity Scholar' National Honor Society' (or both) was mentioned. A-J were seated on one side of the audience (In chairs facing the stage), K-Z on the other side. Audience in chairs and on the bleachers behind them. Oh, and some of the special ed students were out of alphabetical order because they were seated on the end of the row with a paraprofessional if they needed it.

This was a class of approx. 250 students.

Who cares where they sit? They still get their moment and they still graduate? I don't think that those at the top need the extra recognition...at least at my DD's school they already had a National Honor Society Award night, a Varsity Scholars Award night, and Senior Honors awards night where lots of individual awards and scholarships were given out. Let those not so top of the class students have the moment, too.

One thing I did like is that students in my daughters class who are going to be entering the military were asked to stand up and were individually announced and it was stated what branch of the service they would be entering (and in one case, which military academy).

Students entering the military wore red/white/blue cords. National honor society members had gold tassels, and gold cords. Varsity scholars had their varsity scholar medals, and those with FFA state dipolomas wore the yellow sash for that. Girls in white cap and gowns, boys in blue.