Jeff and I at Perri's graduation.Graduation, whether from college, high school, middle school, elementary school or even kindergarten, represents a milestone in a young person's life. An accomplishment has been reached, a chapter in childhood has ended, with a new beginning on the horizon. Family and friends celebrate the graduate and honor their achievements, many times showering them with cards, gifts, parties and other celebrations.
Graduations also mark the end of a school year and can signify a change in leadership. Teachers and other administrators leave for a variety of reasons, including moving to a new location or profession, choosing to at stay home with family, or retiring.
How do you celebrate graduation? Today's blog will give you some ideas of meaningful awards for graduates and others at the end of the school year.
Lamp of Learning Trophies make great graduation awards for young students.Kindergarten: Many schools will "graduate" kindergarteners to attend full-day elementary school. Some schools give small academic trophies to kindergarteners for graduating. My older daughter attended a private kindergarten and the kids dressed in caps and gowns and had a small procession; it was quite adorable! One school we have worked with for many years gives this Lamp of Learning trophy to their kindergarten grads.
Elementary & Middle School: We don't see many awards or engraved gifts for elementary or middle school students who are graduating to the next school up. Families may give their students a balloon or a card for being promoted to elementary or middle school, but gifts are usually inexpensive and low-key. However, the end of school does result in many middle school achievements being recognized, especially for sports teams and competitive activities or clubs.
High School: High school graduation is a big deal. Students are now officially adults with many life changes ahead. Graduates may choose to move out on their own, heading to college, military service, or employment, The most common graduation gift is money; but other gifts include personal items, such as jewelry, framed artwork, or a traditional engraved pen. Flowers are often given at the graduation ceremony.
This engraved pen makes a traditional graduation gift.Schools often award excellence at graduation. Some awards include Student of the Year in different academic subjects, Valedictorians, Perfect Attendance, and Scholarship awards, to name a few. Most often academic school plaques or scholastic medals are given for these types of accomplishments.
College: Graduation from university represents a milestone of school completion. Graduates now enter the "real world" and it's time to get a job! Again, as a graduation gift, cash is king and most grads need money after being poor students for years on end. Other meaningful gifts include jewelry, watches, and other personal items.
Retirement: Graduation ceremonies or End-of-Year school assemblies are the perfect opportunity to acknowledge and thank retiring teachers and other staff. We create many beautiful awards for these events. The most popular retirement gifts include engraved clocks, plaques and etched vases. Get more ideas at my past blog on Retirement Awards.
No matter the age, all graduates deserve kudos for the achievement. Enjoy the celebration and congrats Class of 2017!
Cheers,
Jessica
*Editor's note: This post was originally published on June 5, 2015. It was updated for content.