Our co-op always has a commencement ceremony, but this year, my daughter was the only graduating senior in the group! (Usually, there are 6 to 10 seniors.) They would have gone ahead and held it for her, but she didn’t want to be up there all by herself! Plus, the entire cost of it would have fallen on our family, except for the reception and some of the things the co-op normally provides, like programs, the facility, the guest speaker.
So….we found two other families that we have known for several years, and the three girls will be walking in commencement together. We (the moms and the graduates) have been planning it together, to be held in our church sanctuary, although we are all from different churches. Included in the ceremony will be the usual “pomp and circumstance” processional, three worship songs, brief speeches from each of the girls, a letter written to each girl by her parents (but read by someone else–too emotional!), a keynote speech by a guest pastor, a video montage of pictures of the girls over the years (set to music they chose), and the awarding of diplomas. We all got the diplomas and the caps/tassels/gowns from HSLDA, but you can get them other places, or create your own diploma from templates found online.
We are going to have a reception afterwards (fruit, cheese, finger desserts), but each of the girls’ families will plan their own graduation party separate from the commencement event.
