(05-29-2019, 10:23 AM)StroudCrowd1 Wrote:

(05-29-2019, 10:09 AM)Cleatwood Wrote: Lol It really doesn't cheapen anything.

In my county (Montgomery County in Maryland), they do 5th grade promotion and high school graduation. I really wouldn't mind if they did middle school or Kindergarten because for some kids, it was extremely difficult for them to pass and they should feel proud. Why is it a bad thing to show how proud you are as a parent and as a school for these students?

And the reason we ask for parents to hold their applause (which no one really ever does and it's understandable) is because it would take forever if we had to wait for every single parent to stop screaming before we read the next name and because parents who are next in line might not hear their kids name being called. I'm all for embarrassing my kids but I wouldn't do it if it meant the next parents couldn't hear their childs name being called.

This just seems like a really odd thing to complain about and if I'm not mistaken, don't you home school your kids?

I don't oppose graduations or applause etiquette for them. I just don't think it takes a K or middle school graduation to show how proud you are as a parent.

My kids aren't home schooled.

There are certainly many ways to show how proud you are but there's something to be said for having your name heard and recognized by your school. They don't do it for every single grade and I have never really heard about it for middle school.

I agree that some kids get a trophy for just about anything but for some kids, they need that positive reinforcement to help motivate them. Everyone is motivated differently. If one kids loses, it will motivate him or her to try harder next time. Another kid sees that loss and never really wants to try again for fear of failure and embarrassment. It's all about understanding each kids needs and trying to help put them in the best situation possible. If having a 5th grade promotion helps motivate a poor student to continue doing well in school, then let's keep it up. 

I don't see this as being similar to receiving a trophy for 9th place in baseball at all. It's completely different.

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