Tip 24: Eight creative ideas for honoring graduating seniors
With most schools remaining physically closed throughout the remainder of the school year, all students are feeling the impact — but seniors are hit hardest.
What can you do to celebrate your seniors and still make their last semester memorable?
Schools are getting creative about how they honor their graduates in light of school closures. Here’s a round up of some of the best ideas for inspiration as you work through re-organizing your own school’s plans.
1. Socially-distant graduation ceremonies are possible! While many schools are postponing events like Graduation and Prom, others are organizing socially-distant graduations at locations like drive-in movie theaters (or any large parking space) where families can remain in their cars.
Clyde ISD sent out this post about Graduation and Prom options:
2. Livestream a virtual event. John Kraskinski hosted this awesome online Prom on his YouTube channel, SomeGoodNews.
Although you might not be able to get musicians like the Jonas Brothers and Billie Eilish to perform, you can still have a DJ, guest appearances from various stakeholders at your school (the Principal, Student Government President, Prom Queen & King, etc) and encourage students to dress up, video call each other and dance along.
3. Involve your community in your decision and planning. With various options (to postpone or host a socially-distant event? that is the question…) many schools are sending out surveys to their community to get a glimpse into what families and students want — after all it’s their celebration, so why not listen to their perspective? Here’s an example from Gorman Learning Center.
Other schools are starting steering committees and holding their meetings via virtual conferencing platforms to brainstorm viable options for their schools. If you choose to do this, see if you can include a variety of stakeholders — administrators, teachers, parents, and maybe even students.
4. Create a tribute video for your seniors. Here are two examples we love!
5. Host a car “parade” where people window paint their cars, make signs and drive down a main street honking, blaring school music, etc.
6. Provide parents with material to decorate their home. Many are hanging cap and gowns (or jerseys) between a door and storm door from a wreath hanger to show they have a graduating senior in the home.
Others have staked school-provided yard signs like “Class of 2020 Graduating Senior | We are all in this together” in their yards and tied balloons to their mailboxes.
7. Set up banners with graduate names and photos throughout the town to honor your seniors throughout your greater community! Here’s an example from Caseville Public School.
8. Recognize senior student accomplishments, highlight their college choices! Celebrate their accomplishments as they move onto their next chapter. You can recognize seniors on your school’s instagram, twitter and facebook page. Here’s an example from Hueneme High School.
K-12 Remote Tips
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We’d love to know what you are doing — what great examples or ideas would you like to share with other schools? Simply comment below or submit your tip via our web form.