Our kids work hard keeping their grades up. They work hard participating in school sports and other extracurricular activities while earning their school championship banners, trophies, and money to be combined with tax payers' hard earned money. To cheat them out of this formal event is unfair. They deserve to be formally recognized for a job well done as they enter the next phase of their life.
Why is this important?
My son attends Cedar Middle School in Hesperia CA. To hear that the school district has eliminated the 8th grade graduation ceremony is saddening. It robs our children of being formally recognized for their achievements.
Elementary, middle and high school graduations have always been a long time tradition for all schools in the state of California. No one has the right to change that. Several schools in the district have now chosen to have an awards assembly to satisfy parents concerns. They say that they eliminated 8th grade graduation ceremonies because they want our kids to focus on high school graduation. High School graduation has NOTHING to do with an 8th grade graduation ceremony. ALL children should participate in a formal ceremony, promoting them to the next big stage in their life.
Our kids help earn money for these schools and we as tax payers contribute a portion of our earnings as well. Our kids studied hard and EARNED the right to be promoted. There is NO reason why this rule should have ever been implemented. We are a community of families who should formally celebrate our children's accomplishments, no matter how old they are and certainly no matter what grade level they are in.
