Graduation Day - Past Present and Future

[Barbaraann]

Tomorrow my grandson graduates from the 8th grade. It seems like just yesterday that we attended his Kindergarten Graduation. It is a real accomplishment for a child to reach these milestones in his life. Some reach them a little easier than others.

I think it would be fun to recollect our own graduations. Was it a fun time for you?

I remember my 8th grade graduation was a warm day - the end of June - 1961. We didn't wear caps and gowns. We had to get all dressed up in frilly dresses and the boys wore suits. I just remember, I was glad to be leaving the 8th grade, and looking forward to High School.

Can you believe, I even have some pictures?

[Barbaraann]

It's funny, that was 46 years ago. I don't remember the color of my dress. I do remember the classmates in the picture above. The 2nd girl from the left, married my brother. The girl furthest on the left passed away from breast cancer. The girl on the right was my best friend. She had a Polish name that no one could pronounce.

8th grade was a fun time in my life. I got over being too shy, and actually stirred up a little trouble, for the first time in my life. I remember our graduation picnic, and luncheon, and having our "ribbons" signed by all our friends. I have that ribbon in my attic somewhere.

[superstacie]

My 8th grade graduation was boring. lol. I graduated in 2001 in our local Fox Theatre that has little lights on the ceiling that flicker on and off like stars. I watched those the entire time. Our speakers were boring because it was the same stuff I heard during my older sisters 8th grade graduation. So I sat there until it was time for me to go up.

[Barbaraann]

This is a photo of my only grandson when he graduated from Kindergarten. Sean was a handful for the teachers. School hasn't been easy for him. I am very proud that he will be graduating tomorrow from 8th grade. High School won't be easy for him, but I hope he has a lot of fun, and is smart enough to seek the help he will need to be successful.

[Joshrzmeup]

I hated my high school and college graduation. Boring speech being given, plus in high school, we had to wear white gowns and white dresses underneath (obviously) and i'm not a fan of that. Plus I moved between my sophmore and Junior year, so I didn't graduate with any of my friends who i've known forever.

Although, at my college graduation (which was last month), they did have kids who were hitting beach balls back and forth until the professors caught them and took them away. That was the hilight.

Great pics, Barbaraann!! Wow! Thing have changed and i'm glad! But it's cool to see what graduation dresses looked like and how things have changed.

[Disney Wrassler]

When I graduated high school, we had our ceremony on the arena floor of the Arrowhead Pond.

I had to work my butt off to pass my senior year finals though. I barely passed. So when I got to the Pond on graduation day, I realized I did not have my I.D. and could not get in without it. Thankfully, one of my teachers, who has since gone on to see the man above, I.D.'ed me and let me in.

I loved my Junior and Senior year. It was a blast also being at the Arrowhead Pond. I always wonder what my High School friends are doing this days and wonder if they will remember me at any reunions.

[PrincessY]

8th grade graduation 1972. No caps and gowns so we wore fancy clothes. Short mini dress (think Marcia Brady) with my first real pair of heels. I had to drive all over creation to find a pair that fit since I wore a size 4.5 and they didn't make "grown up" shoes in that size. I was NOT going to wear baby girl mary janes!

High school 1976: LONG ceremony (about 730 kids in my class) while sitting out in the sun out on the football field. Could not wait to get the heck out of HS and on to real life! I still have not gone to any of my HS reunions.

[Hakuna Makarla]

Barbara you are beautiful!!
My 8th grade graduation was from Catholic school, it was wonderful and we wore gowns. I had my hair professionally done and I was made to look like a queen for a day, I do not have any of those pics, when my apartment was robbed 20 years ago they took my pictures, and momentoes bt it wasa grand day, we got out deploma;s and had a fancy meal and a dance.
School was not easyt for me either, I was ADHD and was in constant trouble, in fact I papered the girls bathroom down with play girl magazine pictures and was caught by an older nun, wow that was not a good day! when I was called up to the podium, the head nun said.... good Luck Karla!! ( like she was saying oh man good by and get out Yeah I was trouble, and a hand full for the nuns, but had very fond memories as well.

[Alice's Wonderland]

Barbaraann you look so pretty!! I love those glasses!
I cried during my 8th grade graduation, I was actually sad to leave.
I lucked out during my high school graduation and got to sit next to my best friend and we talked through most of it. I was third in my class so I felt really proud to have accomplished that. And my senior trip was to Disneyland and was excited for that which made the graduation go by quicker.

[Disney Wrassler]

Barbaraann you look so pretty!! I love those glasses!
I cried during my 8th grade graduation, I was actually sad to leave.
I lucked out during my high school graduation and got to sit next to my best friend and we talked through most of it. I was third in my class so I felt really proud to have accomplished that. And my senior trip was to Disneyland and was excited for that which made the graduation go by quicker.

We had our Senior Trip at Disneyland too. It was fun because they let us do whatever we wanted and waunder off by ourself as long as we met back up at certain times. It was so fun getting to walk around the park by myself.

[wickeddisneygurl]

hey! we had our senior trip to DL, too! we went to grad night after spending a few days doing some other things around the area.

8th grade graduation was pretty uneventful. i was sad because i was leaving all of my friends because we all went to different high schools. i was excited to be going to high school, though.

high school graduation was the worst (at least for me)! i had the flu. luckily one of the teachers helped me get to the bathroom before i threw up on everyone. there were only two bathrooms in the entire place and so we wound up pushing to the front of a very long line of people waiting to use the restroom! all of the pictures from the ceremony and my party show me looking VERY green! despite that unfortunate illness, i was excited to be graduating because it meant i would get to meet new people and start a whole new life.

[Brain Toad]

I don't think when I left kindergarten we had a graduation. I know I "graduated" from preschool and I hated wearing the cap and that's pretty much all I remember from that.

When I graduated 5th grade we just had to dress since and it was in the playground of my elementary school. Lean on Me was the song they played at the time. We were the first graduating 5th grade class, so it was pretty cool.

I barely remember my 8th grade graduation. I know there was no cap and gown, just nice clothes and we did it at the other high school's football field (my city has 3 high schools, but only one high school football field). I remember walking around the track with my friends before the ceremony, and also getting in the wrong line to sit down, as I was hanging out with my friends and not paying attention. I think they also misspelled my name on my "diploma"

I do remember my high school graduation though. It was at the same place as my middle school, but a lot more organized. It threatened to rain that day, so everyone was kind of panicked. During rehearsal it sprinkled and was really windy and cold. This is in the middle of June, mind you. It was some strange weather. I remember my mom driving me to the rehearsal and that was when she told me they were putting my grandmother in a hospice, what a thing to hear the day you are graduating. The actual graduation was boring. I hated wearing the gown and I refused to wear nice clothes under it, so I ended wearing a pair of blue jeans, my steel toed boots and a Led Zeppelin shirt under my blue gown. The actual ceremony was really boring, the speeches were horrible and I really didn't care what anyone was saying. We got stuck with a canopy over our heads because of the threat of rain, but it never rained. Must've sucked for the parents, because it would've been impossible to find us. It was incredibly long, especially for me as my last name is all the way at the end of the list. Afterwards it was fun though. I hung out with my best friend, went to pick up my actual diploma and got it from one of my favorite teachers, so it felt kind of special. Then hung out with my best friend and his friends until I finally found my family and did the picture thing. That was probably the best part of the whole event, was just being with my friends after we graduated, saying goodbye, shaking hands with people, hugging (not something I do).

I hated high school, so I was never looking forward to that day. My last day of school, as I was walking home, I turned back to my school, flipped it off and nearly shouted "F You" back to it. Was quite satisfactory. I wanted to pull something at graduation too, but didn't have the guts to risk not getting my diploma.

[aimster]

I missed my 8th grade graduation (1988). I was in Colorado enjoying a trip I won from Mtv.

6th grade graduation was in 1986. I don't remember much about it.

High school graduation was 15 years ago this past June 2nd (1992). My best friend & I were the only 2 in the entire class that got away with wearing shorts under our caps & gowns. If we had been caught we would've been in BIG trouble because they said several times "NO SHORTS!" We hated wearing skirts/dresses, so we were sneaky and found some "dressy" shorts (not koolats) that worked. Iso many kids were jealous when they found out what we did. We were so bad!

[Barbaraann]

I should have taken off my hat before this photo was taken today outside of Sean's school. It was a grand day for our family.