Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



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High School Years and Beyond
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Angie Mc
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Posted: May 22 2010 at 10:17am | IP Logged Quote Angie Mc

I just shared our graduation ceremony here. Our family is blessed to have this opportunity provided. What opportunities are available to you? If you do your own ceremony, what does it look like?

Love,

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SallyT
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Posted: May 27 2010 at 11:50am | IP Logged Quote SallyT

Congratulations to your daughter, Angie!

I wish we had something available here, as a group thing. We're pretty remote, especially from large numbers of other Catholic homeschoolers. We have a wonderful small group of families in our parish and general area, but very few with high-schoolers yet, and most of the high-schoolers we do know will be graduating with Seton in northern Virginia and not doing much of anything locally.

As far as I know, my daughter will be the only graduating senior among our acquaintance next year, and already I'm thinking about what to do. Our parish is small, and we're very close to our pastor, so I'm planning to ask him to say a special Mass for her graduation (which will freak out all our non-Catholic and areligious family, who so far have mostly managed to avoid ever going to Mass with us, but there it is. They'll have to do it for her).

I'm thinking -- if this doesn't sound too freaky and over-the-top -- of doing something like a very small, low-key Quincanera type of thing, a Mass with a party (at home) and a pretty dress (I went to an all-girls' school, and we wore long white dresses at our graduation; mine fits my daughter, and she wants to wear it). I'm thinking I could rope at least some of my fellow choir members into singing, so that we could have music and some well-selected hymns for the occasion. Since it'll be just my daughter, I don't want it to degenerate into an "all about me" day, which would be the danger, but to do something really lovely that will give thanks to God for her and all her work, and that will be a rite of passage that she will remember forever, and that the other children will look forward to when their turns come.

Of course, all this is a year away, God willing! But I've already been giving it a lot of thought. Though my own school experience was in many ways a mixed bag, I did love the school's traditions (white dresses at graduation, for instance), and very much want to create a sense of family tradition for our homeschool.

Great question, Angie. I'll be reading eagerly to see what other people say -- and taking notes!

Sally



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Erin
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Posted: July 11 2011 at 2:16am | IP Logged Quote Erin

Well it looks like it is about happen and I wasn't prepared for it yet. Dd is/has graduated!! and starts at Tafe in a couple of weeks (or she may even succeed in getting a Cadetship in an Office, she is on the short list!!)

So I'd love to know how you acknowledge this big transition in your children's life. This is our first so we'll be setting a precedent. Like Sally our dd is the oldest in our homeschool community (by a couple of years).

Sally, how did your dd's day go?

Oh I should probably add, dd is rather an introvert so possibly won't want anything too elaborate.

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SallyT
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Posted: July 11 2011 at 7:26am | IP Logged Quote SallyT

Well, you can see our entire ceremony, from decorating beforehand to reception afterwards, thanks to my friend Joy and her son Anthony, who videotaped it all, here.

It was great fun and very meaningful for all involved.

Sally




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SallyT
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Posted: July 11 2011 at 7:29am | IP Logged Quote SallyT

PS: My husband was the commencement speaker! He's putting on a G.K. Chesterton-ish persona here, but in my totally unbiased opinion, it was a great speech (plus he got to parade in academic regalia, always good fun).

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amarytbc
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Posted: July 11 2011 at 6:59pm | IP Logged Quote amarytbc

Sounds like a wonderful experience!
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guitarnan
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Posted: July 11 2011 at 8:43pm | IP Logged Quote guitarnan

Ds did not want to do the graduation ceremony thing (our umbrella school offers one). Instead, we celebrated his graduation and Eagle Scout Court of Honor over a weekend, with the Court of Honor first and a family/friends barbecue the next day.

It's hard to believe that a year has already gone by since that crazy-but-special weekend!

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Angie Mc
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Posted: July 12 2011 at 1:48pm | IP Logged Quote Angie Mc

Sally, I just scrolled through your stills and can't wait to have a few minutes to enjoy. Thanks for sharing!

Erin, how exciting! I'm praying for you all.

Love,

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SallyT
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Posted: July 13 2011 at 3:08pm | IP Logged Quote SallyT

You're very welcome. It came off really beautifully, I thought, and it was really special to be able to share the day with three other people. The families had a great time working together to make it happen, and our pastor was no end of help and support, as he has been every since we've known him. The fact that he has been confessor and spiritual director for all the kids who graduated made his offering the Mass especially poignant and meaningful. Meanwhile, two good friends and I were the choral ensemble. And for the reception, all the siblings got in on the act, putting up homemade decorations and coming up with "roasts" of the graduates which were really cute and funny (though my son was laughing too hard for his witty remarks about his sister to be very intelligible, and my other son was also cracking himself up too much for his impromptu poem to be heard -- very amusing, though).

The cool thing about homeschool graduation, just like the rest of homeschooling, is that at the end of the day what we do is a reflection of who we are as families, and who our children are as people. That's what's really beautiful about it all, and what we thank God for when we celebrate these milestones, however we choose to celebrate.

Erin, many congratulations to your daughter. Such an exciting time! Ditto everyone else with a graduate this year.

Sally

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