The excitement and anticipation of graduation season is in the air. 

Senior Sunday photos have been posted on social media for nearly 30 weeks now. Caps and gowns and yearbooks have been ordered, and the final banquets for various sports and clubs have been attended. Prom is in the rearview mirror. High school seniors have been anticipating and preparing for the climatic moment of graduation for months.   

What is graduation? Graduation is the act of successfully completing a college or university degree or earning a high school diploma. The award or acceptance of an academic degree or diploma. 

Unfortunately, amidst kindergarten and eighth grade celebrations, we have taken the word “graduation” and watered down its meaning.

I know school administrators who use terms such as “kindergarten promotion” or “eighth grade continuation” for non-graduate celebrations, which makes a lot more sense. One doesn’t earn a diploma for advancing to the first or the ninth grade.  

Have you ever been to a job interview where you were asked “Where did you graduate kindergarten?” Or “Do you have an eighth grade diploma?” 

Rubbish. 

When I continued on from kindergarten to the first grade, these ceremonies didn’t exist. Why would they? One would assume, if you could count to 100, knew your letter sounds, could tie your shoes and write your name, that you’d be advancing to the first grade. Heck, the only vivid recollection I have from kindergarten is the purple braided mat with the big white and yellow flowers on it that I rolled out during nap time.  

My eighth grade was memorable. To culminate the year, students that had earned a 3.2 or higher GPA were honored with the “amphora award,” this because our mascot was the Trojan. The amphora represented outstanding academic achievement. I still have my amphora in miniature, hanging amongst the other trinkets on my charm bracelet. 

Which gets me to thinking, why don’t junior highs/middle schools around the area use GPA any longer? Maybe that’s a small piece of the less-than-stellar performance problem. It is much easier for a student to gauge their academic success on one number (say, 2.75) and the fluctuation of that number than remembering eight separate grades alone – “I have 3 Cs, 2 Ds, etc.” I’m sure there is a reason why they don’t, nonetheless it would be an interesting study to reinstate the GPA measure in these transitional years to see if it does net a positive change. To introduce the concept to students in high school seems like a missed opportunity. 

Back to our high school graduates. This is your first graduation. Congratulations on your success and achievement. You have been promoted year after year at least since kindergarten, you’ve met the state requirements to earn a diploma, and the world is your oyster. Try to put the phone down and be in the moment – breathe it all in. 

When the time comes, you’ll move the tassel on your motorboard from right to left and the rest of your life will commence. 

Make every moment count!

Laura Schulteis-Jungbluth, of Verona, is an educator, librarian and guest columnist. She may be reached at WriteLSJ@gmail.com.