Ordering a Diploma and planning an Open House for your Graduate

Back in January we talked about getting ready for graduation. If your high school student is going to be graduating in May or June of this year and you have not yet ordered their graduation announcements, I would encourage you to pop on over and re-read our post about choosing announcements and how to make your list. If you have made your list and ordered those announcements, now is a great time to make sure you have everyone’s current addresses to mail then to.

Now, while you still have plenty of time to think about it, you should sit down together with your graduate and decide on a style of diploma to order. I know May seems a long ways away, but you’ll feel better if you order that diploma in March or April than if you wait until the first week of May when the weather is nice and the only reason anyone wants to come inside is to grab the meat to grill for dinner. Even though there is a rush order option for diplomas, it is easier to plan ahead and save those extra dollars for chocolate for the party! 

So how do you decide which style of diploma to order? You take a look around the HomeschoolDiploma.com website and look at the different  styles . There are three options to choose from, each with personalization available. You can choose the Standard Diploma, the Personalized Diploma, or the Gilded Diploma. Each of these are excellent choices, and you’ll want to ask your soon-to-be graduate if they have a preference. You can choose either the 8.5 x 11” size or the 6 x 8” size. Our preference is the Personalized Diploma, as it gives you a lot of options to reflect the uniqueness of your homeschool and your graduate’s personality. A little hint: you have more diploma cover options if you go for the 8.5 x 11” size. If you’re really wanting to go for the gold - get the Gilded Diploma and enjoy the 23 karat gold illumination on the seal and school name.

Before we go any further, let’s remind ourselves why our graduates need a diploma. 

Graduation is a milestone in their transition from childhood to adulthood. It is a recognition of the completion of a daunting task - high school. A diploma is also a keepsake. Don’t shortchange your graduate or yourself by ignoring this step towards their independence. While you can choose it all yourself, as the parent-educator, I think selecting your graduate's diploma together is another opportunity to tie heart strings with your child. Value their opinion, work together to create something you will both enjoy having them receive. 

You are going to find a lot of options on the Personalized Diploma, from wording options and multiple type faces to the chance to include a favorite verse or motto. You’re also going to be able to select paper, signature lines, and the graduation date. If your graduate is going to be part of a large group graduation, then you already know those particulars and can input the exact date. But if you are unsure as to the actual date of your actual graduation ceremony / open house, you could choose to put the month and year without the day. We did that with our older daughter since we knew she would graduate in December, but hadn’t yet chosen the day for her open house. Obviously we decided that before we ordered her graduation announcements, but why stress yourself out over the date if you don’t have to? Also, some people prefer the simplicity of the month/year date line.

I like that there are nine options to choose from on the diploma seals with the Personalized Diploma, so however you organized your child’s private education, there is an option for you. There is also one option that simply has the year embossed on the seal. The quality of the printing on these diplomas is superb, and when they arrive there are instructions about how to sign them (with no smudges!)

If you have visited the HomeschoolDiploma.com website before, what used to be called the Exclusive High School Diploma is now named the Personalized Diploma. Way easier to remember in my book, and still just as great of quality. HomeschoolDiploma.com also offers caps and gown for purchase, and if you are ordering a diploma from them, there is a discounted package to get your diploma, cap and gown all at once. :)

Ceremonies and Open Houses

Once you’ve ordered the announcements and the diploma for your graduate, it is time to get serious about what you want their ceremony and/or open house to look like. 

One of our friends’ sons did not want a party at all. His parents knew it was important to commemorate the day so they marked his graduation with a huge family dinner out at his favorite restaurant. A few years ago one of our girls’ good friends graduated and wanted a small ceremony with a larger open house. Her parents ordered announcements that stated her graduation and when the open house would be, then they personally invited each member of their daughter’s inner circle of friends and their family members to attend the ceremony, which they held in the same location as the open house, but an hour and a half before the open house began. 

For our older daughter Emily we were on a tight budget. So we opted for an afternoon open house with finger foods. Her younger sister baked dozens and dozens of cookies the two weeks leading up to the graduation date and we stuck then in the freezer until the night before the party. Emily didn’t want a big ceremony, so we did the presentation of her diploma ahead of time as a family, and then she displayed it on the card and gift table at her open house. We held her open house in the fellowship hall of our church. Plenty of tables and chairs, and bathrooms close by. :)

Our younger daughter is still unsure as to what she wants for her graduation event. Since she will not be graduating until the end of this calendar year we still have plenty of time to talk over her options. I know we will be doing something memorable.

If you are working towards a May or June graduation for this year, may I make a few suggestions? Start early, plan ahead, and stay relaxed as the day approaches. If you are not going to be part of a large group ceremony, then you have the option to set your own graduation ceremony date. If you want the most people possible from your group of family and friends to be able to attend, then think about the schedules of others as wells your own. I would suggest avoiding Memorial Day weekend, unless that is the only time your family has available to make the trip from out of state. You might also want to check the graduation dates of the private and public schools near your home. If they are all graduating the first weekend in June, then know that many of your church and neighborhood friends will be invited to many open houses. Could you hold your ceremony or open house either two weeks before or a week or two after the local school graduation date? There have been many times over the years that we have been unable to attend all of the open houses we were invited to because of the vast number of them all held on the same date. 

In our local community is has become popular for graduating best friends to share an open house. Two graduates, two sets of family, and a lot of friends. None of whom now have to choose attending one event over the other, or leaving early. 

Or of you are wanting to offer a more sit-down and linger style of open house, choose foods that are easy to prepare ahead of time, and that keep well. We have been to many memorable open houses where a little bit of pre-planning allowed the parents to keep enjoying themselves while still serving the needs of the graduate and their guests. Moms - if your best friend offers to help you - say yes! We have dined at a baked potato bar, feasted at a taco bar, and eaten croissant finger foods until the sun sets. If you’re planning a meal, then plan foods that do well in the crockpot (like tacos) or that you can prepare the morning before (like baked potatoes.) Options for sub-style sandwiches are also easy to keep replenished without a lot of work during the party. 

Several years ago there were three best friends we knew who all graduated together. They planned their open houses to be one right after the other on the same day. The parents planned the afternoon events together, and it worked really well. The first open house had finger foods: veggies and cheese and crackers, the second open house had graduation cake, and the third house had dinner. The third house was the family with the biggest backyard and the graduates and their friends all disappeared outside to play volleyball and frisbee while the older friends and family members sat inside and chatted.

Whichever option works best for your family, make sure you make your graduate’s day special! For Emily’s open house we had a table with a blank white picture mat that guests signed instead of a guestbook. We also had a box covered in wrapping paper for cards to be placed in. Next to it we provided index cards and pens and asked those who attended to write a favorite Bible verse or quote for Emily and drop it in the cards box.

Not everyone will be able to attend your graduation event, and that is to be expected. That is just the way life is. However, if you plan ahead, send announcements in a timely manner (about 3-4 weeks before the event) and show your graduate how happy you are with all they have accomplished, there will be many, many opportunities to take pictures of smiling faces at the open house. Make memories that will last a lifetime, and choose a diploma that your graduate will one day take out and show to their own children!

Are you in charge of marshaling the troops for a co-op or private school graduation ceremony? HomeschoolDiploma.com has you covered as well with discounts on group orders, caps and gowns, and a variety of senior year gifts.

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Disclaimer: I will receive a free product in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own, a positive review was not required. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.

Preparing for a Homeschool Graduation ~ Ordering Announcements

January is in full swing and all of the sudden... you realize...  your child is going to graduate this year! 

ACK- what do I do now?!? Do not fear dear parent - this has happened before - to thousands upon thousands of homeschoolers - and there is help available !

One of the defining moments in a person's life occurs when they graduate from high school. For those in the public schools, this is a large ceremony with caps and gowns, formal diplomas and sophisticated graduation announcements. 

Far too often, for those who have chosen to homeschool their children - graduation is a rather unimpressive time. This should not be the case! We have spent years investing in the lives, hearts,  and minds of our children, and now it is time to mark that achievement. Graduation should be a time of celebration, of memory making, and of great joy!

We chose to make a big deal about our daughter's high school graduation, and I'd like to take a few minutes to tell you why - and to encourage you to do something special for your graduate as well.

Homeschoolers need a diploma. Not just a nod from Dad and Mom that "you're done" - but an actual diploma. Did you know that even in this day of technology, there are still jobs that require you to present your diploma as proof of graduation? Although this is not as common as it was 15 years ago - it still happens. But more importantly - your child - now a young adult - needs a physical reminder of what they have accomplished. They need to be able to find joy in the accomplishment of this huge task - this finishing of their childhood and the passage to adulthood that accompanies high school graduation here in the US.

There is something else your graduate will need - an event to remember. Now, your event may be really small - only 20 people, or it may be really huge - 200 guests, but you need to plan some sort of event to mark this graduation, and use it to give them that diploma. Too often homeschoolers fail to give their children this special event. It need not cost a lot of money, or require a lot of time - but you - the parents - need to take time to cherish this moment with your graduate. 

There are several options as to how to host your graduation event. Many homeschoolers have a group graduation ceremony - all the local (city or county-wide) graduates work together to put on a event similar to what public or private schools host. Another option is to have a private ceremony at your home, community center, or church that you invite family and friends to. 

But what if your graduate does not want a formal ceremony? Then work with them - not against them - and find a way to celebrate. Many times we have been invited to homeschool graduation Open Houses when there was no formal ceremony beforehand. At the beginning of the open house, the parents (or at least the Dad) stood up front with their graduate and said a few words before handing them their diploma. Sometime your graduate is really shy, and wants to invite their friends for a party - but does not want the speeches. Then consider having a family graduation time before the open house begins and tell them then how much joy their accomplishments have brought you, and then pray for your graduate and their future.

But please - PLEASE - have some sort of event for your graduate. You have invested 12 or more years in their education, invest some time, and a little bit of money in this milestone. Make it a day for memories. Make it a day of celebration with family and friends. We have attended so many various homeschool open houses, and public school ones too, over the years that I want to share some of those ideas, and a way to announce them well.

Graduation announcements are the first thing you will need to order, and the sooner you get started on it - the easier it will be. If you are joining a group graduation ceremony, you can either all order matching announcements, or you can order your own style (but include your graduate's personal flair to theirs.) When our oldest daughter graduated in 2016, we ordered her announcements from HomeschoolDiploma.com. They have a really wide array of styles to choose from. 

Over the years we have received many graduation announcements that I know originated from HomeschoolDiploma.com. Their Tri-Fold announcements and their Christian Education announcements have been the most popular. These cards are the classic styles you probably remember from your own graduation, but updated a bit, and these come with the option to include your own wording - so you can give the credit where it is due - to God. The Christian Education announcements open like a traditional greeting card, and have a slot for your graduate's name card (which is included in the price.) The Tri-fold announcements are the vertical style ones that unfold to reveal the details of the events and have the graduate's name in elegant script at the bottom. Both of these are priced around $3 per announcement, but offer discounts on orders of 30 or more. These volume discounts can lower the price to $1.88 a card for the Christian Education announcement, or as low as $1.14 for the Tri-Fold announcements . 

One of the best reasons we have found to use HomeschoolDiploma.com is that their graduation announcements are available in quantities as low as 20, with additional ones available by the 10's. They have a relatively new photo graduation announcement option. These are lovely and highly customizable, and are offered in groups of 25, with add-ons by the 5's. These options allow you to purchase as many, or as few announcements as you need, without breaking the budget.

There are some important steps to take when getting ready to order your announcement, the first being this: make a list! We were on a tight budget when Emily graduated, but we knew it was important to make a big deal out of her graduation, so we opted for finger foods and an afternoon graduation party, instead of an evening dinner-style event. When we had made the list of who Emily wanted to invite - both family and friends, we looked at the various announcements on HomeschoolDiploma.com and decided to purchase their Simply Stated announcements for her Open House. Our budget would allow for a lot of this style, or a much smaller number of the traditional announcements, and we went with letting more family and friends know about her accomplishment!

The Simple Stated announcements are available in three colors: white, black, and navy, and a variety of foil printing colors. We let Emily choose her own, and she went with Hot Pink letters on the white cards. While this is a less expensive option, it is not a cheap card. It is elegant and formal, and you can use one of their popular texts, or create it entirely on your own. There are several fonts to choose from, so this card truly is customizable even while being easy on the budget. This card still comes with the traditional two envelopes, and can be upgraded to foil lined envelopes, just like the other styles.

Recently HomeschoolDiploma.com has added a hand-lettered Hope and a Future announcement option that I think will appeal to a lot of homeschoolers. It is much less formal on the front, while still retaining the elegance of a traditional graduation announcement on the inside.

HomeschoolDiploma.com has a team that is dedicated to making your graduate's day special from beginning to end. They have volume discounts available for Co-ops and Schools that want to order announcements, caps and gowns, and diplomas for the entire gradating class. Whether you are all ordering together, or individually, they will work with your group or school to get you the best products to fit your needs.

Remember I said there were some steps? Making the list comes first, because you want to order all of your announcements at once, along with any other add-ons like foil seals,  or invitation cards for the open house if you are using the formal group graduation ceremony announcements. The second step is to order the announcements. Third is gather the address of the recipients. While your teenager may just want to send a text to their best friends reminding them about her graduation party, the Grandparents and Great-aunt Jane are going to expect an announcement in the mail. You cannot mail them if you don't know where to send them. ;) Fourth is to sit down and address the invitations and mail them out. 

For some more thoughts on announcements, and why to send them, read this thoughtful post.

Whichever graduation announcement design you choose with your graduate, know that these announcements should bring a smile to the face of the recipients, and the event you are planning for your graduate will hold many memories for all of you!

Next time, we will talk about choosing a diploma, and why you should order one for your graduate that fits their personality! Can't wait? Check out this post about when we ordered Emily's diploma.