Marking the Completion of a Home Education

Marking the Completion of a Home Education

For most families, it is important to bring closure to the years of home education in one way or another. Celebrating the completion of the High School years is one of those rites of passage that our culture values and recognizes, yet for homeschoolers, the form of that symbolic "closure” can be as personal as their motives and styles of education. At Homeschool Diploma.com, we specialize in helping homeschoolers mark the transition from high school to "life beyond."

Some participate in a group graduation ceremony at either the local or state level. More and more local support groups are holding graduations each year, and the personal setting of a graduation with a dozen or fewer graduates lends itself to the celebration of each student’s unique educational accomplishments. We work with many such groups to provide their caps, gowns, announcements, and other supplies, and we offer discounts and on-line ordering for groups that place their orders early. Our web site has a section just for groups, with suggestions and planning tips. A group graduation, especially in the setting of a local support group where the teens can meet on a regular basis throughout their senior year, can be a satisfying and fun way to mark the completion of High School.

There are many homeschooled seniors, however, who feel that participating in a ceremony, especially a large one that would include students they have never met, would be impersonal and meaningless. We hear from many parents whose students shudder at the thought of donning a cap and gown, and they feel no need to "celebrate," especially if they are already very involved in life “beyond school,” perhaps taking college classes or running their own business! For others, the "pomp and circumstance" of a traditional ceremony is an imitation of the failed educational system that they have intentionally left behind. Even such families, however, see the value of marking the milestone in some way, and the wisdom of being sure that their student is provided with a diploma, either from a correspondence or umbrella school, or from their own home school.

The granting of a diploma is the most basic part of “finishing” school. If the student has participated in a program outside the home school, this is already taken care of. If not, parents often ask “Can I issue a diploma? What does a homeschool-issued diploma mean?” Our web site has an informational section devoted to providing guidance on this topic and other common subjects like transcripts and the GED. For parents who are issuing the diploma from the home school, we specialize in providing beautiful, personalized diplomas with the name of the home school at the top. We are not a school and do not validate the student’s high school work in any way -- we simply provide graphic arts and printing service for those who wish to issue a diploma and would like to be sure their student has one that is professionally done. We offer a number of paper and seal choices, as well as options such as calligraphy and Bible verses. All diploma prices include a deluxe padded cover with one of our beautiful seals, and we also have the capability to imprint your school or student name on the front of the diploma cover in gold foil.

Beyond the basic provision of a diploma, what are some of the ways that homeschoolers normally mark the transition to the world of learning “beyond high school?”

A ceremony at home, even a brief one, can be a meaningful and memorable way to commemorate the milestone. Some forgo the ceremony and simply hold an open house celebration where family and friends can congratulate the graduate. One family needed the diploma in time to get it into a backpack so that they could present it on top of a mountain! Another held their brief diploma-presentation at a family reunion, and yet another took the ceremony to a nursing home so that a grandparent could be present. At Homeschool Diploma.com, we enjoy getting to know our customers and hearing about the creative and personal ways that they have chosen to commemorate their graduation!

No matter how you choose to mark the commencement, it is important to allow family and friends the opportunity to recognize the student's accomplishment by sending an announcement of the graduation. Even those in the family circle that may not understand home education can at least acknowledge that the student has completed their chosen path of high school education. An announcement that the student has graduated does not need to include details about a time and place unless you are inviting the recipient to attend a ceremony. If you’re planning a party or open house, that information can be part of the wording on the announcement, or an open house card can be included with the announcement. We have experience with almost every possible homeschool graduation scenario! Our announcement order forms have wording suggestions to help you decide what the announcement should say, and tips to be sure that the wording is socially correct. Announcements need not be expensive. We have developed a line of announcements and invitations specifically for homeschoolers that are beautiful and affordable, and may be purchased in quantities as small as 20. Unlike public school students who are limited to purchasing what their senior class has chosen in the way of announcement, homeschoolers have the flexibility to choose one that is personal and represents their specific tastes and thoughts. We offer a page of suggested mottos and Bible verses.

More often than not, home schooled seniors do have a senior photo taken, usually, it seems, at the insistence of their parents! This does not need to be an expensive proposition; even a nice one taken by a family member at home can serve as a gift for grandparents and friends. We offer two sizes of photo portfolios, and the smaller one makes a wonderful keepsake gift. It holds a 5x7 photo, the graduation announcement, and a tassel. Photo announcements are a popular way to share that special photo with others, and they are usually less expensive than purchasing the announcements and photos separately, especially if the photo has been taken by a professional photographer

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If your ceremony or celebration is an elaborate one, we have everything from honor stoles to printed napkins. If you are simply marking the transition with a diploma and an announcement, we can help you with that, too. Our business is family-owned (yes, we are homeschoolers!) and we love to meet our customers! Don’t pass up the opportunity to mark this important milestone in some way!