Our PTA funds the 6th Grade Party a couple of days prior to "graduation." We've done day long events - Skating Parties, Day at the Park with various activities, and last year we took all of them to an ice hockey educational event at a local museum. It sounded boring to our then-6th grader, but he and his friends had a blast!
For the actual ceremony, we don't do anything at all. The school's student council puts some stuff together, but PTA has nothing to do with it.
WE don't require students to dress up, but most do-- we work with the music teacher and teachers-- the kids perform a song-- and we make a powerpoint presentation and slide show that we show during the ceremony--- we also put up decorations that go with a theme that we come out with-- send out invites to all teh parents and serve light refreshments after the completion ceremony. We also put together a memory book that has each child's picture and a short paragraph that each child wrote about their favorite time at the school- a nice keepsake (thinking about making this a Video memory album this year) with the cost of ink and paper and more people having computers and dvd players-- thinking this might be a better keepsake.
We are a K-5 public school. We are starting to think about 5th celebration activities and 5th Grade Fundraisers to support celebration activities. The PTO has traditionally provided T-Shirts imprinted (using a stencil) with the year and the students signatures. This has served as the "cap and gown" for the celebration ceremony. In addition, the PTO provides the refreshments for a reception, and a student gift.
I'm interested in finding out what other schools do -Do you provide a "T-Shirt" cap and gown? This seems like a nice idea, providing for a uniformed look and a nice, useful memorablia for the student; not to mention the sense of pride it gives the students to wear it on this day.
We've had a couple of parents say they would prefer to require the students to dress-up - nice pants and shirt and tie for boys and dresses for girls.
I'm really interested to find out what others do. We'd also be interested in any community oriented fundraisers you've used for 5th graders to raise money for their yearbook and special activities.
