High school graduation is a major milestone that should be celebrated. Graduation time is a busy time of the year filled with celebrations and responsibilities. Making a checklist of things before and after graduation will ease the stress so that you can enjoy the rest of your days of school and family time. This list includes checklist for graduation plans, second set of bullets include checklist of entertainment at the party, and third set of checklist includes gift ideas. Enjoy and good luck!


• Checking into scholarships and grants for school (always start with FAFSA)
• Apply for colleges of interest (based on skill or interest)
• Graduation party planning (make sure you obtain a small list of friends from student) to add to the list of family members
• Send out invitations two weeks before the graduation (so that family and friends can coordinate schedules for other parties or events)
• Make sure you ask for rsvp (so that you have enough food)
• Announcements (should go out two weeks prior to the graduation, keep in mind that many some schools limit the amount of people to attend the ceremony) (these announcements can be hand- made for cost cutting)
• Graduation rehearsal (plan to arrive on time with the correct location)
• Graduation night (arrive early for parking purposes)
• Graduation thank you notes (notes should go out within the month of graduation and should include a picture of the student if one was not included in the announcements) (these notes can also be hand-made for cost cutting)(notes should be sent out thanking them for any gifts you may receive along with just attending)
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• Create a memory book of pictures of the student growing up
• Take pictures that day of the student meeting and greeting at the party
• Make a PowerPoint slideshow of student growing up
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• Ipods are great gifts
• DVD players
• Small televisions
• Camera
• Money/Bonds/Gift cards
• Cell phone
• Vacation
• Quilts
• Jewelry

Congratulations on your daughter's graduation. This is truly a time of celebration and time to remember so make this moment last. After four years of after school practice, late night essays and reports, last minute items due for school, late night shopping for items needed for school the next day, or even notice of an event to attend the next day. It is all over and you can enjoy what has become of all those headaches and smiles. Congratulations, parents and daughters, on ending one journey in life to begin another!

You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Someone once said, "Think of it as your ticket to change the world".


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