Homeschool Graduation

[Yeshuasdaughter]

My daughter is homeschooled, and in the next week or so, she will have finished all her 12th grade curriculum, and will be considered graduated from high school.

I have built a transcript for her, but it's literally just something I made on Excel. Colleges seem to accept it, and it's all good. But I'll be finishing up her transcript and I need some advice on how to make it look more official.

I have created for her a transcript, book list, and a letter on my homeschool philosophy. She is accepted to a good college, but I still want to make sure that everything is legal and perfected.

In my state, it's pretty much up to the parents. You have to register with the Education Service District, and there's standardized testing to make sure they're up to grade level, but other than that, not a lot of guidance on what to teach or when. That was a good thing, it allowed us to be eclectic and sort of Unschool many of her subjects at her own pace. Some stuff she crammed, and others she took a couple school years to learn.

And now, my baby is graduating. I want to make sure she has a great transcript that will serve her well throughout her education in the future. If you've graduated a homeschooler, or if you've worked in a school and worked on transcripts, please tell me what I need to include, and the format that most colleges like to see.

Also, I'd like a recommendation for a good website to buy a diploma for her. I want the full shebang- gold leaf, nice leather folder, thick paper, hand engraving, etc.

We're obviously not doing the full graduation ceremony, but I'd like to get her a class of 2022 cap and tassel. Do you know where I can buy something like that? Not cheaply made either. The real deal.

 

[Judge]

Also, I'd like a recommendation for a good website to buy a diploma for her. I want the full shebang- gold leaf, nice leather folder, thick paper, hand engraving, etc.

We're obviously not doing the full graduation ceremony, but I'd like to get her a class of 2022 cap and tassel. Do you know where I can buy something like that? Not cheaply made either. The real deal.

Looks like you might be able to do that via one-stop-shopping. Apparently there are a lot of parents with similar concerns:

Graduation Cap & Tassel Set

Personalized High School Diploma for Homeschools, with Padded Diploma Cover

Caps, Gowns & Tassels for Your Homeschool Graduation Ceremony

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

@Judge Thanks!

 

[Judge]

@Judge Thanks!

I'm just glad to see there really is a serious market for this sort of thing.

Seems so many more children are being homeschooled these days...

 

[VictorR]

In Canada, Gaspard is the cap and gown supplier for most universities and also many technical schools, colleges, and high schools.

Here's a link to their high school page.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

All bought and paid fer! Thanks @Judge

 

[Misery]

Okay, I've got a question for you, out of pure curiosity: How does homeschooling actually work? What does it involve?

It's one of those things I've certainly heard about a million times, but I never knew anyone who had any actual experience with it, so I know none of the details.

 

[Alexej]

I do so hope you are able to make the graduation really special for her.

Well done to you also for all the years of work to get here

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

@Misery

I suppose it's accepting a child, where they are academically, socially, physically, spiritually, and starting at their level, and going at their pace, to not only do the state standard work, but also, to explore the things that he or she is truly interested in.

I bought textbooks I thought looked interesting for each subject, and she worked on those. There's also websites where kids can do homeschool work. My daughter did a blend of textbook and online courses.

Library trips are a must, and most homeschool kids will come home with adventure books and also a stack of books about science and geography, that they think is cool.

Most homeschool kids standardize test higher than their conventionally schooled peers, even if they do less hours of school per day, because a lot of the school day in a regular classroom is the teacher trying to get the kids to settle down. When it's just the kids you have at home, they can focus better, and get their schoolwork done in a couple hours.

Some homeschool teens graduate a year or two early and spend that time going to college, travelling, working a job, or just flopping around, enjoying being a teenager before real life hits.

I hope that helps a little.

 

[Misery]

@Misery

I suppose it's accepting a child, where they are academically, socially, physically, spiritually, and starting at their level, and going at their pace, to not only do the state standard work, but also, to explore the things that he or she is truly interested in.

I bought textbooks I thought looked interesting for each subject, and she worked on those. There's also websites where kids can do homeschool work. My daughter did a blend of textbook and online courses.

Library trips are a must, and most homeschool kids will come home with adventure books and also a stack of books about science and geography, that they think is cool.

Most homeschool kids standardize test higher than their conventionally schooled peers, even if they do less hours of school per day, because a lot of the school day in a regular classroom is the teacher trying to get the kids to settle down. When it's just the kids you have at home, they can focus better, and get their schoolwork done in a couple hours.

Some homeschool teens graduate a year or two early and spend that time going to college, travelling, working a job, or just flopping around, enjoying being a teenager before real life hits.

I hope that helps a little.

Honestly this all sounds a million times more effective and less stressful than traditional schooling.

I dunno about everyone else, but when it comes to traditional school, I remember basically nothing about the lessons, and everything about the mind-numbing boredom, the general stress, and the whole bit where most of the kids were jerks. Also it took forever.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

She graduated!