Celebrating Your PUSD Grad on Their “Last Day of School”

May 21^st, 2020. Prescott Unified School District’s “last day of school.”

Today marks yet another day for many people as one that would have been a significant day in their lives if it weren’t for COVID-19. While it is still an important day, it just doesn’t seem quite the same celebrating from your couch as it would have been celebrating in person with your peers.

We all remember our last day of high school. Those iconic movie scenes of kids cheering, papers being thrown, and celebrating that important rite of passage as you leave childhood and enter the world of adulthood.

Many of us feel for our high school seniors right now. They didn’t get to have their prom. They don’t get to walk at graduation until later this year. Those who participated in extracurricular activities didn’t get to have state championships… High School seniors, perhaps more than anyone else missing out on time honored traditions, have been affected the most from the COVID-19 quarantine of 2020.

However, even though graduation this year isn’t the same, that doesn’t mean you can’t still celebrate in your own little ways! A few things Prescottonian’s have been doing for their seniors are yard signs, “adopting” a senior, drive by parades, and more.

If you’re looking for ways to celebrate your senior this week, check out these ideas below from goodhousekeeping.com. And to all our seniors our there we say HAPPY GRADUATION!

13 Fun Quarantine Graduation Ideas to Make Your 2020 Grad Feel So Loved

Graduation is an important rite of passage. Each year, thousands of graduates cross a stage, receive their diploma, and begin a new phase of life. But this year, most graduation ceremonies are cancelled. In place of football stadiums, gyms, and auditoriums filled with cheering loved ones, some schools are opting for delayed ceremonies, online graduations, and even “commencements in cars.”

But no matter what your school is doing, there are many things you can do at home to celebrate anyone’s would-be graduation date. From organizing a virtual graduation party or a family brunch to having a traditional graduation photoshoot, these are the best quarantine graduation ideas that will show your grad just how proud you are of them. Want to take things are step further? Get them one of these incredible graduation gifts. Oh, the places they’ll go!

Start the day with brunch.

Nothing is more fun than starting a day of celebration with brunch. Before your grad wakes up, cook a delicious breakfast for the entire family. The more bacon and brunch cocktails (or mocktails), the better.

Make a “Congrats Grad” video montage.

Make your graduation card interactive with a personalized video montage from a service like Tribute. Ask friends and family to record their congratulations and Tribute will edit them together and mail your grad a video card (it’s like a traditional audio card that also has a thin video screen). Your grad will treasure the gift for years to come.

Host a virtual graduation party.

Unfortunately, your backyard BBQ bash is probably not an option this year — but that doesn’t mean you can’t get everyone together at the same time anyway. Hop onto a video chat service like Zoom and invite all your would-be revelers to join. To keep the crowd small enough for meaningful conversation, consider doing a friends session with your grad’s pals and a family session with everyone else.

Make a wreath of past graduation photos.

Make your grad feel extra loved by decorating the house for graduation after they go to bed. In addition to traditional streamers and signs, you’ll also want to include a few personalized items, like this photo wreath. To make your own custom arrangement, hot-glue a selection of photos to a wire wreath form.

Send flowers.

A cute bouquet can brighten any day. Find your favorite flower delivery service and send a graduation-themed floral arrangement to your 2020 grad. They’ll feel so loved when it arrives at the door.

Watch a virtual graduation ceremony.

While the school might host its own online graduation ceremony, you can also join one of the many virtual graduations that are open to all. For example, YouTube is hosting a virtual graduation on June 6. The ceremony will feature speeches from headliners Barack and Michelle Obama. Following the main event, musical artists will perform a virtual grad night afterparty.

Host a drive-by car parade.

If you’ve got friends and family who live nearby, ask them to decorate their cars with signs and balloons and drive by your home on graduation day. Your grad can dress in their regalia and wave to their loved ones from a safe distance.

Decorate your lawn.

Of course, if you’re going to host a car parade, you need to decorate your home too. Make a custom lawn sign or decorate your door with streamers and balloons.

Bake a festive dessert.

Throughout the day, treat your grad to all of their favorite foods. After dinner, don’t forget to have a cute dessert on hand. We love these adorable cupcake toppers.

Have a photoshoot.

Photos are one of the most important parts of graduation day. Although yours might look different than you had expected, they’ll still help preserve the day. Have your grad put on the outfit they would’ve worn on graduation (or, hey, let them be realistic and wear their PJs and a cap) and take photos around the house or backyard.

Create a photo book.

For another alternative to the traditional card, make a custom photo book. Services like Shutterfly allow you to make simple books with all your favorite memories and cute designs. Don’t forget to add a sweet note inside the front cover.

Play graduation songs.

No graduation party is complete without a playlist. Turn on the top graduation classics, and then play all your grad’s favorite songs. It’ll keep the positive vibes going all day.

Make a toast.

You probably would’ve gone out to dinner after your graduation ceremony — and at that dinner, you probably would’ve made a toast. Take that tradition home and make one in your kitchen. If your grad is 21+, pop a bottle of champagne. If not, everyone gets sparkling cider. Either way, take this time to tell them how proud you are and how excited everyone is to see their future accomplishments.