Beth Felix loves to celebrate graduations. This year the Enfield mom will be hosting a graduation party not only for her daughter Kaylee, 13, but also for all the students who will be graduating from 8th grade at Indian River Middle School alongside her.
“It’s important to get them all together and recognize all of them,” Felix said.
She expects about 100 kids to attend the party, so she’s ordered 50 pizzas, a large cake and plenty of snacks. While the kids are getting bigger the parties are nothing new — Felix hosted similar grade-wide graduation parties when Kaylee graduated preschool, kindergarten and fourth grade. She says that hosting the whole class brings the kids together and creates a sense of community. It’s also a chance to celebrate kids who might not get much attention at home.
“If they realize that someone cares and is acknowledging them, they have more success,” Felix, who owns ad childcare center said. “It’s really important for them to see that piece and to know they have people outside the home that do care and that they can come to.”
Felix said her parents took a similar approach to celebrating milestones, and she doesn’t think there could ever be too much fuss over graduations.
“I don’t think it could ever be too overdone,” she said. “Every child deserves these little celebrations of big achievements. These are all big jumps in their life. They need recognition that there are people in the community that are so proud of them.”
While not everyone will be hosting massive graduation parties this spring, many people are in the market for graduation gifts. Here are some favorite gifts that from people around the Upper Valley received when they graduated:
When Bob Coates, now 60, graduated high school and moved to Washington D.C. for a congressional internship, his mom gave him a framed photo of downtown Keene, where he lived.
“It was her gentle way of saying remember where you come from and be sure to get home when you can,” said Coates, the executive director of Windsor County Mentors. “I’ve kept that photograph through many adventures and across many years.”
When Sarah Brock, 30, graduated from high school her art teacher, Sonja Johnson, gave her a wooden painters box filled with her own used paints and brushes. Brock loved the paints, and also that she was carrying on a piece of her teacher.
“She knew how much I loved to paint and hoped this would help me always keep that part of me alive,” said Brock, energy program manager at Vital Communities. “I still pull out Sonja’s paints from time to time and remember how important it is to embrace my creative side and do things just for me sometimes.”
Amanda Moore, 30, president of the Springfield Vermont Regional Chamber of Commerce, received two homemade scrapbooks from her mom, one at high school graduation and one at college graduation.
“It is so meaningful to look back at how far you’ve come, how much you’ve grown and to be able to look back at those memories for years to come,” she said.
Of course, money and gift cards are popular gifts for the Class of 2019.
“The thing I’m mostly seeking is Target Gift cards,” said Abby Paquin, who will graduate from Newport Middle High School this year.