8 Primary school graduation ideas for teachers

In this guide

• Make it a celebration!
• Involving parents and guardians
• Giving time to connect with peers
• Class certificates and awards
• Highlights of the year
• Create a time capsule
• Make it personal
• Make it a party!

The school year is coming to a close, and Year 6 teachers everywhere are gearing up for one of the most exciting academic calendar events: graduation! 

Celebrating students’ accomplishments is a special occasion, and teachers often play a pivotal role in orchestrating memorable experiences for their students. Before we explore a few ideas for making your celebration memorable, let’s consider some key aspects you should include to make the day special.

1) Make it a celebration! 

Graduations are a time to celebrate, share what went well, and get students excited for what comes next. It can be easy to teach students what to prepare for next year, but remember, this is a celebration! Plan the event so there is joy in every action you take. 

When I was a teacher, I often polled students ahead of time regarding the types of celebration experience they wanted. Sometimes students would offer suggestions and then I would coordinate a class vote to determine how we would celebrate. Other times, the celebration was open to family involvement as well, especially when it came to graduation. The main goal was to make it a fun and memorable experience for all students.

2) Involving parents and guardians

It is one thing for teachers to celebrate their students, but another for parents and guardians to be involved. When planning your graduation, think of meaningful ways to involve parents in the celebration. This could be inviting them to a ceremony, joining a class party, or even giving them space to plan part of the occasion! 

Working with parents means planning. Make sure to inform parents at least a month ahead of the ceremony so they can schedule the celebration. 

Not all parents can join celebrations due to work and family commitments,  so think of ways to connect with families of diverse backgrounds. This can be as simple as offering celebratory ceremonies through live video streaming, which my school started during the pandemic and then continued afterward because it was so well-received. We also had families write graduation words of encouragement to their students that were displayed on the screen ahead of the ceremony. 

Another important consideration is language. Families in my school were primarily Spanish-speaking, so the graduation speeches and dialogue during the ceremony were spoken in both English and Spanish. This ensured that everyone was able to partake in the celebration, even if English was not their first language. 

3) Giving time to connect with peers

Sometimes, students will not see each other after graduation, which may be the last time they can connect in person. Give students the space to share contacts and connect. 

You can do this in a few ways. Some teachers may let students exchange numbers or other contact information in their notebooks at the end of the year. I used to coordinate the yearbook at my school, and I always made sure there were a few extra pages in the yearbook for students to sign and exchange contact information. For those that didn’t order one, we also printed a handout that students could use in place of a yearbook.

You decide how students share information. Before printing or setting space for students to share details, consult your school’s policy on sharing contact details. 

Now that we have discussed the main areas to consider in your graduation, let’s look at a few ideas to make the day extra special. 

4) Class certificates and awards

Recognising the unique achievements of each student is a great way to commemorate their time in primary school. Consider crafting personalised certificates or awards highlighting individual accomplishments, such as academic achievements, leadership qualities, or acts of kindness. 

In addition to these categories, think of silly ones that resonate with your students. As an example, one that I used to do was most likely to break out in laughter. When you have a fun category, I recommend having students vote on who they think exemplifies these categories. This gives them some ownership over it while still making it fun and memorable.

As a note, ensure the categories empower and bring joy to students. Avoid any titles or categories that students may find embarrassing or shameful. Again, this is a day of celebration! 

These certificates can be presented during a special ceremony or in graduation gift bags. By acknowledging each student’s diverse talents and contributions, teachers can foster a sense of pride and accomplishment among their graduating class.

5) Highlights of the year

Highlight reels are great for quickly looking at the year, remembering funny moments, and connecting. You can create a slideshow by gathering photos of classroom activities, school camps, special projects, and candid shots of students engaged in learning and having fun. 

Set the slideshow to music and invite students and their families to reminisce about their primary school journey. This visual montage not only celebrates the collective experiences of the graduating class but also serves as a tribute to the bonds formed between students and their teachers.

A great way to build the gallery of pictures and videos is to create an online folder students and their families can drop media into. After making sure all of the submitted content is school-appropriate, add it into the slideshow! This gives students and families a sense of ownership over it, while making it fun and unique. 

6) Create a time capsule

A fun activity for your graduating class is to create a time capsule! Time capsules are a fun way to give students the space to define their time at school. 

To create a time capsule, students should share items or messages that capture the feeling of their time at school and graduation. Some items could be artwork, papers they wrote, photos, or even a list of the top 10 songs of the school year. You can seal the time capsule with your students, where they can add their items. 

You and your school administration will decide how you store the time capsule. It could be something buried to be discovered in a set amount of time, or your school will have a space in its office where it should be stored. 

One fun idea is to seal the time capsule until students graduate high school and then invite them back to their primary school to unseal it. You could also extend the timeline and have them come back once they turn a certain age. 

7) Make it personal 

For graduating classes, it is nice to give some personal attention to each of your students. In addition to awards, I wrote an individual letter to each student, usually about a paragraph long, and I made sure it included a positive memory and message. I then printed them with their class picture that I took and gave them to the students on their last day. Many students came back years later and showed me the letter that they had kept!

Messages don’t have to be extended though. They can be typed cards or handwritten notes. No matter the format, your students will appreciate the extra attention and detail to know that their teacher noticed how much they have grown over the year. 

8) Make it a party! 

In addition to all the fun activities you can plan for the day, I also liked having a party with my students. Usually, we would agree as a class on what kind of party we wanted to hold. This could be a movie day, free time outside, or even a pizza party. Sometimes students would each bring in a small amount of money to help cover the cost, which they were more than willing to do if it meant we could have an even better party.

With all the options, we wanted to set a theme for the party, and students and families had the opportunity to contribute to it. The end of the year also tends to be a difficult time with behaviour, so celebratory activities like this can be used as a behaviour reward. I used to offer class rewards each term for classes that met their behaviour goal, but the end of the year usually needed it the most.

In summary 

Finishing primary school is a milestone that marks the end of one chapter and the start of a new one in their educational journey. It is a time to celebrate, be joyful, and reflect on your great times together. Make it a moment to remember! 

Watch the How to High School video here to support your students as they graduate from primary school and begin the transition to high school.