Homeschooling the Teen Years - A Graduation Countdown

I've been keeping an eye out for simple little ways to build excitement towards A(age 18)'s high school graduation.  I'd like it to feel special, not just like the end of another school year.  And, I'd like it to stand out from the two graduations we've had in the past, to be at least slightly individualized for her - something that's not always easy after the years spent functioning as a group.

Last week, it occurred to me to start a countdown to A's graduation.  We don't usually know when we're ending up a school year, or for that matter, where a school year ends and summer fun begins.  It all looks pretty similar for us.  But, since A's senior year has consisted mainly of dual-enrollment classes, classes which have an actual "last day", we have something we can count down to.

Of course, nothing with homeschooling is ever completely straightforward.  I think I've already mentioned a couple of times, that A is planning three separate graduations - a private home/notarizing the diploma ceremony (first so she'll be officially finished with high school before her junior college graduation), then her graduation from the junior college (earning an associate's degree), and finally the homeschooling graduation where she'll walk with the other local homeschool seniors.

These graduations take place over the period of three or four weeks.  I decided to go with the college graduation, since it comes in the middle, and marks the end of official school work for the year, as well as the end of one more phase of schooling.  Without saying anything, I erased the logic currently drawn out on our kitchen chalkboard, and replaced it with a large number "5".

It's funny how something as simple as watching me erase the five, this weekend, to change it to a four, really did add a celebratory air of excitement to the house.

It's great to be a homeschooler.