<p>My oldest is a senior and it’s time to order announcements. We’ve moved a number of times and have a Christmas card list of 100. My d has also indicated she’d like to send announcements to some former teachers, coaches, and friends in other states she’s met at camps and so on. We would also use this as an opportunity to send a wallet size senior picture. We see the announcement as a rite of passage, and not a plea for gifts, or even a response “congrats” card. </p>
<p>What’s the concensus of this board on whether we will just inspire guilt and unnecessary gifts/accompanying stress, rather than just a happy reminder of the milestone? </p>
<p>This must be a regional custom? We got some from my son’s high school and I had no idea what they were for and I threw them away. I had never received one before, or even heard of them. I have since received one from a friend who lives in Kentucky; they used to be neighbors. It was sort of sweet because he had written on there all the things the adults in his life had taught him (it was made on a computer). I recognized myself on there as the person who had taught him to look at birds. LOL</p>
<p>I didn’t send them out for either child as I was uncomfortable with the idea that it WAS asking for a gift - however, a friend sent out 80 and said yes, she did indeed expect that her daughter would be getting gifts as a result and got competitive about how many gifts her daughter got vs. mine and other kids</p>
<p>love the idea of one made on the computer with notes on what child learned from various adults!! very sweet!</p>
<p>I didn’t order the one through the HS because it seemed like a waste of paper and could be construed as a plea for gifts. My son REALLY doesn’t need a bunch more stuff. I <em>meant</em> to do a more meaningful thing on the computer, but haven’t gotten around to it. Too <em>busy</em> here on CC I guess.</p>
<p>We didn’t have announcements for HS graduation. We did have pictures taken of both DS and DD when they were HS seniors and sent pictures to our relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles and grown up cousins). We had a picnic for each of them and invited the same folks to the picnic. The pics were included in the party invitation. No announcements. Oh…we had 10 announcements for DS’s college graduation and those went to the grandparents, one for his scrapbook, and to the aunts and uncles from out of town. Again, we had a brunch for him and all were invited to that and received a photo of him at the time. We did not order extra announcements. This year, we’ll put a short paragraph in the dreaded holiday letter that will tell about his graduation and his graduate school program. That will “hit” the holiday card recipients with the news.</p>
<p>To the OP: we, too, moved a lot and have close friends and acquaintenances sprinkled all over the country (and then some). We’ve always sended the dreaded “Christmas letter”…We send announcements to about 3/4 of our Christmas card list, and to some of D’s former teachers and classmates in another state. We included one of her senior pics (the version with the cap and gown). We didn’t expect gifts, but she got some really special cards from people who had watched her grow up over the years.</p>
<p>I’m really surprised that some have never recieved any. We have, through the years, recieved dozens of them from friends and relatives sprinkled all across the country. We live pretty simply and would hardly think our experience was out of the ordinary - the things you learn on CC!<br>
Our kids sent out maybe two dozen - to close relatives and to close family friends. Certainly not the whole Christmas card list. Gifts were not expected though they did get many. Mostly gift cards or checks, which went into the dorm room and book fund. (See thread about first year expenses). It was my last chance to give them the "every gift deserves a handwritten thank you note? speech.</p>
<p>I never sent out graduation announcements because I figured anyone that if the people knew me they would know I was graduating anyway. We did receive them from a few other people. This is partially why I don’t want an engagement announcement in the paper when that time comes. If I want people to know, I will tell them. I don’t want it broadcasted to every single person who reads the paper.</p>
<p>I’ve always hated the school graduation announcement. They (at our school anyway) are very generic to the whole class - don’t even have your child’s name in them unless you order the “special little card” that has your child’s full name that you can insert in the announcement. </p>
<p>We had our own “announcement” type card made - it was actually like a long postcard size - our photographer took one of her senior pictures, put it on the card then we had her place text that announced that she was graduating, details on her party, a favorite quote of hers and then brief info on what she would be doing following graduation i.e. her school and intended major. </p>
<p>On the back, I put a short personal note to everyone we sent it too. We didn’t have to send a lot - like 30-40 - I think in the end they cost us $1 piece + postage, but at least we felt they were all about her and her graduation plans, not just the announcement of “the class of 2007 of blank high school announces”…</p>
<p>It is tradtion here to send out graduation announcements, sometimes resulting in the giving of gifts and sometimes not. We have a very small extended family but none of us live in close proximity to each other. So with S1 I sent out the announcements to our family members and a few friends. I think we sent about a dozen total. I bought the ones from the school and threw a lot away. </p>
<p>With S2 I have purchased the announcements that could be purchased from the photographers who did his senior picture. It has a picture of him with his name and schools name and a brief announcment message at the bottom. I think the recipients will enjoy the picture since most of them don’t see him very often. </p>
<p>I have a neighbor who sent out probably 75 announcements last year for her D who ended up with almost $4000 in monetary gifts. She said she had given so many grad. gifts over the years to friends and family that she felt it was time for her D to receive some gifts. </p>
<p>My neice sent out college grad. announcments but specially had “no gifts please” printed on them.</p>
<p>We have never sent nor received a graduation announcement. If it were a custom where we live (which it isn’t), I probably still wouldn’t. I figure that the people who would care about my Ds graduating would obviously already know and wouldn’t need an announcement. :)</p>
<p>I took a baby picture of my kids to the local grocery store photo shop, and for 45 cents each, got a card made with their baby photo For text, "Join us in celebrating, xxxxx is graduating!, Open house, address, date, time. People liked them, and they were very “personal”</p>