University Park Elementary Respectfully Requests That You Dis Grandma and Papa

This request was sent via e-mail to parents of fourth grade students at U.P. Elementary yesterday, Wednesday, May 25 at 3:41 in the afternoon- less than 48 hours before the graduation ceremony. Principal Dr. Lynda Carter wrote:

The Promotion Ceremony is scheduled for Friday, May 27, 2011 at 12:00 p.m. sharp in Panther Auditorium.  Seating is limited, so, we respectfully request that you restrict your guests to immediate family.

The ceremony is a big deal and I’d assume that many grandparents have been invited to attend. But too bad so sad, I guess little Susie needs to jump on the phone and uninvite Granny and Papa. Really?

By Merritt Patterson May. 26, 2011 | 9:06 am | 32 Comments | Comments RSS
32 comments to "University Park Elementary Respectfully Requests That You Dis Grandma and Papa"
  1. E @ May 26, 2011 at 9:19 am
    No room for grandparents at high school graduation either!

  2. XT @ May 26, 2011 at 9:21 am
    Is graduating from 4th grade really that big of a deal?

    So what’s your answer to the problem? In small venues, there needs to be some restrictions, or else parents are left out. I’ve seen family groups with grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. attending juniors performances, with other childrens parents stuck in the aisle or hallway. I’m sorry, but direct family should take precedence.

  3. Merritt Patterson @ May 26, 2011 at 9:24 am
    The gym?
    And yes, the hype surrounding 4th grade graduation is huge.

  4. grump @ May 26, 2011 at 9:39 am
    All of my kid’s grandparents are dead.
    I demand 4 empty chairs to honor them.

  5. Avid Reader @ May 26, 2011 at 9:44 am
    I would love to see a poll of how many people truly think that graduating from 4th grade is in fact “a big deal”. I’ll start it off: No. That said, as silly and blown out of proportion as I think this whole thing is, the 48 hour notice is pretty bush league planning. I expect that there will be plenty of GMa’s and GPa’s there anyways.

  6. mainzer @ May 26, 2011 at 10:12 am
    The hype is huge, but should it be?

    48 hours is clearly not enough notice. If they are going to have a ceremony, they might as well have it in the gym where everyone who wants to attend can.

    I can’t imagine that there isn’t room at Moody for the grandparents for High School graduation???? With a capacity of around 9,000 and around 550 grads, shouldn’t they all be able to have over a dozen guests?

  7. hpparent @ May 26, 2011 at 10:16 am
    When I graduated from Armstrong (5th grade at the time), there was no fanfare whatsoever, nor did any of us think there should be! Graduation from high school, now that’s a time to celebrate. When I had kids “graduating” from Armstrong, it didn’t even occur to me to mention to the grandparents that there was anything going on. They hit the BIG stuff, and leave the rest to the parents.

  8. Jim Swayze @ May 26, 2011 at 12:00 pm
    This seems more than reasonable as not enough room is not enough room. Are we supposed to somehow just wish there were enough seats and it will be so?

  9. mainzer @ May 26, 2011 at 12:26 pm
    @ Jim Swayze, did they not know how much room they had or didn’t have a 2 weeks ago or months ago when the program was scheduled? The point isn’t that they should make room, but that they might show some consideration of grandparents (or others) who might have planned to travel here or just rearrange their schedules to be there. If that many people really want to sit through this type of event and the school has a room (the gym) that is big enough, why don’t they move it so everyone can come? But either way, they certainly knew earlier than 48 hours before the event that this might be an issue.

  10. Crayola @ May 26, 2011 at 12:33 pm
    Sorry but E is wrong – there’s plenty of room at Moody for any and every body, they just need to have a ticket — and tickets are readily available for the asking.

  11. Crayola @ May 26, 2011 at 12:33 pm
    And No, 4th grade graduation should not be a big deal. A small deal, sure, but not a bring in all the relatives deal.

  12. Old Guy @ May 26, 2011 at 1:06 pm
    If graduating from fourth grade is not a big deal, then can we stop with the decoration of every SUV with paint, ribbons and pithy slogans?

  13. bob's mom @ May 26, 2011 at 1:14 pm
    “They just keep coming up with new ways of celebrating mediocrity, ” said Mr. Incredible to his wife when she complained that he missed his kid’s 4th grade graduation ceremony.

    I have a child “graduating” from Bradfield tomorrow and I will be there with my camera. But honestly, I have to agree with Mr. Incredible.

    Also, I find the cars with all the writing all over them embarrassing. My Preston Hollow friend tells me that people all over the city make fun of the Park Cities moms with that stuff written all over their SUV’s for this event.

  14. Pigskinnie @ May 26, 2011 at 2:12 pm
    It seems almost unanimous that finishing 4th grade isn’t a meaningful “graduation”. And if granny came into town, she can celebrate on Friday after 2pm when the kids are dismissed.

  15. E @ May 26, 2011 at 2:14 pm
    @ Crayola … glad I am wrong. My best friend has a child graduating HPHS and she had the understanding that they got four tickets and four only for their immediate family (that’s parents and siblings). She said even the grandparents couldn’t come. Guess I will call her and tell her differently! :)

  16. Bluebird @ May 26, 2011 at 2:43 pm
    A bug deal is made out of 4th grade graduation and not just by the parents but the school also makes a big deal out of the rite of passage. If they feel they need to limit the ceremony to immediate family because of seating issues I get that however advanced notice should be given so grandparents etc are not arranging schedules, flying or driving in town for the ceremony.

  17. HPHS Senior Parent @ May 26, 2011 at 3:26 pm
    Just to clarify on the senior grad events tickets. Each senior receives three tickets to Baccalaurete which is at the Meyerson and has limited seating. There is an opportunity to get another if some are unclaimed. For graduation at Moody, each student receives 10 tickets, and there are plenty of extras flying around from those who don’t need that many.

  18. Jim Swayze @ May 26, 2011 at 4:30 pm
    How many seats should we set aside for grandparents flying in, lol? I’m sure that will be an enormous number of people.

    Why must we continually make mountains out of molehills and pretend every patch of ground is a Grassy Knoll. It’s a simple and reasonable request.

  19. goldeneagle @ May 26, 2011 at 6:12 pm
    Why shouldn’t fourth grade graduation be a big deal? We have four magical elementary schools – it’s part of saying goodbye. I saw a car this week painted with “Goodbye UP – thanks for ten great years”. I get that. And for those outside of the district making fun of the car decorations – they can talk when they have a community school district that serves their neighborhood and is academically recognized. To quote a fellow parent “It’s like the elementary school you wish you went to”.

  20. former scot #24 @ May 26, 2011 at 10:23 pm
    graduation?
    from fourth grade?
    next thing you know kids will
    be getting new bmws for turning 16.
    for pete’s sake, pat them on
    the head and remind them school
    starts again in august.

  21. UP Parent @ May 27, 2011 at 8:31 am
    Define IMMEDIATE family ….in this day and age with so many different kinds of families? Are step-parents allowed? Or just blood relatives? what if you are adopted? what about 1/2 siblings? what if you are single with a live-in s.o.? What if you are the nanny that has raised the child since infancy? What if you have travelled across the country to see this before the 48 hour notice…?

    UP parents have “gifted” lots of AV equiptment, couldn’t someone figure out how to simulcast to the many TV screens throughout the school so grandparents and loved ones can see the Promotion Ceremony and then still be there to join the clap out? What about a pod-cast? Be creative!

    Why not teach our children to be INCLUSIVE rather than EXCLUSIVE.

    I suppose it comes down to what one person wants…as always.

  22. bob's mom @ May 27, 2011 at 9:01 am
    our experience so far in HPISD has been very good and even great some years. “magical”… not so much. but i think the real issue here is spoiling children. the only reason there is a graduation from 4th grade here is because, at some point in time, there were too many kids in the schools to keep them there through 6th grade, right?

    my generation lacked intimacy with our parents, dads in particular, and i guess we’ve been over-compensating with our kids, making every event HUGE and every small achievement a big deal. when i get mad at my kids for acting spoiled, i have to stop and ask myself who made them that way.

    my husband employs a lot of young people, fresh out of college and he has trouble finding anyone who wants to work hard. when you have a $50,000 car dad gave you for graduation, where is the incentive?

    this 4th grade graduation thing is just a part of all that we are doing to wreck our kids. but goldeneagle, you will be very pleased today because the SUV’s are out there in force. “we will MIS you!” is something we will all read countless times this weekend, like it or not.

  23. A. B. @ May 27, 2011 at 9:28 am
    @goldeneagle-”thanks for ten great years” sounds like it is more about the parents than about the kids.

  24. M @ May 27, 2011 at 10:41 am
    Celebrating 4th grade graduation is akin to sports trophies for participation. It gives a sense of accomplishment when none has been achieved. The real world will be a challenge–that is, until daddy finds junior a cushy job in the family business.

  25. Steve @ May 27, 2011 at 11:48 am
    Nothing wrong with celebrating a move to a new school. Have your fun but the next year at MIS is going to be an awakening.

    My boss went to HPHS and I live in the District now. He’s a mid-90s grad and said that the “spoiled kids” from his class are all working for their parents or in “real estate.”

  26. T @ May 27, 2011 at 11:55 am
    I just have to laugh at this blog. Merritt are you going to donate the additional funding every year to have the 4th grade graduation in the gym? Are you going to do anything to help set it up? The only thing you do is complain. If they had it in the gym, no one would see a single 4th grader since there isn’t a stage in the gym which I am sure you would then complain about that. Use the brain that is under your died roots. Get a hobby and find something beneficial to do with your time.

  27. grump @ May 27, 2011 at 12:38 pm
    T-then why waste your time reading her blog entries? Just skip Merritt’s. That’ll give you time to kill the crabs in your crotch.

  28. mk @ May 27, 2011 at 1:19 pm
    Not to “T”…before you start ragging on Merritt to “use the brain that is under her died roots”, let me just point out that when referencing colored hair, the word you want (if you’d only use your brain, zomg!) is spelled “dyed”…with a “Y”. Kthxbye!

  29. goldeneagle @ May 27, 2011 at 1:39 pm
    @A.B. – Number one factor in a school’s performance is parental expectations. I haven’t found the parental involvement at my kid’s elementary to be self-serving.

  30. Bluebird @ May 27, 2011 at 3:11 pm
    Ok T the point in this blog was to state more advanced notice should have been given to limit the ceremony to immediate family. Who wants to make that phone call to uninvite someone especially Grandma and Grandpa?!?

  31. Mainzer @ May 27, 2011 at 3:19 pm
    T, lay off Merritt. She isn’t a complainer, she constructively points out both the good and the bad in our community, both of which we need to hear. She is a very good speller too!

  32. Cigar Daddy @ May 28, 2011 at 8:29 pm
    Granny can have my seat. I’ll stand. What a joke.

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