I’ve always loved the end-of-year celebrations so I thought I’d talk about some of my favorite ways to do so with students.
Royal Court – My students loved playing with the term “drama queen,” so they created a royal court of a drama queen, king, prince, princess, and court jester. They loved making silly crowns out of found materials and crowning the next generation. The royals were not elected officers, but they were leaders within our club that were recognized by the officers. The king and queen were upperclassmen and the prince and princess were lower classmen and the jester was the person that was always joking around and making people laugh.
Most Likely To…Awards – I wanted every student to be seen and recognized for their talent and contributions, so we would create unique “most likely to” awards, such as Most Likely to Chew Gum on Stage or Best Backstage Bromance. I would design and print fun certificates for them to keep.
Officers – We had elections for officers a couple of weeks before the ceremony and I would put the name in envelopes. The current officers would announce the new officers as the last thing to end the ceremony. This also started a tradition that the current officers did all of the setup for the celebration and the new officers did all of the cleanup.
Senior Journals – I gave journals as a gift to my seniors. They were always so sad, so I wanted to remind them that it is not just an ending, but a new beginning, so I gave them a journal full of empty pages for them to fill with new adventures. I would also write a personal note to each student on the inside cover.
Best…Awards – Students voted on Best Actor and Best Tech awards from all the productions we did throughout the year. I created a ballot for voting because often they would forget about the shows we did at the beginning of the year and only have the spring show on their minds. The big ones at the end were Actor of the Year, Techie of the Year, and Thespian of the Year. These three were decided by me and not voted on and were put on plaques that were kept in the auditorium lobby.
The Collage – When I first entered my classroom, I was in awe of the collage pictures from every year of the program for the past 50+ years. It had been a tradition at the school long before I got there, but it was one of my favorites because I had students who could point out parents and even grandparents in pictures on the wall. So, one of the responsibilities of the Vice President was to create a framed collage that represented the year, and they would reveal it at the banquet ceremony.
Thespian Awards – Of course, induction was a part of the ceremony too. This was followed up with official recognition of the star levels based on points. This was a motivation for students to keep on their points throughout the year.
Food – People bond over food, so I always thought it was fun to have a banquet. Sometimes we made spaghetti or pancakes, sometimes we would reserve a banquet room at a local restaurant, and sometimes it was a potluck or just desserts, but it was always fun.
Family – I like inviting family to be a part of the celebration. It was usually the one time of the year that parents and siblings got to see students interacting with their “tribe,” and experiencing the community we had together. I once had a mom that requested the opportunity to sing a song to her graduating senior. It was beautiful. Plus, it always seemed to me that athletes and academics were awarded by the school administration in ceremonies at the end of the year and drama kids were a little “left out,” so this night was just for them. In addition, parents aren’t always aware of just how much their children are doing in the program at school, so it can really be eye-opening for them and they love it!
These are some of the things we would do to celebrate the year. Some things would change from year to year because it was always student-led and student-planned. My philosophy was always that it was for the students, so they should be able to make it what they want it to be. My only guidance was that I wanted it to be something where every student felt involved and recognized. No matter what you choose to do with your end-of-the-year ceremonies, I hope they are filled with fun!
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Jeana Whitaker
Retired Theatre Teacher
EdTA Alumni
www.jeanawhitaker.com------------------------------