The preschool graduation ceremony should begin with the teacher greeting the students and parents. After the greeting, the teacher can share a few memories from the year that she found humorous or endearing. The teacher may then read an inspirational poem or short story. Good excerpts include "Oh! The Place You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss, "Always Be A Student" by Joanna Fuchs, or "Work Is Play" by Karl Fuchs.
A student song performance can showcase some of the students' accomplishments of the year. The "ABC's" is an obvious choice. "Fifty Nifty United States" is a song listing the states in alphabetical order, which never fails to impress parents. Students can also recite numbers 1-100, along with other facts they have been taught throughout the year. Close the student performance time with a graduation song like "To Kindergarten We Go" by Christa Koch, sung to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb".
Another good idea for a preschool graduation is holding a diploma ceremony, which can come after the student performance. Students can even create their own graduation outfits. Have each student bring in an old men's dress shirt. The student will wear the shirt backwards. Have each student paint their hand-prints on the shirt along with the graduation date. Students may also construct a cap out of construction paper and cardboard. Present a diploma to each student. A personal note to each student written on the back of the diploma is a nice touch.
The conclusion of the evening should come with parents walking around to inspect their child's artwork and projects from the year. An end-of-the-year collage is an art project that shows well and will make a great keepsake. Each child may also construct a portfolio of their work from the year. Include handwriting samples and drawings in the folder.