In May of each school year, Kennebecasis Valley High Renaissance sells “Kiss a Grad Goodbye’s” to students and staff. A “Kiss a Grad Goodbye” consists of a white piece of cardstock decorated with a blue graduation cap, a Hershey’s Kiss, and a space to write an encouraging message. They are sold for fifty cents at lunch for one week in our lobby. We also have the option for teachers to order them in advance for graduating students in their classes. Once the “Kiss a Grad Goodbye’s” are assembled, they are delivered to homeroom classes in the last few weeks of the school year. The first year we sold them we only sold 35, the second year we sold 70, the third over 200 and now we sell close to 500 each year! “Kiss a Grad Goodb
ye’s” have definitely established a presence in our school during graduation season.
Despite it being a small gesture, the happiness and love the little cards spread truly makes an impact on senior year. Whether it’s a “Good luck”, or a “Thank you”, or even a sarcastic “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out”, it puts a smile on the grad’s face and it means a lot. The price of only fifty cents makes the Kiss a Grad Goodbye’s easily affordable to everyone. Instead of buying expensive graduation gifts for all of their friends, most students get “Kiss a Grad Goodbye’s” and write a thoughtful message that is just as meaningful. For a lot of the teachers, it is becoming a yearly tradition to buy them for their graduating students in homeroom; a teacher last year asked for triple the Kisses!
Three key words in Renaissance are Capture, Inspire, and Celebrate. “Kiss a Grad Goodbye’s” capture the wonderful memories of senior year, inspires our grads to do something amazing after high school, and most importantly, celebrates graduation.
Melissa Wright