1 . How to plan a graduation party step by step

Is someone in your life about to graduate from school?     1     . So It is very important to get started by studying this party planning list.

Determine your budget

    2     . Determine how much you’d like to spend on food and drinks per person, plus the cost of the decorations, entertainment, and location rental. You can use an online party budget calculator to help you easily estimate your costs. If possible, co-host a party and share expenses with two or three families, all of whom have a graduate from a similar school or situation.

    3    

Determine if you or the guest-of-honor want to invite the entire graduating class to attend, a large bash of your closest friends and family, or whether it will be a more intimate family party. It’s perfectly acceptable to invite a few special guests to a graduation party, such as beloved teachers, coaches, or other faculty members. It’s also up to the host whether or not children of guests can attend.

Choose a location

Throwing a party at home may save you money, it’s easy to personalize, and it can be a welcoming and comforting place for others to gather. On the other hand, having a party at home is the labor and time that goes into cleaning your house before and after the party. The advantage of having a party at a restaurant or other venue is the ease of relying on an on-site manager or planner to handle the details, including the clean-up, which lets you have plenty of time to socialize.     4     .

Pick a party time

Timing can be tricky when it comes to graduation parties. May and June are often the busiest months for most families of graduates.     5       . One solution can be to combine a summer holiday with a graduation party when your family might be traveling to get together, such as on Memorial Day weekend, Father’s Day, or July 4th.

2 . A weekend workshop helping mums of children with a disability to recharge and relax has been praised as a success.

The mothers’ Weekend Workshop, coordinated by Disability Services Queensland’s Mount Gravatt Family and Early Childhood Services team, was held at Binna Burra in the Gold Coast hinterland.

Disability Services Queensland speech pathologist Jenny Henley says the weekend, attended by nine women, was a highly positive and rewarding experience for all involved.

“Parents and carers of children with a disability often have to deal with stressful and difficult situations,” she says.“They seldom have the opportunity to take a break from the daily pressures of everyday life.”

“This workshop was designed to give them some well-earned respite (暂时的休息) in a supportive and stress-free environment.

“We also aimed to give them an opportunity to network and learn new ways to keep their own physical and emotional health, as well as that of their partners and children.”

The activity-filled weekend included icebreaker activities, art and craft periods, massages, and a popular parent-to-parent workshop.

The workshop and open discussion periods provided parents with a supportive environment where they could talk about the highs and lows they experience as parents of children with a disability.

“Parents reported feeling more energized and better positioned to face their day-to-day lives,” Jenny says.

Following the weekend retreat (静修), most participants, their partners and children met again socially, eager to continue and develop their new support network.

Given the demand for places on the Mothers Weekend Workshop, Disability Services Queensland is planning to organize a similar event in 2018.

3 . In my first year of teaching in Houston, I was asked to act as a batman at a birthday party.

One night,the headmaster handed me a costume and said, "Tomorrow you're going to be batman." I knew a batman with a moustache at the party was a huge red flag. I knew it was specially bad for my image,but I didn't want to change my physical appearance because that would mean I was funnier, so I chose not to shave.

The party was at a huge public park, and I had to park my car far enough away so that the children couldn't see me. Then I walked to it secretly, but unluckily,the children saw me coming from about 300 meters away.

I started to regret not to shave. When I got close enough for them to see my face clearly the entire party broke into laughter. I wanted to turn around and run back in embarrassment, but then the laughter changed into cheering and applause. I ran into the party and saw the "birthday"boy with his dad.The dad laughed,"I told you,son.A batman has a moustache."Then he showed me the huge birthday cake with a batman drawn on it,and the batman had a moustache. I just stared at it in disbelief. But it was a thick black line drawn underneath his nose, just like my moustache.

All the children said,"A batman doesn't have a moustache."Instead of admitting the cake was messed up, the parents tried to save face, saying,"No,a batman always has a moustache. He just shaves it for his movies."Naturally,the children were doubtful, but my moustache became the detail that confirmed what the parents had said. Those children of the perfect age still believed in wonders and superheroes and they were pleased to find something kept hidden from others.

That year,I struggled a lot with my identity.Was I a teacher or a clown（小丑）? But that day, I may not have been the hero they ordered,and crtainly I wasn't the hero they expected, but I was the hero they needed.