The Academy of Public Relations waited patiently, and weighed many options, with the hope that the regulations regarding social distancing requirements and restrictions on large gatherings would be relaxed enough to allow us to be able to have an in-person ceremony worthy of our graduating class. Regretfully, due to the current restrictions, we have reached the conclusion that moving to a virtual ceremony as our official graduation ceremony for our eighth grade students is the correct decision to ensure the safety of our students, staff and families. We will stream the ceremony virtually on Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 10:00 AM. We will send the ceremony link at a future date.
In light of this decision, APR will be offering a commemoration ceremony for those families who responded to our survey expressing interest for an in-person graduation. These students will have the opportunity to bring two guests to the school and partake in a shortened ceremony that will involve recognition and commemoration. The ceremony will take place on June 24, 2021 from 2:00- 3:00 PM. All families that expressed interest via the survey prior to June 3rd will be guaranteed a reservation. For all other families who may be interested, you must complete the graduation interest survey, stating your interest for an in person graduation. If you have not completed the survey, we will send the link via email and text to the contact information provided to the school another three times during the span of June 7th – June 11th. All families who submit surveys after June 3rd will be offered seats in the order we receive your requests on the survey sent out until we reach capacity. We ask that you understand in advance that due to health and safety regulations, all survey requests after June 3rd may not be granted. We can only house the number of people that abide by CDC regulations and the guidance set forth by the NYC Department of Education.
*Please note that the only guaranteed seats for this ceremony taking place on June 24, 2021 will be for those families that expressed interest on our survey by June 3, 2021. Any families that submit their interest after June 3, 2021 will be notified by school personnel of their confirmed seats for two family members until we reach capacity. No one will be permitted without confirmation and will be denied access to the school building if not on our official school list provided to our School Safety officers. We ask for your understanding and appreciate your cooperation in adhering to these guidelines.
In closing, our hearts are especially heavy for our graduating class of 2021, understanding that this has not been the year that we had all hoped for and looked forward to for so many years. We want to thank our graduating class and their families for their sacrifice, dedication and continued support. We wish you all the best of luck and look forward to hearing about your future success.
Thank you,
Mrs. A. Andino-Flohr, Principal