June of 2022 was a month of accomplishments and achievements for 44 of the students that attended Almansor and Westmoreland Academies. Guided by our mission, “To empower individuals of all abilities to take charge of their own learning and lives…,” both academies hosted their own graduation ceremonies to celebrate and recognize the students’ sacrifice and hard work during their 2021-2022 school year.
Westmoreland Academy
On June 7, Westmoreland Academy held its Graduation ceremony to honor the class of 2022. It was a beautiful sunny evening with over 100 people in attendance. Due to COVID-19, the graduation was only open to graduates and students who received special recognition. There were twelve 8th-grade graduates and eight students who either graduated with a high school diploma or a certificate of completion. While families were arriving and checking in, jazz music played in the background.
Good evening Wolfpack! Program Director, Nick Pinto, kicked off Westmorland’s graduation ceremony. “It is an honor to be a part of your lives and to see you all here on this momentous day. We have been living through unprecedented times, and you all have risen to the occasion and shown that in the face of such adversity, you are still capable of overcoming these obstacles. Though times have been tough these last few years, our resilience has been tougher. This resilience, this flexibility, has made me very optimistic about our future, and I know that you all have a bright future ahead of you.” continued Nick.
During this time, students were recognized for their hard work, flexibility, and resilience during these tough times. The fact that these students have risen to each occasion and shown that in the face of adversity, they are still capable of overcoming these obstacles. Families were thanked for all of their support. Teachers, DIS staff, coordinators, office staff, drivers, custodial and janitorial staff were also thanked for the tireless work they have done to make sure our students are continually achieving and getting the support and environment they need to thrive. Among these, many thanks to Nick Pinto and Associate Director Andriana Gutierrez, also thanked, IRL, TES and our Parent Association of Westmoreland (PAW…it’s a Wolf pun!) for all of their support.
As the ceremony moved along, a special recognition to Westmoreland’s Breton Leadership recipients was made. These are students who have 90% attendance or above, shown improvement in academic performance, shown to successfully demonstrate the 7 competencies of Taking Charge, and provide a unique contribution to Westmoreland, at home or in their community. The faculty honored one student from each of the four Westmoreland Academy programs.
The next day, June 8th, was Almansor Academy’s turn to celebrate and honor their graduates who would be moving into a new stage of their lives. Almansor Academy hosted two graduations for the 8th grade and High School students. Both ceremonies were a chance to honor the students who have completed 8th grade and are moving into High School and those in High School who are moving onto a future life outside of Almansor.
The graduation ceremony’s highlights were the speeches the students gave, describing the journey they were on that led them to the graduation stage. It was a very proud moment for the students, staff, and families. This year, we graduated 15 seniors and nine 8th graders.
We look forward to their future success.