Class of 2026 |
In our attempt to accommodate all graduation requests and due to our overwhelming growth in recent years, we will have two graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2026 - a Winter Graduation and a Spring Graduation. Both will be full graduation ceremonies with caps and gowns, keynote speakers, etc. The deadlines are different for each, so please pay attention to the deadlines below.
Deadlines
Participation:
If you participate in a graduation ceremony, we ask you to fully participate. If graduation day is the first time we ever see you, it will make things strange and uncomfortable. Also, if you have any special requests, priority will be given to those who have vested time and resources in Chestnut Ridge Academy. We want you to know that there is more to us than just a diploma. We are your support system and we are eager to make your senior year special.
Deadlines:
All deadlines have been carefully planned so that everyone involved can have the best graduation experience possible. Missing deadlines creates stress on office staff as well as graduating seniors. Please mark deadlines in your calendar. Keep in mind that it is not a problem to submit items before the posted deadlines.
Senior Meetings
If you wish to walk in a graduation ceremony, it is mandatory you attend a Senior Meeting. If you do not attend a meeting, you may not be able to walk in graduation.
Activities
Each graduating senior will get 4 tickets for guests to come to graduation. There will be a fee for additional tickets. Throughout the upcoming year, we will have activities for seniors to attend. Participation and/or parental involvement could come with extra free tickets for graduation. Please be sure to read the descriptions of each activity to find out if extra tickets can be earned.
July 21, 2025 ~ Senior Meeting (Winter Graduation)
6PM at CRA's main office
MARK YOUR CALENDAR.
If you think you will be finished with all your graduation requirements by December and you would like to walk in the Winter Graduation ceremony, you MUST attend this meeting.
Light refreshments will be served.
September 22, 2025 ~ Senior Meeting (Spring Graduation)
6PM at CRA's main office
MARK YOUR CALENDAR.
If you would like to walk in the Spring Graduation ceremony, you MUST attend this meeting.
Light refreshments will be served.
Senior Portraits
Information about Senior Portraits will be made available at the Senior Meetings.
Winter Graduation
July 21, 2025 ~ Senior Meeting
October 1 ~ Graduation fees and ceremony form due for those wishing to walk in the Winter graduation.
November 1 ~ Caps and Gowns must be picked up by graduating senior.
Dec 1 ~ Honor cord forms are due.
Dec 1 ~ Growing up pictures for the slide show are due today
May 1 ~ Yearbook ads due
Jan 5 ~ Final grades are due for those walking in graduation
00/00/0000 Graduation Ceremony
00/00/0000 Back up date in the event of inclement weather
Spring Graduation
September 22, 2025 ~ Senior Meeting
February 1, 2026 ~ Graduation fees and ceremony form due for those wishing to walk in the Spring graduation.
March 1 ~ Honor cord forms are due.
April 1 ~ Growing up pictures for the slide show are due today
April 1 ~ Caps and Gowns must be picked up by the graduating senior.
May 1 ~ Yearbook ads due
May 1 ~ Final grades are due for those walking in graduation
00/00/0000 Graduation Ceremony
Graduation Dress Code
If you are walking in graduation, we do have a dress code.
First, be sure to try on your cap and gown. The length should come to half way between the knee and ankle. When you hold your arms straight out to the sides, we should be able to see your hands and wrists.
When putting on your cap, the mortarboard (square part on top) should be parallel with the ceiling and floor. The front part of the cap should come down on your forehead about two finger widths from your eyebrows. You can use bobby pins to keep the cap in place.
Caps should not be decorated. If you come to graduation with a decorated cap, we will have an undecorated cap for you to wear during the ceremony.
The gown must be zipped up during the entire graduation ceremony.
Boys - button down shirt with tie. Dress pants, dress shoes.
Girls - any color dress or skirt and blouse. If you wear pants, they should be a solid color. Dress shoes. If you are wearing shoes that you are not used to wearing, please practice walking in them ahead of time.
Absolutely NO shorts, jeans, sneakers, flip flops, or crocs. (I don't care how fancy they are.) Boots may be worn, but they must be on the dressier side and must be clean enough to eat off of.
Exceptions can be made, but they must be run by Patti Hunt first.
Details concerning both ceremonies will be covered at the Senior Meetings posted above.
If you participate in a graduation ceremony, we ask you to fully participate. If graduation day is the first time we ever see you, it will make things strange and uncomfortable. Also, if you have any special requests, priority will be given to those who have vested time and resources in Chestnut Ridge Academy. We want you to know that there is more to us than just a diploma. We are your support system and we are eager to make your senior year special.
Deadlines:
All deadlines have been carefully planned so that everyone involved can have the best graduation experience possible. Missing deadlines creates stress on office staff as well as graduating seniors. Please mark deadlines in your calendar. Keep in mind that it is not a problem to submit items before the posted deadlines.
Senior Meetings
If you wish to walk in a graduation ceremony, it is mandatory you attend a Senior Meeting. If you do not attend a meeting, you may not be able to walk in graduation.
Activities
Each graduating senior will get 4 tickets for guests to come to graduation. There will be a fee for additional tickets. Throughout the upcoming year, we will have activities for seniors to attend. Participation and/or parental involvement could come with extra free tickets for graduation. Please be sure to read the descriptions of each activity to find out if extra tickets can be earned.
July 21, 2025 ~ Senior Meeting (Winter Graduation)
6PM at CRA's main office
MARK YOUR CALENDAR.
If you think you will be finished with all your graduation requirements by December and you would like to walk in the Winter Graduation ceremony, you MUST attend this meeting.
Light refreshments will be served.
September 22, 2025 ~ Senior Meeting (Spring Graduation)
6PM at CRA's main office
MARK YOUR CALENDAR.
If you would like to walk in the Spring Graduation ceremony, you MUST attend this meeting.
Light refreshments will be served.
Senior Portraits
Information about Senior Portraits will be made available at the Senior Meetings.
Winter Graduation
July 21, 2025 ~ Senior Meeting
October 1 ~ Graduation fees and ceremony form due for those wishing to walk in the Winter graduation.
November 1 ~ Caps and Gowns must be picked up by graduating senior.
Dec 1 ~ Honor cord forms are due.
Dec 1 ~ Growing up pictures for the slide show are due today
May 1 ~ Yearbook ads due
Jan 5 ~ Final grades are due for those walking in graduation
00/00/0000 Graduation Ceremony
00/00/0000 Back up date in the event of inclement weather
Spring Graduation
September 22, 2025 ~ Senior Meeting
February 1, 2026 ~ Graduation fees and ceremony form due for those wishing to walk in the Spring graduation.
March 1 ~ Honor cord forms are due.
April 1 ~ Growing up pictures for the slide show are due today
April 1 ~ Caps and Gowns must be picked up by the graduating senior.
May 1 ~ Yearbook ads due
May 1 ~ Final grades are due for those walking in graduation
00/00/0000 Graduation Ceremony
Graduation Dress Code
If you are walking in graduation, we do have a dress code.
First, be sure to try on your cap and gown. The length should come to half way between the knee and ankle. When you hold your arms straight out to the sides, we should be able to see your hands and wrists.
When putting on your cap, the mortarboard (square part on top) should be parallel with the ceiling and floor. The front part of the cap should come down on your forehead about two finger widths from your eyebrows. You can use bobby pins to keep the cap in place.
Caps should not be decorated. If you come to graduation with a decorated cap, we will have an undecorated cap for you to wear during the ceremony.
The gown must be zipped up during the entire graduation ceremony.
Boys - button down shirt with tie. Dress pants, dress shoes.
Girls - any color dress or skirt and blouse. If you wear pants, they should be a solid color. Dress shoes. If you are wearing shoes that you are not used to wearing, please practice walking in them ahead of time.
Absolutely NO shorts, jeans, sneakers, flip flops, or crocs. (I don't care how fancy they are.) Boots may be worn, but they must be on the dressier side and must be clean enough to eat off of.
Exceptions can be made, but they must be run by Patti Hunt first.
Details concerning both ceremonies will be covered at the Senior Meetings posted above.
Important Links
Some of the following links have been disabled. Once they have been updated for the Class of 2026, they will be active again.
Early Graduation
At Chestnut Ridge Academy, we do NOT encourage early graduation or graduation before student's anticipated senior years supposed to start. We feel early graduation can not only limit opportunities, but may eliminate some altogether. If a child wishes to graduate early, the parent and student must seriously consider the possible consequences for making such a move.
We feel the only reasons a student should graduate early are the following:
We feel the only reasons a student should graduate early are the following:
- The student has been accepted to college or tech school and is ready to start immediately upon graduation
- The student is planning to go into the military (Student must be 17 years old)
- The student has the opportunity to go into the work force full time and needs his or her diploma