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ACES Principal, Dr. Anthony Tyrkala, knew that this year’s 8th grade graduation had to be special. In prior years, the graduation ceremony was held at the Aventura Recreation Center, but this past year was different because of COVID. And so he set about creating a new and different type of ceremony. He assembled his team and placed teacher Alexandra Farah in charge of the program, logically enough because she had experience as an event planner. And that was a great decision, as she was on top of every detail.
When the ACES team saw the magnificent Majestic Ballroom at the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort, they knew that it would be perfect, offering not only the gorgeous ambiance of the resort, but more than enough room to allow 300+ family members seated with a huge stage to accommodate the ceremony as well as a separate ballroom for the graduates to gather and a huge backstage area. The professionals at Turnberry, led by General Manager Jeffrey Klein, went above and beyond expectations to accommodate the school’s every request and provide their expert guidance and support on everything from logistics to the large screen TVs. Sinaca Lingard, Sr. Director of Catering and Event Management and Banquet Operations, worked closely with Alexandra and her team offering advice and support throughout the planning stages..….all part of Turnberry’s five-star service.
Dr. Tyrkala said, “This moving- up celebration for our 8th grade class of 2021 exemplifies this year’s ACES theme of Stronger Together. I could not imagine a better event to wrap up an amazing year, filled with challenges that our staff, students and families overcame at every turn. We are immensely grateful to JW Marriott Turnberry Resort for being so accommodating while exceeding all expectations. A special thank- you to the Aventura Marketing Council for their help making the right connections, as they always do. We are all proud of our 8th grade students who showed so much grit and determination this year and excelled over the last nine years at ACES. They truly earned this special evening. As this wonderful class of Eagles leaves the nest, we know they will continue making Excellence the Expectation. GO EAGLES!!:
Alexandra Farah added, “In times so unprecedented as we have all experienced, this evening at the JW Turnberry seemed almost a dream. As ACES celebrated our spectacular eighth graders, one could only gleam with joy and take in the moment…it was as close to normal as anyone has felt in quite some time. A reason to dress up, celebrate in person and safely embrace one another was what everyone truly needed. You could just “feel it” in the air. Our school event planning team really pulled out all the stops on this one. It’s been humbling to hear students and families alike expressing their gratitude for this joyous occasion and I know they will remember this night, above all, the most. “
To entertain the audience as they arrived, the Aventura Marketing Council/Chamber of Commerce brought in Mason Pace, one of their superstars from their annual INTERIORS BY STEVEN G ~ YOUNG STARS SHOWCASE, to perform. Mason has opened for national performers such as Joan Jett, Cheap Trick and Ace Frehley and just released his second album, “Reborn”. With song and on his acoustic guitar, Mason enthralled the audience with his version of “Feelin’ Good”.
