Anniversary Celebrations

Our community celebrated four birthdays over the Columbus Day holiday weekend: the Quasquicentennial (125^th) of our New Jersey School for the Deaf, the 80^th of our Alumni Association, the 40^th of the Katzenbach Parent and Staff Organization, and the Katzenbach Parent and Staff Educational Foundation’s 10^th. 

The festivities began on Friday, October 10^th, with an academic bowl competition between NJSD and its oldest rival, The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD).  Our students were the winners in a close competition. 

Students, staff, parents, families, friends, alumni, and invited guests were treated to a brief performance of “Stomp” performed by our 7^th graders.  Everyone also enjoyed a power point presentation down the memory lane “Remembering the Past; Looking Forward to the Future.”
 

We were honored to share our celebration Kick-Off with the New Jersey State Lottery’s Deputy Director of Operations and Organization Support - Marilyn T. Blazovsky; the Director of the New Jersey Division of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing -  Dr. David Alexander; Superintendent of Ewing Township Public Schools - Mr. Raymond Broach,  Superintendent of Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission – Mr. Mark Finkelstein; New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Group - Robert DeFlesco, Vice President and Pat Hartpence, Assistant Vice President; and Scott Crass - attending on behalf of Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein.
	The Department of Education was well represented by Dave Corso, John Hart, Therese Sheehan, Dodi Price, and our Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gantwerk. Mistress of Ceremonies, Kim Arrigo, led the program with several speakers including NJSD’s Superintendent Dennis Russell and Barbara Gantwerk.  Accompanied by a power point presentation, our students narrated information about the school’s former superintendents and their accomplishments.

 Testimonials by our students and former students who are staff members, with the theme of “Why We Love NJSD,” were heartwarming.  From the youngest to the oldest presenter, their message was clear: their lives were positively impacted by attending NJSD where their communication mode is respected, and their academic, personal, and social growth flourished.  The assembly concluded with the silent signed poem “HANDS” performed by our 2^rd graders, a birthday song, and the traditional birthday cake.

The invited guests were treated to light refreshments prepared by our students in the food service classes.  A special thank you to those students.

The day continued with a match between the NJSD Middle School Soccer team and Kings Academy in the afternoon.  Friday concluded with a volleyball match between our Lady Colts and PSD in the evening.  Our students were victorious in both games.

Saturday’s celebration began with a morning soccer game against PSD.  Our boys played an awesome game and won in overtime.  Throughout the day on Saturday, our guests enjoyed the 25 vendors in the High School lobby, the school store, the Alumni Museum, and the Brian C. Shomo Demo Center.  Guests bought delicious lunches sold by the Katzenbach Parent and Staff Organization (KPSO) and Katzenbach’s Education Foundation (KPSEF). 

The Alumni Association hosted a Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Jochem Center. Inductees included individuals between the years 1958 and 1985. Maria Scott and Juanito Crespo, employees of the school, were among the inductees. The ceremony also included the 50^th year celebration of our school’s 1958 basketball team and inducted those team members into the Hall of Fame as well.

NJSD provided a shuttle to transport our guests around the beautiful 110-acre campus. The shuttle was appreciated by our guests!  The gorgeous day on campus concluded with a group photo on the hill by the track and field area.

Saturday evening we gathered at Angeloni’s Cedar Gardens for dinner.  The 250 guests were treated with a photo favor, music by the DJ Supalee, and watched as hundreds of old photos from NJSD appeared on a huge screen. 

Master of Ceremonies, Wade Donald Terry, (’70) led the evening by introducing our speakers: former superintendent Dr. Gertrude Galloway; graduate Robert Strohmeier, who shared with us his work on a book on NJSD history that he hopes to publish soon; and Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz, president of the National Technical Institute of the Deaf. 

 Highlights of the picnic included the New Jersey State Police landing a helicopter at the track for both the children and adults to tour and ask questions of the pilots. The West Jersey K-9 Search and Rescue Team demonstrated the skills of their dogs and handlers used to search for survivors during a disaster.  The State Police also provided a trooper and a car at the picnic site.  Adults and children were able to ask questions about the police and enjoyed the various lights and sirens on the car.

Special thanks goes to Dr. David Alexander, Director of New Jersey’s Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, for providing communication accessibility all weekend by sponsoring the professional Interpreters and CART (Communication Access Real Time Translation).  KPSO and KPSEF also extend their heartfelt gratitude to the intern students from the Interpreter Training Programs at Union, Burlington, and Ocean County Colleges, for their hours of volunteering to provide communication access for the weekend events.  Additional thanks to our staff members and the professional interpreters who volunteered.  Robbinsville High School was also well represented by student volunteers whose work greatly contributed to the success of the event.

The perfect weather, along with the gorgeous fall foliage on campus, contributed to the fantastic weekend.  The overall success was the result of a wonderful committee, led by Tom Sparks, working diligently for two years to plan everything to the finest detail, and all the wonderful volunteers who jumped in wherever help was needed. 

NJSD is more than just a school…It is our second home.  Together, the school, students, alumni, parents, and staff, we can and we will continue to survive and thrive.