NORTHAMPTON — The R.K. Finn Ryan Road Elementary School gymnasium was a sea of blue Friday afternoon, buzzing with 230 students who sat cross-legged in matching T-shirts, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their school.
Relatives of current students, alumni, educators and city officials all gathered at 1:30 p.m. to mark the school’s ha;f century since it opened in 1966. Speakers praised the school’s diversity and teachers. Students sang a series of “Happy Birthday” songs in four languages and made wishes for the future.
“You children are the reason why we’re here. Thank you for being children,” Principal Sarah Madden said.
After the ceremony, Megan Finn Grygorcewicz and Kim Goggins, daughters of Robert K. Finn, the school’s namesake, held back tears as they talked about their father’s legacy, browsing photos and newspaper clippings in the school library.
Finn, the first principal of Ryan Road Elementary School, died of a heart attack in 1986 at age 52. The school was renamed that year to honor his 20 years of service.
Finn loved the kids, Goggins said. He was known for pitching kickballs to students with friend and colleague Walter Crowther, the school’s vice principal, who died at age 64 in 2005.
“I said I wouldn’t cry,” Goggins said, wiping away tears. “The school was their whole life, they gave their all. They were best friends.”
Crowther’s children, Steve Crowther and Lisa Safron, also attended the ceremony. The four said they have fond childhood memories of hanging around the school hallways during vacation periods and watching dinosaur videos. The family’s involvement in education continues, as Safron is the Ryan Road School nurse.
During the ceremony, Mayor David J. Narkewicz issued a proclamation recognizing the school’s dedication to educational excellence, calling the anniversary a milestone.
“Since 1966 Ryan Road school, the last neighborhood elementary school to open in our community has provided an educational home for thousands of children in Florence,” Narkewicz said. “Congratulations, and happy birthday.”
Superintendent John A. Provost praised the school’s diversity and core values, telling students they are “light years ahead of the class of 1966.” Provost said he took to Facebook to check in with alumni. He touched on fond memories, like unexpected snow days caused by the Blizzard of ‘78 and cut-off shorts, a popular clothing style in decades past.
“The first class set the standard for you guys in the blue shirts,” Provost said. “But you are more diverse than any other class of students who have come through Ryan Road.”
Celebrating the school’s cultural mix, 50 students ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade sang “Happy Birthday” in English, Spanish, German and Creole and held battery-operated candles. Two students sat side-by-side and played piano, accompanying the singers.
Kindergartener Justus Schultze was joined on stage by family members Shirley Peglow, Arvi Hoelscher and Felicity Schultze. Dressed in an anniversary T-shirt that nearly reached his knees, the smiling 5-year-old held hands with Schultze and sang a German birthday song to his classmates, growing bashful near the end. Ward 6 City Councilor Marianne L. LaBarge praised the teachers, saying the success of children later in life is fostered at the elementary school level, saying that was true of her own sons, Richard and Christopher, who attended the school.
“They will become what you have taught them,” LaBarge told educators.
Although the promise of post-celebration cake and ice cream excited the students, the teachers ran a smooth operation in the gymnasium. Through discreet hand raises, the teachers motioned to students when it was time to listen. When students noticed the signal, they too would raise their hands and sit patiently. By the end of the ceremony, Narkewicz was raising his hand, too.
A kindergarten class distributed hand-made, tissue-paper flowers to celebrate the day. Some students wore mardi gras beads. Administrative assistantSharon Matrishon said the school planned to host an open house Friday evening in the library to display historical photos and articles.