The 150th anniversary of Jersey City Public Schools took place at William L. Dickinson High School on October 28th. This event commemorated those who contributed to the making of Jersey City Public Schools. Many families, students, politicians, and board members came to celebrate this honorable event.
At the start of the 150th event assembly, many volunteers, consisting of staff and students wearing yellow shirts, unionized together to memorialize the history of all Jersey City Public Schools. Outside the building were families, staff, and honored guests interacting with one another and reminiscing over the years as though it were sentimental nostalgia. The band from the visual performing arts program played for the crowds of people surrounding them, and children were waiting in line for the balloon artist. The first floor contained artifacts from the various schools in the district and videos from our district’s history. Some historical artifacts presented included the Dickinson High School Victories Record from the early 1900s, which contained signatures from Henry Snyder, President Woodrow Wilson, Helen Keller, principals of the schools, and historical figures. Dickinson students who chose to volunteer gave the guests a warm welcome by delivering a tour of the school.
The gathering first began with a military march, creating a patriotic environment. Afterward, the student choir, from PS. 25, sang an edited version of “We’re the Champions.” The esteemed superintendent of schools, Dr. Norma Fernandez, talked about the accomplishments of Jersey City, particularly about its expanding community. The prominent messages discussed revolved around promoting literacy, expanding the minds of younger individuals and special education students, and overall preparation for students with their college credits and making them all-rounded scholars. The speakers proceeded to present the 150th anniversary video, which mainly emphasized the rise of the JCBOE. An important announcement was made by Noemi Velazquez and Natalie Ioffe about how they want to make the JCPS community resolution. They touched upon the ways they would like for the community to be more involved in bettering the JCBOE, led by Noemi Velazquez. To end the ceremony, they placed a letter that listed our current values and what we hope happens in the future in the infamous time capsule.
