#4 School to celebrate centennial

A Five Towns school that has served as a pioneer for early childhood education is getting set to celebrate its centennial anniversary.

The Number Four School in Inwood will be holding its 100th anniversary event on Sunday, May 16, from noon to 3 p.m. The celebration will include a carnival with games, food, drinks, live music and a free petting zoo, but organizers are also hoping the event will enable alumni to reunite with old friends and teachers to reflect on the important role the Number Four School played in their education.

When the Number Four School started in 1910 it housed grades kindergarten through eighth grade. In 1965, the Lawrence Public Schools building on Wanser Avenue in Inwood was transformed into an early childhood center used solely for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, one of the first in the nation to use this education model, according to the school's principal, Dr. Ann Pedersen.

"The real advantage to [an early childhood center model] is that everything that takes place in that space is taught to the developmental needs of that age," said Pedersen, who has been Number Four School principal since 2004. "Everything in that building is designed for that age."

Number Four School parent Gina Loch, who is helping to organize the centennial celebration, said she hopes the event will be attended not just by current students, parents and alumni, but the community at large. A mid April fundraiser in Atlantic Beach for the celebration was attended by Dr. Pedersen, 10 Number Four School teachers and three school board members. Loch has also reached out to the many families in the area who attend private schools to encourage them to attend the May 16 celebration, to discover how the school has helped shape so many successful lives.

"It is going to be a full-service community celebration," said Loch.

Pedersen said she is looking forward to meeting Number Four School alumni and showing them the many changes that have taken place in the building since they were students there. "It is an honor to be sitting in this seat for the 100th anniversary," she said.

For further information about the May 16 Number Four School 100th anniversary celebration call (516) 295-4000 or (516) 791-6916.

Comments about this story? Nassaueditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 201.