54.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Clear Stream turns back the clock
Community celebrates 90th anniversary of school, district
See more photos from the 90th anniversary celebration here.
District 30 pulled out all the stops and celebrated its 90th anniversary with great fanfare on Feb. 26 at the Clear Stream Avenue School. An audience of more than 200 people included teachers, students, parents and retired staff, who enjoyed an evening of speeches and performances.
Clear Stream Avenue first opened its doors in 1924, a year after the district was formed from parts of the Valley Stream 13, 24 and Elmont school districts. As guests arrived to the 90th anniversary celebration, they saw a blown-up photo of the school’s first second-grade class on the front steps. Next to it was an enlarged photo of this year’s second graders in the same spot.
Also, a bulletin board featured a collection of class and faculty photos from throughout the school’s history. In the library, there were more photos and mementos of the district. The gymnasium stage was flanked by royal blue, white and silver balloons.
“We look good for 90,” said Dr. Nicholas Stirling, the fifth superintendent of District 30. He talked about the first Board of Education members, who set the district in motion, and the recent trustees who have guided the ship.
Stirling said the evening was a chance to celebrate nine decades of successes. He cited recent accomplishments including the naming of each building as a Reward School, recognition for the district’s early intervention programs, and Shaw Avenue’s designation as a national Blue Ribbon school of excellence.
He said the district would not have been successful without the contributions of parents, community organizations and local leaders. “We embrace our tagline, ‘The Friendly Schools,’” he said, “because being the friendly schools means concentrating on relationships in our district.”
The celebration began with a “decades” fashion show, as Student Council members modeled popular clothing from the 1920s through present day. Performances by the band and chorus delighted the crowd, but the grand finale sent everyone home with a smile. The Clear Stream Steppers honored the founders of the district in hand-clapping, feet-stomping fashion.
