No school function would be complete without cake! Seventy years ago, the average cost of a house was $3,800 and most Americans made $1,730 in a year. Gas was $.10 a gallon and New York hosted the World’s Fair. Hollywood gave us Gone With The Wind and The Wizard of Oz, Franklin D. Roosevelt was President and a little company called Hewlett-Packard began. Garden City was a mere 32 years old and the cornerstone for a school was firmly implanted on Franklin Avenue and Fourth Street. We can not move forward without looking back, and on Saturday, October 17th , over 450 students and teachers, past and present, their families and various supporters joined the present school community for a night of looking forward while looking back at all the wonderful memories the halls of St. Joseph School held. The evening began at the 5 PM Mass, at which three generations of graduates and present students of the Cullen and Griffith families processed in behind the school banner and Mr. Cullen, bearing the graduation photo of his Class of ‘42, the first graduating class. Following Mr. Cullen was Jack McKay, carrying the graduation photo of the most recent graduating class, the Class of ‘09. Also processing in was Mr. Kenny, past PTA President, School Parent and invaluable technology volunteer, bearing the trowel used on the original cornerstone. Accompanying Mr. Kenny was Mrs. Solimena, current third grade teacher who is celebrating 40 years of educating children in Catholic Schools. Lectors, Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers and Greeters were all representatives of the current classes or various alumni classes. A true commitment to Catholic education was evident as the celebration continued over in the school, where dinner and dancing to the tunes from all represented decades went on long into the night. St. Joseph School accepted citations of merit from Town Supervisor Kate Murray, Assemblyman Tom McKevitt and Senator and alum Kemp Hannon. The guests were later treated to self-guided tours and demonstrations from the award-winning school band. Current students attended in school uniform or uniforms from the various clubs in which they participate and were amazed to hear how the school changed from a one building school teaching the basics and allowing their students to walk home for lunch to a thriving two building campus with smart boards in all the classrooms, two high-tech computer labs and a wide variety of extracurricular and athletic clubs and teams. Old friends reconnected and marveled over the graduation photos in the hall, the many poster-sized photographs in the gym and the on-going slide shows and power-point presentations. The school was blessed to have two graduates from the first graduating Class of ‘42 in attendance while the Class of ‘52 was the most represented, followed by the Class of ‘50. The distance award goes to the alum from Hawaii, with the runner up coming from London. Many thanks go to Alum, Past PTA President and School Board member Jeannie Madelmayer and School Board Member John McKay, co-chairs of this trip down memory lane, and to all those who supported this event. May St. Joseph School have many more years of “Teaching minds...guiding hearts”. For more information on St. Joseph School, please visit our website at www.advantageforlife.org and for more alumni photos and information, please visit our Facebook page “St. Joseph School Alumni Page, Garden City, NY”.

Tonight’s gonna be a good, good night..... Past and present faculty and staff, one of the vital keys to the success of St. Joseph School The cocktail hour under way
Senator Kemp Hannon (‘59), Jeannie Moratti Madelmayer, Co-Chair (‘73), Town of Hemstead Supervisor Kate Murray, Dr. Kilbride, Principal, Assemblyman Tom McKevitt, Father Joseph Schlafer, Pastor, and John McKay, Co-Chair receiving citations.
Two dolls..in the same uniform!
Ladies in Black
5th Grade members of the Class of lucky ‘13!
Catching up with friends
Dancing the night away
Anne-Marie Proce, School Librarian, Jim Proce, former School Board Member with school graduate and one of the premier photographers of the evening, Connor.
Welcome back to Miss Devine, former Principal and Father Antony
Dr. Paul Callahan, Alum, School Board Member and Soccer Coach reads at Mass
Mr. Kenny, Past PTA President and Mrs. Solimena, current school teacher
Senator Hannon recalls fond memories
Greeters represent the Class of 2011
The Cullen/Griffith Family behind the school colors
:..and the band played on!
Checking out those graduation pictures
Mr. Keefe (‘59) with Mrs. Keefe, 5th Grade SJS Teacher
School Parent, Board Member and Alumni, Tony Bennett, wonders what we’ll do for our 75th Anniversary!
Members of the Class of ‘59
A great night with great company
Faculty and Staff