Assumption School to Hold 35-Year Reunion

Andrew Warde High School's Class of 1976 30-year reunion committee president Tony Procaccini is spearheading another reunion this Fall. Procaccini was one of a large group of classmates who attended Assumption School in Fairfield.

Our Lady of the Assumption School Class of 1972 will hold its 35-year reunion on Saturday evening, October 27, 2007 at Cinzano's Restaurant, 1920 Black Rock Turnpike.

According to Tony Procaccini, a class member and chief organizer of the group’s four previous reunions and the 2007 event, "Our turnout rates have been in the 40-45 % range, and we hope that this year's edition will equal or even outdo those figures."

The class recently started its own Website, which is undoubtedly unique for a grammar school class. However, Procaccini says that "having our own class Web is really not that surprising, since the group’s members have stayed in touch continually since our first reunion in 1982. I see this as a natural follow-up to our activities over the years. The class also lends support to its members and their families in time of need, thus our connection is more than just one of friendship."

A small committee has been working hard at making the event successful in many ways. In a new touch, invitations were extended to former teachers Pat Brennan and Joe Odoardi, the school's current principal, Ms. Gerrie Desio, as well as the school's Alumni Association president Greg Matera. Advanced technology is helping, too: the Website serves as a focal point for classmates to RSVP, add their profiles, and post photos past and present, too.

Classmates (attendees and non-attendees) and all others are asked to help the class by buying raffle tickets, which can be done by following instructions on the class Website (given below). Prizes include seven books by alumnus and award-winning author/journalist Lenore Skomal, a one-time columnist for the Connecticut Post.

For more information, visit www.olas1972.myevent.com or call Tony Procaccini at 718-545-3089.

Please sign the AWHS Class of 1976 Guest Book.

Visit the AWHS Class of 1976 Gift Shop.

And the Winner Is .... McKinley School!

Where did you go to elementary school in Fairfield? If our recent online poll is any indication, it was most likely McKinley School.

Nearly a quarter of those taking the poll attended the original and storied elementary school on Thompson Street on the East side of town.

In fact, the three most popular elementary schools were McKinley, Jennings, and Stratfield schools, all of which are located within walking distance of Warde High School. Thirty-three of the 54 respondents attended one of those three schools.

North Stratfield, Holland Hill, and Osborn Hill each received five votes. This typist attended Osborn Hill, but only a handful of graduates from OHS eventually attended Andrew Warde High School. That's because many students who attended the Stillson Road School were transferred from Osborn Hill to Jennings when that school opened in 1967.

I have the honor of emceeing Osborn Hill School's 50th anniversary celebration on Friday, November 9, on the 50th day of school this year. I may even be hosting my LIVE morning weathercasts on News 12 Connecticut from my kindergarten classroom.

Not surprisingly, I didn't receive one email from anyone who may have attended Riverfield, Mill Hill, Timothy Dwight, or Roger Sherman schools. Those schools, located on the Western side of town, eventually fed into Roger Ludlowe High School.

Today, McKinley, Jennings, Stratfield, North Stratfield, and the new Burr School feed into Fairfield Woods Middle School and Fairfield Warde High School.

How well do you remember your grammar school days? Do you care to share any memories or photos? Here's a class photo of the sixth-grade graduates from Jennings School from 1970. Remember, in those days elementary school consisted of grades kindergarten through six and junior high school was for seventh- and eighth-graders.

Jennings was the town's newest elementary school by 1970, located on Palm Drive and adjacent to Fairfield Woods Junior High School and Fairfield Woods branch library. Jennings School continues its tradition of academic excellence today.

Finally, how many Warde graduates attended kindergarten at Lincoln School on Jackman Avenue? The school closed following our kindergarten year. Does anyone have photos from Lincoln School? I'd be more than happy to post your comments, stories, or photos.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Class of 1976 Guest Book.

Visit the AWHS Class of 1976 Gift Shop.

Andrew Warde High School Updated Reunion Calendar

Here is a look at the calendar of Andrew Warde High School reunions scheduled this year:

The combined Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe 50th reunion of the Class of 1957 will take place September 15 at the Tashua Knolls Restaurant in Trumbull. The reunion committee is looking for former graduates and their addresses. Please email Joan Heady Sepot at miasepot@optonline.net or call 255-1955 for more information.

The AWHS Class of 1967 will hold its 40th reunion October 20 at Vazzy's at Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course. For more information, email silwest@aol.com.

Members of the AWHS Class of 1975 will celebrate a combined 32nd reunion and "The Class of '75 Turns 50" Party September 29 at the Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane. All graduates of the class are welcome. Former classmates are being sought. Contact Mike Farkas at 261-4772, Rick Norell at 386-1390, or Mary Ann Colihan at tundramac@sympatico.ca.

The AWHS Class of 1981 is planning its 26th reunion. To become involved in the planning, contact Tom Flynn at tflynn@holycross.edu and sign on to the Class of 1981 database at http://www.andrewwarde1981.myevent.com.

Fairfield High School's first 20th reunion is fast approaching. Members of the Fairfield High School Class of 1988 are encouraged to visit http://www.fhs1988.com to register and include their addresses for news and information about Fairfield's first 20th. As the date of the event draws closer, alumni will be able to share photos and other memories. Volunteers are needed to help as well. Email your information to info@fhs1988.com.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Class of 1976 Guest Book.

Visit the AWHS Class of 1976 Gift Shop.

AWHS Class of 1976 News and Notes

Andrew Warde High School Class of 1976 members Tom Knuth and Joy Ballerini, both in town at the same time from Michigan, gathered with six local classmates on Monday, August 20, at the Bear and Grill in Fairfield.

The AWHS Class of 1976 alumni included (left-to-right) Tony Procaccini, Brian Pander, Kim Nagy, Andy Larsen, Debbie Kamlani-Moss, Tom Knuth, Debbie Elstein-Lemen, and Joy Ballerini-Fried.

It's not too late to purchase reunion photobooks or DVDs. If you are interested, please write to reunion committee president Tony Procaccini at aprocaccini@juno.com.

I encourage you to contribute articles, photos, and general information about our class or an item of interest from Andrew Warde High School's storied history to the blog. It would be sincerely appreciated by this corner.

If you haven't heard, turn up your speakers and listen to Chicago's Old Days while enjoying the blog. The song is courtesy of blogmusik.net. The song plays in a continuous loop.

The first anniversary of our 30-year reunion was last Sunday, August 19.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Class of 1976 Guest Book.

Visit the AWHS Class of 1976 Gift Shop.

30-Year Reunion Anniversary Event Planned

The following correspondence was sent by 30-year reunion committee president Tony Procaccini. The first anniversary of our 30-year reunion is just a little more than a week away, and an event has been planned to celebrate the milestone.

The 30-year reunion anniversary is fast approaching, and by complete coincidence, classmates Tom Knuth and Joy Ballerini (married to our classmate Ira Fried) will be in town and available to meet with others.

The event is scheduled Monday, August 20, at 7 p.m. at the Bear and Grill Restaurant, 2000 Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield.

We'll be meeting in the dining area toward the back of the restaurant. Eat or drink as little or as much as you want.

Bring your cameras. I need shots for our class Web.

Hope to see you.

Please sign the AWHS Class of 1976 Guest Book.

Visit the AWHS Class of 1976 Gift Shop.

Weekend Show at Warde Recalls 1976 Thespians

Fairfield Warde High School will host the Fairfield Teen Theatre's production of Beauty and the Beast this weekend. Show times are scheduled for 8 o'clock Friday and Saturday evenings in the auditorium of the Melville Avenue campus.

The production will no doubt bring back memories of the stage performances we enjoyed during our senior year at Andrew Warde High School.

According to our 1976 Flame yearbook, "Thespians is an organization of hard-working and talented students. To become a member one must work one hundred hours on dramatic productions. This can be done in a variety of ways: by either acting in a play, being on stage crew and working on a set, or by being on make-up crew or wardrobe crew."

The Thespians were very active during our senior year at AWHS, presenting several plays. The first play was the musical Showboat, followed by a drama, The Scarlet Letter. The final dramatic event was a group of three student-directed presentations. There were two plays, The Bald Soprano and Androcles and the Lion, followed by a sixties cabaret. These presentations were casted, produced, and directed by the Thespian members.

The make-up crew and stage crew were integral parts of all stage productions at AWHS. Even though the make-up crew was in existence for only two years by 1976, its members mastered the techniques of applying make-up in order to achieve extraordinary dramatic effects.

The stage crew, another well-qualified group, spent weeks before each play building the set and designing the lighting. It took a lot of planning and a lot of work by all the crew members to make the plays successful.

If you have the opportunity this weekend, and you're in the area, drop by Fairfield Warde High School and take in the current production presented by the Fairfield Teen Theatre. You'll not only enjoy the show, I'm sure, but you'll recall the plays we enjoyed during our senior year at Andrew Warde High School.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Class of 1976 Guest Book.

Visit the AWHS Class of 1976 Gift Shop.