The mariachi band played, the student chorus sang and the guests danced at PS 95 in Jamaica on May 9 as the school celebrated its 100th anniversary. Alumni, former teachers, faculty, students and family members were among the 200 guests who attended the event. Congressman Gregory Meeks and City Councilman I. Daneek Miller issued proclamations celebrating the centennial, and the school received congratulatory letters from the governor, the mayor and the chancellor. To prepare for the event, students at the school studied things that have changed over the past century and decorated the school’s bulletin boards with centennial themes. They also participated in a centennial songwriting contest. The contest’s winners — a kindergarten student who sang about PS 95 to the tune of “Happy Birthday” and a 5th-grader who wrote his own lyrics about how PS 95 “would be standing for 100 more years” — performed at the celebration. The cafeteria, decorated in the school’s colors of blue and gold, was transformed into a “centennial cafe.” Rose Marie Dubowski, who has taught at PS 95 for 40 years, was the driving force behind the event, according to fellow teacher Mary Lawrence. “Her simple request turned into a monumental event,” said Lawrence. “Everyone had an absolutely wonderful time.”

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Miller Photography