The College School celebrates its students

College School students perform “Lean on Me” in sign language.

2:44 p.m., June 9, 2005--The College School’s 2004-05 closing ceremonies Wednesday morning, June 8, started with students singing the national anthem and spreading an American flag sent from Iraq by a serviceman who has been a mail buddy.

It ended with teary-eyed parents, school director Jeanne Geddes-Key so choked up she had trouble speaking and a loud, rousing countdown to summer.

The College School on UD’s Newark campus serves students in grades 1-8 who demonstrate learning, attention, mild social or mild behavioral issues. The aim is to return them to a mainstream educational environment, and the students leaving this year will attend Wilmington Friends, Meredith Middle, Sanford, St. Hedwig, St. Thomas, Talley Middle and other schools.

Wiping her tears after a student-produced slide show, Geddes-Key, Emily L. Phelps Director of The College School, said, “Our mission is for students to go back to a mainstream school, and we’re proud that they’re leaving, but it’s just very, very emotional because we’ve become so fond of them.”

With parents videotaping and grandparents waving, students read original compositions and strutted onstage during a comic fashion show. Parents cheered and clapped when 15 students performed “Lean on Me” in sign language.

Student Nathan Di Virgilio talked about his mom and dad being his heroes, and Ryan Sternberg read his original composition “Cola-Mania!!!,” about a boy whose doctor prescribes pills to get him to stop drinking cola for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Haley Hagenbach read her composition about The College School. It began, "The College School is kindness...."

Students gave roses to friends who were leaving for other schools. Teachers presented awards for improvement, for academic achievement and for kindness. Geddes-Key introduced the school’s first student government representatives, who raised more than $1,000 for tsunami relief in their first year in existence.

Susan Gornik, a parent, received the Volunteer of the Year award, and Nathan Farmer and Joe Sullivan were named 2004-05 students of the year.

The entire group joined in the countdown to summer led by Shannon Fulghum, 7, to conclude the ceremonies.

Article by Kathy Canavan
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson

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