On Saturday, February 5, 2022, Kearny High School held a public event celebrating the school’s 100th anniversary. Posters and boards were promoting the event. This celebration highlighted the various talented sections of our school. The leading showcase involved performances and contributions from the dance, vocal, and culinary academies. Additionally, there were guided tours by the KHS cheerleaders, and there were artistic displays from various courses offered at KHS. The event saw numerous attendees, including students, faculty, and alumni from the community. The Kearnian was on-site to cover this historical event, so come along as we guide you through the festivities. 

Dance Academy

The dance academy was the first significant showcase of KHS. Dance performances can be seen in the auditorium when entering the front hall. Performances ran from 10:30-11:30 with various varieties in style and music selection. The first performance, “Hallelujah,” was choreographed by Ms. Vella, while the students choreographed the rest. Under the direction of Ms. Vella, the dancers’ choreography was well orchestrated and elegant, which is a true testament to how much effort the students have put into their craft.

Vocal Performing Arts Academy

The vocal academy was next up in an incredible lineup of performances throughout the day. The performances were a mix of solo and group performances from the K-Birds and the cast of “In the Heights.” They ran from 11:30-1 pm under the direction of Ms. Gonzalez. They were in the atrium in front of the beloved KHS Perch. These performances garnered spectators from students, faculty, and alumni who were continually amazed by the talent of each student. Each performance was unique and would receive cheering from the other performers. Arguably, the best performances were from the complete ensemble in a harmonious performance to showcase the combined talents of all the students.

“Music builds the atmosphere; it was a pleasure to participate in the arts and bring joy to the audience” -Johanna Lira

Culinary Arts Academy

The culinary academy was another major highlight of the celebration as they provided the attendees with light refreshments for the duration of the event. Situated in the atrium, the culinary academy assembled a spread of different appetizers, pastries, and beverages. The appetizers were sausage stuffed mushrooms and mozzarella tomato skewers with a balsamic glaze and fresh basil. The pastries consisted of pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, cranberry oat almond coconut cookies, and two celebratory cakes congratulating KHS on 100 years. Beverages included various hot drinks, iced tea, and water. All of these refreshments were courtesy of the hard work from the students of the culinary arts academy under the guidance of Chef Carratura and both Chef Barone’s.

Guided Tours and Alumni

The KHS cheerleaders led guided tours of the building every 15 minutes from the front hall throughout the event. These tours were tailored towards alumni as we paraded through the old and new building halls. Former students from all years returned to see how much has changed from their time at KHS. The tours were filled with alumni telling reminiscing stories of old classes and experiences with each floor and classroom. Alumni have noted that the structure of the building’s classes hasn’t changed, but they were amazed by the progress and students’ artistic works. The tour ended with the guides leaving us in the atrium, where the refreshments, vocal performances, and artistic displays were situated. 

“It’s wonderful to see so many of our alumni and community members who are here sharing in the celebration of KHS 100 years, and it’s especially heartwarming to hear the comments about our student works in putting it all together.”- Superintendent Blood

Overall, the celebration was an incredible display of the skills and talents that KHS has to offer and indicates that the future is looking bright for the school. Here’s to another 100 years of greatness. 

“This is stunning; I get chills, loving that the community is enjoying this, and seeing the hard work that the students are putting in.”- Principal Richardson

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