St. Dennis School celebrates golden anniversary
Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published October 20, 2006
Royal Oak – Laura MeLampy says St. Dennis School in Royal Oak, where she and her husband Dave send their three children, is like an extended family.
"It's like a home away from home for our kids," said MeLampy, whose children are in fourth grade, second grade and the preschool program.
Mother Joyce Medici, who has a baby in the preschool program and a fourth-grader, agrees. "My daughter says she wants to come here forever," Medici said.
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Photo by Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic
St. Dennis School eighth-grader Zach Mickus and grandfather Jim Therkalsen, once a St. Dennis parent, browse throughyearbooks atthe celebration. | St. Dennis School celebrated 50 years of education with a week-long celebration that culminated in a Mass and open house celebration for students, families and alumni last Saturday. Celebration committee chair Dina Vailliencourt – who's also a music teacher, mother of two St. Dennis students and wife of a St. Dennis alumnus – said the 180 St. Dennis students celebrated the milestone all week.
Students participated in the Mass, and pastor Fr. John Christ, OSC, recognized former principals, teachers, students, parents and religious education ministers at the beginning of the celebration. "For 50 years, St. Dennis School has been forming young people," he said during the homily.
The school had previously celebrated its 25-year anniversary, so organizers figured 50 years would be a good time to celebrate their school again, Vailliencourt explained. They put together some photo albums, and invited people to bring in their memorabilia – yearbooks, pictures and the like – to put on display. Among the treasures were an old diploma and a picture of a nun and a student from 1962.
Vailliencourt said the celebration allows the community to see how the school persevered through the years.
"The future of Catholic education is uncertain anyway," Vailliencourt said. "It bolsters the community you have now.
"It shows that it's been important to people all those 50 years," she said.
St. Dennis School opened in 1956 with nearly 500 students in grades one through four. More grades and teachers were added over the years, and enrollment got as high as 1,157 students in 1960. Gym classes, music classes, and others were all added to the curriculum over the years.
For the open house after Mass, classrooms were designated as gathering spots for alumni of different decades, with memorabilia on display in several classrooms and various video clips playing in the hallways. Student artwork decorated the hallways, muchof it having to do with St. Dennis celebrating 50 years.
First-grader Brendan Baranski was enjoying the popcorn at the open house, but agreed with his mother, Diane, that he liked the school and his friends, as well as the community.
"We like the small, family atmosphere," Diane Baranski said.
Eighth-graders Megan Riley and Dominic Raona were working the fund-raising tables for confirmation community service hours, but they were also having a good time talking to classmates and celebrating with the community. Riley said she'll be sad at the end of the year, when she finishes her time at St. Dennis.
"I've been going here since I was 3," Riley said. "It's the only school I've ever been in."
She also said if a student doesn't understand a subject, the teachers will take the time to explain it.
"I like the teachers because they make learning fun," Raona agreed.
The celebration got a pretty good response from former students, Vailliencourt said.
"It's a celebration for the families that are here and the families that have been here," she said.
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