Highland School turned 60 years old Feb. 4, and the whole school got a chance to celebrate on Feb. 6.

Five Highland retirees were the guests of honor at the birthday party that afternoon, which kicked off with an iMovie packed with photos and news clips commemorating the history of Highland.

“It’s so important for you to know what came before and how special Highland School is,” said retired teacher Marty Kirsch, who put together the iMovie and was also the driving force behind Highland’s 50^th anniversary celebration in 2002. Other retirees who attended the celebration were Jill Rutherford, Sue VanDillen, Jeanne Wamser and Ginny Lopez.

The movie began with the school’s opening in 1952 with just six classrooms, and moved on to mark the many fun activities students and staff have taken part in over the past six decades.

These included:

• The school being named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2011
• A visit in the 1990s from Highland alum Cammi Granato, who was captain of the women’s hockey team that won the gold medal in the 1998 Winter Olympics
• Re-enacting Halley’s Comet in the 1980s
• The Huskies replacing the Bulls as the school’s mascot
• The planting of tiny saplings out front, which have since grown into mature trees
• The Young Astronauts Club shooting off rockets on the playground

Following the iMovie, the students sang happy birthday to Highland, and the student council officers headed outside to ring the 50^th anniversary bell a total of 6 times—one for each decade of the school’s existence.

Teacher Cheryl Varys, who organized the 60^th birthday celebration, shared information about a school-wide Highland trivia contest put together by the fifth- and sixth-graders.

Students could get answers for the trivia worksheet from posters lining the hallway that included highlights from each decade. Some of the posters were put together for the 50^th celebration, and others were added to encompass the years 2002-2012.

“We want the students to really look at the posters, not just notice them,” Varys said. “My class helped me to come up with trivia questions that can be answered about each decade of Highland’s history using the posters. Students who get the most correct answers will get prizes!"