Tree of Light celebration set for Friday evening.
The Lewis School of Princeton is celebrating its 30th anniversary with two major events this week, beginning with the annual Tree of Light celebration Friday.
Founded in 1973, the Lewis School and Clinic is a private, nonprofit resource of educators and advocates for dyslexic, learning-different persons and those with attention deficit disorder.
The Friday celebration will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in the schoolyard, 53 Bayard Lane at the corner of Paul Robeson Place.
More than 150,000 lights will be illuminated on the 30-foot Norwegian blue spruce tree, symbolizing the "gifts and great promise of learning-different persons everywhere."
Princeton Borough Mayor Marvin Reed and Princeton Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand are scheduled to speak.
The event includes a holiday concert and open house featuring fine cuisine, tasty desserts and hot cider.
Musical performances by The Lewis School Children’s Chorus, harpist Elaine Bejjani, The Starlite Chorale, the a cappella chorus Koleinu, songwriter Diane Shaljian and the Princeton University Tigerlilies, Nassoons and Wildcats are slated.
The festivities are free and open to the public. All proceeds will benefit the school’s scholarship and educational program fund.
At 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Yale University School of Medicine neuroscientist and best-selling author Dr. Sally E. Shaywitz and her husband, Dr. Bennet A. Shaywitz, chief of pediatric neurology at the Yale University School of Medicine, will present a lecture on "The Science of Reading: Overcoming Dyslexia."
The lecture will take place at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer St. Dr. Shaywitz and her husband will also make a presentation at Friday’s celebration.
Dr. Sally Shaywitz is the author of "Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Overcoming Reading Problems at Any Level," a New York Times bestseller.
Admission to the talk is free but reservations are required by calling the school at (609) 924-8120.