Alumni sought to take part in celebration
By: Hilary Parker
If only (stuffed) animals could talk.
If they could, Ravioli Littlebrook Elementary School’s 7-foot-tall giraffe mascot might be able to share his memories of the school’s earliest days in anticipation of next year’s 50th anniversary celebration.
Even Ravioli doesn’t date back to the school’s founding in 1956, though. Legend has it he came to the school in 1959.
Littlebrook PTO Co-President Marion McClusky and Principal Anna Gonzalez Kosek are spearheading an effort to contact alumni, especially those who attended the school between 1956 and 1960, who might be able to share their memories and memorabilia with students in the 2007-2008 school year. Unfortunately, the district does not have records of former students at the elementary school, according to Ms. McClusky.
In 1955, before Princeton public schools were regionalized, Princeton Township bought the 13-acre Littlebrook site from Princeton Borough for a sum total of $7,000, citing population trends for the need to construct a new elementary school. At the time of its construction later that year, the 22-classroom facility came with a price tag of $700,000.
While the celebration organizers were able to find one box filled with old handbooks and photographs, the earliest materials date to the late 1960s, said Ms. McClusky. All records dating back to the 1950s were lost in a flood, according to Pam McLean, Littlebrook PTO co-president. In an attempt to contact local Littlebrook alumni, notices have gone out in weekly bulletins sent to parents of students in all the Princeton Regional Schools.
"When we do contact these alumni, we want them to be an integral part of our celebration," said Ms. McLean.
In October, the annual Fall Fun Night will be a celebratory sock-hop hearkening back to the 1950s for students, alumni and the community, and organizers hope the focus on the ’50s will last throughout the year.
"This is going to be a year-long celebration where they’re going to be learning about the ’50s," Ms. McLean said.
The celebration organizers would be grateful for any memorabilia from former Littlebrook students and faculty members, and encourage them to call the school office at (609) 806-4250 or Ms. McClusky at (609) 921-2738.

