Mawbey Street School No. 1 Celebrates 50 Years

Mawbey Street School lives up to its name as number one, Fifth grade essay winner Sana Qureshi expressed on Monday afternoon at the school's 50th anniversary celebration.

She recalled the great experiences she had at Mawbey Street, such as the Thanksgiving feast and field day.

Qureshi said the best part of Mawbey Street is that it is like a family.

"We may be different sizes, come from different cultures and are different ages, but we all share one heart and really stick together," she said in her essay. 

She even compared the school, its teachers and principal to gardening. 

"We are the vibrant flowers," she said. "The teachers here are like gardeners paying us plenty of love and attention."

Mayor John McCormac visited Mawbey Street to commend the school on reaching such a milestone. However, the students and teachers took away something more from McCormac’s remarks, which is that June 17 has been declared “Mawbey Street School Day” in Woodbridge Township.

Both McCormac and Assemblyman Craig Coughlin told the students that this day is something that they will remember for a lifetime.

“You will be part of a great tradition making a difference in the community,” Coughlin said to the students.

Coughlin presented Principal Barbara Balog with a resolution from Trenton recognizing the school’s anniversary.

He joked, “We don’t ever agree on anything in Trenton, but this is something that was unanimous.”

Before heading outside, the fourth and fifth grade choir sang three songs to the crowded all-purpose room, closing out in unison singing the Mawbey Street School Song.

The celebration commenced with a ribbon cutting of the newly installed “Dolphin Trail” located in the back playground. Each student and staff member traveled down the Dolphin Trail to enter back into the building.

The Mawbey Street community also opened the time capsule that was buried in 1962 and laid out items from this year to place back inside the capsule.

Mawbey Street alum and current Woodbridge Middle School Principal Robert McLaughlin and Superintendent Dr. Robert Zega and also spoke to commemorate the occasion.