June 7, 2007 - Southgate Elementary School celebrated its rich history and community on June 6 at 7 p.m. in the school’s courtyard.

The Southgate school building opened in March of 1956, and what better way to celebrate a 51st birthday then to have the entire student body, their families and school faculty participate in a musical and historical review with singing, dancing and costumes of the time period!

Students talked about the Mahican Indians, Henry Hudson and the Dutch settlement, the British Colonial influence, the Shaker influence, railroads and industrialization, the development of suburbs, and the future.

“This is truly a celebration of hundreds of years of history of this area and the community,” said Southgate Elementary School Principal Kathleen Meany. “This night will help students see that for hundreds of years this land has had such a rich history that still influences us today.”

The night culminated with a special birthday cake. In addition to the birthday celebration, Southgate memorabilia was sold with all proceeds going toward a new playground for the school.