June is Graduation Season at NJCDC!
July 2, 2024
Watch a video of our graduates here!
Each year, NJCDC celebrates hundreds of students graduating from our schools and programs! June is filled with celebrations and ceremonies to congratulate our students — and their families — for their hard work and success.
Paterson Family Center
On Wednesday, June 26, our Paterson Family Center (PFC) Preschool held its annual Moving Up Ceremony, with each class preparing a musical performance for their families. 47 students are moving up from pre-K 3 to pre-K 4 and 55 students are moving on to Kindergarten! The PFC also held a Parent Recognition Luncheon on Friday, June 21, celebrating the dedicated parents and caregivers who help our youngest scholars succeed. Our pre-K 4 graduates will continue their educational journeys in Kindergarten at schools including the Community Charter School of Paterson (CCSP), School #2, and School #5.
FSCS at School 5
NJCDC is the lead agency in the Full Service Community School (FSCS) at Public School 5, where we operate a variety of programs and services designed to help students and their families succeed. On Monday, June 24, over 100 Kindergarten students gathered in the auditorium at John F. Kennedy High School to celebrate moving up to 1st grade in the fall. On that same day, there was also a graduation ceremony for the school’s 5th graders, who will be heading to middle school next year.
Community Charter School of Paterson
NJCDC founded the Community Charter School of Paterson (CCSP) over 15 years ago as a K-3 school, and we’re proud to now serve over 900 students in grades K-8. On Friday, June 14, we celebrated 100 Kindergarten students who will be starting 1st grade, and on Thursday, June 20, we celebrated CCSP’s 4th graders, who will be heading across the street to CCSP’s Middle School Campus in the fall!
On Monday, June 17, CCSP held its 8th Grade Graduation at Garrett Mountain Reservation. The ceremony began with a reading by Bob Guarasci, NJCDC’s Founder and CEO, who helped found CCSP in 2008. Students and families also heard from Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, CCSP CEO Ira Griffith, and CCSP staff and teachers before the graduates received their diplomas. In the fall, the scholars are excited to start high school at John F. Kennedy High School, Passaic County Technical Institute, International High School, and many others!
Joseph A. Taub School
NJCDC is the lead agency of the FSCS at Joseph A. Taub School, Paterson’s newest middle school. The FSCS provides middle school students with academic support, counseling, mentorship, and more, so they can succeed both in and out of school. On Thursday, June 27, the school held a graduation ceremony for the 8th graders, who are excited to begin high school in the fall!
Paterson Youth Council
On Tuesday, June 18, our Paterson Youth Council (PYC) gathered at our Rogers Meeting Center to celebrate their completion of the yearlong leadership development program. Each of the 30 members received a $500 stipend and a certificate in recognition of their hard work. During the ceremony, the teens heard from Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh and Christian Callegari, the newest member of NJCDC’s Board of Trustees and a PYC alum. In addition, nine PYC graduates also completed high school this year and will be attending colleges including New Jersey Institute of Technology, Montclair State University, and Saint Peter’s University.
Great Falls Youth Center
On Friday, June 21, the Great Falls Youth Center held an End-of-School Year BBQ! Each month, the Youth Center holds an event to celebrate student birthdays and recognize accomplishments. This month, they also celebrated the students who are graduating from high school this year!
Timothy – Hawthorne Heights
In December, we welcomed Timothy Royster as the newest resident at our Hawthorne Heights Apartments, a supportive and affordable housing development where residents learn to live independently. Since he moved into Hawthorne Heights, Timothy has thrived with the help of our staff — and on Tuesday, June 18, he celebrated his graduation from East Orange Campus High School!
International High School and John F. Kennedy High School
On Thursday, June 27, Paterson Public Schools held their high school graduation ceremonies at Hinchliffe Stadium. We’re excited for all of the graduates, especially those in our Compete for Life and FSCS programs at John F. Kennedy High School and our Great Falls Teen Center and FSCS programs at International High School! Students from our Great Falls Teen Center will be going to colleges like Wesleyan University, Dartmouth College, and the University of Miami in the fall!
“Every year, I am proud to celebrate our students for their success,” said NJCDC’s Founder and CEO Bob Guarasci. “I am also grateful to celebrate the people who work hard every day to help our students succeed—teachers, staff, and families. At NJCDC, our vision is that all children will graduate from high school ready for college and a career, and every year we get closer to reaching that vision. I look forward to seeing what comes next for all of our accomplished graduates!”