Who's Coming 2024

Sad news.  Fran\'s wife, Mary Hennessey passed away this weekend.  Just thought you all should know if he comes to the reunion.  If any of you knew her, you knew she was a delightful person.  She was a very good friend of mine and I really miss her.

VVV Alrighty then. Glad that got sorted. VVV

Hey there !  I am really looking forward to seeing all of you and thanks for the great memories of my high school days !

SATURDAY NIGHT!!! 6/19 8PM, CINNAMINSON ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL GET TOGETHER / SOCIAL AT THE ST CHARLES CARNIVAL IN CINNAMINSON.BEER TENTBEERWINGS CLAMS CAS STUDENTS AND FACULTYFUN!!!!!SEE YA ALL THERE!!!

just want to say that I just looked at the photographers pics of the reunion!!! wow was great to see so many faces of my childhood!!! I felt like I was there with everyone having a great time!!seeing so many old friends from my past made me get so choked up!!!Peter D. wherever you are it was so nice to see your smiling face. you look wonderful just how I remember you in my mind. same with Chet and so many many others.what it must of felt like walking back in the school and going back 35 years.God Bless everyone who went to the Aschool. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What?! There was a CAS reunion?  I would neverathunkit.   And I missed it!  The only school community of my first two decades I have any interest in.     Well, the reunion is clearly long over, and nothing new has been posted in a year, and I dunno if anyone's looking here anymore.  I don't recognize a lot of the names because I was there first year only (bu tI sure recognize Lee, Jack, Kyra, Ray, John...science class was rebuilding VW engines.)   Not quite true.  I "hung out" for the first half of the second year.  1974 was a bad year for me - I basically fell into an emotional pit - I climbed back out and was fine.  But I mention this because there are two people who had been close friends who I said some terrible things to the last time I saw them, which was at CAS.  It is one of my very few regrets in 57 years.  (That, and learning to smoke - also at CAS - but I got free of those damn things about 10 years later).   I would be glad to be in touch with folks from 1972-73.   Roger Reid.

I had a great time and hope we can continue building our community. Music was great, people were friendly, food and drink was good. You may feel overwhelmed by all the photos but I have posted my reunion pics to Flickr. To find them, search under Flickr for cinnaminson  and "alternative School" (in quotes). Stay in touch!db

we need a reel to reel 1/2" video player to play a school vids, can anyone help?

If anyone wants to stay in Cinnaminson on the 27th, we can get a great rate if we book 10 rooms or more a the Sleep Inn. The rooms would be only $79.95 for the night and the place is decent (sorry guys, no hourly rates). Let me know if you are interested... 856-229-3763

the night at whistlers was only a whisper in the ear of things to come. It was really nice to see everyone and i really appreciated seeing jack

Greetings from Super Natural British Columbia....where buds seem common as trees, the air is fresh scented with pine, cedar and fir, the water runs freely (almost) and the people seem to really care. I was lucky enough to have experienced the very last year of the A-school and was one of the few that had to be merged back into reality. I learned that year, I was a public speaker...and spoke out in front of hundreds, plus I really learn to love learning....although i totally slacked off in my 11th grade. My senior year I had 1.5 years worth of learning to graduate......for the 1st time in my life, I was on the honor role......i attribute this to learning to love learning....thank you A School!!

PS.....JACK HINGER is the BEST! Love you Jack!

Greetings from Vashon Island, Washington I know you will all have a great time at the reunion.  Unfortunately due to prior commitments I won’t be able to join you.  I’m bummed. It’s hard to imagine 35 years have gone by.  I’m now a bit grayer, fatter, balder and slower than I was in college and doing my student teaching gig at the Alternative School. If the Alternative School was a life-changing event for you, certainly the same can be said for me.  These days I am in a business taking clients all over the world to see and photograph nature.  It is a direct and continuous link—though a bit larger in scale—to the days many of us took off in my van (and other venerable clunkers) to watch water birds at Brigantine or the spring warbler migration in eastern Pennsylvania hardwood forests. Though some years I get to all 7 continents, some of my greatest and most memorable lifetime experiences were with some of you guys as we traipsed through “Samples Woods” watching nesting great horned owls, or identifying tiny red flowers as ”Scarlet Pimpernels” in roadside ditches on the road towards Moorestown.  I still have my original Peterson Field Guide to Eastern North America with “first sighting” entries in its margins like “Di Girolamo’s back yard.” These days I live on a pretty island about 7 miles from John Blair.  We’ve maintained our close friendship over these 35 years and still get together to “discuss” politics and other topics.  It allows us to act like we are from the East Coast since most time in PC Washington we have to fake that we are polite.  Anne Blair has been an important part of my business for most of that time. When wanderlust brings you out to the Evergreen State you are more than welcome to stop by for a visit.  My coffee drinking has never diminished since the time I learned to drink it at Mr. Donut in “Minsky.”  There’s a cup waiting for you hear. All my best to students and staff.  You are an important part of my life. Joe Van Os  

A few random memories:- Ray\'s class trips, including the U. S. Supreme Court and a night trip to LaSalle (?) to see a film about Attica.- Congressman\'s Forsythe\'s visit. Apparently, he came to pat the heads of a few hippies. Instead he was greeted with tough questions about the war and other foolishness. - Camp Ockanickon (sp) food protest.- Balloons descending on community meeting.- Fran asking a recent transfer from the H. S. -  who shall remain nameless - who was whining about something, "What would you like us to do, wipe your ass for you?"- Trip to Stratford, Connecticut, to see King Lear. - Reading current books from Cherry Hill Book Store. Every quarter.- Mid-morning Mister Donut visit.- Walt\'s mom and Kathy\'s mom in the office.- Hissing at the suits as they came to work in the morning.- The prevalence of laughter, respect and understanding. Imagine.

Hi Brian... thanks for bringing me back to those great years we spent together ... It\'s special to recall watching all of you sitting there in with the Supreme Court in session taking it all in and then walking over to old Edwin Forsythe\'s congressional office and seeing you guys politely but forcefully confront him on the war... Brian, were you on the trips to the Watergate Hearings that same year?  and by the way...I do remember quite well the trip to see the Attica documentary [it was at U of PA] ... that movie was a gut wrenching eye opener to a reality much removed from our lives.  Looking forward to see you at the reunion!

I never went to the "A" school, but I remember some of you well.  Some of you may remember me.  I left Cinnaminson and went to California in 1974 when I finished 8th grade.  One morning in California 1973 , I awoke to two guys sleeping on my front lawn.  Who was it?  Billy Pozniak and Sean Quinn!!  They hitched out to Orange County, California to see me.  We had a blast!!!  Party city!  The summer of 1975 I found Billy on my front lawn again.  After that trip and many roads traveled (one back to NJ where I reside now) I didn\'t hear from Billy for 35 years when I received a phone message from my daughter that Bill Pozniak called.  Well, Billy and I speak frequently and he has been a true blessing in my llife ever since.  We are great friends and he has reconnected me to my past, which has been a beautiful thing!  That being said, I look forward to seeing you in November!Leslie Andersen

This message if for Poz... I love ya baby!  You\'re a crazy nut still there after all these years!!!  I can\'t believe you found me 35 years later.  I\'m glad you did, you\'re a great friend.  Thanks for being there for me so many times on that telephone line!  Some day I will head back West one way for the last time.  This time you better take a plane to see me; it will be a lot easier than the thumb that way!  No jail time either!  Ha Ha!!!  Love ya my friend.Leslie Andersen

Brad Graham and Sean Quinn,Send me a message. Billy gave me the website and I would love to say hi.Billy, look further. There is a message for you. : )Leslie

First of all I want to thank all whom helped to make this most wonderful and heartfelt reunion a reality.It was true, CAS community spirit and visionthat allowed us to run with what started out as a fantasy / dream sequence of .."man, wouldn\'t it be cool if we could..."14 month\'s ago Bob Glass and myself met with Ray and Lee for the first CAS reunion meeting.I truly at one point, early into the evening saw a look of "these guy\'s are nuts, don\'t make any quick moves they may have a gun".I was ranting about community meetings at the same time that Bob G was distributing piles of spread sheets about the table.What seemed impossible, far fetched or perhaps even outside of the realm of possiblity turned very quickly into a warm glow of..yes, we can do this, yes we will, and finally "it\'s really happening\'!!Not unlike many learning experiences that we all shared back when at CAS, we only had a dream of reuniting our "family" back at the house that we all "grew" up in..no money, scant few former students to contact and a logistical "cloud" that might have frightened some "normal" folks off.Well, our concept was not "normal", our experiences were not "normal" and by god I\'m not "normal" either ( don\'t know if I like that way that looks in print (LOL ) but you get the meaning.We were taught to think outside of the box, to take risks, to dream big and to actualize our potentials.We were "taught" to take on responsiblity with our own course selection, with our own grading, with our attendance and ultimately upon leaving, with the beginning of the rest of our lives.We sit on the edge to peer and sometimes we leap for the thrill of flying not even knowing   if the landing will be soft or hard..but there is only one way to find out.So we dreamed about this "day", a "day in the life" at CAS. John Blair told me after the reunion that we couldn\'t recreate the Alternative school any more than we could now recreate what happened at our reunion..BUT, that in every end, there is a NEW beginning.On Sunday afternoon ( day after the event )I was in my kitchen eating a doughnut and without warning burst into tears, not tears of sadness but of overwhelming joy and happiness, and in knowing that apart from all the magicalthings that we all helped create, a new CAS beginning had emerged..bout time I\'d say.I can\'t help but to quote a line out of the movie "The Big Chill". At one point someone say\'s"I was never as good as when I was with you people".Heartfelt thanks to all whom attended and helped make the "dream" a reality.See you all soon!!!                      Bob Stirner

It is time to get the planning committee back together, camping is just around the corner.....

OMG!!!  you guys have done such a great job gathering these pictures!!!  I just had a wonderful time viewing them all.

AKA-Harry -OMG - Now I feel old. LOL  I wouldn't miss this! I was there in 1976-78 with DICKIE  (Love ya,  Dickie!)   This will be so much fun!!!  

paul adison email me please r.tokarczyk@comcast.net

WOW..............I am sad that I missed out on the pre-reunion party at Whistlers last Friday night.  I wanted so bad to come, but had other commitments that I could not break.  The photos showed how much fun everyone was having.  Hopefully I can make the next one.

Just found some old photo negs from Frank\'s class

I AM GETTIN PUMPED BROTHERS&SISTERS,HA HAAA ! !THIS IS MORE EXCITING THAN MY FIRST.....WELL,,WHAT EVERRR.SPREAD THE WORD TO ONE AND ALL,YEEEE HAAAAA. YOOO DEEEE ! ! Howard Perry,hop on board brother ! ! ! And to Joe/Verp Volpe,fire up........the old VW and lets see how fast it will go on Tom Brown Rd...CANT WAIT ! ! 

 Hi Everyone, Yes, what a time. If we could have made those hours into weeks. I described it this way to a friend: "It was more like a family reunion but the family you really want to see. The school we went to was very different. More open than any I\'ve seen. It would be like you were home schooled had 8 parents and 150 brothers and sisters." There were so many of you I was so glad to see and so little time. Would love to hear from any of you. Thanks so much, Peter D.

Unfortunately I did not attend the "A" school but was lucky enough to have Kyra and Jack in the High School.  I also had the pleasuer of knowing must of you through my brothers. Some of my favorite memories are of heading to Hawk Mountain on sunday mornings in Joe's van with my brother Bob and the Schmidt brothers.  I hope to get to see everyone next fall.

Wow I wish I would have paid attention to facebook sooner that this! I would have come to Whistlers. Put me on the list. I\'ll send that check this week. See ya there.

After months and months of dreaming first, then planning, I would have felt hard pressed to imagine that I was anything but unprepared emotionally for our first tribal gathering Fri night. I mean having been in contact with so many of you recently including falculty should have prepared me, yet I walked in that door only to be stunned with emotion, damned near speechless for a good 10-15 minutes until I could collect my composure. What I walked into was not just my past or mere nostalgia but rather an instant validation, yeah, I\'m not crazy, that special CAS experience really DID happen .The look on ALL of your faces  displayed the same comfort and elation that was buzzing through me. Individually we have all "known" what that experience was and how it has impacted us, but the sheer collective validation of all of us being back in the same room again was numbing, words were not even required.Ray most aptly put it...I find it almost impossible to explain to anyone whom did not share in that experience what it was " like " or how  special it really was...but again, the joy and emotion on all your faces  bathed and enveloped me in that moment ...I was right back...again.For those that I failed to recognize immediately please forgive me , the night flew by, it should have been longer!!It would seem that the pandoras box has again been opened, the cat\'s out of the bag and from here on in I am NOT going to lose touch ever again.So.... another mixer/social will happen ( YAY!!! ) in June with a CAS night out at the St Charles Carnival ( in the beer tent of course ) in Cinnaminson along with a proposed CAS CAMPOUT ( yes you read right ) sometime in the fall..perhaps some canoeing, campfires, guitars.... you know, we\'ve done that together a few times already....The CAS reunion BAND is currently hot on the heels of a soon to be announced performance....Randy L, JD, Chet, Bob Glass, Mike Mezzie, myself and others will be involved...lots of tunes that we were playing at the time...Hundreds of hours of video shot from 73-76 are in the process of being reviewed and converted to DVD...real time, crazy day in the life stuff, with sound...full classes being taught, community meetings, camping trips etc.More than anything else, THANKS to all whom attended Friday night, the snowball has offically crested the hill folks and it\'s a rollin\' down towards this summer and November!!Thanks to all whom have sent their funds for tickets along with additional donations!! Now is the time to purchase tickets as we are in full steam mode towards OUR , very special reunion.                        Best to all and see you soon!!                                        Bob

BTW, the name of that photo is "Mommy & them Hippies"

Hello Everyone!!! It has been a long time. I hope to make it to the reunion. It would be great to see everyone.

All, The deadline is rapidly approaching to purchase your tickets!  Don\'t get locked out!  We Can Not / Will Not accept money at the door.  All of our vendors must be paid well in advance of the event. Please call everyone you know and make sure they get in.We are a few weeks away from finalizing all the details.  At that point we will let everyone know the Who\'s, What\'s and Where\'s of this exciting day.Not to let the cat out of the bag too early... but we are planning a full day of activities starting with a Community Breakfast and Meeting and including some live music from your favorite musicians later in the day.We are over the 100 people mark in ticket sales but there is still a great deal of folks floating around out there who haven\'t stepped up.  Please get in touch with everyone you know to make sure they don’t get locked out.Reunion Day is just around the corner!  

Greetings Peter,All I can say is I love you brother !!!!Wow is an understatment So good to see you .LBruce

who came?.................i want to know an exact number......................

As Richard, I haven't grown up either;  for me you only stop growing, and learning when you're dead, and who knows even then.

News Flash: Bro Mike was seen hanging out with Sean Quinn, Walter Murray, Poz, and I forget who else.

 I am still riding this high from Friday night.  What a contrast to what I expected.  Such a community we have formed over these years.  I saw no posturing or pretense.  Quite a difference from other school reunions I have experienced.  Thanks again to the people who put this together and the "flash mob" gathering.  The people I were with were just wonderful.  I wish I had more time to get to the other side of the room.  It\'s been 34 years since I have seen any of you.  I\'m just sorry it took this long to get together.

Great to see so many smiling faces Friday night! Had a wonderful time catching up with everyone. Bob S.,  the offer still stands, if a warmer weather outdoor get together is in the making, we have plenty of room out here in Chatsworth! Fran told me he worked at Mick\'s canoe rental, just down the road a bit.  Perhaps an "activity day", followed by a "pitch a tent and party night"!!

Friday night was a blast! Looking around the place and feeling that sense of community once again was just the best. Thanks to whoever put the idea out there!

my father, brian shuler, suggested i view this page and read about his school. i am a high school teacher, working for the man and teaching the students kept down by him the most. i truly liked what i read in the "note from lee". i think that this school existed is great and i hope that teachers push for more "alternative" forms of education. with the current charter school boom, i believe our nation\'s educators are starting to realize and act to change a system that is frankly, very broken. unfortunately, it continues to be the alternate, rather than incorporated into the "mainstream". cheers on your accomplishments in organizing and running your high school. i\'m sure its existence influenced my father\'s life which in some ways influenced my decision to teach.

AHHH ok here I go again...    It will be a week tomorrow since this most unbelievable event took place. Over the years I have remembered those days of theAlternative School often..I pass the building daily..but still, I could never have had the vision that "The Bob\'s" and their "team" had to make this happen. To say thank you is never going to be enough, but I do thank you, for several reasons.      First of all for making all of the events possible for those of us too lazy, complacent or reluctant, to make contact with people we have often thought about..how silly is that..and now we are reconnected. Next for the planning of the days events, for while music anddancing are much fun...the amazing feeling of the community meeting was something I will never forget, and was probably the most important part of the day for me, and for my daughter. That said..the effect of the experience on my daughter was profound. Meeting people like Sara and Mindy, and Michael and Julie, who she has heard about, but never met was really fun for her. Seeing people that she does know, like Jane, Maureen,and Wendy among others..and realizing that these were my "school friends" was surprising to her.    BUT.... Hearing the way people spoke about the school, the teachers, and eachother was almost more than she could handle. It was at her request that we returned in the evening, she could not get enough of "the feeling".. a feeling which I have tried over the years to explain to her but as with most people it defies their ability to grasp it\'s awesomeness (yes I know that is not a word..see I did learn some things =P). Needless to say, as a sophomore at CHS she has had a very different experience, as nothing there has really changed. There are still cool kids, and nerdy kids, the sporty kids and the artsy kids,the barbie girls and the tough guys, the bullies and their victims. We had most of those here too but we learned from each other to appreciate our differences not hate because of them and THAT, for me, was the single most important thing I took from this school, and the thing that most amazed Elizabeth, given the circumstances she is faced with everyday.     SOOOO anyway..the reunion was the "coolest thing ever" and thanks to everyone who worked on it and who showed up..the ones who bugged me to come when I wasn\'t going to ( how stupid of me)..and for everyone who spoke to, hugged, or even just smiled at Elizabeth and gave her a special memory that will, I am sure, continue to mean alot to her for a long time. THANK YOU~ THANK YOU~ THANK YOU...Love, DanetteOH YEAH..PS: I also have to add that on Sunday, at church, we happened to end up seated next to Pamela from Footlighters, who recognized us and asked if we could return to help with the clean-up..I thought Elizabeth would come out of her skin..( she does not get that excited to clean her room unfortunately)..and when she found out she could help dismatle the dome..well OHEMGEEE...it was just the best hour of the whole weekend..(of course now she wants her own dome...hahaha) which leads me to point out one last thing..sadly in school I never really knew David and Jeannie, and I think this is true of many of us that we didn\'t always have the opportunity to know EVERYONE..but now I know that they are very sweet and I will look forward to seeing them again at the next Alternative School event...new friends! Just how cool is THAT. <3

Thank you for allowing us crash your reunion. It was especially meaningful to Marlene to see so many of her long-lost classmates. It was such a warm event (despite the cold temperatures and flaky heaters). Great job Bob, Bob, and other committee members!

Just want to say thank you to John, for taking the time, to correct the all too often occuring, misconception of what we were and what happened to our school. A lot of us read the article when Jack passed, it bothered me and I'm sort of embarrassed that I didn't do anything, but I have gotten used to hearing how we were a dumping ground for the discipline problems and otherwise challenged, and I let it go. So Thanks again John, and I am sure Jack is glad for your efforts as well. Blessings to all,   Danette    

Cant wait..Im still called Dickie by the people that know me from the past.Was lucky enough to have my 10th grade year with the orig. staff.Doing my best to track down students from the same year.The Longs,Judy,Charlet,Pete&steve,Joe Volpe(verp)etc.etc.

What a beautiful group of “Shiny Happy People”! Looks and sounds like a perfect day and night was had by all. I would have loved to have been part of the festivities even though I was a CHS graduate. If I could go back in time, I’m sure I would have done things a little differently. You all should be so proud of yourselves for a job well done!-Carol Squillace Stroz ‘76

Part of the A school from 75-77. All hadchanged in 76-77. Dottie B (something) took over and it was never the same. I was lucky enough to stare at the stars with John, learn to crochet an afgan in art with Ray, still sit in a school chair in business math with Lori and learn about the Mobs with Kyra,  learn how to be a creative writer with Jack and of course -Volley Ball with Franny ( I still play in the womens league in Cinnaminson).  Met the love of my life there and married him 25 years ago - Bill Myhre

I havent grown up yet..is that ok??? haha.kinda kidding.I cant wait to be my 10th grade self again.As i said in the photo section i posted,this IS great history coming back to life.

Hey Rick...I\'m sorry PAL!  You were certainly an important person...We had alot of great times together and I MISS you!  I am doing my best to also get everyone to come!  Sue and I are going on a 10 day cruise in May to the carribean, so one night drunk I will talk her into coming...LOL.  Also Barrie and Cheryl Median are on-bound.  We are looking for Scott Forbes?  Brad you better get you ass up here for the reunion!We need to get this puppy paid for$$$.  Let have a Friday donation day...were everyone kicks in an extra $50.  I know we can do it!OK...I\'m putting it togetherOffically Friday April 16th is KICK in $50 day...after you KICK IN...post up your donation in the Guest Book!LETS GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!!

 I created a facebook group called Cinnaminson Alternative SchoolIt is open to all users...this can help with the networking.  I started by sending a group invite to everyone on my friends list.  Please join group and send to your friends!  Further, it was started with my picture and be great if others added fun pictures of themselves and they past and present lives!  Wait to you see my daughter Katrina...Total Applegate...LOL