Banneker Principal Sharon Y. Vincent, flanked by Interim East Orange School District Superintendent Dr. Gloria Scott, Mayor Robert L. Bowser and some 20 other public school and civic officials, cut a maroon and silver ribbon before the new building's South Clinton Street entrance at about 11:13 a.m.
The above - including council members Quilla Talmadge and Ted Green, New Jersey State Assemblyman Thomas Giblin (D-Montclair) and officials from the state School Development Authority - had been earlier treated to songs and dances by some of the student body.
Some 24 Fifth and Sixth grade uniformed boys and girls waved American, Haitian, Jamaican and Trinidad and Tobago flags to Kool and The Gang and a reggae rendition of "Celebration." They also returned down the aisles and before the stage to "It's A New Day."
Although the Banneker Academy has been opened along with East Orange's other public schools since Sept. 7, Vincent said that Oct. 4 was 12 years in the making since she became principal of the Fourth Avenue School. While both the old Fourth Avenue School and the new Banneker Academy are Pre-Kindergarten through Sixth Grade schools, Vincent said that Banneker's magnet school curriculum specializes in hospitality and travel.
"I conducted a survey among what sort of East Orange Choice school the new one should be," said Vincent between conducting tours and accepting congratulations. "When travel and hospitality became the theme, I consulted with leaders in those industries and the (similarly concentrated) Benjamin Franklin School in Philadelphia."
Vincent picked up and displayed a Banneker curriculum guide from a shelf of a third floor classroom. The classroom is actually a suite that simulates a kitchen and restaurant with lunch counter, a guest bedroom and a managerial or reservation office.
The specialized hospitality suite was one highlight of the 10-minute tours given by Banneker officials before and after the celebration. Guests, since Oct. 4 was a normal school day except for the 50-minute celebratory assembly, saw teachers and students actually using their classrooms, gymnasium and nurse's office. The only exceptions were the district-contracted food workers preparing the hospitality suite's reception and the students' lunch on the first floor cafeteria.
"I have to thank my family for they haven't seen me much in the last two months," said Vincent. "I and a lot of co-workers and volunteers spent the month before opening day packing boxes and moving in. I'm still unpacking boxes - but there has been a buzz of excitement about the school from the parents and students."
Vincent pointedly included Dr. Scott, the just-retired Dr. Clarence Hoover and three prior school superintendents among those she thanked at the assembly. She said that Banneker would not be a reality without their support.
Support was also found among East Orange's elders - and on the state level. Giblin, who was also representing invited colleagues Shelia Y. Oliver (D-East Orange) and Sen. Nia Gill (D-Montclair), was among those who were able to secure SDA construction funding.
The three-story building sits on around two acres of a city block bounded by South Clinton Street, South Orange Avenue, Brookwood Street and Tremont Avenue. The site tends to blend in with the mostly three-story wood frame residences that dominate the neighborhood.
Mayor Bowser recalled that there was an American Party Rental warehouse on the side. Two SDA officials added that two adjacent city-owned houses were also demolished to make way for Banneker.
The Banneker Academy's 83,561-square foot space is designed to hold 567 Pre-K through Fifth Grade students. It also includes 28 general classrooms, a media center and specialized spaces for math, science, world languages, art, music and computing.
"The Banneker Academy marks the seventh East Orange school opened or renovated in as many years," said SDA Communication Director Kristen MacLean. "That includes the new Cicely Tyson School for the Performing and Fine Arts, the new Langston Hughes School, renovating the Mildred Barry Garvin and East Orange Campus High schools."
Vincent was meanwhile preparing the Fourth Avenue community for the move during the construction. The school adopted maroon, silver and white uniforms and launched the hospitality and travel curriculum.
"We were well ahead of the other schools in adopting uniforms," said Vincent. "Since most of the Fourth Avenue School came by bus, most of Banneker's students also take buses from across the city. I wish Gov. Christie was here so he can see that we went from the academic bottom of the district to making or exceeding our Adequate Yearly Progress goals the last four years."
Dr. Hoover, this time last year, was holding something of a contest to best name the new school after. Early American surveyor, planner and scientist Banneker was selected shortly before Hoover's July 15 retirement.
Banneker's presence went beyond the telescopes placed on the auditorium stage and administrators' offices. Several portraits and books about Banneker are on display in two inlaid glass wall cases by the main entrance and central office. Student-made time-lines and essays are on hallway bulletin boards.
"It's appropriate that this school is named after Benjamin Banneker," said Dr. Scott. "He was one of the first African American intellects. He believed in lifelong learning."
Banneker, according to various histories and essays, was born into a free family Nov. 9, 1731 in Baltimore County, Md. He was educated in a Quaker school at a time when formal schooling for African Americans was rare.
Banneker's formal schooling - but not his thirst for learning - was halted when he had to take over the family farm on his father's death. He built a wooden clock after examining a friend's watch that ran for 20 years. He was 58 when he took up astronomy, mathematics and surveying.
Banneker was best known for redrawing the layout for Washington, D.C. from memory. His feat came after lead planner Pierre L'Enfant quit the committee and left with the original drawings. Both Banneker and L'Enfant were appointed by President George Washington and Congress to map out the federal district.
Banneker died Oct. 8, 1809. His farm house burned - along with most of his work - two days later.
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