The Calais School celebrated the graduation of its high school seniors and eighth graders in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in front of the school on Friday, June 18.

Calais Principal John Cohrs welcomed students, parents, staff, board members and trustees to the ceremony and then introduced the Class of 2021. The graduation procession began to the traditional  “Pomp and Circumstances” as the Calais graduates walked under an archway decorated with flowers. Family members sat together at socially distanced tables and took photos enjoying the perfect sunny day.

Following the pledge of allegiance and the singing of the national anthem by student Carly S. accompanied by 2021 graduate Rory S. on guitar, Calais Executive Director David Leitner acknowledged and thanked his mother/school co-founder Charlotte Leitner, who passed away a few weeks ago.

“Today, special education and related services are provided by all New Jersey school districts and private schools such as Calais have the distinct honor of being the pioneers, leaders and innovators in this educational and therapeutic space …Even during this past year of an international pandemic, the Calais School provided the best quality programs and services to our students and continued to develop ground breaking innovative services including Animal Adaptive Therapies, remote learning methodologies and post high school services for graduates between the ages of 18-30 with ‘hidden disabilities’.

Mr. Leitner noted that his mother Mrs. Leitner passed away “after 95 full and productive years, but her legacy and work with continue to benefit our community long after today.”

In his remarks, Mr. Leitner also quoted author and consultant Barbara De Angelis “’We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by suriviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”

The ceremony included a recorded guitar solo of “The Theme from Game of Thrones” by graduate Rory S.

Several of the graduates also made speeches during the ceremony including senior Anthony R. who said “The years 2020 and 2021 have both been difficult years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I wouldn’t want to face the challenge of virtual learning anywhere else but the Calais School,” he said. “The staff and counselors at the Calais School have been so supportive towards me in every way humanly possible.”

Anthony also thanked everyone at Calais and his parents for their support for his education, his new metal scrapping business and his idea to put up an interactive holiday lighting display at his home to raise money for The Calais Foundation, which was even covered by News12 New Jersey.

Senior Olivia O. reflected on how grateful she is for the people at the Calais School. “I was appreciated and loved,” she said. “These students are some of the kindest and most beautiful human beings I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing…words can’t describe how thankful I am to the stff and students of this school.”

Senior Rory S. ended his speech with advice for his fellow graduates: “My advice to you is to never give up on pursuing your goals,” he said. “Always keep going forward and never look back. There will be challenges along the way, but encountering and overcoming those challenges will make you become a more successful person. I wish you the best of luck and I can’t wait to see what big things you do in the near future.”

Towards the end of the ceremony, Counselor Karen Liberato presented the Joe Gorga Connections for the Future scholarship to Rory S. Afterwards, the 2021 Calais yearbook was dedicated to Supervisor of Related Services Dr. Diane Manno because of the impact of everything she has done for Calais and the students of Calais “will always be felt here.” Dr. Manno, who served as the Calais Principal for eight years, was surprised by the announcement made by Rory S. and Marissa B., who announced the dedication.

At the end of the ceremony, Principal John Cohrs wished graduates the best as they embark on their journeys. “Remember graduates that we are not here celebrating the end of something but the beginning of something new,” he said. “And as you take your next steps forward, please go with confidence in your ability to succeed in the adventures that await you.”

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