Thursday, October 1, 2026
As Valley Stream South High School celebrates its 70th anniversary, students, faculty and school volunteers gathered in the building’s cafetorium on June 11 to commemorate the milestone.
The event brought together current members of the school community and longtime supporters to honor South’s past while looking ahead to its future, reflecting on its history while preserving memories that highlight how far the community has come over the decades.
“It’s unbelievably exciting,” Matthew Swinson, the school’s principal, said. “I’m a part of history now, right? And I think it’s a very proud moment and experience to be part of history.”
South traces its history to 1955, when the building was completed, and students moved into the new campus after previously attending split sessions at Valley Stream Central High School. The school was formally dedicated in December 1955, and its first full academic year began in 1956. This year marks 70 years since the school’s opening and the beginning of its legacy in the community.
Organized by the school’s Parent Teacher Student Association, the celebration featured music, which was played throughout the event, as attendees enjoyed refreshments and received South-themed merchandise, including commemorative keychains. Red and white cupcakes arranged in the shapes of a “7” and a “0” marked the occasion, adding a festive touch to the afternoon.
One of the most meaningful aspects of the celebration was the display of school history on the cafetorium stage. Multiple yearbooks from previous decades were available to browse alongside trifold boards featuring programs, newspaper clippings, flyers and other memorabilia from significant school events. The display offered students, staff and visitors a chance to reflect on the school’s traditions and milestones while showcasing the generations of Falcons who have passed through its halls.
The centerpiece of the exhibit was a silver time capsule, accompanied by the items to be sealed inside. Dozens of objects were collected to represent the school community, including handwritten notes from students, a pom-pom, a PTSA meeting notice and masks used during the Covid-19 pandemic. Multiple departments throughout the school also contributed items to the capsule, creating a collection intended to capture this moment in the school’s history for future generations.
Alexandra Browne-Martin, the current PTSA president of fundraising and former PTSA president, contributed the wrapper of a Scott toilet paper package.
“I put the toilet paper cover to signify the 2020 Covid year,” Browne-Martin said. “That year is also the graduating class of this year. They graduated from sixth grade in 2020, and they didn’t have much.”
The time capsule reflected not only memorable events but also the everyday experiences that shaped the school community during an unprecedented period. Organizers said the collection of items was also intended to preserve a snapshot of current life at the high school for students and staff who may one day look back on this chapter of the school’s history.
Browne-Martin, whose children attended the school, said she is proud to be part of its 70th anniversary celebration.
“To witness a milestone like this, it’s very rewarding, only because the South community is very supportive of their folks,” Browne-Martin said.
Natasha Moore, whose two children are also South graduates, is equally excited to celebrate the milestone. Moore has been part of the South community for years and recently completed her second and final year as PTSA president. She planned the June 11 celebration and will return to the PTSA next year as a consultant on the executive board.
“I think [South’s] legacy is kindness, and the kindness goes a long way,” Moore said.
The school serves students in grades seven through 12, allowing many to spend six years together as classmates before graduating. That continuity helps foster relationships among students, teachers and staff and contributes to the close-knit atmosphere that many community members say defines the school.
Math teacher Ross Lipsky described the strong sense of community shared by students, teachers and staff.
“I think people should remember the true community that exists here within these walls,” Lipsky said. “There are so many wonderful people who are doing so many wonderful things, and if anyone were to look back at this year and see what it is to remember, it would be that there are so many people adding light to so many different corners of the building in so many ways.”
The anniversary celebration served not only as a tribute to the school’s past but also as a reminder of the traditions and relationships that continue to shape its future. Those who gathered expressed hope that the same sense of community they value today will continue to thrive 70 years from now.
“Go South,” Browne-Martin said. “I’m a Falcon forever.”
