School Celebrates Anniversary With Family Tree
By DANIELLE E. GAINES
The Frederick News-Post
FREDERICK, Md. (AP) -- There are family trees -- and then there's the Linganore High School family tree, a project the school started to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
A sprawling, whimsical painted tree across the windows of the front office has become a showcase for photos of Linganore alumni with family and friends who are also Lancers. The tree has grown steadily since it was started Nov. 1.
The group is sharing the photos on its Facebook page.
There are pictures from weddings, trips around the world and outings on the boat.
One of the school's custodians, a 1971 graduate, submitted a photo of her two sons, who graduated in 1997 and 2003. Their father also graduated from the school in 1967.
Another couple, who graduated together and will be married next year, also submitted a photo.
The Cook family -- with graduates from `79, `02, `04, `06, `07 and soon-to-be `13 -- is listed as "an LHS dynasty."
There are many of them in town, joked Pam Knight, the school's attendance secretary.
She jokes about when her family will require a whole branch of the tree. She graduated in 1982 and married a 1980 alumnus. They had three children -- two boys and a girl -- who were also Lancers. One grandchild is attending the preschool inside the school.
Knight plans to take family photos to submit to the tree this holiday. In total, there will be 15 or so alumni from the family together, she said.
Already, she's submitted a photo of the seven Linganore graduates who work at her Frederick business, Soft Images Hair Salon.
Natalie Rebetsky, an English teacher at the school, has been coordinating the entries. She said there was a spike after Thanksgiving and she expects another spike at Christmas.
A 28-year veteran at the school, Rebetsky noticed how generations attend the school in an unusual way. "I always said I'd have to retire when I started teaching children of students I've had before. That happened six years ago, and obviously I haven't retired," she said.
Rebetsky said the tree is a lovely reminder of the school's roots.
"At Linganore, a lot of the graduates stay in the community. It's such a warm feeling when you meet somebody -- and then you realize you've known them for a long time," Rebetsky said.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
