Our 8th grade students spent the day downstate thinking about the past and the future. They traveled to the Sandy Hook Memorial Park in Newtown, where they had a chance to spend solemn moments of reflection on our school's namesake, Ana Grace Marquez Greene, and the other victims of that tragic day. They were joined by Nelba Marquez Greene, Ana's mom, who spoke and discussed the past and the opportunities that our students had for their future.
After the visit to the park, students went to nearby Western Connecticut State University, to tour the campus and see the performance facilities. There they were greeted by Jimmy Greene, Ana's dad, who is a Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist and a co-chair of the jazz program at the University, who welcomed them and played for them with a small ensemble in one of the schools performance spaces. They were treated to a tour of arts facilities and lunch in the dining halls. It was a truly memorable day of learning that stretched well beyond the walls of the classroom.
