Wednesday was emotional in Bloomfield, but it was also a day of celebration as a school was dedicated in honor of Ana Grace Márquez-Greene, a little girl who was killed in the shooting at the Sandy Hook School in Newtown. The dedication came days before she would have celebrated her 16th birthday.
Ana Grace’s family, friends and the community gathered to celebrate her life and legacy with the official dedication of the CREC Ana Grace Academy of the Arts, a pre-Kindergarten to eighth-grade school.
In 2014, the CREC Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Elementary School was renamed in honor of Ana Grace Márquez-Greene, the daughter of CREC alumni and former staff members Nelba Márquez-Greene and Jimmy Greene.
The new school combines CREC Ana Grace Academy of the Arts Elementary School and CREC Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Middle School.
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Nelba Márquez-Greene said during the ceremony that she felt respect for her family and that she wanted the school community to celebrate what they accomplished. All who worked so hard for this day deserve to celebrate, she said.
“We know that all those kids are as much miracles as our own,” she said.
She reflected on what her son, Isaiah Marquez-Greene, recently said to her. He said he never knows what to say when tragedy happens, but when it happened to their family, it didn’t matter what people said. He didn’t remember that, but he does remember who showed up.
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“It’s incredible to me how many people have come alongside of us and just done exactly what my son has said -- shown up, and we couldn’t thank you enough,” Nelba Márquez-Greene said.
Ana Grace’s father, Jimmy Greene, said the architects and others involved in building the school took so much time and care to ensure that it reflected their daughter’s presence.
“We’ve had a chance to tour this school before and every room, every corridor, every swatch of fabric, every paint color, her presence is here,” Greene said.
Principal Patricia Phelan said Ana Grace loved the arts and so they make sure every student, whether they are 3 or 13, receives the arts every day.
Tony Award-winning actress and Bloomfield resident Anika Noni Rose attended the ceremony and spoke as well.
