Ribbon Cutting Day

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Remarks

Sandra A. Trach, Principal

October 6, 2014

Good Morning! We are delighted to share this special day with you, as we cut the ribbon on the new Joseph Estabrook Elementary School!

The Estabrook staff and I feel privileged to help our students learn and grow in our extraordinary new school. Our greatest joy comes from the sights and sounds of our students enjoying the simple things at Estabrook School – like gathering in circles for morning meeting, watching our Grade Five Estabuddies help our kindergarteners, reading in every corner of our library and classrooms, and chatting with friends on park benches.

Around Estabrook, you would see students composing original stories in writers’ workshop, solving complex mathematical problems, growing plants in the greenhouse, taking Big Backyard walks through the conservation land, examining caterpillars and crayfish in classrooms, and creating original artistic designs in the art rooms.

These quiet moments are matched with energetic learning opportunities like playing a cooperative game in the gymnasium, learning a new instrument for the first time, climbing to the top of the play structure, and performing on stage in a concert.

One of my favorite moments is when Estabrook students are applauded every time they bring an Estabee to the office, and when their names are cheered by the entire school on Fridays. Not only would you see our students, but you would also see our incredible teachers and staff at work, and our dedicated parents as partners.

While today we are celebrating the successful opening of the new school; we are also celebrating the learning come to life within it.

At Estabrook School, we believe that, “Everything we do is for the students and their learning.” Estabrook a place where friendships are formed, learning is lasting, and school is an extension of family. For these things, the Estabrook School Community and I would like to say thank you for making the extraordinary and ordinary happen in our beautiful new school building. The new school makes a difference for our students’ learning everyday.

I would like to thank the Estabrook School Faculty and Staff. They have been integral in the design, move and start-up of the new school. As a team, they have brought our new learning environment to life through community, creativity, innovation, ecology and project-based learning.

I would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Estabrook Parent Teacher Association and Estabrook parent community for their advocacy and support in the design and development of the new school, as well as for the everyday support and enrichment they provide for our students’ education.

I would like to express our gratitude to the Estabrook and Town of Lexington community. We would not be here today without the tremendous support of our parent and town community members, including the citizens, board members, and local officials.

I would like to especially thank Dr. Ash, Superintendent of Schools for his leadership and unwavering support throughout the project. I would also like to recognize and thank Pat Goddard, Director of Public Facilities for his leadership in the project, and the Department of Public Facilities for their support in ensuring that the project was a success from start to finish.

Throughout the project it has been a pleasure to collaborate with the companies that comprised the project team. I would like to recognize Ken DiNisco, President / Principal and friend of the Estabrook School, and his firm DiNisco Design Partnership, who sought and accepted substantial input from our community; and as a result, brought our school design into vivid reality greater than we could have ever anticipated. We would also like to thank the skilled project management of Hill International and Shawmut Design and Construction. These companies made the new Estabrook School an exemplary project down to the details, and we are enormously grateful.

Estabrook School appreciates all of the officials who have supported this project from the beginning including Treasurer Grossman, Executive Director McCarthy and the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the Lexington Board of Selectmen, the Lexington School Committee, the Lexington Permanent Building Committee, Town Manager Valente, the Lexington Town Meeting Members and the Lexington citizens. The new Estabrook School has been a collective community effort to provide the very best learning environment for students, staff and families.

On behalf of the Estabrook School community, please accept our greatest appreciation for your support of a new school. We hope you will visit often to see how Estabrook School continues to come to life through the children’s eyes and experiences, where learning and play abound for our students now and in the future years ahead.