The Thomas A. Edison Elementary School community celebrated the grand opening of the newly established Clara Jones Kindness Gardens on June 10, honoring the late Clara Jones. Surrounded by students, teachers, administrators, friends and family, Jones’ mother, Ela Navarro, and son, Cody, unveiled an interpretive sign dedicating the gardens to the beloved teacher.

“Clara Jones was a beloved teacher at Edison for 25 years before her passing in September 2022,” Thomas A. Edison Elementary School Principal Paul Roncagliolo said. “Her joy and kindness inspired Edison teachers to establish memorial garden spaces at the school that would reflect her loving and giving nature and provide hands-on learning opportunities for the entire Edison community.”

The Clara Jones Kindness Gardens include raised garden beds for vegetables and herbs, fostering a lifelong interest in gardening, nutrition and environmental awareness. The gardens also feature beds of daffodils and crocuses, along with native plants pockets designed to create a pollinator-friendly habitat for hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinating insects.

The project was made possible through the generous support of Clara Jones’ friends and family, the Tamarack Tower Foundation, the Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District, the Thomas A. Edison Elementary School community, the Port Chester Sustainability Committee, Edison’s Garden Angels and Mercy University’s WIPRO Science Education Fellowship. The Tamarack Tower Foundation contributed $10,000 toward the establishment of the gardens, which was followed by a gala fundraiser hosted by Edison teachers to secure additional funds.

The dedication ceremony included a performance of an original song, “Spring Gardens,” which was composed by orchestra teacher Michael Caprino, and a rendition of “Dos Oruguitas.” The green spaces celebrate the kindness, joy and love that Clara Jones generously gave to her school community.

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Date Added: 6/20/2024