Beloved retired kindergarten teacher Mary Porcaro will always be remembered for her kindness and passion for teaching. Now her friends, colleagues, and families of former students are fundraising to build an outdoor classroom in her name.

Mrs. Porcaro retired from Greenbriar School, 2195 Cherry Lane, Northbrook, in 2021. She also taught at Meadowbrook School during her career iin District 28. She was tragically killed in a traffic accident in March 2023.

Mrs. P, as she was affectionately known by her students, personified kindness. In the spring, Mary taught her students the responsibility of taking care of their pet mealworms until they turned into beetles, and she did the same with butterflies.  She gave her students sunflower seeds to grow and she often received photos of children standing next to 3- to 6-foot sunflowers at the end of the summer.

Greenbriar School is creating an outdoor classroom so that Mary’s essence of seeing the beauty in children and nature will be present for years to come. “Mary was truly a treasured part of the Greenbriar and Northbrook community. Her absence has been deeply felt by all. We hope to honor her legacy with a beautiful learning space that will positively impact students for years to come.” said Greenbriar Principal Ginny Hiltz. 

The school partnered with Green City Gardens to design the space. They have created a mockup video of what the space may look like. The project is 25% to its goal of raising $33,000 to build and maintain the space.

If you're interested in contributing to the space in honor of Mrs. Porcaro, or in support of creating a great learning space for students at Greenbriar for years to come, please visit this donation page. We appreciate your support!