Porcaro's Place Honors Former Northbrook Kindergarten Teacher

NORTHBROOK, IL — Dozens of students, fellow teachers, family members and friends gathered at Greenbriar School on Tuesday to honor Mary Porcaro, a former kindergarten teacher at the school, who died last year in a traffic accident.

Porcaro's Place, a new outdoor classroom, was built in memory of the popular teacher, who retired from the school at 2195 Cherry Lane in 2021. According to Northbrook District 28, Porcaro would often bring her students to read books, play in the snow, fly airplanes and set free butterflies and beetles in the area where the classroom was built in the back of the school.

Built under the shade of two trees, the space includes butterfly-attracting plants and large cut rocks where students can sit, along with a small desk for a teacher. The district said Porcaro's Place was built from more than 130 contributions from the community and in partnership with Green City Gardens.

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"The special thing about this place is that Mary’s spirit is here," said Nanette Adatto, Porcaro's instructional assistant and personal friend.

Porcaro's children, who all attended Greenbriar, were at the ceremony.

"She loved and cared for her students very much," her oldest child, Cami, said. "Knowing she has a presence in her happy place brings our family so much comfort. We are so grateful to have a place where we can walk and feel her presence here as a family."

Principal Dr. Ginny Hiltz said students will set free butterflies in the space when they are ready for release before the end of the school year.

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