On April 15, 2015, residents of Sancta Maria Nursing Facility in Cambridge celebrated One Boston Day alongside students and faculty from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. In honor of the day’s theme of kindness, hand-crafted cedar wood planters built by the school’s carpentry students were presented to the residents of Sancta Maria. Residents and staff of Sancta Maria, and Sisters Mary Lucille and Mary Theresa from the Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception as well as faculty and students from Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School all came together to celebrate this generous gift by planting flowers and vegetable seeds in the new wheelchair accessible, moveable planters. Materials were purchased through a grant written to the Friends of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, and faculty generously donated the soil and the seeds.
“We were very happy and excited to present the planters to the residents of Sancta Maria,” said Gina Hughes, Clinical Instructor from Rindge School of Technical Arts at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School.” “The emphasis of One Boston Day is to perform acts of kindness and giving, and we were pleased to be able to share this in our community.” “My Health Assisting students have been coming to Sancta Maria for their clinical rotation since September. This project was a cooperative effort with Doug Carey, our carpentry instructor and was fully supported by Dr. Michael Ananis, the Executive Director of RSTA, to give back to an organization that has given so much to our students and our Community.”
Sancta Maria Administrator Mary Jane Nottonson added, “The skill of the carpentry students which is clearly visible in the planters, was commended. It was a wonderful gesture for the nursing students, carpentry students and residents to come together today at Sancta Maria. Side-by-side they dug in the soil, planted flowers and seeds, and enjoyed this beautiful spring day!”
The students and faculty represented the Carpentry Program and the Health Assisting Program of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Faculty included Gina Hughes, R.N., from Health Assisting and Doug Carey from Carpentry. Students participating were: Shavonne Graustuck, Samerawet Tsgie, Elyisa Correia, and Brianna Duncan from Health Assisting; and Absalom Minsk, Saleh Jiddawi-Nunley and Carlo Cremonini from Carpentry.