Educators Grove

Henrietta will soon have a beautiful location to honor those who have had a positive impact on the education of Rush-Henrietta students.

In June 2019, a group of Rush-Henrietta graduates got together to celebrate and reminisce about their time at was then Sperry High School and their shared experiences producing amazing theatrical productions with the Sperry Little Theater/Spotlight Theater. Those former students wanted to honor those who have contributed to the theater program and who had significant impact on the education of thousands of students in the R-H district. The organizers of the event also realized there are likely many other groups of parents, teachers, staff members or students who would also be interested in honoring a special educator. This idea grew into a vision for the new Educators Grove.

In 2021, a committee was formed to establish an Educators Grove in the town of Henrietta. The grove will provide a unique, lasting tribute to teachers, staff, and others who have participated in the education of the children of Rush-Henrietta. 

The grove is being established in Hoskins Park, a town park at Pinnacle and Winton roads. The committee developed a master plan for the park with guidelines and procedures for those who wish to plant trees or purchase other items, like benches or bricks, to honor or memorialize an educator or district employee.

This new community space would not be possible without the support and commitment of the Town of Henrietta. Many thanks go to Henrietta Supervisor Steve Schultz, Board Member Joe Bellanca, and Building & Grounds Foreman Tim Ochs for their time and commitment, and for making the park available for development into this site.

Learn more about it by watching this interview with Committee Chair Howard Ressel.

Eligibility

The following criteria shall be used to determine who can be honored or memorialized in the grove. The Educators Grove Committee has final say on eligibility.

• The person being honored or memorialized must have been an employee of the Rush-Henrietta Central School District and have honorably served for at least 10 years.
• Employees of other schools within the boundaries of the Rush-Henrietta Central School District (private, charter, etc.) may also be eligible if the criteria are met and the nomination is approved by the committee.
• Any eligible staff member who has interacted with students or positively influenced the education of students in the district can be so honored.
• The person must be an individual, not a group or team. Students are not eligible unless they meet the criteria above.

Review and approval of all requests shall be by majority vote of the committee.

Procedures

Any group (formal or informal) or individual may petition to plant a tree or propose installation of landscaping/hardscaping elements in the Educators Grove. The items must be installed to honor or memorialize an eligible educator (see eligibility above). 

A request shall be submitted via this form. Please be prepared to provide the following:

• Name of the educator/staff member being honored or memorialized.
• Position(s) the person has served in the R-H district and for how long, to the best of the submitter’s knowledge.
• Brief explanation of why the person should be honored or memorialized. Describe how the person influenced or positively impacted the education of the students in the Rush-Henrietta district.
• An indication that money is available to pay for the tree or other permanent element. See note regarding costs below.

The Town of Henrietta Parks and Recreation will work with the group to choose the appropriate trees or other features to be installed. Any items to be installed in the park must be approved by the town and shall not require ongoing maintenance. The cost of the trees or other features will depend on what is selected, and will be the responsibility of the nominator. An outside vendor might be necessary to install some features, and any installation costs must be paid for by the group or individual requesting the memorial/honorarium. The Town of Henrietta Parks and Recreation will install a small sign or plaque with the name of the honoree listed, and will maintain and replace the signage as necessary.

Click here to nominate someone for the Educators Grove.

The committee reserves the right to remove recognition for any honoree who is deemed to no longer meet the criteria established by this committee.

The committee does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age and will abide by any state and federal regulations and statutes in this regard.