Wilder Students Dedicate a Bench in Memory of Classmate Aria Rowley

10/18/2013

On Friday, October 4, students, teachers, staff and parents at Wilder Elementary School celebrated the dedication of Aria’s Bench and the beginning of a new Outdoor Learning Space. Aria Rowley, a 10-year old third grader at Wilder, passed away in January. Teachers started the ceremony by thanking more than 300 Wilder family members for attending the event and for raising the money to purchase the bench, flowers, and future care of the outdoor space. Lee Rowley, Aria’s father, spoke in remembrance of his daughter and the legacy she left behind. He ended with a quote by Dr. Seuss, “Don't cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Following the dedication, Wilder families went inside to celebrate with pizza, popcorn, cookies and a movie on a jumbo screen in the gymnasium.