In November, the Guiteras community lost a treasured member, longtime teacher Linda Bruno. On Arbor Day, the school gathered with town officials and volunteers to plant a beautiful Kwanzan flowering cherry tree in Bruno’s honor.

Said to have “impacted generations of students with her kind and caring nature,” Bruno was much loved by students, faculty, and parents alike.

“Linda spent her whole career here at Guiteras, and I was honored to know her both personally and professionally,” said Principal Christine Hughes, who worked many years as a math coach in the Bristol-Warren schools before being named to the top post at Guiteras last year.

The ceremony included a talk delivered to the students by Ray Payson, a longtime member of the Conservation Commission who deftly wove the symbolism of strength, and the power of trees, with the life of Linda Bruno.

“It was our first all-school assembly since early 2020 — all 230 students,” said Hughes. “Linda’s children were here too, and Mr. Payson spoke so eloquently about how the tree was a symbol of strength, and Linda Bruno’s strength. It was scientific, but he brought it full circle.”

“It was a really special day, a celebration of Linda, the Guiteras community, the town and the tree.”