Students and staff at Elinor Lincoln Hickey Jr./Sr. High School honored the legacy of their namesake at a celebration held yesterday.
In recognition of Elinor Lincoln Hickey's decades of service to education, a campus garden was planted, bordered by a wrought-iron fence hand-crafted by Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) students.
The family of Elinor Hickey assisted students, County Superintendent of Schools Dave Gordon, and County Board of Education trustees in unveiling the commemorative fence.
"Elinor had a special place in her heart for the tough-to-teach and tough-to-read students. Her tireless advocacy for the educational rights of children is sorely missed," said Superintendent Gordon. "This special garden dedication is just one more reminder of not only what Elinor meant to children, but also what children meant to Elinor."
The creation of the fence was a collaborative project of Elinor Lincoln Hickey Jr./Sr. High School and Carson Creek Jr./Sr. High School, both Juvenile Court and Community School campuses of SCOE. Four Carson Creek Jr./Sr. High School apprentice-level students, spent 50 hours constructing the fence and designing it to scale. Each piece of the decorative border was bent by hand. The fence was assembled in the shop and the final finishing touches applied.
"The students who made this fence are the type of students that Mrs. Hickey supported throughout her career," said Carson Creek Jr./Sr. High School teacher Wade Adams, who oversaw production. "We could not have been happier to help the school and SCOE honor Mrs. Hickey."
Elinor Lincoln Hickey touched the lives of thousands, first as a teacher in Yreka and Sacramento, and later as a Sacramento City Unified School District Trustee and a Trustee of the Sacramento County Board of Education. She was a passionate advocate for SCOE students and programs, and she participated in activities at many campuses.
Until her death in January 2008, Hickey energetically carried out her roles as an education leader, life-long learner, and community volunteer. Elinor Lincoln Hickey Jr./Sr. High School was formally dedicated in her name on December 10, 2005.