PS 349 Chapter Leader Farrah Padro found herself getting choked up as she presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new building her school shares with MS 358 and Q277, a District 75 school, on Nov. 19 in Jamaica, Queens. The event was marked by student performances, remarks from elected officials and educators, and rounds of applause from the parents and community members who had long sought additional school seats in this densely populated section of District 28. The schools opened in September and will be adding grades each year. “This event really touched the heart of a whole community,” Padro said, reflecting on the collaboration that occurred when administrators from the three schools reached out to parents and community members to ask what they wanted for their students. The UFT also was involved, said District 28 Representative Angela Artis, as part of a working group that provided feedback on core values, mission and vision. “I feel like I’m in a community filled with love and appreciation for educators and what we do,” Padro said. The building is state of the art, with huge expanses of glass that let in natural light. Dance teacher Anne Zuerner of MS 358 said her students who performed as part of the event were thrilled to be in a performance so early in the school year. The students choreographed their own performance piece, Zuerner said. “It was so inspiring for the students who got to see it that we added a second performance later in the day for the entire school to watch,” she said.