When Stephanie Vierno died at age 46 in October 2013, the void felt throughout PS 41 on Staten Island was palpable. Students and staff alike were deeply affected by the loss of Vierno, a teacher, librarian and director of the school’s chorus who worked at PS 41 for 24 years. So they found a way to make sure she’d be with them every day. With pomp and circumstance befitting the beloved educator, the school was renamed the Stephanie A. Vierno School on June 17 to the delight of the more than 1,000 students, parents, and current and retired educators in attendance. ”When we first learned that Stephanie passed away, we sent a crew to support students and staff,” UFT Staten Island Borough Representative Debra Penny said. “And what people were saying, despite all the tissues and the crying, was that they needed to do something special.” Plans started quickly, beginning with getting signatures from the New Dorp community members in support of the plan to rename the school in honor of Vierno. The culmination of the work was the schoolyard ceremony, during which the teary tributes poured in. Elise Feldman, the former principal, noted how the fun days Vierno helped develop, like Silly Sock Day and Pajama Day, would live on. Former Chapter Leader John Torres told of Vierno’s “passion for reading that had an impact on all of the students she taught.” Teacher Michele Buccigrossi recalled her “smile, mischievous grin and wicked sense of humor.” Fifth-grader Yuliya Tarnovetska said that Vierno “inspired my love for books. She showed me that they are not just pages stapled together.” And sister-in-law Lori Ann Vierno, a paraprofessional at IS 75 on Staten Island, reminded everyone to practice one of Stephanie’s favorite pastimes — to “document those memories with pictures.” Principal Jennifer Logan told of the butterfly garden created in Vierno’s honor consisting of rocks decorated by students — a tradition that will continue each year as new students arrive. After the 4th-grade chorus sang its final number, “Unwritten,” there was a procession to the front of the building, as all of the students filed through the front door beneath the brand-new sign bearing Vierno’s name.