A newly built school in Stratford, Conn. has been named after Victoria Soto, the teacher who protected her students during the deadly shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in 2012.
The Victoria Soto School opened on Friday, followed by an open house in the afternoon. Soto's hometown named the beautifully made building after the heroic teacher to remember her for her heroism and dedication to imparting quality education for children, WTHITV 10 reported.
The school building was built with the newest security technology which includes bulletproof glass and a special buzzer system that will only permit authorized individuals to enter the building. This security feature will also be incorporated in every classroom.
Dedication of a new school in Stratford - honoring a Sandy Hook teacher Victoria Soto. #wfsb pic.twitter.com/CtEMXF5WqR
— Matt McFarland (@MattMcFarland3) August 28, 2015
The building, amounting to $18 million, has replaced Honeyspot House and will be included in the Stratford Academy complex. It will be the second home for students in pre-kindergarten throughout second grade, Forex Report Daily reported.
A huge mosaic mural can also be found inside the building, and the tiles in the mosaic were personally designed by the Soto family. Flamingo images can be seen all over the school, which is Soto's favorite animal, according to CBS Connecticut.
Soto was one of the victims that were shot during the Sandy Hook shooting that claimed 26 innocent lives, 20 of which were children. She died while she was trying to protect her first-grade students. She was a Stratford local, attended local school and her family still resides in the town. Soto would have been 30 on Nov. 7.
Jillian Soto, Soto's sister, said that the first day of school is something that she always looks forward to. At least now, these children, "will always remember who she was and what she did," she said.
Janet Robinson, Stratford School Superintendent and Newtown's superintendent when the incident happened almost three years ago, said that the newly built school displays Soto's passion, which is "the joy of learning."
