WESTWOOD—The students of Brookside Elementary School on Lake Drive in Westwood spilled onto the lawn Friday afternoon — a happy, controlled chaos — some waving hand-drawn signs that shouted Thank You Noah in block letters, stars, and hearts.
Their cheers greeted Westwood Regional senior Noah Perez, who once sat where they did but now was the star of the show, here to cut the ribbon on a whimsical outdoor classroom he created as his Eagle project with BSA Troop 350.
On hand were the Brookside PTO board; Superintendent Dr. Patrick McQueeney; school board president Jay Garcia; Borough Council members; scout leaders and scouts; Katherine Fasciano, whose late daughter, Elizabeth, is memorialized at the site; project backers; and Perez’s proud parents, Michele and Joe.
Perez explained how dozens of hands reclaimed a long-neglected vegetable garden nestled against the library and classrooms, turning it into 250-square-foot “room without walls.”
Set off by a white picket fence and gate, the space is a wonderland: tree-stump seats with colorful cushions beneath murals of Dr. Seuss’s Truffula trees; Adirondack chairs in bright hues; butterfly bushes; a deck and maple tree sapling; and a footpath winding through the beds. It’s big enough for two classes at a time — and simple to maintain.
“Like you guys, I was once a student here at Brookside,” Perez told the children. “I may be pretty tall now, but I sat right where you are.”
By a show of hands, he saw that many of the boys and girls were involved in scouting.
“Everything I do, I try to give 110%,” he said. “Football — I give it my heart. Acting, singing, everything I do. Boy Scouts was one of the most consistent things in my life, which I started at your age, and it led me to things like this. I couldn’t be more proud of how it came out.”
After a game, he added, “I like to be able to sit down and read a book.”
Perez said, “I’m so thankful that I get to live in a community like this, where everybody is so helpful and so kind… I’m really thankful for all of you guys, and I hope you enjoy my garden — because I’ve enjoyed it, and I fell asleep in it twice.”
Sandwiches and sweat
Perez raised thousands on an Authentic Cuban Sandwich Sale — homemade and delivered to neighbors. The order form promised roast pork, ham, Swiss, pickles, mustard, buttered bread, $10 apiece. With the ham and Swiss donated by Shortrounds Market & Catering of Emerson, the sandwiches sold briskly. Funds in hand, Perez organized seven work sessions and rallied about 30 volunteers — Scouts, Westwood Cardinals teammates, friends, and family — who logged more than 200 hours cutting, hauling, planting, and building.
Local businesses stepped up: Kuiken Brothers supplied lumber at a discount, Downes Forest Products donated mulch, New Bridge Farm & Garden supplied weed barrier, Winters Supply provided pea gravel, SiteOne added shrubs. A family offered bricks and pavers. Shortrounds Market even provided sandwiches to feed the crew. Westwood DPW, led by Rick Woods, lent tools and expertise, delivering the tree stumps that anchor the seating. New art came courtesy of Ian Ralston, one of Perez’s best friends.
Memory planted, memory kept
At the garden’s heart stand butterfly bushes and a plaque for Elizabeth Anne Fasciano, a Brookside student who passed in 2013. Perez had found the plaque in the tangle of the former garden and made it a centerpiece.
Elizabeth’s mother, Katherine, stood nearby holding her book about her daughter’s brief, bright life. “Noah’s project means Elizabeth will always be remembered here,” she said softly.
The bushes will bloom each spring, purple against the brick wall painted with Lorax trees. Children will read in their shade. Nearby another Seuss homage is painted — an inspiring Oh, the Places You’ll Go When You Read..
The Eagle’s path
Nationally, fewer than 4% of Scouts achieve Eagle. The rank requires 21 merit badges, leadership roles, and a major community project. Perez still must complete his binder, review, and Court of Honor, but to those gathered Friday, Brookside’s transformation was proof enough.
Perez presented his plan to the Westwood Shade Tree Committee in May and to the Borough Council in August, winning advice and encouragement along the way.
Superintendent McQueeney praised the project’s durability: “This is not just a beautiful space — it’s a classroom that teachers can use year after year.” (It also will host special events.)
Principal Christina Lam said the children had been asking her for weeks, “When can we go in?”
Board president Jay Garcia called Perez a “Renaissance young man” — a football player, singer, actor, and Scout who embodied the district’s programs. But his words were also aimed at the students sitting cross-legged on the grass: “When we see Noah, we see you. He was once right where you are. Some of you will be inspired to be teachers by the teachers you have today. Great teachers make great teachers. And one day you’ll want to give back, just like he did.”
Choral director Joseph Fritz later told Pascack Press, “The main thing I respect about Noah is his ability to bring people together and stay true to his convictions and interests. He is a kind-hearted student who welcomes new members and leads by example. I love that he is, during one season, knocking people down on the football field and then in the next, singing his heart out on stage. If my classes were full of Noahs I would be the happiest teacher.”
A teacher in the making
After the ceremony, Perez named several educators who shaped him: Ms. Johnston, Ms. Keahon, Ms. Diaz, Ms. Ziegel, and Ms. Delaney at Brookside; Mr. Albert, his middle school vice principal; Mr. McGuirk, his high school English teacher, who “really opened my eyes to teaching”; and Mr. De Blasio, who taught history and design theory.
He intends to study outside Bergen County, then return home to teach. “Hard work is very important. Learning is one of my favorite things. I want to really be able to give back,” he said.
