The Pamela G. Culver Courtyard was built during the 1999 construction of the new high school building (Masconomet's 50th Anniversary: A Look at the Buildings). It is an outdoor space located in the center of the high school with an abundance of trees, flowers, and greenery. The intention was to create a space that students could use to cross from one side of the building to another when changing classes throughout the day (Mitchell). Unfortunately, the acoustics made it so that the courtyard could not be used to the extent that was originally intended without disrupting classes (Mitchell). Nevertheless, the Culver Courtyard is a valued space that Masco students love. Students use the courtyard to take class pictures, study, or simply to take a walk or sit outside. Since the courtyard’s construction, memorial plaques, benches, statues, and even a time capsule have been placed in the courtyard.
In May 2014, Masco’s courtyard was officially renamed in dedication to Pamela G. Culver, the principal of Masconomet from 1997 to 2013 (Masconomet Regional High School). Over her sixteen years as principal, she initiated many positive changes at the school, such as the Global Diploma program and expanding the senior internship. The Tri-Town community is grateful for her contributions to the school and her work of guiding "the culture of the school to what Masco is today" (Scarpaci).
Pamela Culver started as a math teacher from New York, and later in her career worked as a principal for a total of thirty-two years. Coming to Masconomet in 1997, she was a valuable asset in the construction of the new high school in 1999 (Masconomet Regional High School). She helped design the building so it could fit the concept of the house structure (Evans). She had many other achievements during her time at Masconomet. According to former Superintendent Darrell J. Lockwood, Culver helped navigate through “extreme technological advancements” and helped get the school to the point it is at today (Davies). In addition, the Global Diploma Travel Scholarship is named after her due to the prominent role she played in the creation of the Global Pathway (Pamela Culver Global Diploma Travel Scholarship). She also expanded the senior internship program to give students more experience outside of the classroom and help develop their career paths (Evans).
Culver’s impact on Masconomet is long-lasting. Referring to the space as the “Culver Courtyard,” commemorates her hardwork and dedication to the Tri-Town community. Her commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of students has resonated since her retirement, and will be remembered in the years to come (Evans). Current Masconomet teacher, Jared Scarpaci, sums up Culver's impact with the words, "The vision of school today is really the vision of Pam Culver” (Scarpaci).
The Culver Courtyard houses a memorial to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and the lives that were lost during those attacks. The sculpture, made of clay, has two tower structures that represent the Twin Towers. The artists chose to paint the towers in black to represent the destruction, grief, pain, and sorrow associated with that day. However, the artists also chose to finish the sculpture with a glaze to symbolize that the American spirit shines on (Ground Zero Towers).
The trees in the Culver Courtyard, as well as two benches, are each dedicated in memory of one of the following Masconomet alumni.
In addition to the memorial benches, there are also three other benches in the Culver Courtyard. They were given to Masco as class gifts by the Class of 1977, Class of 2002, and Class of 2003.
In June of 2010, in honor of Masco’s 50th anniversary, the Masco Class of 2010 made the decision to bury a time capsule in the courtyard as their class gift. With the help of Masco’s Director of Operations, Douglas Batchelder, the time capsule was buried on June 3, 2010. The capsule contains items such as student IDs, frolics t-shirts, and letters that students wrote to their future selves. The time capsule is to be opened in 2060, in honor of Masco’s 100th anniversary (Lewis).