Commons Chatter: Student & Staff Life

Pinelands Regional High School has been open since 1979. One of the most eye-catching features it possesses is the Commons at the center of the school. The Commons is a place for students to converse between classes, eat lunch, engage in after school activities, and even served as the location for Homecoming, Junior Prom and Senior Prom in the past. In most people's opinion, the Commons is the crown jewel of the PRHS, and the community was very excited to find out that it was finally getting a makeover after over 40 years. The idea came when staff and students came into the building for the 2020-2021 school year and saw the blank walls and empty planters. Troy Henderson, principal of the high school, was the one who decided to utilize the Beautification Committee to take over the Commons and “paint the blank canvas.”

The Beautification Committee has been around since the school reopened after the shutdown for repairs, and one of the longest serving members is James Ardoin. Ardoin is a science teacher at the high school and has been very involved in the beautifying of the Commons.

He was able to speak about a number of the projects that are coming together, some of which include the fact that “the logos of ALL Honor Societies have been displayed on the Academic Wall of Honor, [in which the school is] in the process of determining the best way to display the names of each member of each club. Hands [Garden Center] and Carey Landscaping redesigned the planters, added topsoil, and planted several hundred plants, and [the school has] printed pictures from throughout Pinelands' history and they are displayed on the bridge between A & B hall in the Commons.” This is only a small portion of what the Beautification Committee has planned.

Murals are very important to the design process, and the two that are the most important are the Honor Society and Military murals. Because of COVID-19, the Committee plans have been set back, but they are slowly moving forward.

Shannon Sobiech, a history teacher at Pinelands, joined the Committee this year to bring more history back into the school. She explains, “I wanted students to feel like I used to when I was in school here. I was proud of our school and the history that was everywhere you looked.” She also gave more details about the project she’s most excited about, which is the Military Mural displayed at the front of the Commons. It will be one of the first things students, staff, and visitors will see when they enter the crown jewel of the high school. She explains that this is her favorite project because “it will be a tribute to all students and staff who have served in the military”. Murals like this are important because they honor past alumni who have served and show how many amazing patriots come out of our school.

The makeover that the Commons is now getting after such a long time is bittersweet for many. It is sad to see the history that graced the walls be changed after such a long time, but the new art and pieces will be extremely important to the future students and staff of the school.

Mr. Ardoin explains the makeover as a way of honoring past students and inspiring new ones. In his own words, “We need to honor the contributions and establish a system to let others know that if they strive for excellence, they too will be recognized one day.” This attitude, paired with the encouragement from staff will lead to morale rates hitting new heights throughout the school.