By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor
Pine Hill Elementary School, lovingly referred to as “the school in the woods,” has officially opened its doors to students, faculty, and staff after the conception of this project six years ago. Residents were welcomed to attend the official ribbon cutting ceremony at the school on Friday, April 5 at 10am.
John Cummings, Town Permanent Building Committee Chair, opened up the ceremony, welcoming locals, school staff, and local dignitaries. He expressed that this project began over five years ago and the completion of this project is a bright landmark on the future of Westwood Public Schools (WPS) future. “We’ve built a community school for tomorrow,” Cummings expressed, with the project completion both on time and on budget.
Selectboard member Marianne LeBlanc-Cummings then came to the podium to express her gratitude for the newest fixture in the Westwood Community. “Today is a great day of pride for Westwood residents,” LeBlanc-Cummings shared, she went on to say, “This beautiful new school in the woods stands as a beacon of academic excellence.” The Selectboard member shared the importance of accessibility for all students that Pine Hill Elementary implores, the fact that this new school provided the town with a new athletic park, and a new community space.
State Senator Michael Rush was also in attendance, he came to the podium to share that: “This [the completion of the elementary school] represents the government working wonderfully together in getting things done.”
Representative Paul McMurtry then stood before the crowd, sharing his enthusiasm about Pine Hill Elementary officially opening it’s doors: “I am honored to be here to celebrate this community project…. There is no greater gift we can provide for the future of our society that higher education and Westwood accomplished that.” McMurtry then went on to say, “May every student who enters this building; student, teacher, or parent, leave with a brighter future and a greater purpose in life for us and for them.”
James McDonald from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) then took the podium. He congratulated the town of Westwood on this amazing, state-of-the-art facility. “A school is four walls with tomorrow inside, and on behalf of the MSBA, we are so proud to be apart of Westwood’s tomorrow,” McDonald stated with pride.
WPS Superintendent, Timothy Piwowar came before the crowd to express his gratitude to the key figures who put their heart and soul into building this project such as former WPS Superintendent Emily Parks, Pine Hill Elementary School’s Principal Josh Baumer, and School Building Committee and School Committee member Maya Plotkin.
Plotkin then closed out the ceremony, sharing her thanks to everyone who had their hands in building this project, such as MSBA, Dore + Whittier, Vertex, Brait Builders Corporation, senators, state representatives, select-board members, town administrators, WPS staff, faculty, the school committee, and all Westwood residents.
The Pine Hill fifth grade chorus then came out before all attendees to sing a rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
The event concluded with students, staff, and dignitaries standing before the front of Pine Hill Elementary School and allowed John Cummings the honor of cutting the the ribbon to symbolize a new beginning for Westwood Public Schools.
