By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
In honor of the opening of the brand-new Pine Hill Elementary School this month, an Open House was held for Westwood residents last Friday, March 8th. As soon as the doors opened, crowds of families, friends, and residents streamed through the halls, joining group tours guided by School Committee Members (SCM).
While each tour explored different parts of the building, all attendees were able to witness the magnificence of the new school. JoAnna French, an SCM, served as one of the tour guides, highlighting seven distinct areas of the building with her group.
Starting in the expansive and beautifully constructed Gymnasium, French explained that its size was determined through community feedback, addressing the need for more gym space in Westwood. The gymnasium features one regulation-sized basketball court, two middle-school courts (located cross court), bleachers providing spectator seating for all courts, and a partition that can be dropped down from the ceiling to separate the middle-school courts, allowing for two PE classes to run simultaneously.
Moving on to the cafeteria, French showcased its unique layout, including an auditorium and stunning floor-to-ceiling windows. The cafeteria boasts two food service lines operating concurrently and modular, movable seating comprising various formats such as booths and tables. For students seeking a quieter lunch environment, there is a designated “quiet room” available. The stage within this room is open for community use, much like the gymnasium, and features a drop-down projection screen for assemblies.
Attendees then visited the Music Suite, which houses a variety of instruments and soundproofing panels. From there, French led everyone to the Nurses’ Office, designed like a clinic. Pine Hill has two nurses on staff at all times, and there is a separate outdoor entrance/exit for children to access the office without going through the main entrance. This space functions as a negative pressure room to prevent cross-contamination within the building and can also serve as a clinic during public emergencies.
The tour continued with visits to the Kindergarten Wing and the Grade 5 Wing, each grade having its own wing of the school. Grades alternate on each floor, allowing for dynamic movement throughout students’ time at Pine Hill and facilitating interaction between older and younger students.
Due to the individual wings for each grade, extended learning spaces have been created in the middle of each wing, fostering cross-classroom collaboration, special events, breakout spaces, smaller group learning, and specialist learning. Each Kindergarten class has its own bathroom, while Grades 1-5 share “airport style” bathrooms. Additionally, there is a Mother’s Room on the second floor for nursing mothers.
The final stop on the tour was the two-story Library, featuring an Art and Science room. The first floor houses most of the library’s collection and circulation desks, while the second floor provides small, breakout reading spaces and is designed for group learning experiences. Attached to the first floor is an outdoor STEAM area where classes can be held outside on a spacious porch facing the woods. The Art room is equipped with a large Kiln for student use under the guidance of a teacher.
Overall, the Open House for the new Pine Hill Elementary School was a resounding success, leaving attendees in awe of the remarkable building. Completed on time and under budget, this project marks a significant achievement for the Westwood community. For more information about Pine Hill, please visit their website at www.westwood.k12.ma.us.
