After one year of construction at Convent of the Sacred Heart, Head of School Mrs. Pamela Juan Hayes and student body president senior Grace Passanante opened the doors to the new 35,000-square-foot athletic center and renovated dining room in a ribbon-cutting ceremony September 9.
The remodeled facilities are the products of Sacred Heart’s “Framing Our Future” campaign, which raised $25,500,000 to enhance the academic and athletic experience, while promoting the Goals and Criteria of the school.
During the ceremony, members of the Board of Trustees, contractors, alumnae, students, faculty, and staff watched as Mrs. Hayes thanked the benefactors who made Sacred Heart’s transformation possible.
Grace joined Mrs. Hayes to cut the ribbon in front of the new athletic center, marking a turning point in the “Framing our Future” mission and inciting years of future athletic success.
Among the many features of the new building are two gymnasiums for the basketball and volleyball teams, six squash courts that make up The Mayer Squash Center, and a fully equipped fitness room.
Varsity volleyball co-captain and senior Brooke Wilkens is confident that the new gyms, locker rooms, and lounge areas will help Sacred Heart students foster team bonding and improve overall performance.
“The new gym has everyone on the volleyball team even more excited to come to practice. It is a much more accessible facility with great resources for the team to utilize,” Brooke said. “Our goal for this season is to work on and improve our communication as a team, and these meeting spaces in the new gym truly make this goal achievable.”
In addition to the athletic building, Sacred Heart renovated the Student Dining Room and renamed it Hayes Hall to commemorate Mrs. Hayes and her contributions to the new facilities. Furthermore, there is now an Outdoor Commons Area, which includes a fireplace, a seating area, and a fountain.
“I think the new dining space will promote a more efficient and enjoyable dining experience,” senior Emma Wilfert said. “There is now a specified section for getting food and the line doesn’t go through the tables anymore, which makes getting food a lot easier and faster.”
As a part of the transformation, there is now an amphitheater in front of the athletic center, which will be used as an outdoor classroom. Teachers will be able to use this area as an alternative to the traditional classroom setting, while students will also be able to use the space at their leisure.
Upper School Science Teacher and Chair of the Science Department, Victoria Landry recently taught one of her Nutritional Chemistry and the Brain classes in the new amphitheater.
“The open space of the amphitheater allowed our class to sit together in one circle, which is a different physical setup than our usual room, 321,” Dr. Landry said. “I would encourage other teachers to give this space a try when they want students to have a physical reminder to think “outside-the-box” and be open-minded. Somehow, being outside inspires this.”
Students and faculty are more than ready to take advantage of the improved premises.
– Cheyann Greirson, Co-News Editor