A grand opening ceremony was held at Bowman High School for its new Wellness Pavilion, which includes a small fountain, a hammock, gardening containers and fruit trees.
Students, parents and school staff were able to explore the outdoor space while enjoying refreshments during the school’s back-to-school night on Tuesday evening.
Student Arianna Cortez said that she appreciates the newly constructed space on campus, which she said makes the school feel more welcoming.
“It’s a great environment and it’s helpful,” Cortez said. “It brings all the students together and makes it feel comfortable to ask if they need help.”
The space also offers a room where students can get free clothing from NorthPark Community Church, as well as fresh produce.
Pastor Scott Jette said that the church has been working closely with the school and Elizabeth Tarantini, who works as a social worker for the school.
“[Elizabeth] has let us know essentially what they need, and then we go to the congregation,” Jette said. “They donate it, we store it and then once [the school] is ready, we transport it over here.”
Jette said that every child should be able to have access to these resources because they are basic needs.
“These are basic things that, when I was growing up, we didn’t even think about,” Jette said. “It’s tragic if they don’t [have access to resources.] We got a chance to actually help the next generation of kids like that.”
Tarantini said that prior to the construction of the Wellness Pavilion, the space used to just be a patch of grass. She said that while the job was hard work, it was rewarding to see the pavilion come to fruition.
“It’s a dream come true,” Tarantini said.
Aside from students, parents also found themselves enjoying the space. Jimmy Cortez, Arianna’s father, said that he admired what the school has done and continues to do for its students.
“It’s nice [the school] is doing extra for the kids,” Jimmy Cortez said. “It’s really cool they can just come in here and feel welcome.”
