60 years ago, the first class of Pioneers graduated after spending 4 years in the building we still call New Providence High School.  When the class of 1963 entered the building as freshmen, it was a new, state-of-the-art facility.  How do the spaces students inhabited back then compare to the same rooms today?

The old Home Ec room had low tables with cushioned seats, limited counter space, wood cabinets, and aged appliances. The new Fabric Arts/Foods room has high top tables with stools, movable metal tables, and a pull down screen with a projector. This room went under a large renovation recently that improved the cabinets, appliances, and counters.

The original gymnasium had 800-seat bleachers, flood lights, full air circulation, air conditioning, water fountains, glass backboards, and locker rooms. The gym today has many of these same qualities, however it has added state, sectional, and county championship banners, as well as multiple teacher offices and a new state of the art weight room.

The 1960’s library only had wooden chair table sets with bookshelves surrounding the area. The new and improved media centers hold the academic commons, a glass classroom enabled with two Smart Boards, and ten tables. In the main room it has a large screen in the middle and 5 Smart Boards around the room. It also has three pods, two couches, four chairs, a conference room, and various book shelves.

The most obvious difference between the classrooms then and now is the addition of technology. Students now rarely carry around a backpack full of textbooks due to most school work being done on the iPad. Back then, it is clear to see that most work was done with the books stacked on their desks. The layout was similar to the bulletin boards, but the desks and chairs were attached and the teacher’s desk was in the front of the classroom. Now with the Smart Board, it is hard for teachers to have their desks in the front, so it is frequently off to the side.

While the technology has become more advanced over the years, the contraptions have become simpler to use. Nowadays, announcements are made over the phone system, and attendance can be tracked by scanning a barcode and inputting into a student accessible database. Back then, attendance could not use these same strategies.

The old Main Office has full glass windows, tile floors, a single desk, and a long counter. The improved office has redone wood and carpeted floors, three wood finished desks, with multi screened computers at all three desks.

The structure of the kitchen has stayed similar throughout the years, sharing the same layout, glass office, and tile floors. However, the new kitchen holds a large cooking area in the back and has improved stainless steel appliances.