After 50 years of students coming in and out of Pearl Hall Elementary School’s classrooms, the school finally opened the doors to its new campus at the start of the 2007-2008 school year. And last night, community members, Pasadena ISD officials, students and staff came together for the formal dedication of the new campus.

The school is named after well-known and respected school administrator Pearl Hall who was principal of South Houston Elementary School from 1935-1953 and headed Queens Elementary School from 1954-1962. Hall’s family members also attended the dedication.

“We have always been so very proud of our students and staff, and now we are proud of our new campus,” said the school’s principal Marilyn Pavone. “It is such a pleasure to have such a nice learning environment for our students and teachers, and we were proud that Pearl Hall’s family was able to represent her at the dedication and see the beautiful new building that her legacy will continue to live on in.”

Construction of the campus located at 1504 Ninth Street in South Houston was funded through a $299 million bond package approved by voters in November 2004, and Pasadena ISD Superintendent Kirk Lewis said this school became possible because of the overwhelming support of the community.

“The dedication of this new building opened a new chapter in the history of this school,” said Lewis. “The former campus served the students of Pearl Hall well for many years, but as times change, so do student needs, and the community saw the need where the students of this school needed a newer more spacious state-of-the-art facility in which to learn. We are grateful for their support.”

Pavone said she can’t thank the community and the people who helped create the school enough for their support.

“We thank the community, the Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees, Jacobs Engineering, Bay Architects, Cadence McShane, Julian Garcia and Charlie Knight and their crews for making this happen for our students and staff,” she said. “This has been such a rewarding and exciting experience for us all, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of all involved.”

Lewis said that when building new facilities, the district maintains a goal that reaches far beyond the appearance of a new building.

“We always keep one thing in mind when we construct new facilities in this district and that is to create an atmosphere that contributes positively to learning,” he said. “As I have walked through the classrooms and through the halls of this school during the year, I have seen the great amount of learning taking place. This building is a gift to this community—a gift that will keep on giving toward the bright futures of our young people.”

Former Pearl Hall student and current South Houston High School student Anessa Rios received a standing ovation for her performance of “God Bless America” at the dedication.

As another special part of the dedication, students and staff opened the time capsule that was placed in the cornerstone of the 1955 original building. The time capsule included a picture of Hall and the president of the Board of Trustees, W. H. Dickerson, a picture of Hall’s granddaughter, Hall’s mother’s spelling book from 1889, a first grade reader that was used in 1955, coin of the realm, an article titled “Atoms for Peace” from an issue of the Ladies’ Home Journal, and documentation of the laying of the cornerstone that started with “Dear friends in future generations.”

Pavone said her staff and students plan to construct a time capsule sometime in May. They will place items in the capsule that pertain to what they believe impacts learning today.

“Time goes on and techniques and tools change, but some things always remain the same,” said Pavone. “We must start at the beginning and build a solid foundation. As present and past generations of educators at Pearl Hall hold the same philosophy; we want our kids to be successful because we know they’re our most valuable asset.”