On October 3rd, Mrs. Sondak and more than 60 volunteers finished the construction of Paint Branch High School’s very own pond in the senior courtyard.

This small body of water within the school’s facility stands for not only instructional purposes, but also takes the place of the pond from the old building, which was torn down along with the old building last year.

According to Mrs. Sondak, the pond provides the opportunity for classroom lab experiments, as there are no nearby sources of water to examine. At the same time, it adds to the beauty of the new – and already eye appealing – facility.

Planning for this landmark had been taking place for over a year, as several obstacles had to be overcome and a variety of steps taken in order to make this goal happen. “It started with Ms. Dixon,” said Mrs. Sondak.  “Then I started talking to Mr. Shinholser, who was connected to the pond construction company.”

Mrs. Sondak went on to say that eventually the school district approved the project and then the financial office found the funding.  Then, several volunteers from all over the county came on board for the construction.

“This has been in the making for one and a half years,” commented Mrs. Sondak.  “Our final step is to put some fish in and get the horticulture class to do some further landscaping.”

Principal Dr. Rogers sent out a mass recipient email throughout the entire Paint Branch staff to offer special congratulations to Mrs. Sondak and all those who volunteered to make this dream a reality.