Mar 5, 2018 By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 4 min read

New school meets old school when it comes to the plaques acknowledging donors toward the renovation of Bethel Park’s Schoolhouse Arts and History Center.

Several students at Independence Middle School have been getting together to produce the nameplates, to be installed in the century-plus-old building on South Park Road that at various points served as a high school and elementary school.

Eighth-grader Vincent Taormina said he doesn’t mind getting an early start – the students meet at 7:10 a.m. – for the opportunity to work with the requisite machinery for what he considers to be a worthwhile project.

“We’re doing something for the community,” he explained. “It’s not just for us or for the school. We’re doing it for other people.”

Principal David Muench is supervising the students in a three-phase project on behalf of the Bethel Park Historical Society, which is undertaking the arts and history center’s renovation.

The students have used an engraver to produce metal plates with the names of donors who have contributed toward replacing all of the building’s 107 windows. Next comes working on a computer numerical control milling machine for plaques to acknowledge those who have given significantly to help with the restoration of former classrooms.

Finally, the students will work on a new “Schoolhouse Arts and History Center” sign for the outside of the building.

“We’ll actually come back to the laser engraver to do a cutout of acrylics for that piece,” Muench said. “I’m excited about that.”

Bill Haberthur, the historical society officer who is leading the renovation efforts, approached the principal about having the students assist. In seeking a cost-effective way to have acknowledgement plaques produced, Haberthur did an online search for “cnc machine bethel park.”

“Lo and behold, one of the first articles that came up was that Independence Middle School had one of these machines,” he said.

Muench, in turn, approached some students whom he thought would benefit from participating, and they went to work.

“I commend Mr. Muench for seeing the vision, for getting the kids involved and just wholeheartedly supporting what we’re trying to do here,” Haberthur said. “It’s important to get them engaged in their community and give them a sense of history.”

The involvement of the students and their principal fits what historical society members had in mind when they embarked on the renovation project in October 2016.

“The board decided that the success of this renovation project was going to depend on getting the community to buy into our vision of turning this building into a cultural center for the community,” Haberthur explained.

One of the first components of the project was to replace the windows, with various high school graduating classes donating $500 for each. Local residents and businesses soon joined the cause, which is a particularly important one as far as Haberthur is concerned.

“A year and a half ago, I was begging people to get involved, because they were still under the impression that the building was going to be torn down,” he said. “But once those windows were installed, people who haven’t been in the building and drive by and say to themselves, well, they can’t be going to tear this building town if they just spent all that money on windows.”

Some window sponsorships still are available, with donors’ names to go on plaques that will be placed on the applicable sills. For more information, contact Bill Haberthur at historicalsocietybp@gmail.com.