Cedar Grove Middle School Gets Panther Pride Makeover

Panther Pride is stronger than ever at Memorial Middle School in Cedar Grove. So strong, in fact, they wear it all over the walls.

Going along with this year's theme of Panther Pride, and building off the success of school spirit days, Memorial Middle School's Family School Association spent time over the summer decking the halls of the school with a bevy of Panther regalia, the largest of which is a huge mural of a panther on the wall of the 8th Grade hallway near the school's gymnasium.

"That's our biggest wall in the entire building and one of the most high-traffic areas," said MMS Principal Richard Mangili, who hailed the project in an interview this week.

Flanking the panther mural are two smaller murals, one of the Cedar Grove seal, and the other, a quadfurcated painting of various athletic equipment.

In addition to the giant mural, which FSA Committee member Sue Lynch painted over the summer, more than twenty 4-by-6-foot banners were hung throughout the school, each emblazoned with the classic Panther Paw Print, and the school's six characteristics: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Citizenship and Caring.

Mangili said the investment in time and effort is already paying off.

"What it's done is really provided some more character to our school. When you walk through the halls or into a classroom and it's beautifully decorated and you can see a lot of time was spent making it look nice, it's really a place you want to be."