A few years ago, our staff read a book called Kids Deserve It by Adam Welcome and Todd Nesloney. It talked a lot about why we do the things that we do, because kids deserve our very best day in and day out. There were many good take away's from it and I think that the staff took something from it as well.
Over the Christmas break, I wanted to work on a little project for the teachers. The entire time I have been here, the area designated as the "teachers lounge" was not very nice. The walls were 2 different shades of cream/white, mismatched furniture dating back to the 1960's, a variety of random items that didn't appear to move from August to May. It was a room I avoided most of the time. There were a few brave souls that would eat lunch in the room and go grab an afternoon soda, but it just didn't have a good vibe. So I asked our PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) and the superintendent if I could take this on as a surprise for the teachers when they came back from break. With their blessing, I got to work devising a plan that was rather simple, but hopefully would make a dramatic difference. Bless the heart of our maintenance man, Rodger because he worked like mad to help out. He was even working away on the morning of Christmas Eve. With his help, we were able to replace all the light bulbs and put in new tile flooring and carpet. Between those changes and fresh paint on the wall, the room was already drastically different!
As break went on and more pieces fell into place, including the arrival of some new furniture, my stomach bounced with excitement. I couldn't wait for the teachers to see the transformation. I just hoped that it would be a place that all the Freeman staff would enjoy and feel like they wanted to spend some time in. Teachers work hard and they too deserve a place to call their own and escape to from time to time. Imagine the place where you work and if there wasn't a space you could just walk into for 5 minutes and breathe, or go grab a fresh cup of coffee?
This room wouldn't have been possible without the help of the PTO, Rodger and Rex, the Havelka's, and my husband who helped me paint. I think it turned out pretty great!
A freshly painted shelf with coffee and some paper products for food. Around the room are some fun pieces of artwork as well!
New cozy space to relax, work on a puzzle, catch up with colleagues or breathe! New carpet too!