Orange County parents, students give teacher lounge extreme makeover

Bridgewater Middle School lounge gets new furniture, updated decor

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – While many of you were hitting the beach, hitting the ballfield, or hitting the housework hard this weekend, a group of Orange County parents and students were hitting it hard at school, but not the way you might expect. 

These families were not taking part in a mandatory detention or school activity, they were getting results by volunteering their time to make a difference for their teachers, just in time for teacher appreciation week.

Around 2,000 seventh- and eighth-grade students attend school at Bridgewater Middle School.

Parent Stacie Archer Lange says they wanted to create a more welcoming environment for their children’s teachers as a way to say thank you for all they do for their children.

“They put themselves on the front lines not only to educate our children but to protect them,” Lange said.

So starting on Friday, parents and their children converged on Bridgewater Middle School, in Winter Garden, to do an extreme makeover of the teacher’s lounge.

Before, the lounge was a catch-all room filled with electrics, papers and crafts, and a couple of tables were crammed in the back for teachers to eat and take a moment to themselves. But on Friday night, a group of volunteers cleared out the room, painted it and got it ready for the design team to come in and work its magic.

On Saturday, Ikea delivered new furniture, rugs, pillows, and a few knick-knacks to make the space serene. Then the team of volunteers got to work transforming the cramped, crowded quarters into an inviting, calming space. 

Then on Monday morning came the big reveal as teachers got to see the space for the very first time. Watch their reaction here.

The new lounge is just one of the special things students and parents have planned for their teachers at Bridgewater Middle School. 

They also have stocked the teacher fridge with food, have a special dinner planned for Tuesday and special raffle items scheduled all week. The teachers are also getting free Kona Ice. 
 


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