By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



School starts back today for most schools in northern Jefferson County. At Mortimer Jordan High School, teachers got a back-to-school gift: A classy place to take a break during the day.

Volunteers transformed the school’s teacher lounge during summer break from the “dredges” to “a Southern Living spread,” according to interim principal Barbara Snider.

The community outreach ministry at Gardendale First Baptist Church did all the work.

Phil Cronin, GFBC’s pastor for new members and community outreach, headed up the project.

“It’s fairly extreme,” said Cronin. “We took a really icky room and basically flipped it to make it like a small cafe.”

Cronin said the small break room was in dire need of help. He said the walls were scarred, ceiling tiles were destroyed and the place was simply a mess.

“It was disorganized,” said Cronin. “It was just a typical teachers’ lounge after 60 years of use, with papers piling up.”

About 10 people from the church worked all summer to paint the walls, put down new flooring, paint the cabinets, install a new ceiling and put in two small couches.

The crew also sawed a wooden table in half and bolted both halves to the wall to create more space.

They also built a coffee station in the room, as well as a work station with a counter top and a magnetic wall for placing notices.

Final touches included wall hangings, throw pillows and other decorations.

“It’s a sharp look,” said Cronin. “We wanted to create the feeling that ‘we’re not at work any longer.’ It’s a place for teachers to go and recharge their batteries while they’re in between classes.”

The room was unveiled to Mortimer Jordan’s teachers Friday morning.

Snider ushered the teachers into the room for their first glance at the remodeled space.

They seemed to love it.

“They did a lot of very nice improvements with teachers in mind,” said Becky Mauldin, who teaches business and marketing at Mortimer Jordan. Mauldin said the room was formerly the principal’s office and then later, the counselor’s office.

Robert Belcher, an art and photography teacher, said all teachers start their day in the break room because teachers’ mailboxes are located there. He said it was a boost to start the day in such a pleasant room.

Algebra teacher Pam Rosser said seeing the remodeled room was “quite a shock.” She said the room would be nice for the occasional break to make a phone call or to catch up on some work.

Snider said she was asked if the newly-remodeled room would help MJHS teachers do a better job.

“Absolutely not,” she said. “Our teachers do a wonderful job no matter what this place looks like. They are professionals.”

She added that the clean new space would be a big boost to the teachers’ morale to help reward them for the job they do.

Snider will serve as interim principal after the Jefferson County Board of Education appointed her to the position on Aug. 7. Former principal Dr. Byron Campbell resigned from the post this summer.

After Mortimer Jordan’s teachers viewed their remodeled break room, GFBC volunteers prepared and served to them a breakfast of eggs, meats, pancakes, smoothies and coffee drinks.