Well-loved and a bit worn, this classroom, in a school that is over 100 year old, was due for a lift! Over a warm weekend in early August, the make-over team rolled up their sleeves to transform this 11th grade English Literature classroom from scraping layers upon layers of paint (so many colors!) and fixing broken closet doors to scrubbing windows and polishing the wood floor.

Mr. Rush, who is lovingly sometimes referred to as Mr. Wrinkles, was treated to a head-to-toe makeover at Macy's Herald Square including a new Jones New York suit (for those important meetings with the Principal!), dress shirts and ties. Mr. Rush wore new khakis and brightly colored dress shirt ensemble courtesy of JNY back to see his new classroom - and what a new classroom it was!!
With a lot of teamwork and a great deal of elbow grease, Mr. Rush's classroom was transformed from drab to fab! A soft shade of paint from Behr called "April Mist" was applied to the walls, calming yet sophisticated for the 11th graders, and paired with bright patterned fabrics (Gibson stripe & Atlas Green) from Laurie Smith's fabric line. A team of muralists added powerful portraits of important authors and social figures including Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, and Malcolm X that students study during the year. Add a mobile desk and new chair for Mr. Rush, a standing lamp, a bowl of fresh green apples, new white blinds and you have a space that celebrates both learning and students!