A new teachers’ lounge opened on Nov. 27 right after the strike ended, giving staff a room of their own to gather and relax during the day. Teachers have been without a lounge since 2021.

The lounge is set up in a former classroom (room 370) near the entrance to the East Wing. The room had been home to the newspaper class for years, but it was empty this year. Administration used it for meetings, teachers used it occasionally as extra classroom space, and the Wupdate used it to film their episodes.

“It’s nice to be able to have a centralized place to heat lunch,” said Erik Running, a math teacher at Cleveland. “Although it is important to help students during certain hours, it is also important that teachers are able to get a break for a moment and converse with other teachers.”

Principal JoAnn Wadkins agreed, saying, “I think it’s been positive for our staff.” 

Teachers had a staff lounge prior to the Covid pandemic in room 212 on the main floor across from the office. It held a fridge and a microwave and was used by many teachers as a lunch room. Needing a space to isolate students with Covid symptoms when students returned in the spring of 2021, the administration designated the room as a nurse’s station. 

The new teacher lounge features new seating areas with tables and chairs, and has some plants, a tea and coffee station, a microwave and refrigerator.

Portable 1 is now the new room for the Wupdate and administrative meetings.

“The room is actually more convenient, being closer to Sorensen’s [the Wupdate Advisor] room,” said Minying Zhen, who films for the Wupdate.