Thornley Middle School's New Fashion Hub and Library Inspire Creativity and Learning

The Thornley Middle School has added two new spaces to start off the school this year: a Fashion Hub housed in the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) and a new Middle School Library.

The Fashion Hub was created to provide a dedicated and dynamic space that fosters creativity, collaboration, and innovation for students pursuing fashion and clothing endeavors in CEL. The idea came out of the growing need for adequate resources and studio space for the student designers in both Middle and Upper School who focus on fashion innovation for their CEL projects.

The summer renovation was led by architect and CEL teacher Juliet Fajardo and recent SCH graduate Jasmine Matthews ’23. While working as an architecture intern this summer, Matthews helped reimagine and design the space and also built out the space in true D.I.Y. fashion—construction tools and all. Matthews is currently studying architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC).

The Fashion Hub has been outfitted with a fabrication area that includes a central table and oversized cutting mat for cutting fabric and laying out patterns, four sewing machines on mobile desks, a new serger, a new adjustable mannequin, mobile clothing racks, a mega pegboard display wall to highlight student fashion projects, a textile storage area in the back closet, and a collaborative meeting area with soft seating. Fajardo is thrilled with the outcome and says, “Please swing by and visit to see the exciting design work that will be happening in the space!”

Moving down the hallway, the new home of the Middle School library is now located centrally at the end of “Main Street” in the space formerly used for offices.

The two-story, vaulted, light-filled space with views of the tree canopy in every window, provides a welcoming space to work and select books. Librarian Bonnie Bloy says, “It's been wonderful to see the reaction on students' faces as they explore the new library. Even those who were reluctant to make the change seemed delighted by the brightness of the room. The Middle School Library has always belonged to the students first, so I am excited to see how the space will evolve as the year progresses and they begin to make their mark on it.” 

Adjacent to the main collection is a cozy room that is proving to be a favorite spot for reading, playing chess, coloring, and making paper cranes. It will be the home base for the brand new library lunch club this year called "Battle of the Books" where students will read in mini book clubs and participate in a competition in the spring that will test their knowledge of what they've read. 

Bloy adds, “I am excited about our new collection of History Smashers books, a nonfiction series that debunks myths and uncovers hidden truths about moments in history that kids are always interested in knowing more about, like the sinking of the Titanic, Pearl Harbor, and the American Revolution.” 

By now, almost everyone in Middle School has visited the library to acquire an independent reader, a book they've chosen to read for pleasure. Students can stop by the library before school, during break or study hall, and after school to exchange books and get recommendations.