It’s a rite of late summer; teachers spending their first week back from break setting up their classroom for the new school year. But Hermitage Elementary School second-grade teacher Isabel Perez watched someone else work on hers. Providing the labor was the WTKR News Channel 3 morning team.

“Over the summer, we asked our viewers to nominate a most deserving teacher,” said co-anchor Blaine Stewart. “Isabel became our most deserving teacher and that means she gets a classroom makeover, courtesy of us.”

Stewart was joined by co-anchor Jessica Larche, meteorologist Myles Henderson and reporter Kristin Crowley. In addition to rolling up their sleeves to do the work, the team also purchased classroom items such as storage units, bulletin board material and paint for shelves and other furniture.

“I was so surprised,” Perez said. “Them coming in and doing this for me, I don’t know what to say, except thank you. This is a fantastic way to begin a new year.”

Perez was nominated by Becky Horstman who taught at Hermitage before retiring last year.