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It is almost a month into the new school year and Thorsby elementary students have been treated to the first of several changes scheduled to take place in the future.

The first change welcomed students when they came back to school and included repainting the restrooms to include designs and phrases of positivity on the stalls.

Several of the boys’ and girls’ bathrooms in the elementary portion of the school were revamped to display artwork depicting a variety of themes, from unicorns to sports.

The bathroom art was completed in the weeks leading up to the school year and were the work of many volunteers.

The creations took about a day and a half to finish and were designed by members of the staff at Thorsby, as well as students in the University of Montevallo arts department.

According to school counselor Christina Cochran, their has been a rush of support and interest in the community to help improve the school with new creative ideas.

A new group called THS Community Helpers has recently been established on Facebook for anyone looking for ways to get involved.

However, the bathroom artwork is just the first part of projects around the elementary school, which includes plans to turn an used patch of grass between two of the school buildings into a courtyard area.

According to Cochran, the goal is to transform the look of the area with a garden, benches and a fountain. It will provide a break time area for elementary students to “call their own.”

Thorsby has received $2,000 in financial help with the projects as recipient of an Alabama Bicentennial Grant.

“We’re all really excited,” Cochran said. “It adds a sense of school pride for everyone involved.”