The SoCal “Helpful Honda” team and NBC’s TODAY show made a surprise visit to Castaic Middle School on Monday, shocking staff by revealing a $10,000 makeover to the teacher’s lounge.

News Anchor Sheinelle Jones and a crew from the TODAY show partnered with SoCal Honda for the big reveal, which was kept a secret from everyone — including Beth Holen, a special education teacher who wrote to Honda asking for help.

A Helpful Honda team member (right) removes her sweater to reveal her identity. Beth Holen (center) reacts as Sheinelle Jones of the TODAY show (left) watches.

“I expected that there was a presentation of a gold medal award by our congressman,” Holen said of the surprise. “I knew there was some hoopla, but that’s all I was expecting.”

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, Helpful Honda has been offering classroom makeovers to teachers across the country valued at $5,000. However, rather than ask for help for her own classroom, Holen’s letter requested a makeover the entire staff could enjoy.

“She wanted to honor all the teachers and not just her classroom,” said Superintendent Steve Doyle. “The Helpful Honda people were so touched by Beth’s letter … they (decided) to give a little bit more.”  

Tami Horetski of Helpful Honda explained that the team travels around doing “random acts of helpfulness” in response to letters submitted asking for something for themselves or someone else.

Beth Holsen thanks the Helpful Honda team while staff look on.

“We do everything we can to make their dreams come true,” she said. “A lot of the teachers, they will do selfless things… They just give, give, give all day, every day, and it’s really nice to come in and actually give something to them for once.”

Related: Congressman Knight Congratulates Castaic Middle School Students On Win At Student Television Network Conference

In order to keep staff members in the dark, administrators told faculty that the room had been flooded and was closed for repairs, according to Doyle. Windows were blacked out with construction paper, and no one was allowed in during the renovation.

Brand new computers accessible for the entire staff were also donated to the school as part of the makeover, and Holen was surprised by the appearance of her daughter– who was secretly flown in from out of the area for the reveal — and the rest of her family.

Holen is reunited with her daughter, who was away at school.

“You don’t come across people who think of others, you just don’t,” said Debbie Rubel, a teacher at Castaic Middle School. “So it’s really a testament to her character that she thought of all of us, and it just makes you feel really grateful to have such a caring staff.”

Faces lit up and eyes welled with tears throughout the morning, when the school’s teachers had the chance to explore the new lounge and meet the people who made it possible.

Holen described the difference in the lounge as “night and day,” adding that “what was kind of a dreary place is now going to be a happy place.”

Teachers explore the new lounge.

“To (those) who were involved and helped make this possible — Honda, the administration, the TODAY show — thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts,” she said. “This is just more than was ever expected, and we totally, totally are grateful for it.”

For Doyle , the experience is not only a way to show appreciation for the school’s faculty, but also offers hope during what has been a difficult time for the Castaic Union School District.

“We’ve been through some tough times, and so this is just a positive ray of hope for us,” he said. “We’re very honored to have this gift given to our district.”

District Board Member Susan Christopher echoed this sentiment, adding that it felt “amazing” to experience such positivity again.

“Our teachers, despite everything that they’ve been facing, have never stopped working hard for their kids,” she said. “They’ve gone above and beyond with less and less to work with, and it just feels so special to see them have a chance to get honored. It really just touched all of us.”

Photos by Melissa Lampert.