“You couldn’t even see the color in the pavement or the paint of the hopscotch,” he recalled. “Everything was faded.”
It was time for a facelift, he said. So Jonsson, along with dozens of Hatch parents, decided to chip in earlier this month and organize a spruce-up project — the first of many such beautification projects a team of parent volunteers are planning for the venerable school. In the spirit of Half Moon Bay volunteerism, parents took it on themselves to repaint and rebuild a better playground for their children with the help of local businesses and school leaders.
 Hatch Elementary students play on their newly refurbished playground on Monday. A group of parents, along with local businesses chipped in recently to improve the schoolyard. |
School parents also decided to rebuild a dilapidated, rotting outdoor wooden stage.
Local businesses donated hundreds of dollars in materials to help the parents. Kelly Moore donated street paints; Ace Hardware donated wood finishing; and Big Creek Lumber donated wood.
“It was all volunteers and local stores contributing so the kids had a great place to play,” Jonsson said.
The Hatch playground now has a fresh, new look to match the enthusiasm of its young students. Students have play courts for all usual primary-school games, laid out in bright handicap-parking blue, fire-lane red, and loading-zone yellow.
Organizers say many Spanish-speaking parents helped out -- their children make up more than half of Hatch student body.
Principal Mark Loos said effort was inspiring, showing that parents across the economic spectrum can chip in to help.
“We feel incredibly supported,” Loos said. “For sure, this was several thousand dollars of work for our school.”
Jonsson said he hopes this is just the first step to help the school.
“The school district doesn’t have the funds,” he said. “So we’re going to be doing little odds and ends throughout the year.”
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