Hanna Ranch Elementary School

One of three elementary schools in Hercules.
Grew up learning and playing in this small school but even now that I am in college, I still have memories of how great this facility is. The teachers have all been creative when it came to curriculum and other such lessons. Recess was twice a day; once in the early afternoon and once right after lunch. They have lunch cards that you can purchase weekly which teachers keep so the kids don’t lose it. And they also provide courses that help you learn to type on the computer, or write cursive, or even play in a band. Physical education is usually once a week and they have a completely different schedule for those days. The teachers also try their best to have field-​trips at least once every three months. The cafeteria has a stage where they hold performances, meetings, and sometimes PE on rainy days. Classrooms all have windows and they are big enough to fit 35+ students. The facility is built to wrap around a quad area which is ideal for eating and meeting friends before class. The parking is limited for just teachers. Parents have to park on the street or waiting in the loading zone for their kids. Traffic is very light even during the morning for drop-​off or early afternoon for pick-​up.
There have been a few changes to the school though. New playgrounds have been built to better the safety of the children playing on them. I remember only having a big dome to climb on during recess, which, in my opinion, was far from safe. I am also glad that they finally put a gate around the school grounds so that kids around the neighborhood can’t tag on the walls. They also host soccer games and baseball games in the well-​kept fields right next to the day-​care located on campus.