A downtown kind of cafeteria

Returning and new Hattie Watts Elementary students will arrive at school with a special gift waiting just for them from teachers, staff members and community volunteers.

Watts is a “Leader in Me” school. It’s designed “whole school transformation process” was created by Franklin Covey, famous for his books on “7 Habits.”

The program teaches 21st century leadership and life skills to students and creates a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader.

All Watts employees are assigned to a school committee, Principal Niki Fryou said.

Kindergarten teacher Danielle Grow is chairperson of the environmental committee, which involves anything related to the school’s atmosphere. Grow has been teaching for six years at Watts.

Grow conducted a survey to see what was “needed to have a more inviting environment or things that needed to be changed or upgraded at the school. Once the survey concluded, the committee took the top three items, and the cafeteria ranked No. 1.”

The environmental committee came together to discuss ideas and decided to decorate the walls with a city theme with café shops, similar to a downtown area. Later, another section will be transformed into a courtyard.

Grow found that time was the most challenging part of the project. It was the amount of work and time required to put into the project for completion.

Many arrived as early as 7:30 a.m. and stayed until 7:30 or 8 p.m., Fryou said.

“They would fit it in their schedule because it’s their summer,” Fryou said.

A simple idea started to become more complex as the idea evolved from painting plain blue walls to a city block.

“At first, we were kind of overzealous,” Grow said. “We didn’t really think that we would be able to pull it off. I would act positive. And I was like ‘oh, we’re going to be able to do it.’ But in my mind I was like ‘oh my God, are we really going to be able to do it?’

“But we were basically done by the end of June. We really did it in one month. Lots of dedication,” Grow said.

“Lots of synergy,” Fryou said.

The highlight of the project was seeing the cafeteria transformed, Grow said.

“And watching the kids’ faces as a couple trickled in over the summer,” Grow said. “And I guess watching your vision come to life.”

At times, Fryou was amazed because she couldn’t believe the project was complete.

One student reacted to the cafeteria’s facelift by saying “It’s a new cafeteria” at Tuesday night’s open house.

Many students and parents filled up the seats and lined the walls of the cafeteria during open house. Some were able to see more of the transformation than others. But when school starts Monday, students will be able to see the changes in full view.

This team-building activity strengthened the faculty as a team.

“We spent countless hours together,” Grow said. “We got to know each other better because you’re painting in close quarters. At one point, there were three of us working on that one little man. So, I mean you just share different stories.”

Kindergarten teacher Helen Rentrop sewed curtains for cafeteria windows, which is an extended length, spanning from the beginning to the end of the room. Her sewing machine was set up in the cafeteria.

“I didn’t have enough room in my house to fit a whole bolt of fabric,” Rentrop said. “So I was able to stretch everything out and it made it more convenient.”

Rentrop is also responsible for the intricate details of the painting project.

Rentrop and special services teacher Amy Ledet both lost their fathers in March.

“This one here (Ledet), she needed this,” Fryou said. “It was therapeutic for her. She lost her daddy. And it was a good time for her to be here. We laughed and we cried.”

“On many days I was crying and painting,” Ledet said.

Ledet participated in the project because she knew the kids would appreciate it. Ledet, entering her 28th year of teaching, has spent 18 of those at Watts.

The cafeteria project was an act of love.

“We did it because we love our kids,” Grow said. “We wanted it to be a fun and inviting place for them, unique.”

“We’re a family,” Ledet said. “We care about our kids. We do the extra.”

Ledet described the work as kind of contagious. More and more people kept coming to work on the project. Contractors and volunteers cut out the large fans in the cafeteria walls and covered the area with circled-wooden cover.

“Amy texted a bunch of people asking if we could borrow their ladders,” Fryou said. “She went around her neighborhood picking up ladders.”

Since they had to use a 12- foot ladder, community members jumped in to help paint walls because it is so high.

“It was a fun project just being with co-workers, enjoying the summer, doing something fun like this together,” said second-grade teacher Brittani Theriot.

“We tapped into all our talents,” Fryou said. “We have so much talent. It’s amazing.”

A total of 19 employees worked on the cafeteria project.