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Graduation brings back memories
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Having celebrated Ann Sobrato High School’s Commencement Ceremony last week for my son Alexander Panos, the graduation celebration reminded me of my own participation in the groundbreaking and dedication of the Sobrato site years earlier as a trustee of the Morgan Unified School District. It is ironic that fellow trustee Del Foster’s son, Kaden Foster, also graduated this year from Sobrato. Among others, Del was instrumental in building this new high school. Kudos to the team of teachers and Sobrato administrators past and present who have made this school a successful endeavor. A copy of my 2004 dedication speech follows. Now, let’s get the athletic programs out of the Dark Ages and light up our sports fields at Sobrato. To our political partners north in San Jose, “Let there be Light.”
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From the 2004 speech:
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Today we celebrate promise—a promise kept and the promise of tomorrow.
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Following the historic passage of our last school bond measure, the children of Morgan Hill Unified are finally rewarded with a promise made with the generosity of the Sobrato family and the courage and determination of present and past members of our board of trustees. That is, to open Ann Sobrato High School in 2001, and we did it!
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While future academic success cannot be measured in the number of bricks laid, nor the freshness of mixed mortar, these new buildings wrap a fresh cover around the ever expanding history of our school district. In this book will be written a new chapter of rich experiences by young minds who can better our community and this world in which we live today.
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It has been said that the first person expected to land on Mars is now in elementary school. I would hope that the men and women who participate in such a mission—regardless of background, whether engineers or mechanics, or perhaps even the first astronaut who steps onto another world—will come from a graduating class of Ann Sobrato High.
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As board president, I can say that today also marks a renewal of our commitment to all of you: students, parents, teachers and the community at large, that this district will continue to fulfill its promise of a better education for all.
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George Panos
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Former MHUSD board of education president
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Scorching grad schedule poorly planned
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Kudos to Becky Wallingford for her letter that was published in the June 10 edition of the Morgan Hill Times. My family also endured the extreme conditions on June 3 in order to support our graduate.
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Like the Wallingfords, we had elderly family members who were unable to tolerate the heat and missed the opportunity to witness the graduation of their grandchild from Live Oak High School. Before the ceremony even started they asked to be driven home, and in doing so were fortunate to not have departed from the ceremony in an ambulance, as some apparently did.
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After the ceremony we sat in gridlock watching the car thermometer creep past 111 degrees as emergency vehicles tried to make their way into the parking through the crush of exiting cars and pedestrians. We were saddened by the poor planning and disregard for the graduating class and their families displayed by the school district.
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Granted, not all June afternoons reach such extreme temperatures. However, extreme heat on June 3 had been in the forecast since the previous week, which should have provided ample time to improvise. There are three Morgan Hill high schools and one superintendent who has to appear at all ceremonies, and only so many chairs. These seem like problems that should be solvable by MHUSD’s talented leadership team.
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We echo Becky Wallingford’s request to please consider a morning or evening time for future graduation ceremonies.
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Scott & Nancy Sherratt
Morgan Hill
