Schools

The Mount Madonna YMCA of Silicon Valley was named a recipient of the Distinguished After School Health program certificate, which recognizes programs that excel in providing health education, nutrition and physical activities for their students.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced June 23 that the California Department of Education has contracted with the State Controller’s Office to conduct an audit of California Virtual Academies and related charter schools because of serious questions raised about a number of their practices.

The building of brand new $20 million elementary school on a donated 10-acre plot in a scenic, affluent northeast Morgan Hill neighborhood comes with one major concern for local officials: high concentrations of a harmful pesticide in the soil.

A school board trustee blocked local district leadership’s request to continue retaining a law firm that he says gave the district poor legal advice that led to a recent failed lawsuit.

Local residents may learn something new about the district’s plan to build a new $20 million elementary school on 10 acres of donated land in northeast Morgan Hill with a “comprehensive update on the Peet Road site progress” listed on the June 21 board of education docket.

Local school district leadership’s legal push to erase an authorized charter school from operating in town was thwarted late last month in the Superior Court of Santa Clara County.

The Board of Trustees of Gavilan Joint Community College District unanimously voted in Kathleen Rose as the next President/Superintendent of Gavilan College at their June 14 meeting.

Sixty-five Community Adult School students accepted their diplomas June 9 inside the Live Oak High School Theater, rounding out the graduation season for Morgan Hill Unified School District.

Selecting students for the Morgan Hill Times’ annual senior spotlight honor is no enviable task. That’s why we make the principals, school counselors and staff sort it out (and they resent us for making them narrow it down to one!). These students have navigated the labyrinth of high school hurdles, and we are inspired by their optimistic outlook, refreshing attitudes and heartfelt honesty. We celebrate them, their families, their mentors and all the graduating seniors in the Class of 2016.

For the 48 Central High School students who received their diplomas, the June 2 commencement ceremony meant the completion of an uphill journey filled with hardships and setbacks that, gradually throughout the school year, turned into successes and accomplishments.“These students don’t take their graduation as simply just another thing to do. They understand how they really had to work for this,” said seventh-year Central High civics/world history teacher Christine Charlebois. “They had to overcome extreme obstacles. They value this very much. These ceremonies are very emotional. Each one of them is very invested in that diploma.”Students come to Central behind in the necessary academic credits to graduate from high school. A more hands-on approach by teachers in a smaller class-size environment helps these at-risk students catch up with their coursework.Central’s 2016 Student of the Year was Jakob Gamboa, who will continue his studies at Gavilan College. Graduates Jerry Juarez and Austin Flower addressed their classmates at the ceremony held at Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center’s Downtown Amphitheater. Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate was the keynote speaker.Graduate Christopher Fuentes, who will enter the U.S. Army Reserves, led the crowd and Class of 2016 in the Pledge of Allegiance.One-third of the student population at Central received some sort of scholarship and/or award from the community, totaling more than $10,000, according to Charlebois.“It was a very enjoyable year, very successful year,” Charlebois said. “The school itself received a glowing accreditation from WASC.”