One thing Gilroy Unified does right is hire good physical
education teachers. The first cross country meets of the fall have
begun and all three of my children are running, two for Brownell
and one for Gilroy High.
One thing Gilroy Unified does right is hire good physical education teachers. The first cross country meets of the fall have begun and all three of my children are running, two for Brownell and one for Gilroy High.
I love this sport for many reasons; mainly because it is a short season. Over the next two months there will be many meets to attend, plenty of water to be provided and oodles of oranges to be quartered and passed around for the kids to share.
My children enjoy running as part of their school team, not so much for the sake of running, but because they have school pride. My youngest started Brownell this year, and she is happy to now be part of the Bruin family.
One of the reasons that she loves cross country is that her brother loves it, and my daughter wants to emulate her brother. Another reason is that she knows that Brownell won the county championship last year, and she would like to be part of the team that repeats that feat. But the number one reason to love cross country at Brownell is the coaching staff. Coach Ross, Coach Fullington and Coach Mittman are wonderful teachers, great role models, and beloved by students and alumni. They receive visits from former students on an almost daily basis.
Coaches are important in the everyday lives of students. The values they pass on to students show in the good sportsmanship of our Gilroy teams. I am not familiar with many of the high school coaches, but have heard nothing but praise for the high school physical education teachers and coaches. Every physical education teacher at Brownell is great; you really can’t get a bad one.
This year, my daughter has Mrs. Avey, who she likes because “she will do all the dances, even when kids think she looks funny doing them.” It takes a more coordinated person than me to teach all these kids to do the hustle.
In addition, physical educators now integrate writing into the class.
Our elementary students do not get nearly as much physical education as needed, but they love it when they finally do get the instruction. At Rucker, my children had Pat Vickroy as their P.E. teacher. Their affection for him is apparent. Since he lives fairly close to our house, my children practically jump out of the car every time we see him.
While the level of love is not nearly as high for classroom teachers as it is for coaches, many students do have teachers who have made a significant impact on them.
Every year in Gilroy, my children have had at least one outstanding teacher. These inspirational teachers may not get many accolades, but many of them keep in touch with former students and have the quiet satisfaction of knowing that they were influential in the lives of many.
One thing Gilroy Unified School District continues to do wrong is plan meetings.
There is an ongoing inability to plan a master calendar. Elementary schools should not be holding
back-to-school night on the same night as any middle school. The GATE Parent Advisory Committee should not meet on the same night as the El Roble and Luigi Aprea back-to-school nights. This is scheduling 101 – and GUSD is failing miserably. Parents should not be begged to become involved only to discover that their presence is not valued. No parent can be at two equally important meetings at the same time.
Parents also need a little time to plan to attend school events. As of Sept. 14, I still have not received word of Gilroy High’s back-to-school night.
It is not the job of parents to call the school to find out when you want us there. It is the job of the school to invite us, with ample time allowed. I am still hoping for a better year at Gilroy High, but this was not the best way to start the school year.
