Chaotic presentation
”
I was wondering what the Gilroy School District was thinking
when they had choirs from eight elementary schools and the junior
high come together in one gymnasium for a musical presentation. …
The gym at South Valley junior High well exceeded any limits set by
the fire marshall.
Chaotic presentation
“I was wondering what the Gilroy School District was thinking when they had choirs from eight elementary schools and the junior high come together in one gymnasium for a musical presentation. … The gym at South Valley junior High well exceeded any limits set by the fire marshall. After the performance, all the students were dismissed at the same time. There was pushing and shoving in the bleachers and it’s a miracle nobody was hurt. I can’t even imagine what the Gilroy Unified School District was thinking by putting everyone in such danger. Thank you.”
Red Phone:
Brownell Middle School Assistant Principal Jim Gama and South Valley Middle School Principal John Perales agree with you.
“Clearly we have to find another venue for next year,” Perales said. “It was crowded and it was hot.”
Both Perales and Gama said they didn’t expect such a large turnout and South Valley’s gym was jam-packed.
Still, Perales said the district would never place students in a precarious position. Gama has been involved with the concerts for the past five years.
The schools use Gilroy High School’s gym for their spring concert and SVMS in the winter. The reason they bring all the elementary schools and middle school together is so the children have a chance to perform in front of a large audience. It’s easier to use South Valley’s gym in the winter since they have a multi-purpose room and GHS uses their gym for PE. But because the elementary choir program has grown so much, the district has out-grown its usual venue.
Gama said he shares the concerns of the person who called in.
“We’re looking for a new venue,” he said.
Where are their helmets?
“I think it’s wonderful that someone put together information about the diversity of who skaters are. It was a great article, but the one unfortunate part of it is that the pictures highlight kids without helmets. I think it’s irresponsible to run pictures of skaters not wearing helmets when the rules of that park are that you must wear a helmet. If it’s not being enforced and parents aren’t following through on it, that’s too bad. Thanks.”
n “I’d just like to comment about the Dispatch. The last few days it seems like this week anyway, you’ve been showing a lot about the skateboarders at the park and it just seems irresponsible for the Dispatch publish pictures of these kids without any helmets or pads … There’s no mention of pads or helmets. Thanks.”
Red Phone:
It took your comments to the Lifestyles Editor, who took into consideration the comments. She did note, however, that a sidebar that appeared on the jump page, ‘Tips for Using a Skateboard,’ outlined several safety measures to consider when skateboarding. For example, the reporter recommended skateboarders always wear safety gear; choose a helmet that fits well, has a chin strap and doesn’t block vision or hearing; and select protective padding that is not too tight. Red Phone also notes that parents need to ensure their children have the proper equipment and teach them how to use it correctly.
Note to readers:
In its Wednesday column, Red Phone made two errors and got called on both. First, it published an incorrect number for anyone at Christmas Hill Park who sees dogs off-leash. It gave the number for the Chamber of Commerce, and though it loves the Chamber, Red Phone thinks it might be more appropriate to contact the police department at 846-0350.
Secondly, it offered information about the homeless shelter at 8490 Wren Ave. To make donations, stop by the facility after 6pm or call Julie at (831) 801-1162.
