Schools

Sometimes being safe and environmentally friendly can be fun. The Santa Clara County Health Public Health Department is actively working to promote its Safe Routes to School program: They work to get kids on bikes or their own two feet to get to school,...

The Ford Store/Morgan Hill donated a 2016 Ford Focus to Gilroy High School to be used for learning in on-campus automotive classes. “We are proud to be part of this program and partner with Gilroy High School to help provide these students with hands-on training...

Mount Madonna School is pleased to announce McKenzie Caborn and Kabir Ahluwalia as the 2012 senior class Co-Valedictorians, and Alex Hooven as Salutatorian.

Graduates honored at the 98th annual Gavilan College Commencement were treated to a special outdoor ceremony May 25 on the main Gilroy campus. Eight hundred sixty-one students received at least one degree/certificate, including 205 Associate in Arts, 132 Associate in Arts for Transfer, 146 Associate...

There were a few loud bangs, and then Richard Manuel Castaneda, 27, walked out of a house at 750 W. Eighth St. with his hands behind his head.

If a new contract agreement cannot be reached over the summer months, Gilroy teachers have voted to strike at the start of the 2018-19 school year. In a June 6 vote of 544 Gilroy Teachers Association members, the union reported that 84 percent were in...

The Hollister High School Winter Percussion Ensemble took their talents to the stage earlier this month.  The youth band, led by Director Michael Tabrizi, performed March 16 at Gavilan College for the annual Bach To Blues concert at the college’s theater at the main campus...

This summer, administrators at Gilroy High School have been working to fill five positions—including the activities director, assistant principal, counselor and two teachers—after staff members left their posts.“I've been in the business for 20 years, and I can't ever remember having five different staff members from one site leave in one year,” GHS Principal Marco Sanchez said, adding that two people climbed the ranks within the Gilroy Unified School District.Kanani Pratt, formerly a Social Studies teacher at Gilroy High, became the school's assistant principal after Christine Anderson moved on to serve as the principal of Rucker Elementary School.“I’m going from the micro level to the macro level, from the department to the whole school. It’s a big jump and it’s an exciting jump with different responsibilities,” Pratt said. “I’ll definitely miss the intimate interaction with the students inside the classroom. I’m going to be very visible on campus, but it’s not the same as having a captive audience for two hours a day in a classroom.”“I've always enjoyed working with Kanani as the department chair of social studies and our Advanced Placement coordinator,” Sanchez added. “She has been fantastic there and I know she'll do a great job as an assistant principal. She's done a marvelous job so far over the summer just helping me hire and fill vacancies for teaching positions.”Former English teacher, department chair and GHS graduate Ethan Stocks became the assistant principal at Milpitas High School, and former academic coordinator Julio Villalobos is now the assistant principal at Alum Rock Union Elementary School.Eleven-year GHS veteran and former activities director Jeremy Dirks—also a Mustang—left to accept a position as assistant principal of San Benito High School. According to Sanchez, former activities director at South Valley High School, Chris Leong, will replace Dirks.“I really enjoyed my time at Gilroy High School,” Dirks said. “To be honest, the place made me into the person I am today and it's difficult—but I'm looking forward to an exciting new opportunity.”Though the transition was made easier simply because he's lived in the Hollister area for the past 11 years, Dirks said he'll miss the students and staff at Gilroy High.Stocks, Pratt and Dirks graduated from San Jose State—from the same program—and worked alongside each other at GHS for more than 10 years.“Their talents will all be missed,” Sanchez said, speaking to the three staff members moving outside GUSD. “We spent the whole summer finding their replacements and that's been difficult.”GHS administrators are hoping to hire two teachers this summer—a Social Studies teacher and an English teacher, according to Sanchez.