Page A2 • August 8, 2013 • Inland Empire Community ...iecn.com/archives/archive/WEB2013/8:8:13...
Transcript of Page A2 • August 8, 2013 • Inland Empire Community ...iecn.com/archives/archive/WEB2013/8:8:13...
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Page A2 • August 8, 2013 • Inland Empire Community Newspapers • Colton Courier
PHOTOS COURTESY/CJUSD
Colton Joint Unified School Board member Pilar Tabera, right, wasone of several speakers at Wilson Elementary School’s 75th an-niversary celebration and assembly on Friday, August 2.
PHOTOS COURTESY/CJUSD
From left: Wilson Elementary School Principal Ernesto Calles, Wil-son Elementary 75th anniversary keynote speaker, retired educatorDr. Louis Gomez, and Wilson Elementary Assistant PrincipalVanessa Gonzalez on Friday, August 2. “I hope it will propel them todo great things,” said Calles said about the impact he hopesGomez’s address will have on his students.
PHOTOSCOURTESY/TIFFANY
MORONES
Bruins High SchoolCheer CaptainDanielle Ayala wonthe Captains Awardat cheer camp. Shewas selected bystaff out of dozensof other team cap-tains.
(right)Bloomington HighSchool VarsityCheer Team
PHOTOS COURTESY/TIFFANY MORONES
Bloomington High Junior Varsity Cheer Team
PHOTOS COURTESY/TIFFANY MORONES
Thirteen girls from Bloomington were nominated to try out for the All-American cheer team. They are,from left: Alize Soto, Joanne Barrera, Leilani Smith-Meyers, Valerie Torres, Emily Caldwell, Alicia Rojas,Brianna Dunn, Ariana Ramirez, Dulce Gallardo, Jennifer Lozano, Alexis Ramirez, Danielle Ayala, andAstrid Gamino.
1938. The school’s first principalwas Fred Heisner. The school laterbecame an elementary schoolafter the opening of Colton Mid-dle School in the 1950s. Wilson counts amongst itsalumni many of today’s notablecommunity leaders, mentors andeducators, including CSUSBDean Emeritus Dr. Ernie Garcia,former Crafton Hills CollegePresident Dr. Louis Gomez, for-mer CSUSB Assistant Dean ofUndergraduate Admissions Dr.Tom Rivera, Danny Martinez whotaught math at Cal State LongBeach, and many others. Today,many of these alumni are part ofthe Wilson Alumni Associationwho regularly hold scholarshipfundraising dances and events. The keynote speaker for theevent was Dr. Louis Gomez, a re-tired educator who taught at SanBernardino Valley College formany years and served as presi-dent at Crafton Hills College. During his address Gomezshared his memories of attending
Wilson Middle School as a youngman, including how the schoollooked as well as memories of histeachers. And being from SouthColton, college wasn’t somethingthat was always talked about buthe shared how his teachers in-spired him to want to go to col-lege. For their part, the studentswere very attentive, engaged, re-ceptive and open to what Gomezhad to say. “The keynote address was forthem,” said Wilson PrincipalErnesto Calles, who added that hehopes that the students rememberthe event fondly as a day whentheir community and board mem-bers took time out of their day tobe with them and support them intheir education. “I hope it willpropel them to do great things,” hesaid. The event also brought togethermost of the Colton Joint UnifiedSchool District Board memberswho came to celebrate and sup-port the students. One of thoseboard members is lifetime Coltonresident and Colton High alumnusDan Flores, who did not attend
Wilson but knows the school quitewell. “Wilson is an icon in Colton.Most of us have ties to SouthColton and that means we’re alsoconnected to Wilson,” said Flores,whose father, aunts and uncles at-tended Wilson Elementary. “It’sincredible to meet alumni fromthe 60s who still talk about theirlove of the school and its impor-tance in the community.” In honor of the anniversary,Calles purchased special com-memorative t-shirts for teachersand the school will be planningseveral 75th anniversary eventsthroughout the year. Apart fromthese events, the school will alsobe holding their usual events, in-cluding a fall festival and a Cincode Mayo celebration. Parents orcommunity members who wouldlike to help out for these and otherevents through time, talents orother resources, are encouraged todo so. You may reach Wilson Elemen-tary School at (909) 876-4242.
may very well be the first time inBloomington High history that theBruins’ cheer team has won somany awards. “This means that their practicehas paid off,” said Morones aboutthe team’s achievement. Both the varsity and junior var-sity teams attended camp and Mo-rones, a San Gorgonio High 2009graduate and CSUSB 2013 gradu-ate with a mind and passion forcheer, attributes the team’s suc-cess to their own self-driven mo-tivation to succeed. The girls takeit upon themselves to practice ontheir own, even on days whenMorones, who has been theircoach for two years, has to canceldue to illness. They practice fourdays a week for three and a halfhours and one day of tumblingevery week.
“When I was a cheerleader andpractice was canceled it was abreak,” she said recalling her owncheerleading days at San G. “Butnot these girls. They never misspractice.” And camp itself, as fun as it was,also had its challenges. After afive and a half our bus ride there,the girls often walked as much astwo miles one way, several times aday, from their lodging to thesports complex for practice. Butthat didn’t stop or slow themdown from the competition. Thegirls took home the followingawards: JV Superior, Varsity Su-perior, Herkie Award for both JVand Varsity, voted on by staff forthe all around American cheerteam who is spirited and has allaspects of a great team and theMegaphone Award. The Varsityteam took home first place firtheir cheer and chant as well as
the most technical stunt award.Both Varsity and JV took home aspirit stick, 13 girls were nomi-nated to try out for the All-Amer-ican team and both Varsity and JVtook home a bid to nationals inTexas.Apart from the numerousteam awards they received, TeamCaptain Danielle Ayala was alsothe recipient of the camp’s Cap-tains Award, the only such awardgiven out of dozens of team cap-tains. Morones says that now she andassistant cheer coach is WendyLofton will be working on build-ing up a solid team with a verystrong spirit of family, as well asfocusing on future competitionpreparation and of course, sup-porting the Bruins football teamon a regular basis. “I’m so proud of them,” Mo-rones said about the team.
Wilson cont. from front
Cheer cont. from front