Guest Columns

Europe Fans of Creedence: Their Day at El Cerrito High

We'd like to offer thanks to Kathie Weinstein for this report on the Feb. 8 visit to El Cerrito High by a dozen Creedence Clearwater Revival fans who traveled here from Europe to see sites linked to El Cerrito's famous hometown band.

By Kathie Weinstein Recently, on a bright, sunny day, 12 Creedence Clearwater Revival fans from Belgium, Germany, Spain and Switzerland visited El Cerrito High School to learn more about some of our schools' distinguished alumni.  They wore jackets and shirts with their musical heroes emblazoned on them. (For those who aren't familiar with Creedence Clearwater Revival, here is a brief history.  Brothers Tom and John Fogerty, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford met while attending Portola Junior High School.  They became friends; and, with their mutual love of music, formed The Blue Velvets.  After a while they changed their names to The Golliwogs to be followed by Creedence Clearwater Revival.) Joann Steck-Bayat, Kathie Weinstein, and David Bilyeu …

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"Don't Mess With Madera 5th Graders"

The PTA used the term "nail biting" to describe the showdown between parents and students at the "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" contest Thursday at Madera Elementary School in El Cerrito.

Here's the scene: three parents on one side of the stage were squaring off in a battle of smarts with seven fifth graders on the other side. The tension in the Madera Elementary School big all-purpose room was building Thursday as the final question was posed to determine the winning side in the contest, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" Principal Cheryl Cotton was posing the questions. It was a "a nail biting contest," said PTA President Linda Geiser. "The score was tied up until the last 'million dollar' question: What is 40 percent of 250?" You can probably guess who won by the headline on the ensuing report on the PTA's Web page: "Don't Mess With Madera 5th Graders." The event was part of the PTA’s "Take Your Family To School Week."

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Guest Columns

Gift for Those in Need: "Locks of Love" from Saint Mary's

A gift of one's own hair for young cancer patients is becoming a tradition at St. Mary's High School. The youngest donor this year was a third grader from El Cerrito.

Saint Mary's High held its fifth annual Locks of Love hair-gifting event on Wednesday on the school campus in Berkeley.  Five ladies – including a young miss from Harding Elementary School in El Cerrito – gave nearly five feet of hair for hairpieces for young cancer patients. The event was coordinated by Ms. Clare McCormick, Saint Mary's Religious Studies faculty member, and stylists Kayla Headley and Rebecca Kalinin of "Innovations" in Napa drove to Berkeley to donate their time and talent.  Kayla is the daughter of the school's Buildings and Grounds Director, Mark Headley, and sister of freshman Max.  Donors included Saint Mary's students sophomore Kate Tealdi and freshman Rachel Gee, Buildings & Grounds staff member Fabiola Aguirre, her…

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Guest Columns

View: Start High School at 8:30am or Later – To Fit Teen Sleep Cycles

Studies show that teens – who have a later sleep cycle than children or adults – fare better on many measures when high school starts later in the morning, says social worker Susanna Marshland of Kensington.

In the current environment which focuses on improving measurable outcomes for all our schools, there is one simple, cost-effective change that could make a big difference. The change?  Shift the morning start time for our high schools to 8:30 or later. There is very clear research indicating that delaying the morning start time for high schools has a major impact not just on improving grades and test scores, but also on improving physical and mental health students and decreasing teen driving accidents. Medical research is clear that teens experience a "sleep phase shift" during adolescence that means they are alert later into the night than children and adults. The average teen needs 9.25 hours of sleep a night.  When they don't even get …

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Poll: Change How Black History Month Is Observed in West County Schools?

Please take our poll on a challenging question raised by the superintendent of West Contra County schools: Should the "heroes and holidays" approach to multicultural education be changed to a "decision-making and social action" curriculum?

It's Black History Month again, a time when schools celebrate African-American contributions and heroes. This year, however, the superintendent of the West Contra Costa Unified School district, Bruce Harter, has issued a thought-provoking challenge to the traditional approach. We'd like your vote in our poll at the bottom of this article on Black History Month education. "Because we designate one month of the year as Black or African American History month," Harter says in his message, "we highlight and learn about contributions of African Americans – what some call the "heroes and holidays" approach to diversity in our society." (The superintendent's message is on the district Web site and is attached to this article.) "Teaching about ‘…

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Todd Groves

8:27 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012

Critical thinking is good and needed, but critical pedagogy could easily be characterized as an ideology far outside the mainstream. Would you be as comfortable with a radical libertarian ideology driving our pedagogy? I know I wouldn't, yet our left-leaning community's embrace of this idealism invites such comparisons. We need something deep to improve student achievement. Radical flirtations …   more ›

Hundreds Gather to Mourn Jeremy Crowder

At least 400 people attended the funeral at Sunset View Cemetery Wednesday for Jeremy Crowder, the 17-year-old El Cerrito High senior who was fatally struck by a train.

Friends and family packed the chapel and hallway of Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito Wednesday afternoon to mourn Jeremy Crowder, an El Cerrito High School senior whose life was cut short when he was hit and killed by a train. "To see so many of you here today means so much to Jeremy's family," said pastor Larry Patterson during the eulogy. "I would love for Jeremy to see the lives he affected that are here today." Attendance was estimated at 400 or more by the Sunset View staff. A sizable number sat in an overflow room. The funeral was freighted with extra tragic resonance, since a gathering of virtually equal size came to Sunset View the day before for the funeral of 18-year-old Tyler De Martini, a former El Cerrito High student who …

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Patch Gallery

Action Soccer Scenes from El Cerrito High Victory

We'd like to thank Aaron David Cole and Pinole Patch for these stop-action photos reflecting some of the soccer drama in the Gauchos' victory over Pinole Valley High.

We hope you enjoy these photos capturing some highlights from the El Cerrito High Gauchos' 1-0 men's varsity soccer victory over the Spartans of Pinole Valley High on Feb. 2. It was a close game, with Mauricio Garcia's goal in the 24th minute clinching the victory for El Cerrito. You can find a brief write-up in the Contra Costa Times. The team wasn't as fortunate last night, Tuesday, losing 1-6 to the Richmond Oilers in a conference game that brought their conference record to 2-3 with 5 draws.

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Large Funeral Gathering for Tyler De Martini

The funeral today, Tuesday, for Tyler De Martini, the former El Cerrito High student fatally injured by a car while skateboarding on Marin Avenue, drew an estimated 400 people to Sunset View Cemetery.

It was standing room only, with many friends and loved ones spilling into hallways and an overflow room at Sunset View chapel today, Tuesday, to remember Tyler De Martini.  The 18-year-old Berkeley resident who attended El Cerrito High School as a freshman, sophomore and junior died last week after a car struck him as he skateboarded along Marin Avenue at Tulare Avenue. De Martini's funeral Tuesday morning drew an estimated 400-plus people. Afterward, he was buried in a private ceremony for family at St. Joseph Cemetery in San Pablo. De Martini has family roots in El Cerrito – his grandfather and father owned the well-known Mel-O-Dee lounge in El Cerrito Plaza for many years. Best friend Jordan Riker, in his eulogy, reflected on meeting De…

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Charles Burress

3:12 pm on Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Thank you for the correction. Yes, it did begin at 1 p.m. We apologize to anyone who was late because of it. (We got the 2 p.m. time from the high school's weekly bulletin. The school later sent out a correction that we unfortunately didn't see. We obviously should have double-checked.)   more ›