Save South Valley Middle School Science Camp!

The Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education has arbitrarily and behind closed doors decided to reinterpret a rule regarding school field trips. This reinterpretation means that the South Valley Middle School 7th graders will be unable to attend their scheduled science Camp at Yosemite National Park this coming February. This decision was made roughly six weeks into the school year. That’s six weeks after the students began their fund raising and planning to attend the trip. many students have been looking forward to this trip for years as they saw older siblings and family friends venture off on the annual trek.

Now, with the deadline for confirming the reservation mere days away the school board is yanking the carpet out from under the feet of these students. PLEASE take a few minutes to send the message below (or one of your own wording) to the members of the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education. It doesn’t matter if you have a student attending South Valley Middle School this year or even if you live in Gilroy. The Board needs to hear from the people NOW or this trip (and many others like it) will be lost to the studentes for no reason other than a “fear of litigation over inequity”.

Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education Members-

Javier Aguirre
jaguirre73@hotmail.com
9261 Mockingbird Lane Gilroy, CA 95020
848-0079
Term: 2006-2010

Denise Apuzzo
denise@garlic.com
1525 Eagles Nest Lane Gilroy, CA 95020
846-8189
Term: 2006-2010

Rhoda Bress
rbress@garlic.com
1130 Fitzgerald Avenue Gilroy, CA 95020
848-5870
Term: 2004-2008

Tom Bundros
bundros@garlic.com
3545 Godfrey Ave Gilroy, CA 95020
848-2602 (Home)
717-5481 (Work)
Term: 2006-2010

Francisco Dominguez
Francisco.Dominguez@gusd.k12.ca.us
66 First Street, Suite 2 Gilroy, CA 95020
842-5500
Term: 2006-2010

Patricia Midtgaard
plmidtgaard@earthlink.net
(this email has some sort of spam protection ’survey’ to complete or she won’t read your message – so much for accessibility to the public! – it will still get there if you follow the extra steps)
5175 Pacheco Pass Hwy Hollister, CA 95023
842-5746
Term: 2004 – 2008

Jaime Rosso
jaime@garlic.com
7810 Oak Spring Circle Gilroy, CA 95020
968-0126 (cell)
842-6681 (home)
Term: 2004 – 2008

Sample letter-

Dear Board Member,

It has come to my attention that a recent re-interperatation of the rules has endangered the opportunity for the South Valley Middle School 7th graders to attend science camp at Yosemite National Park in February 2009. This decision was apparently made behind closed doors, without the input of the parents, students or teachers, as the issue has not appeared on any Board of Education agenda or in the published meeting minutes.

Ms. Gallup, the 7th grade science teacher at South Valley Middle School made the reservations for this trip in February 2008. She applied for, and received, over $6,000 in scholarships from the Yosemite camp so that no student will be unable to attend due to financial hardship. These reservations cannot be changed at this point, and Yosemite needs her final commitment within the next several days. Every student who has expressed a desire to attend science camp is being permitted to attend. The only thing that would prevent a single student’s attendance at this point is the decision of the Board of Education.

Cancelling the 2009 trip to Yosemite out of fear of some possible litigation is extremely short-sighted. You will only be taking one more thing away from these students who have already lost so much due to budget cuts. One of the largest issues facing the current Board and being discussed in regards to the three open seats in the upcoming elections is Gilroy’s dropout rate. Removing one of the few parts of school that the kids actually look forward to and are willing to work for is certainly no way to encourage them to remain in the system.

I strongly encourage you to reconsider this rules change and to inform Ms. Gallup at the earliest possible date that her students WILL be able to attend science camp at Yosemite in February of 2009.

Further reading-
Zaira’s blog post – SAVE SCIENCE CAMP!!!!!!!!!!

Aahz’ blog post – URGENT! Action Needed NOW To Save Science Camp!

Gilroy Dispatch article by Sara Suddes – Middle school teachers, students rally to keep Yosemite trip
Please add your comment of support to this article as well! More comments means more press interest. More press interest means more attention from the school board!

Morning update – 100% of Parents Surveyed Support Science Camp!

Afternoon update – A Response From the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education

Evening Update- Victory To The Students!