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CALIFORNIA CITY - There are many firsts that come with opening a new
school: first day of school, first pep rally, first athletic event, first
assembly. Each carries the weight of establishing new traditions that will
give the school its identity.
Though it houses only freshmen and sophomores so far on its incomplete
campus, California City High School is well on its way to establishing
those traditions through a laundry list of notable milestones.
Among those firsts: the first two official California City High letterman's jackets to be worn on campus.
The black-and-royal blue jackets, emblazoned with the Raven mascot, were not first seen on proud students, but on equally proud staff members.
Science teacher Richard Walpole and school secretary Kathy Page were presented with the inaugural jackets for their dedication to the school's fledgling athletics programs.
The pair were presented with the jackets at the athletics banquet in the fall.
Walpole's was a gift from the football team for his work in providing tutoring for their mandated study hall, while Page's came from the athletic department for all her work.
"My eyeballs were perspiring," Walpole said of the surprise presentation. "It was a very nice, pleasant surprise."
"He bawled like a baby," Page corrected.
"It was a shock," she said of her own gift, noting that secrets such as that are very hard to keep on such a small campus.
Walpole's jacket is the traditional boys' style, with black leather sleeves and a blue body.
Page sports the girls' version, with her nickname of "Boss Lady" stitched across the hood in back.
The pair have proudly worn them every day since, a fact noticed by their students.
"If I go on campus without it on, they want to know where it is," Page said.
The milestone is but one of many Page tracks through posters marking each and every first on campus, from the first student to buy a football game ticket to the inaugural referees, the first pep rally to the first volleyball team.
"Every single solitary thing is new and different," she said. "The kids are just so wonderful.
Page and Walpole - each with about 13 years' experience in the Mojave Unified School District - came to the high school from California City Middle School, eager to be in on the ground floor of a new school.
When Cal City Athletic Director Daniel Williford instituted a study hall requirement for all student-athletes, Walpole volunteered to help, offering tutoring in math and science.
The study hall program was a great success, improving the grade-point averages of all but two students who participated in the fall.
"You can't improve a 4.0 (straight 'A's')," Walpole said of one of the two students. The other was a transfer student facing different courses who dropped .02 points.
"They needed a chance to have time to focus," Walpole said of the study hall success, noting that many students have family obligations when they get home that may distract from their studies.
"Just the fact they do their homework and turn it in makes a difference," he said.
Walpole also participates in the school's second study hall program, mandated for all students who tested as below basic on the statewide tests.
Although Walpole and Page were the first examples on campus, some members of the cross-country team have since earned their varsity letters, and another soccer player is in line to receive one. Most team athletics at the school remain at the junior varsity level until the school has a junior class next year.
The lack of varsity sports has not put a damper on the community excitement and support for that aspect of the new campus.
Crowds turned out for football games, even a Saturday morning game in Ontario where the visiting Cal City fans outnumbered the home team's 2-to-1, Walpole said.
agatlin@avpress.com
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