A Middle School Reunion to Remember

In a historical celebration held last Saturday, April 12th, Colton Middle School (CMS) recognized its 60th year anniversary with a day of music, food, and entertainment for the community. Students, staff and alumni enjoyed a day of Aztec dancing, a DJ and a car show. Although the school officially opened in January of 1954, the annual celebration has been held in mid-spring since 2004, allowing former alumni to reunite and celebrate in warm weather. Local band, Latin Society, provided cumbias, oldies, and rock and roll for the event as Mrs. Martinez' Aztec Dance group performed a ceremonial dance for the guests. The winners of the Chili Cook-off were Ramon and Jennie Luna. Artifacts and panoramic pictures from CMS' history, and yearbooks from 1975 to 2013 were on display during the event at the "Colton Junior High Museum", curated by Frank Acosta who also supplied guests with this year's updated version of "Colton Junior High School's History", a booklet that he has been putting together for about 20 years. Acosta, a retired teacher who taught for 41 years in the Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD)-39 of those years at CMS-was honored for his service during the celebration. A formal dedication of the multipurpose room took place and the CJUSD renamed the building The Frank Acosta Multipurpose Room. "I was both honored and humbled," shared Acosta, who has taught Spanish, English, reading, math, and bilingual language arts over the years. In addition to teaching, Acosta has served as advisor for many on-campus clubs at CMS. "He is a very attentive former teacher of my three children," shared Cynthia Ramirez, who works at the District office. "He still participates whenever he can," Ramirez shared. Acosta lived up to this reputation, as he volunteered at Saturday's celebration spending most of the day in the cafeteria. Acosta founded the Inland Empire Future Leaders Program (IEFLP) along with CMS alumni Dr. Thomas Rivera, who graduated in the first graduating class of CMS. The program has provided summer leadership conferences to high school students for 30 years. Acosta, shared that he has been inspired by his students and administrators for years. "All that I do is to give back to the school and to the community," Acosta said. "A sense of history is often lost in schools. This is a proud community, and keeping the history keeps a strong sense of community." Cynthia Ramirez shared that the event was a great opportunity that allowed her to re-connect with school mates from years past. [END] Colton Middle School will celebrate its 60th Anniversary with a special event including live music, food, a car show, chili cook-off, an exhibit highlighting artifacts from the school’s history, and a special tribute to retired, long-time teacher Frank Acosta. A ceremony starting at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, will dedicate the school’s multi-purpose room to Acosta. The district’s Board of Education renamed the building in his honor. Acosta retired in 2010 after 41 years with the Colton Joint Unified School District, 39 of them at Colton Middle, which for much of that time was called Colton Junior High. Over the years he taught Spanish, reading, English, bilingual language arts, and math. He served as the advisor for many on-campus clubs, including National Junior Honor Society, DJ Club, AVID, Inland Empire Future Leaders of America and Project Upbeat. Acosta, who remains a fixture at the school as a volunteer, personally curated a “Colton Junior High School Museum,” which will be on display during the event. As the only middle school in Colton, CMS holds a rich piece of the community’s history. The school is at 670 West Laurel Street in Colton. For information about entering the car show or chili cook-off, call 909-580-3613 or 909-580-3610.