Wilson Elementary School Celebrates 75 Years

Wilson Elementary School kicked off its 75th anniversary with an assembly of its current students, staff, distinguished community leaders, and alumni last Friday morning, Aug. 2. The assembly kicked off with the Pledge of Allegiance and Wilson Elementary School’s song, where all of the children stood up and happily sang together to start off the new year. Classes of students were then asked to sit down and were introduced to the honored guests by Wilson Elementary School Principal Ernesto Calles. Wilson Elementary was established in 1938 and has seen vast changes and advances since its opening days. Many alumni of the school looked back on their days at Wilson and spoke to its history, including their teachers and the setup of the classrooms and buildings. Dr. Luis Gomez, President Emeritus of Crafton Hills College, gave advice to the students of Wilson Elementary. “Keep a positive attitude about learning. Keep a positive attitude about living. Keep a positive attitude about everything. How high you can climb will surprise you,” said Dr. Gomez. Pilar Tabera, Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD) Board Member, was also present at the event and told every student that as long as they dedicated themselves to education, “You can be anything they want to be.” Wilson Elementary School will continue to celebrate their 75th anniversary throughout the year with many different types of events. The celebration kicked off last month, when the school underwent beautification efforts that included new plants throughout the school. Principal Calles also noted at the assembly that the school is committed to continuous teamwork and collaboration to ensure that they are providing their students with the highest education possible in the same letter. In addition to celebrating their 75th year as a school, Wilson Elementary will also be preparing its students for the change from meeting California State Standards to National, or Common Core standards, which have already been adopted by forty-five states in the U.S.