Almaden Resident
Education
Leland ready to celebrate 4 decades with alumni, homecoming
By Anne Gelhaus
Organizers of homecoming week at Leland High School hope alumni will feel that Charger pride and come back to their alma mater for next week's big game.
The homecoming theme, "Charging Through the Decades," reflects the fact that Leland is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and the school hopes to have the Nov. 3 football games serve as a reunion for any and all former Chargers.
"We're trying to get lots of alum to homecoming and looking at any famous alumni," says parent organizer Martha Bowman. "There's more of a push to get people back and let them know that it's the 40th anniversary."
Some alumni haven't strayed from campus. Bowman says assistant principal Paul Yllana and social science teacher Scot Gillis are among several teachers and administrators who attended Leland.
"It's pretty cool to have teachers teaching at the school they went to," she adds.
During the week prior to the homecoming game, each class will perform a lunchtime skit that represents one of the four decades of Leland's existence.
Homecoming weekend kicks off Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. with a rally in the gym, where members of both the spirit squad and the football team will perform skits. Leland's band and drill team will provide musical entertainment. Seniors from these four groups will be presented to the crowd along with their parents.
Leland's football teams will take on Evergreen Valley High School in the annual homecoming games on Nov. 3 at Pat Tillman Stadium. The junior varsity team will kick off at 5 p.m., and the varsity team will take the field at 7:30. Sandwiched between the two games is the homecoming parade, featuring floats decorated by each class at Leland. Local elementary and middle school groups will also participate, as will Leland's spirit squad, band and drill team.
Alumni from each decade will be represented at the Nov. 4 homecoming dance with enlargements of yearbook photos that will be used for decoration.
"We don't expect alumni to attend the dance," Bowman says.
