Almaden Resident

Cover Story

Photograph by Vicki Thompson

Welcome Back: Teachers Norm Orloff and Bernadette Troyan first shared a classroom at Leland High School when Troyan was Orloff's student. Now retired, Orloff continues to substitute at the high school, where Troyan has taught since 1995. Eight of Leland's staff were once students at the school, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Celebrating Excellence

Leland High turns 40

By Eli Segall

Some things never change. Leland High School is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and since its founding, some aspects of student life have become relics. Cardigan sweaters and potato sack races have gone the way of the eight-track, and students now send text messages instead of passing notes.

Yet through the years, Leland has maintained the same tradition of excellence.

"It's just amazing. The school gets better every year," says Jeanne Williams, a Leland history teacher from 1968 to 1996. "It was always an ideal climate to work in."

This climate was, and still is, the kind that fosters a strong sense of community, despite some small changes along the way.

The Future Farmers of America student group no longer exists; vocational courses such as auto repair, woodshop and metal shop, have been cut; the student section has been outlawed; and the administration no longer has a dean of boys and a dean of girls.

Demographics have also been turned upside down. Leland's student population has swelled, from 610 the first year to more than 1,800 now. The once homogenous student population now stands as one of the most culturally diverse in San Jose.

"It was all white back then," says history teacher Bernadette Troyan, herself a Leland graduate. "Now it looks more like the United Nations."

One aspect of student life, though, will never change, regardless of the students' ethnicities: evolving clothing styles.

"I'm continuously amazed by the changing student attire," says Norm Orloff, a former English teacher. Orloff taught at Leland from 1969 to 2002 and continues as a substitute.

Leland students have always followed the latest national trends. The 1960s had crew cuts, letterman sweaters and beehive hairdos. In the 1970s, bell-bottoms and tie-dye ruled the scene. By the 1980s, students had progressed to mullets, side ponytails and sporting a bare shoulder.

Finally, the late 1990s ushered in the current fad: imitating those same styles from yesteryear.

Through the years, Leland's foundation has never budged: that of academic excellence and student participation. More than 900 students took Advanced Placement exams last year; many graduates go on to top-ranking universities each fall; and there are 40 student-run organizations on campus.

Evidence of the school's success can also be found in its faculty. Including Troyan, eight current staff members are Leland alumni.

Troyan graduated from Leland in 1986. Her junior year class with Williams sparked a passion for history, and ultimately propelled her into teaching.

She even teaches in her old classroom.

"Jeanne is my mentor. She's the reason I became a history teacher," says Troyan, a 10-year Leland veteran. "Her class helped me realize my academic potential."

Paul Yllana, class of 1994, is the current vice principal of activities. He returned to his alma mater in 2000 as an English teacher. Yllana was a member of the football team and participated in a variety of campus activities, and cites his experience at Leland as the catalyst for his career choice.

"I felt very connected to the school when I was here, and it was exciting to return and just be a part of it all," Yllana said.

Leland began in 1967 as an agricultural magnet school. At the time, Almaden Valley was blanketed in orchards, which made it a natural fit for the school's curriculum. In the mid-1980s, a state court forced school districts across California to integrate their largely white schools.

The school had to find a way to attract a more ethnically diverse student body. To comply with the ruling, Leland launched a new liberal arts focus: communications.

Just as the school excelled in agricultural studies, it excels in its current format. The nationally recognized speech and debate club boasts more than 260 members; photography and media arts are popular class options; humanities courses pump out crafted, well-read students, duly prepared for college-level studies.

Leland will be celebrating its 40th birthday all year long with the theme "Charging Through the Decades." Skits that reflect the past four decades will be performed at the Nov. 2 homecoming rally. The theme will be prominent the whole weekend, at the football game Nov. 3 and the homecoming dance Nov. 4.

Principal Bob Setterlund said the school is planning a big anniversary celebration for May 3. The event will include a barbecue dinner, a student art showcase, and the second annual Commitment to Character awards. The awards recognize students who have demonstrated qualities that personify outstanding character.

Leland's original principal, Aaron Seandale, will also be present at the May event, Setterlund said. Seandale served as principal from 1967 to 1973, and will talk about his time at the school.

Over the years, classes have changed, the student body has tripled, and new teachers replace the old. But some things will always remain the same.

"There's good sports, wonderful academics and a ton of student activities," said former teacher Williams. "Across the board it is still one of the premier schools in the region."