Superintendent's Weekly Message

Nov. 22, 2023

Dear Hollister High School parents, students, staff and community:

With Thanksgiving week upon us and the holiday season here, it is a good time to reflect on all we have to be thankful for at Hollister High School and in the San Benito High School District. 

I’ll start with our dedicated team of faculty members: They show up every day, ready to educate and support our students, academically and emotionally. Theirs may often feel like a thankless task, but their caring, commitment, and dedication do not go unnoticed. Our team of faculty members are innovative and creative in the classroom, as they continue to inspire our students to reach new heights academically. We also appreciate the diligence of our counseling team and student support staff, who are ready to point our students to postsecondary success while also lending a supportive ear when they have needs.

We also appreciate our classified staff: the custodians and groundskeepers who keep our campus looking beautiful and clean; our campus supervisors who help our students get to class on time;  the office staff who greet visitors to campus and answer parent phone calls; the transportation drivers who get students to and from school safely each day; our library and College and Career Center staff, who help students expand their horizons; the Baler Wellness Center and nursing staff, who address students’ emotional and physical wellness needs; our Migrant Education Program and English Learner teams, who help students balance ; our Special Education Department, for whom inclusion is a priority; and our AVID Program for closing the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society.

We are very grateful for the leadership displayed each and every day by our administrative team, managers, and supervisors. Each day, they strive to serve our school and district community with grace, professionalism, and dignity. Of note is their continued drive to improve the school experience for our students and staff members, as they demonstrate cohesive teamwork at all levels of the organization.

We are proud that our agriculture and FFA program is ranked 11th in the state of California this year and that Hollister High School was recently notified by the College Board that it has been named to the Advanced Placement (AP) Program Honor Roll, earning bronze recognition for developing an AP program that creates a college-going culture and gives students opportunities to earn college credit and maximize their college outcomes. The school was also honored with the 2023 Access Award for ensuring AP coursework is equally available to students no matter their background.

Our students amaze us every day: their creativity and determination are inspiring. They have shown resilience and a spirit that makes Hollister High School a community within our community. 

We are grateful for the coaches who give of their time and talents to lead our student-athletes on the field, the court and in the pool.

We appreciate the community members who spent time with us over the past 10 Wednesday evenings participating in our K-8 Listening and Awareness sessions regarding the need for a second high school. We also thank our feeder school principals for offering space on their campus for the discussions -- and for participating in them themselves.

We prize our continued partnership with local law enforcement, including the Hollister Police Department, San Benito County Sheriff’s Office and the county probation department, among others.

We are fortunate to have such outstanding and innovative industry partners, many of whom participated in the recent second annual Central Coast Trades Show on campus.

We are proud to partner with Climatech in our ongoing campus energy efficiency efforts that have saved our district more than $2 million energy fees over the past six years. And we are excited to work with Marcus Building Systems and Blach Construction as we build a state-of-the art Student Union/Cafeteria building over the next year to centralize and expand our nutritional offerings. We continue to appreciate the generosity of Andrew Barragan and his family, who are funding the continued expansion of the Ray Barragan Softball Stadium, which is getting new bleachers and a press box ahead of the start of the season for the defending CCS and NorCal champion softball team.

To our families and community: thank you for supporting your students and Hollister High School. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving break and we look forward to welcoming back our students as we head toward the completion of the first semester. We are so proud of all members of our Baler community and resolute that every day is a great day to be a Baler!

Sincerely,

San Benito High School District Superintendent Dr. Shawn Tennenbaum