San Benito High School District shares information with the public as it becomes available, including offering newsletter updates each Monday and Thursday. Make sure to follow us on social media as well through @BalerNews on Twitter and Instagram, @BalerSports on Instagram, and Hollister High School on Facebook.

Thursday, March 16, 2023

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

Congratulations to Hollister High School senior Kayla Salazar, who recently won the $25,000 Girls Inc. National Suzanne Patmore Gibbs Scholarship, which is awarded to Girls Inc. members who have the courage to dream big and have a character consistent with Suzanne Patmore Gibbs: brave and outspoken. National scholarship applicants are chosen from their local Girls Inc. affiliate and must be involved in the organization for more than two years. Kayla has been a part of Girls Inc. of the Central Coast for the past six years and has been an employee since 2021. For the scholarship, she wrote a series of essays describing how Girls Inc. has changed her life for the better. Kayla is pictured here with (at left) Elizabeth Contreras, the Deputy Director of Programs at Girls Inc. of the Central Coast, (on the right) Elizabeth Birkeland, a volunteer for Girls Inc., who helped Kayla with her scholarship application.

This year's Baler Hall of Fame Fest will be held Saturday, March 18th at Ridgemark Golf Club & Resort. It's hosted by the The Baler Education Foundation, whose mission is to provide resources to support and enhance educational programs at Hollister High by providing funds in the form of annual mini-grants for individual teachers or departments. Examples include:

• STEM Club field trips
• Document cameras for English teachers
• Holocaust Storyteller – Jerry Falek for both English and World Studies
• Scientific calculators for Chemistry students
• The Baler Gifted Cheer uniforms for students
• College field trip for Academy students
• Funds for Club Ed tutors
• Ipads for PBIS 
• Tablets for special education data collection

The foundation raises money by selling Baler Bricks. The vision to sell 1,000 Baler Bricks for $1,000 each would establish an endowment fund of $1 million that would allow $50,000 in mini-grants annually in perpetuity. The Baler Bricks are displayed in the foyer of the main administration building on Monterey Street. Every March, the foundation celebrates with the Baler Hall of Fame Fest, where it inducts individuals into The Baler Hall of Fame based on community nominations. This luncheon is both a celebration and a fundraiser. Individuals are inducted by the decade of either their graduation class year or decade of service or impact on our community. The luncheon includes a silent auction and a chance to win valuable raffle prizes donated by our local community. Tickets for the Fame Fest are available at the Student Payment Center in the ASB Building on campus and at Postal Graphics.

Hollister High School's Unified Basketball season kicks off this week, with a lunchtime game in Mattson Gym on Thursday. The Unified Sports program, which started in 2018, includes soccer, basketball and cheer teams, and offers leadership opportunities for general education students who serve as student coaches and support staff. Hollister High in 2021 was recognized as one of ESPN’s Top 5 Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools nationally.

Hollister High School AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) junior Elijah Gonzalez was accepted into Rhodes College's prestigious Summer Writing Institute in Tennessee this summer. He will be in Memphis for two weeks studying creative writing and psychology.

Hollister High School's Life Skills program is planning its inaugural Community Hero Fair on Friday, May 19th. The goal is to offer students an opportunity to meet, greet and learn from local community helpers. Please scan the QR code on the flyer or email the organizers to volunteer your time.

Hollister High Students: Are you planning to take the SAT and/or the ACT test? Cal-SOAP and Hollister High are collaborating to offer a three-day SAT/ACT prep course on Saturday, March 25, April 1 and April 15. Register in the College and Career Center in Room 184. You won't want to miss out on this opportunity. The flyers have more information or you may contact Hollister High's Cal-SOAP Advisors: Adelisa Ponce [email protected] or Monica Corral [email protected].

Graduating Hollister High School seniors who qualify for the State Seal of Biliteracy but have not yet turned in an application were sent a reminder email recently. They are encouraged to contact English Learner Program Specialist JoAnne Kaplansky by phone at 831-637-5831, ext. 167 or email at [email protected]. The application due date is April 11.

A reminder that state testing for all English Learners has begun at Hollister High School and will continue through May 31st. Students are being called throughout the school day to test. Please call 831-637-5831, ext. 167, 169, or 705 if you have a specific time request for testing.

Las Pruebas de Suficiencia en el Idioma Inglés de California (ELPAC) han comenzado y continuarán hasta el 31 de mayo. Se les llamará a los estudiantes durante el día escolar para tomar las pruebas. Si tiene alguna preferencia en cuanto la hora en que tomen las pruebas, por favor llame al 831-637-5831, ext. 167, 169, o 705

The Community Advisory Committee of San Benito County will host a Parent Education Conference and Resource Fair at San Andreas High School on Saturday, March 25 from 8 a.m. to noon. Topics include inclusion and individualized education plans (IEPs). The Community Advisory Committee includes special education and general education parents, special education teachers, support staff and administrators. The role of the committee in the development of the Local Plan is to provide input, provide a forum for members of the public, including parents or guardians of individuals with exceptional needs who are receiving services under the plan, to address questions or concerns, review drafts, make recommendations to the Special Education Council, and review the final plan before submission.  

Hollister High Students: Are you planning to take the SAT and/or the ACT test?  Cal-SOAP and Hollister High are collaborating to offer a three-day SAT/ACT prep course on Saturday, March 25, April 1 and April 15.

Register in the College and Career Center in Room 184. You won't want to miss out on this opportunity. The flyers have more information or you may contact Hollister High's Cal-SOAP Advisors: Adelisa Ponce [email protected] or Monica Corral [email protected].

Hollister High School is hiring instructional aides. Apply online today at http://edjoin.org or reach out to Natalia Mansmith for more information.

Save the date for the next community campus tour of Hollister High School, scheduled for Saturday, April 22 at 10 a.m.

There is still time to reserve your copy of the 2022-23 Hollister High School yearbook online for $75 through www.yearbookordercenter.com. Make sure to enter code 6779 when ordering.