Alamo Elementary Celebrates 50 Years

Announcement, photo submitted by San Ramon Valley Unified District:

On Wednesday, April 22, 2015, past and present principals, community members, teachers and students gathered in Alamo Elementary’s community-built outdoor amphitheater to celebrate 50 years of success as a top performing elementary school.

Key guests included Howard Nemir who was one of the original teachers and principal from 1979-1984, Tom Lotz, principal from 1984-1988, Joan Benbow, principal from 1988-1998 and Donna Yokomizo, principal from 1998-2004. Also in attendance was current San Ramon Valley Unified Board Member Rachel Hurd, Superintendent Mary C. Shelton, former Assembly Member Joan Buchanan (and a former Alamo Elementary PTA President) and Sally Schultz, an original teacher from 1965.

“In our Alamo School community we value relationships in a very deep and meaningful way,” said Alamo Elementary Principal Stanley Hitomi. “Once you work or go to school at Alamo, it stays in with you for the rest of your life. We see that in the generations of people that go here, work here and come back. Today was a celebration of those relationships.”

The celebration included performances by the school band and chorus, a time capsule ceremony and birthday cake for Alamo School.

Alamo Elementary is a K-5 neighborhood school located in the northern end of Alamo. The first Alamo Grammar School was originally established in 1854 near El Portal and Danville Boulevard. In 1876, the second Alamo School was established at Stone Valley Road and Danville Boulevard. This school was replaced by a second school on the same site in 1940. Today’s school was built in 1965 on a hill on Wilson Road. A Community Park/Playground was added in 1995.

Alamo Elementary has changed in the past 25 years from a rural to a suburban school and ranks as one of the top performing schools in the County and State. Alamo School currently has about 350 students.

Alamo Elementary is a unique place where all students learn to read music and enjoy a fantastic music program; understand environmentalism through a strong recycling program; sharpen their science, math and English language skills through hands-on, project-based lessons in an amazing garden that has been supported by the community; and experience a strong Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics programs.