Archives of the Newspage from 2012
Tuesday 10/16/12--
The Class of '72 had their 40th reunion at Sequoyah Country Club this past Saturday. About 115 attended and they had a great time thanks to the efforts of Joan Steele Bettencourt and Suzanne Jaffe Ashton.
Joan and Suzanne organized a 50/50 raffle (50% to SHS' ARP, 50% to raffle winner). The ARP is our school's Academic Rewards Program. The Class of '72 was very generous and raised a total of over $1,500! The winner who was entitled to a little over $750 gave $525 back to ARP for a total net to Skyline of $1,275! [This news forwarded by Don Routh, SHS '70.]
Friday 6/15/12--
This evening the Skyline High School produced its 50th commencement exercises. The class of 2012 was joined in their procession and graduation ceremony by representatives of 36 classes from 1962 - 2011. The ceremony was very well done and each alumni representative received a commemorative graduation diploma reflecting a half-century of Skyline tradition.
The Class of '72 had their 40th reunion at Sequoyah Country Club this past Saturday. About 115 attended and they had a great time thanks to the efforts of Joan Steele Bettencourt and Suzanne Jaffe Ashton.
Joan and Suzanne organized a 50/50 raffle (50% to SHS' ARP, 50% to raffle winner). The ARP is our school's Academic Rewards Program. The Class of '72 was very generous and raised a total of over $1,500! The winner who was entitled to a little over $750 gave $525 back to ARP for a total net to Skyline of $1,275! [This news forwarded by Don Routh, SHS '70.]
Friday 6/15/12--
This evening the Skyline High School produced its 50th commencement exercises. The class of 2012 was joined in their procession and graduation ceremony by representatives of 36 classes from 1962 - 2011. The ceremony was very well done and each alumni representative received a commemorative graduation diploma reflecting a half-century of Skyline tradition.
Wednesday 6/6/12--
Former Skyline High School teacher for the class of 1965, Mr. Herbert MacKay Kennedy, born April 4, 1933, died June 6, 2012 of a heart attack at his home in Oakland.
A celebration of Herb Kennedy’s life will be held at the Cal Alumni House on June 30, 2012 with an open house reception 2:00-4:30 p.m. and informal sharing of stories beginning at 2:30. All who knew Herb Kennedy are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, Herb’s family encourages contributions to the Herbert Kennedy Memorial Scholarship for Skyline Graduates, UC Berkeley, Gift Administration, 2080 Addison Street MC 4200, Berkeley, CA 94720-4200.
Herb Kennedy was a lifelong Bay Area resident who touched many lives, young and old. An educator who helped to open Skyline High School, Mr. Kennedy taught English continuously until his retirement in 1992. There, he was instrumental in a number of innovative educational initiatives, including founding School Within a School in the 1960s. His career came full circle in retirement when he shared his skills with the Piedmont School District; he had begun work in Piedmont with a stint as a teenage Recreation Director. Among his many accomplishments were serving as Student Body President at Oakland High School, being appointed to the Coast Guard Academy, carrying the Olympic torch, and building a home on the Mendocino coast.
A proud 1955 graduate of Cal Berkeley, Mr. Kennedy was active in the Bear Backers organization and in the governance of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. In 1970, he completed his M.A. at Stanford University, where he mentored future English teachers who remained lifelong colleagues and friends. His years at Stanford never dulled his enthusiasm for a Cal win at the annual Big Game!
His generous and jovial spirit will be deeply missed, especially by his wife of 57 years, Velma Kennedy, his three daughters (Cheryl McFarren of Granville, OH; Lisa Kennedy-Leary of Bend, OR; Kathleen Kennedy of Missoula, MT), his sister and brother-in-law Betty and Dave Gordon (of Lincoln, CA), and his nephew Lance Gordon. His two sons-in-law (Mathew McFarren and Stephen Leary) and five grandchildren (Brianna, Toby, MacKayla, McKenzie, and Nicholas) will also miss him, but remain grateful to have known him as they did.
Former Skyline High School teacher for the class of 1965, Mr. Herbert MacKay Kennedy, born April 4, 1933, died June 6, 2012 of a heart attack at his home in Oakland.
A celebration of Herb Kennedy’s life will be held at the Cal Alumni House on June 30, 2012 with an open house reception 2:00-4:30 p.m. and informal sharing of stories beginning at 2:30. All who knew Herb Kennedy are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, Herb’s family encourages contributions to the Herbert Kennedy Memorial Scholarship for Skyline Graduates, UC Berkeley, Gift Administration, 2080 Addison Street MC 4200, Berkeley, CA 94720-4200.
Herb Kennedy was a lifelong Bay Area resident who touched many lives, young and old. An educator who helped to open Skyline High School, Mr. Kennedy taught English continuously until his retirement in 1992. There, he was instrumental in a number of innovative educational initiatives, including founding School Within a School in the 1960s. His career came full circle in retirement when he shared his skills with the Piedmont School District; he had begun work in Piedmont with a stint as a teenage Recreation Director. Among his many accomplishments were serving as Student Body President at Oakland High School, being appointed to the Coast Guard Academy, carrying the Olympic torch, and building a home on the Mendocino coast.
A proud 1955 graduate of Cal Berkeley, Mr. Kennedy was active in the Bear Backers organization and in the governance of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. In 1970, he completed his M.A. at Stanford University, where he mentored future English teachers who remained lifelong colleagues and friends. His years at Stanford never dulled his enthusiasm for a Cal win at the annual Big Game!
His generous and jovial spirit will be deeply missed, especially by his wife of 57 years, Velma Kennedy, his three daughters (Cheryl McFarren of Granville, OH; Lisa Kennedy-Leary of Bend, OR; Kathleen Kennedy of Missoula, MT), his sister and brother-in-law Betty and Dave Gordon (of Lincoln, CA), and his nephew Lance Gordon. His two sons-in-law (Mathew McFarren and Stephen Leary) and five grandchildren (Brianna, Toby, MacKayla, McKenzie, and Nicholas) will also miss him, but remain grateful to have known him as they did.
Wednesday, 4/25/12
SKYLINE GOLD June 9
50th Anniversary Showcase
Honoring Performing Arts Alumni
Please Join Us Saturday, June 9
Reception 6 p.m., Performance 7:30
Rawley T. Farnsworth Theater in the Selmer Berg Auditorium
Skyline High School
12250 Skyline Boulevard, Oakland
Tickets? Eventbrite
For 50 years, students have been singing, dancing, acting, playing musical instruments, and making technical magic in the Selmer Berg Auditorium at Skyline High. The condition of the facility and funding for the programs have had their ups and downs, but the creative spirit of Titan performers has persevered through the decades.
And our Skyline alumni have taken the lessons they learned here and turned them into successful careers in business, education, arts, and sciences. They've earned advanced degrees and roles on Broadway, conducted symphonies, led organizations, and served their communities. They've told important stories through written word, film, and performance in all mediums. They've made the news and they've reported it.
On June 9, some of those accomplished and passionate Titans are returning to Skyline, to perform in the Rawley T. Farnsworth Theater alongside their modern counterparts. They're doing it to remind us of the value of the training our Skyline programs provide, and to raise some money to keep those programs vibrant.
We're keeping tickets affordable -- a $40 donation -- though of course we hope many in our community can afford to give more. With district support gone, Skyline P.A. needs to find a way to pay for repairs and enhancements for the sound system, fix the stage curtains, and buy supplies like lighting gels and lamps, lumber, paint, and so forth. Program costs, including royalties for musicals and plays, music rental, and funding for guest artists, are also much harder to fund than they were a few years ago.
We hope you can help, and we really hope to see you at the Farnsworth on June 9.
To make a contribution and reserve tickets, visit http://skylinegold.eventbrite.com/
Please pass this email along to anyone who might be interested!
Thursday, 3/1/12
The details of the Oakland Technical High School / Skyline High School dual 50th class reunions for the Classes of 1962 are now available. The date is July 27-29th, 2012 and the location is the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, located at 200 Marina Blvd in Berkeley (where the phone number is 1-510-548-7920). A link to the reunion Web site is:
http://oaklandtech.com/staff/blog/2012/02/28/class-of-1962-50th-reunion
More information and an online registration packet are available from Kathy (White) Ryan at email address: [email protected]
or from Cindi (Schloming) Wolfe at email address: [email protected]
May the Bulldogs and the Titans enjoy each others' company, 50 years out!
Wednesday 2/29/12--This Leap Day message contains information from Don Routh, SHS 70's dedicated fundraiser for Skyline High School. Lately, his efforts have been focused on an Academic Rewards Program (ARP). Last year's reunions of the classes of '71, '81, and '91 raised $2,300 for ARP. Another round of reunions will take place this year, including the first 50th, to be held by our school's first graduating class of 1962.
Anyone wishing to get in touch with Don may contact the Webmaster through the Contact Us page of this Web site.
Wednesday 2/22/12--
If you consult your calendar you'll note that this year marks the 50th anniversary of Skyline's first graduating class of 1962. And as it happens, two of those souls have used the contact page herein to find your Webmaster. They're searching for other '62ers, since there is no Web site for that class.
Those classmates have been put in touch with the only (local) 62er the Webmaster knows (Dave Johns), older brother of the '64 class' Dick Johns. And as a result of this connection, Dave informed me last night that the SHS Class of '62 will produce a joint 50th reunion with Oakland Tech's '62 class this coming summer. Details will be posted here when they are available.
Recently, your Webmaster sent a reminder to the school's office with an Internet link to this Web site for a similar reason—that a couple of years from now, classmates from '65 we haven't been able to find will wake up one day and say, "Hey, shouldn't there be a 50th? I wonder how I can find out." and then they'll make the call to the office (we hope).
SKYLINE GOLD June 9
50th Anniversary Showcase
Honoring Performing Arts Alumni
Please Join Us Saturday, June 9
Reception 6 p.m., Performance 7:30
Rawley T. Farnsworth Theater in the Selmer Berg Auditorium
Skyline High School
12250 Skyline Boulevard, Oakland
Tickets? Eventbrite
For 50 years, students have been singing, dancing, acting, playing musical instruments, and making technical magic in the Selmer Berg Auditorium at Skyline High. The condition of the facility and funding for the programs have had their ups and downs, but the creative spirit of Titan performers has persevered through the decades.
And our Skyline alumni have taken the lessons they learned here and turned them into successful careers in business, education, arts, and sciences. They've earned advanced degrees and roles on Broadway, conducted symphonies, led organizations, and served their communities. They've told important stories through written word, film, and performance in all mediums. They've made the news and they've reported it.
On June 9, some of those accomplished and passionate Titans are returning to Skyline, to perform in the Rawley T. Farnsworth Theater alongside their modern counterparts. They're doing it to remind us of the value of the training our Skyline programs provide, and to raise some money to keep those programs vibrant.
We're keeping tickets affordable -- a $40 donation -- though of course we hope many in our community can afford to give more. With district support gone, Skyline P.A. needs to find a way to pay for repairs and enhancements for the sound system, fix the stage curtains, and buy supplies like lighting gels and lamps, lumber, paint, and so forth. Program costs, including royalties for musicals and plays, music rental, and funding for guest artists, are also much harder to fund than they were a few years ago.
We hope you can help, and we really hope to see you at the Farnsworth on June 9.
To make a contribution and reserve tickets, visit http://skylinegold.eventbrite.com/
Please pass this email along to anyone who might be interested!
Thursday, 3/1/12
The details of the Oakland Technical High School / Skyline High School dual 50th class reunions for the Classes of 1962 are now available. The date is July 27-29th, 2012 and the location is the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, located at 200 Marina Blvd in Berkeley (where the phone number is 1-510-548-7920). A link to the reunion Web site is:
http://oaklandtech.com/staff/blog/2012/02/28/class-of-1962-50th-reunion
More information and an online registration packet are available from Kathy (White) Ryan at email address: [email protected]
or from Cindi (Schloming) Wolfe at email address: [email protected]
May the Bulldogs and the Titans enjoy each others' company, 50 years out!
Wednesday 2/29/12--This Leap Day message contains information from Don Routh, SHS 70's dedicated fundraiser for Skyline High School. Lately, his efforts have been focused on an Academic Rewards Program (ARP). Last year's reunions of the classes of '71, '81, and '91 raised $2,300 for ARP. Another round of reunions will take place this year, including the first 50th, to be held by our school's first graduating class of 1962.
Anyone wishing to get in touch with Don may contact the Webmaster through the Contact Us page of this Web site.
Wednesday 2/22/12--
If you consult your calendar you'll note that this year marks the 50th anniversary of Skyline's first graduating class of 1962. And as it happens, two of those souls have used the contact page herein to find your Webmaster. They're searching for other '62ers, since there is no Web site for that class.
Those classmates have been put in touch with the only (local) 62er the Webmaster knows (Dave Johns), older brother of the '64 class' Dick Johns. And as a result of this connection, Dave informed me last night that the SHS Class of '62 will produce a joint 50th reunion with Oakland Tech's '62 class this coming summer. Details will be posted here when they are available.
Recently, your Webmaster sent a reminder to the school's office with an Internet link to this Web site for a similar reason—that a couple of years from now, classmates from '65 we haven't been able to find will wake up one day and say, "Hey, shouldn't there be a 50th? I wonder how I can find out." and then they'll make the call to the office (we hope).
Tuesday 1/10/12--
Your Webmaster exchanged email greetings with classmate Jim Knudsen of Atlanta, GA. Jim asked if SHS faculty Larry Mattal was still around. After looking at Internet White Pages, it seems there are only two Mattals in California, and an 82-year old model still lives somewhere in Calistoga, CA.
Larry was a Business Department teacher, and Jim took his typing class. Many may also remember that Mattal was the faculty adviser/leader for the venerable Triple S. (With my better adult understanding of of war history, the abbreviation for Hitler's dreaded "SS" is just too close.) Maybe that was Mattal's intention?
Your Webmaster exchanged email greetings with classmate Jim Knudsen of Atlanta, GA. Jim asked if SHS faculty Larry Mattal was still around. After looking at Internet White Pages, it seems there are only two Mattals in California, and an 82-year old model still lives somewhere in Calistoga, CA.
Larry was a Business Department teacher, and Jim took his typing class. Many may also remember that Mattal was the faculty adviser/leader for the venerable Triple S. (With my better adult understanding of of war history, the abbreviation for Hitler's dreaded "SS" is just too close.) Maybe that was Mattal's intention?
Friday 1/6/12--
By a chance exchange with his third cousin who knew her, your Webmaster made contact with June (Stark) Casey, our former Grade 12 English teacher at SHS. The telephone call was made and a delightful 90-minute exchange ensued. It's likely that "Miss Stark," who brought us Shakespeare, Greek tragedies, and a (pithy) daily quotation on the blackboard will be seeing us at our 50th reunion. Evidently ever the academic, she said she made copious notes throughout the chat.
By a chance exchange with his third cousin who knew her, your Webmaster made contact with June (Stark) Casey, our former Grade 12 English teacher at SHS. The telephone call was made and a delightful 90-minute exchange ensued. It's likely that "Miss Stark," who brought us Shakespeare, Greek tragedies, and a (pithy) daily quotation on the blackboard will be seeing us at our 50th reunion. Evidently ever the academic, she said she made copious notes throughout the chat.