Gila Ridge having open house Tuesday

Gila Ridge High School welcomes parents and students to its second open house to help familiarize everyone with the academic curriculum for the 2008/09 school year.

Open house takes place today at 6:30 p.m. and everyone is requested to report to the school cafeteria at 5:45 to pick student schedules. Attendees will also be able to visit activity tables to learn more about booster clubs and extra curricula sports activities available, Anne Urena, academic secretary, said.

Parents will have the opportunity to visit classes and meet with their children's teachers but no teacher conferences will be held, although parents may schedule a conference if they desire. Teachers will also have course syllabi available, Urena said.

Several activity clubs will set up booth displays, Gila Ridge activities secretary Cecilia Alvarez said. The Year Book Club will offer the 2007-08 yearbook for sale. And a representative of Balfour, the supplier of class rings and lettermen jackets, will hand out fliers and may take orders for items, Alvarez said.

The Dance Club and the Hoopsters Club, a fundraising organization for the school basketball team, will be recruiting new members.

The Hoopster Club will have sport drinking bottles for sale, while the Class of 2012 will sell spring water. Also, the Decca Chapter Club will offer advanced career opportunities for youth through marketing concepts and business skills. And Decca Chapter will sell T-shirts with its logo.

Students can learn about the Cool to Stay in School program. The program, sponsored by Fisher Chevrolet, has been offering new automobiles for the Yuma County student with the best attendance record during the previous four years. Next spring, Fisher will give away a 2009 model Chevy Aveo and hope to have next year's model available for display, but if unavailable will feature a 2008 model, Alvarez said.

She encourages as many parents and student who are able to attend the open house because it reduces stress of a new academic year and helps students be better prepared for the curriculum and take advantage of all the club offerings.

Gila Ridge High School opened for classes for the first time in August 2007 with just freshmen and sophomores with an enrollment of 850. This year will also include a junior class and they will will be the first graduating class in 2010.

Construction of the school began in March 2006 and cost $45 million to build. It was funded by a bond passed by voters in 2005. The school was designed for about 1,800 and was intended to ease overcrowding at Yuma High School which had more than 3,000 students in the 2006-07 year but was designed to support 2,300.


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William Roller can be reached at wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.