Students enjoy car show at alternative schools
Some San Andreas Continuation High School, Santa Ana Opportunity
School and Pinnacles Community School students were surprised to
find a row of classic cars on the front lawn of their campus May
29.
Students enjoy car show at alternative schools
Some San Andreas Continuation High School, Santa Ana Opportunity School and Pinnacles Community School students were surprised to find a row of classic cars on the front lawn of their campus May 29.
“It’s a pretty good idea,” said Adam Torres, 17. “I didn’t even know they [the cars] where gonna be here until I got to school.”
For the second time, Principal Angel Rivera has organized a classic car show at the end of the school year.
“I have the classic car,” he said, pointing to a black car. “I wanted to show the kids the era – show that cars were built different. They react with shock and awe. They say, ‘Oh that’s beautiful.’ Hondas and Toyotas all look the same.”
Daniel Villegas, 15, checked out a red car with red, fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror.
He said the car was his favorite because “it’s old school. Old school is always better.”
Frank Ledesma, Pete Alvidrez, and Frank Perez brought along their own classic cars for the show, and camped out in folding chairs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. so that the kids would have a chance to see the cars, as well as anyone from the public who happened by.
“It’s important, if they stay in school, in some way, with some type of schooling – a trade school – they can get things like this,” Ledesma said.
Barbara Murray, a senior teacher, said her student leadership class members enjoyed the show.
“They had so much fun with the car show,” she said. “They just don’t make chrome like that anymore.”
For the seventh-grade students, the car show offered a chance to connect a book they read in class to real life.
“We read a book in class that had Impalas in it so it’s cool they get to see one,” said David McMullen, a seventh-grade teacher at Santa Ana. “They read ‘East Side Dreams.’ It’s a great opportunity for them to see the things they are reading about and discussing.”
One of his students, Markus Gallegos, 12, was impressed with the red Impala on display.
“I liked it,” he said of the car show. “They have a lot of nice cars.”
The first year, fewer than a dozen cars were on display for students to peruse. This year, there were 14 cars.
“They do enjoy it,” said Charles Filice, a campus supervisor. “It’s the second year we’ve done it and it’s been nice.”
