Congratulations To Our 2008 Golden Warrior - Dave Abrams! The coveted title of Golden Warrior, the highest honor in the school, is bestowed upon the senior who exemplifies all these attributes --- scholarship, citizenship, and leadership. This Golden Warrior is truly the outstanding member of the graduating class.
Dave Abrams is described by his peers as slow to anger, attentive, and kind. He served as President of CSF, in Interact, YVHS Choirs' Madrigals, Leadership, Drama, Dance, HOSA, and Pennies for Patients. He starred in our Musicals, played football, ran track, founded our Performing Arts Club, and was named HOSA Idol. Congratulations, Dave!
Congratulations to the Golden Warrior Citizenship Winner - Adam Kinnard! Adam Kinnard is kind and willing to help anyone. This Warrior is involved in French Club, Leadership, Swim Team, Water Polo, Interact, Dance, YVHS Choirs' Madrigals, HOSA, and Environmental Club. He also tutors Spanish students and has made the world a better place through his service project in Nicaragua.
This senior who receives the GW Citizenship Award is involved in Ygnacio Valley High School and community projects. This is an unselfish person who puts others first and contributes great deal of time to benefit the school and community at large, making sure things get done and ensuring the success of various projects.
Congratulations to Golden Warrior Leadership Winners - Emily Estrada and Bianca Vasvani! These are Warriors whom others often choose to be their spokesperson or role model in the classroom, in sports, in activities, and in the community. These Seniors are looked to and trusted by students and adults as the leaders of the class.
Emily Estrada is a senior who leads, and does what no one else will do. She is ASB President, API President, and Tennis Team Manager. She has served in Leadership, Renaissance, and is a member of the YVHS Choirs' Madrigals.
Equally impressive is Bianca Vasvani, a senior who gets things done in her role as Senior Class President, junior Prom Organizer, and Snack Shack Coordinator. She also is involved in HOSA, Soccer, Link Crew, Multicultural Council, and Every 15 Minutes.
YVHS Swim Team Shines at NCS Championships May, 2008
Our YV swim team did a fantastic job at the North Coast Section Championships this past Friday and Saturday. Mason Kinnard, only a sophomore, led the way with making finals in both his individual events and both of the relay events. He finished 8th in the 200 Free, 12th in the 100 Fly, 8th in the 200 Medley Relay, and 13th in the 200 Free Relay. Rounding out the relays were Joe Voegtly (Medley and Free), Adam Kinnard (Medley and Free), Aaron Koenig (Medley) and Jackson Ballew (Free).
On the girls side, Rebekah Padilla finished 10th in the 50 Free and helped the women's 200 Free Relay come in 13th. The Free Relay team consisted on Rebekah, Gina Griego, Samantha Choy, and Bevyn Voegtly. All four of these ladies are sophomores, so there is a lot of great swimming in YV's future.
On a separate note, Mason Kinnard swam in a special event the day after the NCS meet concluded. His winning time of 57.74 in the 100 Meter Fly qualified him for the USA Junior National Championships in Minneapolis being held in August. His time ranks him as the fifth fastest 15 year old boy in the 100 Meter Fly in the USA. Way to go Mason!
YVHS Students Score Big at BVAL Swim Championships for Men's Medley Relay May, 2008
At our BVAL Swim Championships on Saturday, May 10th, our Men's Medley Relay team of Mason Kinnard, Aaron Koenig, Adam Kinnard, and Joe Voegtly achieved a High School All-American consideration time of 1:38.68. Each swimmer swam to best times in their respective strokes for the team to earn this prestigious honor. Their splits were:
Mason - Back - 25.07
Aaron - Breast - 28.03
Adam - Fly - 24.48
Joe - Free - 21.10
Congratulations and good luck at the NCS Championships in 2 weeks!
Warriors, In Parnership with Comcast, Show They Care! May 3rd, 2008 Comcast and hundreds of YVHS volunteers complete tree planting and other major campus improvements while having a great time on Comcast Cares Day
We are so excited that YVHS was chosen as a site for the May 3, 2008 Worldwide Comcast Cares Day! Coordination with the YV Community Action Group and planning for this event started last fall, and culminated in hundreds of enthusiastic YVHS volunteers representing students, teachers, administrators, parents and members of the community planting trees along the front of our school, adding crushed rock to the parking lot medians to eliminate mud during the rainy season and removing ivy from the campus driveway to prepare for updated planting. Landscape architect, Frank Kluber, supervised the tree selection and planting, choosing three different species of flowering (non-fruiting) pear trees to create a dramatic and unified theme for the entrance to our school. Eleven flowering pear "New Bradford" were planted along the grass in front of the 200 Wing, eight flowering pear "Capitol" were planted in the rectangular driveway median in front of the 200 Wing and six flowering pear "Autumn Blaze" appear in the curved median adjacent to the handicap parking spaces. In addition to the flowering pear trees that were planted on Saturday, five additional redwood trees "Aptos" were purchased and will be planted on campus on a later date. According to Comcast officials, of their past five school improvement projects, YVHS had by far the largest number of volunteers come out to help. The trees and rock, as well as the expertise, materials, tools, heavy equipment and food, were all provided by Comcast, but YV supplied the excitement and the muscle power!
As if our three major projects weren't enough to tackle, volunteers also worked in teams to pick up garbage and recyclable beverage containers from all corners of our 55-acre campus, remove juniper bushes from the front of the MU, and clean wing hallways, classrooms and even storage closets throughout the day! In addition to the work outlined by Comcast and the YV Community Action Group, continued progress was made in grading the new Community Garden to prep for placing raised planters, and we are especially grateful to Concord Disposal for once again coming to our aid in providing complimentary containers to dispose of the recyclable green waste! It was quite a day-- Everyone worked hard, we had a lot of fun, and we are all very proud of the end result!
Thank you so much, Comcast! YVHS parent and Comcast volunteer, Danny Bratcher, led a very talented team of Comcast professionals, many of whom are YVHS parents and alumni, and under their guidance made our projects run smoothly. We are so grateful to Comcast for their major investment in our school. Everyone enjoyed the complimentary breakfast and lunch and we had a wonderful time. Be sure to view the photos, look for a story in the Contra Costa Times... and take the opportunity to visit YVHS and check out all the changes for yourself. You won't believe the difference -- and to think that such a complete transformation took place in only seven hours! Click here for more pictures Click here for the YV Action Group page
"How to Succeed" is a Huge Success! April, 2008
Dave Abrams, Alex DeRoque, Adam Kinnard, Kayla Hayden and many other talented YVHS students lit up the stage with the YVHS Performing Arts production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. With YV's own Stephen Foreman as Director, YV Choir Director Geoff Carter providing Musical Direction, Diane Kamrin, choreographer of YV shows since 1975, and our talented YV students, "How to Succeed..." was an enormous success!
This Pulitzer Prize-winning musical from the creators of Guys and Dolls is a tuneful, delightful, fast-moving musical comedy about office politics, and a young man who uses his wits (and one little rulebook) to climb the corporate ladder. For more pictures, click here!
Health Science Academy (HOSA) News
April, 2008
Congratulations to each of Ygnacio Valley’s HOSA
members that competed April 10-13 at the State Leadership
Conference in Santa Clara! YV’s chapter takes pride in our striving
to be future health care professionals and our students did an
outstanding job demonstrating their skills and competence.
In February, junior Nerissa Hall was a keynote speaker at
the California Careers Consortia. She spoke to teachers,
administrators and industry partners about the Health Science
Academy, or career-oriented education, and its positive impact in
her life.
Current freshmen (class of 2011) are still encouraged to
apply for the last few spots in the Health Academy for the 2008-2009 school year! The Academy provides smaller classes, more
personal attention, guest speakers, field trips and guidance for
those students who are interested in pursuing a career in health.
All of the classes meet state standards while including content
for future health care workers. Please contact Mr. Lucas or Mrs.
Gower for more information and an application.
Aaron Naaseh is a Contra Costa Times Athlete of the Week!
Congratulations to YVHS Senior Aaron Naaseh, a Contra Costa Times Athlete of the Week! Click here for the full story
A Gold Star to the Teacher of the Week: March 13, 2008 Mrs. Allison The teacher of the week is Mrs. Allison
The teacher of the week is Mrs. Allison. Mrs. Allison has been teaching English at YV for one semester and it’s her first year. Mrs. Allison is from Chico, but originally from Martinez. Her favorite thing to do on the weekends is relaxing and hanging out with friends and family, hiking and cruising book stores and art galleries. One of her students said “She’s determined to see me graduate and she won’t give up on us.” Mrs. Allison’s tip for students is “You can do more than you think, go for it.”
A Gold Star to the Teacher of the Week: March 6, 2008 Mrs. Zoila Nasrallah The teacher of the week is Ms. Nasrallah
Mrs. Nassrallah has been teaching Spanish II at YV for one year. Mrs. Nassrallah is from Managua, Nicaragua and her favorite thing to do on the weekend is go on picnics with her family. One of her students says “Mrs. Nassrallah is a great teacher!” Mrs. Nassrallah tip for students is “try your best in everything you do. The sky’s the limit.”
Warriors Working Togetherto Make a Difference YVHS Community Raises More Than $900 For Leukemia & Lymphoma Society March 3, 2008
The generous YVHS community donated more than $900 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Pennies for Patients Fundraiser! It goes to show that a little can go a long way and make a big difference. The top donating classes were: 10) room 608= $20.34
9) room 110= $24.51
8 )room 101= $30.01
7) room 408= $34.55
6) room 409= $39.78
5) room 602= $42.21
4) room 104= $68.64
3) room 805= $90.85
2) room 309= $107.29 1) room 207= $156.07!
ALL rooms were integral in supporting research of blood cancers. Many thanks!!
A Gold Star to the Teacher of the Week: February 28, 2008 Mr. Kevin Parks The teacher of the week is Mr. Parks.
Mr. Parks has been teaching English for five years and this is his first year at YV. His favorite weekend activity is playing softball. One student of his says that he is really unique in his teaching and he helps students prepare to succeed in the future. His number 1 tip for students is “with great power comes great responsibility”
A Gold Star to the Teacher of the Week: February 21, 2008 Ms. Addiego The teacher of the week is Ms. Addiego.
Ms. Addiego has been teaching Geometry, Trigonometry and Introduction to Algebra at YV for two years. Ms. Addiego is from Concord, and her favorite thing to do on the weekend is reading and camping. One of her students says, “Ms. Addiego makes math easy to understand.” Ms. Addiego’s tip for students is “do your homework and ask questions.”
Fencing Update… Nearly Complete! February 20, 2008
After much anticipation, the tennis court poles have been treated for rust protection and painted, and the new fencing has finally gone up! Finishing touches and the installation of new wind screening will happen in the next few days-- just in time for our first home tennis matches-- and everything is looking GREAT! Thank you, MDUSD!
A Gold Star to the Teacher of the Week: February 14, 2008 Ms. Diestler The teacher of the week is Ms. Diestler.
Ms. Diestler has been teaching History at YV for one year. Ms. Diestler is from Lafayette, CA and her favorite thing to do on the weekend is to go to the city or hang out with her family. One of her students says: Ms. Diestler is great at explaining things in class.” Ms. Diestler’s tip for students is “Don’t give up! You are capable of more than you think!”
Fencing Update… Halfway There! February 13, 2008
If you’ve been by the school lately, you may have noticed that something is missing--- The old, dilapidated tennis court fencing with its broken slats and old dead vines!
Thanks to the perseverence of the YVHS Action Group (with the tireless efforts of Teresa Torbett at the helm), the MDUSD, and school administration, we are excited to report that the repairs are in process. The old fences came down about a week ago, and we expect to see a whole new look in the days ahead. Progress! You may also notice that new fencing with privacy slats has been added to the storage area between the art studios and metal shops. Stay tuned for updates as they happen! Click here for the YVHS Action Group page
A Gold Star to the Teacher of the Week: February 7, 2008 Mr. Duffy
The teacher of the week is Mr. Duffy
Mr. Duffy has been teaching Chemistry, Physics and Algebra at YV for two years. Mr. Duffy is from Detroit, Michigan and his favorite thing to do on the weekend is play baseball. One of his students says “He’s a good teacher.” Mr. Duffy’s tip for students is, “Do your Homework!”
A Gold Star to the Teacher of the Week: January 31, 2008 Mrs. Huie
The teacher of the week is Ms. Huie.
Mrs. Huie has been teaching algebra 2 and senior math at YV for two years. Mrs. Huie is originally from Chicago, but is now in Walnut Creek. Her favorite thing to do on the weekends is catch a dinner and a movie and also stay at home with her husband. One of her students says, “Mrs. Huie is an awesome teacher! When you need help, she’s always there to have your back!” Mrs. Huie’s tip for students is “First give yourself a chance to succeed, then do what you must to reach your goals!”
YVHS Music Students Win District & County Honors
Congratulations to the following YV students who auditioned and were accepted to the 2007/2008 District and County Honor Band. We're so proud of you! District Honor Band Janelle Nice - flute Simone Malkovich - bassoon Ali Mahyari - clarinet James McMann - trumpet Jordan Rader - trumpet Todd Seagren - euphonium Jacob Voegtly - trumpet Josiah Voegtly - horn
County Honor Band James McMann - trumpet
Students, Staff & the Community Working Together - January 20th, 2008 Warrior Pride Shows in YV Action Group Campus Cleanup It started with CitiGroup, moved forward as Plan "B"-- and finished today! In the end, it took just two months and three separate clean up days to completely clear the area in front of the 100 Wing for the new YVHS Community Garden. It's amazing what you can accomplish with desire, a commitment and a little teamwork!
YV students, parents and local Boy Scouts from Troop 380 showed their Warrior Pride today cutting back the remaining bushes, pulling stumps and carrying everything away to the big yellow recycling container provided by Concord Disposal. We had another great time working together, and made tremendous progress in a relatively short time.
Mr. Kevin Edwards, Student Services Coordinator, is putting together the next phase of the garden project... regrading the area, removing the larger stumps, and preparing the site for the installation of raised planting beds. Look for his update soon! Thank you again to everyone who came out to
help --- and thank you, especially, to the students who extended the clean up and picked up trash from parking lot, tennis court and quad. Click here for the YVHS Action Group page Click here for pictures from this event
A Gold Star to the Teacher of the Week: January 17, 2008 Ms. Loushin The teacher of the week is Ms. Loushin.
Ms. Loushin has been teaching PE at YV for one year. Ms. Loushin is from Pleasanton, CA, and her favorite thing to do on the weekend is teach pitching lessons. One of her students said, “Ms. Loushin is a great and fun teacher.” Ms. Loushin’s tip for students is “Dress and participate!”
YV Students Win HOSA Statewide Design Contest! Dahren Doss and Oswaldo Hasbun, members of the Health Science Academy and active members of Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) are the winners of the 2007/2008 California Health Occupations Students of America (Cal-HOSA) pin design contest. The design was chosen as the official pin and it reflects the essence of the 2007/2008 Cal-HOSA year's theme "Saddle Up for Success." The design will be used for the 2008 State Leadership Conference (SLC) pin as well as the design for the SLC program and t-shirt. The pin will also be used as the official CAl-HOSA trading pin at the National Leadership Conference (NLC) in June. The mock up for the design will soon be availabe to see at the Cal-HOSA website www.cal-hosa.org.
Congratulations to Dahren and Oswaldo! YV students have won four of the last five pin design competitions!
A Gold Star to the Teacher of the Week: January 10, 2008 Ms. Donlon The teacher of the week is Ms. Donlon.
Ms. Donlon has been teaching Introduction to Algebra, AIMS and Senior Math at YV for one year. Ms. Donlon is from Long Beach and her favorite thing to do on the weekends is travel, hiking and running. One of her student said, “Ms. Donlon is a good first year teacher. She helps you step by step and everyday she has a fun class.”
Ms. Donlon’s tip for students is “Look beyond high school at what you want to achieve, and know what you need to do now to get there.”
A Gold Star to the Teacher of the Week: December 21, 2007 Mr. Shawn Weber
This week’s teacher of the week is Mr. Weber. Mr. Weber has been teaching U. S. History and AP World History at YV for two years. Mr. Weber is from Fresno, California and his favorite thing to do on the weekends is photography and DJ a little. One of his students says, “He is the coolest history teacher ever!” Mr. Weber’s tip for students? "Attendance - 75% of life is showing up.”
Carols by Candlelight a Holiday Delight
YVHS Choirs' 44th Annual Carols by Candlelight, held on December 18th & 19th, brought holiday cheer and a festive spirit to both Ygnacio Valley High School and the community. The talented soloists, heavenly Bells Ensemble, and award-winning Madrigal, Concert & Treble Choirs (director, Geoff Carter) serenaded audiences with classic holiday tunes, as well as current pop favorites.
With lighthearted performances by the talented Advanced Dance group (director, Kelly Cooper), magical decorations, and delicious homemade refreshments, it was truly a memorable experience. The dedication of YV's HOSA students, who volunteered their time, energy & enthusiasm to assist with this production, was an important ingredient to the evenings' success. The toys and non-perishable foods collected were delivered to an appreciative Monument Crisis Center.
A Gold Star to the Teacher of the Week: December 14, 2007 Ms. Mary Ditkof This week’s teacher of the week is Ms. Ditkof. Ms. Ditkof has been teaching Algebra I and AIM 2 at YV for six years. Ms. Ditkof is from Philadelphia and her favorite thing to do on the weekend is reading and jigsaw puzzles. One of her students says, ”She is cool and knows how to explain her lessons.” Ms. Ditkof’s tip for students? “If you focus on making sure you understand, the grades will happen!”
"Plan B" Clean Up Day Saw More YV Warriors Working to Make a
Difference!
December 10, 2007, Teresa Torbett, YVHS Action Group
Although we were not able to do the work on the tennis court fence as
originally planned last Saturday, members of the YV community enjoyed a
crisp winter morning and made amazing progress in the new Community Garden
area moving debris left over from the Citi clean up day to a huge green
waste recycling container provided by Concord Disposal. Slash piles of
cut shrubs, branches, weeds and leaves disappeared fast as students working
together filled and emptied wheelbarrows as fast as they could. Another
group of students, parents and adminstrators continued to work on clearing a
larger area destined for raised beds. We worked until the container was
full-- and even finished early leaving just enough time to run and get an
ice cream reward!
The Community Garden is being developed by Student Services Coordinator, Mr.
Kevin W. Edwards and will "belong" to members of the YV community. If you
have an interest in working on the garden, helping to make raised beds,
designing irrigation, etc. please contact Mr. Edwards 685-8414 x3602.
Thank you everyone for joining us! We had a great time. and will probably
need ONE MORE big clean up to remove the remaining bushes before the raised
beds can go in. Stay tuned for more information!
Citi & YV Community Action Group CLEAN UP DAY a Big Success!
November 17, 2007, Teresa Torbett, YVHS Action Group YVHS got a big dose of “Clean Up” on Saturday, November 17 with nearly a hundred people coming out to support our school community by picking up a rake, rag or shovel! The turnout was fantastic!
This year Citi selected the YVHS campus as the East Bay focus site for their annual Global Community Day, and twenty Citi employees came to volunteer their time and effort to make a difference at our school. Citi also graciously provided a delicious catered breakfast and lunch from Sunrise Bistro, tools and cleaning materials – and T-shirts for us all to wear. Taking advantage of that opportunity, the YV Community Action Group asked members of our own community to come out and get involved, too—and they did, in droves! Students, teachers, administrators, parents, alumni and neighbors enthusiastically came together to touch every corner of our 55 acre campus. We are especially thankful for the forty-three YVHS students who came out to help take care of their campus!
So what did WE accomplish together?
An area was cleared of bushes and branches for the new YVHS Community Garden (near the play structure), nearly a hundred (!) bags of garbage and leaf waste were removed from the driveway and parking lot, tennis courts were cleaned up and we got a start on removing broken slats and dead vines from the fencing, garbage was removed from the field and blacktop, the baseball practice field was cleared of weeds and leveled, gum was removed from the cement in front of the MU, and entryways, windows and walls were cleaned. What a difference a day makes!
So what can YOU do now?
Help us keep moving forward with our improvements! When you visit our campus, keep it looking better than it was when you arrived—see that trash and gum find their way into a trash can, keeping recyclable items separate (they are cashed in to support our campus clubs)—and encourage your friends to do the same. If the cans are full, notify the office so that they can be emptied. We love it when you come out to our organized clean up events—but ANYONE can make a difference at ANYTIME just by picking up a piece of trash that was left behind by someone else. If there is something YOU can do to make a difference when you visit YVHS… get involved! Make “caring for your campus” a topic of discussion for your family. If you have a suggestion for an improvement or a concern, please let me know… I want to hear from YOU so we can make a difference NOW!
Thank You CITI-- We hope you come to visit us again!
NCS 2A EAST BAY
CHAMPIONSHIPS - FIRST ROUND Football v. Freedom - Ygnacio Valley 21, Bishop O'Dowd 14 Contra Costa Times, Oct. 18, 2007 The No. 4 seed Dragons were riding a four-game winning streak coming into this NCS 2A East Bay first-round game, and the No. 5 Warriors were in a four-game losing streak.
But when the teams met at Bishop O'Dowd, the streaks ended. For the second straight year, the Warriors (7-4) dashed the playoff hopes of the No. 4 Dragons (8-3) in the first round.
"We'd lost five in a row (coming in) last year," Ygnacio Valley coach Josh Davis noted. In 2006, the Warriors beat the Dragons in the first round 28-14.
Ygnacio Valley hit the ground grinding. Beginning at their 15, the Warriors opened the game with a flawlessly executed 17-play drive that ended with Michael Callan (184 yards on 22 carries) scoring from the 3. After Juan Martinez kicked the extra point, Ygnacio Valley led 7-0. Congratulations to Michael Callan, a Contra Costa Times Star of the Week! Click here for full CC Times Article Click here for Ygnacio Valley v. Bishop O'Dowd Video Highlights
YVHS Marching Band and Color Guard Win First Place at Napa Vintage Band Review On Saturday, November 10th, the YVHS Marching Band, Color Guard and Percussion placed first in their class at the Napa Vintage Band Review. Congratulations Warriors! Click here for Instrumental Music Site with gallery of pictures
Warriors in Rush to Playoffs Led by star running back Wood, the Warriors have the potential to go deep into the NCS 2A East postseason Contra Costa Times, Nov. 8, 2007 The story of the Ygnacio Valley High School football team, aside from it's stunning 6-0 start to the season, has been the sudden emergence of sophomore running back Patrone Wood II. The bruising runner turned more than a few heads in amassing 1,273 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first eight games, but like any productive back, he couldn't have done it without his offensive line.
And therein lies the story behind the story for the Warriors. "Patrone Wood has done a great job, but a lot of it is our offensive line getting the job done," coach Josh Davis said. "They've done a pretty good job making holes." For full Contra Costa Times story, click here
YVHS Marching Band and Color Guard Win First Place at Lodi Band Review On November 3rd, the YVHS Marching Band and Color Guard were honored with first place at the Lodi Band Review. Congratulations Warriors! Click here for Instrumental Music Site with gallery of pictures
YV Senior Shane DeVoe Earns Rank of Eagle Scout
Congratulations to Shane Devoe, a senior at YVHS and a member of Boy Scout Troop 380, for earning the rank of Eagle Scout! For his Eagle community service project, Shane planned, organized and
accomplished the extension of an existing sprinkler system at Ygnacio Valley
Presbyterian Church in Concord.
YV Warrior Cheerleading Squad Takes First Place
at Six Flags Competition
On October 21st, the YVHS Cheerleading Squad attended its first competition this season at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. YV Cheer competed in the Varsity Show Cheer Level 2 Division against Pinole Valley, Roseville and Carondelet. Our Warrior squad was awarded first place and qualified for Jamz Nationals. This win comes after their recent first place triumph at the Walnut Festival.
Football v. Deer Valley - Ygnacio Valley 0, Deer Valley 12 Ygnacio Valley takes its first loss for the season, still tied at the top of BVAL "Our defense did a great job," said Ygnacio Valley coach Josh Davis, whose team entered the game with the top-ranked defense. "We held them to 12 points, but we couldn't finish." Click here for full CC Times Article Click here for Ygnacio Valley v. Deer Valley Video Highlights
Water Polo: Local Media Highlights YV Team & Players: Adam Kinnard Honored by KTVU October, 2007 Our YV Men's Water Polo team and players have been featured on local sports television shows recently. On the 9/28 airing of KICU's High School Sports Focus, our game against Clayton Valley was highlighted in their Quick Focus section. Mason Kinnard's backhand shot was also the #2 Play of the Week. Click here to view this segment.
On the 10/5 airing of KICU's High School Sports Focus, Adam Kinnard was featured in the Driven To Make A Difference segment. Click here to view this segment.
On the 10/14 airing of Cal Hi Sports, the water polo game between YV and Northgate was featured. They showed great shots by Jason Wensley (with a great assist by Jackson Ballew), Jay Carter, and Greg Hanks (how did you get that ball in such a small space between the goalie and the goal post???) Adam Kinnard was named their "Community Service" award recipient for the week.
Congratulations to Jay Carter, a CC Times Star of the Week! (click here for more info)
YV Students Honored in the National Hispanic Recognition Program October, 2007
We are proud to announce that Adam Kinnard has been recognized as a Scholar by the National Hispanic Recognition Program. Monica Quezada received an “Honorable Mention” in this program.
The National Hispanic Recognition program was initiated in 1983 to identify outstanding Hispanic high school students and to share information about these academically well-prepared students with subscribing colleges and universities. In order to be eligible, students must be at least one-quarter Hispanic. Each year the NHRP identifies approximately 3,300 of the highest scoring students from a nationwide total of 124,000 high school juniors who took the PSAT/NMSQT and designated themselves as Hispanic, as well as approximately 125 of the top scoring PAA students from Puerto Rico. Way to go, Adam & Monica!
Football: Ygnacio Valley Doesn't Miss a Beat With
Wood Contra Costa Times, Oct. 9, 2007 When a key player gets hurt, it's tough for any football coach to find a silver lining.
So you can call Ygnacio Valley High School coach Josh Davis either the luckiest man in the world or a coach with tremendous foresight.
When starting running back Michael Callan went down with a knee injury a little over a week to go before the season, Davis was left scrambling to fill the role of lead back in the Warriors' double-wing, double-tight attack. Enter Patrone Wood, a sophomore who had torn through the competition as a member of Ygnacio Valley's freshman team in 2006. Wood joined the Warriors' varsity squad for their preseason scrimmage at Deer Valley and the rest, as they say, is history. Click here for full CC Times Article Congratulations to Patrone Wood, CC Times Athlete of the Week AND SF Chronicle Honorable Mention for Athlete of the Week!
Football v. Freedom - Ygnacio Valley 55, Freedom 36 YV Runs Circles Around Freedom Contra Costa Times, Oct. 7, 2007 The Ygnacio Valley High School football team welcomed Michael Callan back from a knee injury against visiting Freedom on Saturday, with the senior taking his familiar spot in the Warriors backfield.
And, while Callan's return may have sparked his teammates in several different ways, it elicited one huge side effect for the Warriors.
It prompted Patrone Wood to go absolutely bananas.
Callan was impressive enough with 168 yards on 16 carries but Wood was the star of the show, rushing for 281 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Warriors to a 55-36 win over the Falcons and remain undefeated in Bay Valley Athletic League play. Click here for full CC Times Article Click here for Ygnacio Valley vs. Freedom Video Highlights
Football v. DeAnza - Ygnacio Valley 56, DeAnza 0 Contra Costa Times, Sept. 22, 2007
In a completely dominating performance, the Warriors crushed the Dons in a game played at Richmond High.
The Warriors controlled both sides of the ball, scoring at will while their defense smothered the Dons. Ygnacio Valley (3-0) features a double-wing offense that had De Anza (1-2) on its heels from the opening snap, racking up 413 yards rushing behind a machine-like offensive line.
The one-two punch of Patrone Wood (143 yards and two touchdowns), and Malcolm Akins (159 yards and two touchdowns) gave the visitors a 24-0 lead after one period and a 40-0 margin at the half.
Ygnacio Valley's defense manhandled De Anza, allowing only 20 yards total offense and three first downs, two on penalties. Click here for CC Times Article (scroll down) Congratulations to Malcolm Akins, a Contra Costa Times Star of the Week!
Football v. Liberty - Ygnacio Valley 22, Liberty 6 Ygnacio Valley's Wood runs wild with 245 yards and two touchdowns Contra Costa Times, Sept. 15, 2007 Ygnacio Valley 22, Liberty 6: Patrone Wood may be a sophomore, but he isn't suffering from any second-year or second-game jinxes. Wood ran for 245 yards on 24 carries, including two touchdowns, as the visiting Warriors (2-0, 1-0 BVAL) beat the Lions (0-2, 0-1) in the BVAL opener for both teams. Click here for the full Contra Costa times article (scroll down) Click here for video highlights
Football v. Castlemont - Ygnacio Valley 51, Castlemont 0 Sophomore Puts Warriors On Top
Contra Costa Times, Sept. 8, 2007
It was quite a debut for Patrone Wood and the Ygnacio Valley High School football team Friday.
Wood, a sophomore in his first varsity game, rambled for a game-high 168 yards and five touchdowns in the Warriors' 51-0 victory over visiting Castlemont in the season opener for both teams. The five touchdowns are "undoubtedly" an Ygnacio Valley sophomore school record, coach Josh Davis said. Click here for the full Contra Costa times article Click here for picture & video album Congratulations to Patrone Wood, a Contra Costa Times Star of the Week!
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YV Football Players Make "Top" Lists 
Congratulations To Our 2008 Golden Warrior - Dave Abrams!
Our YV swim team did a fantastic job at the North Coast Section Championships this past Friday and Saturday. Mason Kinnard, only a sophomore, led the way with making finals in both his individual events and both of the relay events. He finished 8th in the 200 Free, 12th in the 100 Fly, 8th in the 200 Medley Relay, and 13th in the 200 Free Relay. Rounding out the relays were Joe Voegtly (Medley and Free), Adam Kinnard (Medley and Free), Aaron Koenig (Medley) and Jackson Ballew (Free).
representing students, teachers, administrators, parents and members of the community planting trees along the front of our school, adding crushed rock to the parking lot medians to eliminate mud during the rainy season and removing ivy from the campus driveway to prepare for updated planting. Landscape architect, Frank Kluber, supervised the tree selection and planting, choosing three different species of flowering (non-fruiting) pear trees to create a dramatic and unified theme for the entrance to our school. Eleven flowering pear "New Bradford" were planted along the grass in front of the 200 Wing, eight flowering pear "Capitol" were planted in the rectangular driveway median in front of the 200 Wing and six flowering pear "Autumn Blaze" appear in the curved median adjacent to the handicap parking spaces. In addition to the flowering pear trees that were planted on Saturday, five additional redwood trees "Aptos" were purchased and will be planted on campus on a later date. According to Comcast officials, of their past five school improvement projects, YVHS had by far the largest number of volunteers come out to help. The trees and rock, as well as the expertise, materials, tools, heavy equipment and food, were all provided by Comcast, but YV supplied the excitement and the muscle power!
As if our three major projects weren't enough to tackle, volunteers also worked in teams to pick up garbage and recyclable beverage containers from all corners of our 55-acre campus, remove juniper bushes from the front of the MU, and clean wing hallways, classrooms and even storage closets throughout the day! In addition to the work outlined by Comcast and the YV Community Action Group, continued progress was made in grading the new Community Garden to prep for placing raised planters, and we are especially grateful to Concord Disposal for once again coming to our aid in providing complimentary containers to dispose of the recyclable green waste! It was quite a day-- Everyone worked hard, we had a lot of fun, and we are all very proud of the end result!
It started with CitiGroup, moved forward as Plan "B"-- and finished today! In the end, it took just two months and three separate clean up days to completely clear the area in front of the 100 Wing for the new YVHS Community Garden. It's amazing what you can accomplish with desire, a commitment and a little teamwork! 
area moving debris left over from the Citi clean up day to a huge green
waste recycling container provided by Concord Disposal. Slash piles of
cut shrubs, branches, weeds and leaves disappeared fast as students working
together filled and emptied wheelbarrows as fast as they could. Another
group of students, parents and adminstrators continued to work on clearing a
larger area destined for raised beds. We worked until the container was
full-- and even finished early leaving just enough time to run and get an
ice cream reward!
The Community Garden is being developed by Student Services Coordinator, Mr.
Kevin W. Edwards and will "belong" to members of the YV community. If you
have an interest in working on the garden, helping to make raised beds,
designing irrigation, etc. please contact Mr. Edwards 685-8414 x3602.
YVHS got a big dose of “Clean Up” on Saturday, November 17 with nearly a hundred people coming out to support our school community by picking up a rake, rag or shovel! The turnout was fantastic! 
YV Warrior Cheerleading Squad Takes First Place 
Football v. Deer Valley - Ygnacio Valley 0, Deer Valley 12
Our YV Men's Water Polo team and players have been featured on local sports television shows recently. On the 9/28 airing of KICU's High School Sports Focus, our game against Clayton Valley was highlighted in their Quick Focus section. Mason Kinnard's backhand shot was also the #2 Play of the Week. 
Click here to view this segment
When a key player gets hurt, it's tough for any football coach to find a silver lining.
So you can call Ygnacio Valley High School coach Josh Davis either the luckiest man in the world or a coach with tremendous foresight.
When starting running back Michael Callan went down with a knee injury a little over a week to go before the season, Davis was left scrambling to fill the role of lead back in the Warriors' double-wing, double-tight attack. Enter Patrone Wood, a sophomore who had torn through the competition as a member of Ygnacio Valley's freshman team in 2006. Wood joined the Warriors' varsity squad for their preseason scrimmage at Deer Valley and the rest, as they say, is history.
The Ygnacio Valley High School football team welcomed Michael Callan back from a knee injury against visiting Freedom on Saturday, with the senior taking his familiar spot in the Warriors backfield.
And, while Callan's return may have sparked his teammates in several different ways, it elicited one huge side effect for the Warriors.
It prompted Patrone Wood to go absolutely bananas.
Football v. Antioch - Ygnacio Valley 21, Antioch 20 
Enos ) talk about YV's double wing offense...with Gummy Bears
