GROSSMONT HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION OCTOBER 2013 foothiller foothiller footprints Sign donated by Bill Woolman, Class of 1965 IT’S A GREAT YEAR TO BE YOUNG AND TO BE A FOOTHILLER! That’s what these G-Crew members expected to start this next school are saying about the brand new year in February. Ultimately, we Inside This Issue Humanities Building, complete and will be removing the 100, 200, Here Comes The Band! 2 open for the 2013-2014 school year. 300 buildings, Admin Building, the Alumni & Museum News 5 The two-story, 35,000 square-foot old Auto Shop, and portables in Homecoming! 6 structure includes 31 state-of-the-art the front of school. This will make How To Make A Difference 7 classrooms. The site work is also space for our new Arts/ complete in front of the building at Counseling/Admin building and Volunteers needed for Homecoming! We the end of Dennstedt Place, so our new Center for the Performing students no longer have to navigate Arts Department. This is exciting need Foothiller families to sell tickets, man narrow pathways or take long news for East County and (or woman) booths, and donate a cake or detours. Phase two of construction Grossmont High School, now one baked goods for the Carnival. To has now begun, which includes a of the most modern facilities in the volunteer, please visit the Foundation’s new auto shop with three service district. New facilities --yet GHS website at www.foothillerfoundation.com, bays, as well as four additional new remains the school with the longest tennis courts. The final phase of standing traditions of excellence. or send us an e-mail at Grossmont High School's makeover is Another reason why, it is great to [email protected]. lorem ipsum dolor met set quam nunc parum 2009 Living In 1921-1922, the first Grossmont High instrumental music class, the orchestra, was offered at Grossmont at the “old” Riverview Campus in Lakeside, where Traditions: for 2 years Grossmont students attended school. The first GHS Band appeared in 1931. Over the next 8 decades, the Marching Band won local, Band state, and national acclaim due to the dedication and commitment of many wonderful band directors. One of our amazing band directors was Harold G. Lutz, who from 1939-1956 (except for time served in WWII) led the band to wins in major competitions including the All Western States Band Review and the prestigious Rose Parade. In 1948, the band, the largest high school band in the nation, numbered 104 instruments. In addition, Lutz was a composer, responsible for writing Grossmont’s hymn, “Hail to Thee Dear Grossmont”. Under his leadership, a winning tradition was established. From 1959-1988, band director Jim Nichols led the band to staggering successes: 27 parade and field show sweepstakes, including the Rose Parade and 12 times champion at Chaffey. Under his direction, the band was featured at 25 college and professional football halftime shows including the College All Stars, the Chargers, the Rams, the Raiders, and 2 Pro Bowl Shows at the LA Coliseum. One highlight of the Nichols’ years as band director, was in 1967-8 the band placed first out of 281 bands from 40 states, which enabled the 208-member GHS band, drill team, and flag corps to perform in two shows at the Miami Orange Bowl. Paul Miller, GHS Alumni Director and band member from 1962-1966, Pictured above, the GHS Band recalls about his experience as a proud member of the Blue and Gold Marching Band: “The four years I spent in Marching and Concert Band, from 1931, the first ever. Orchestra (Christmas Pageants), Stage Band, and Pep Band, each was a Below, the 2012-13 Royal Blue unique learning experience. Other than my parents, Jim Nichols was easily the most influential person in my life; even today, I enjoy listening to pieces by Regiment. Below right, GHS Shostakovich as a way to stay in touch with all that’s good.” band members show off their Today, James Llamas, second year instrumental music director, shares that "In just over one year at Grossmont High School, I have seen the deep- Foothiller Pride at a recent rooted traditions and pride that the students have for their school. That goes SDSU football game. DOUBLE for the members of the Royal Blue Regiment. These kids pour tons of energy and countless hours of practice into perfecting their craft, and their efforts will show in this year's field show!" In August this energy was displayed when the band students helped Lynn, Connie, Paul, and James dust, inventory, and organize by decade all of the 504 trophies and plaques in the Band Room. Homecoming, October 18th, is a wonderful time for you to experience in person another one of Grossmont’s traditions of excellence by visiting the Band Room and attending the football game to see them perform! Where Are They Now? Frederick W. “Rick” Sturckow, Class of 1978, Hall of Honor Member Grossmont has been honored to be the high school of several combat pilots, and none is more revered than Marine test, Top Gun, and Desert Storm veteran, Rick Sturckow from the Class of 1978. After completing thousands of flight hours in dozens of aircraft and receiving numerous service medals, NASA selected Sturckow in 1994. Sturckow has logged over 50 days in space on four missions, twice as a pilot and twice as a commander... All four flights focused on the assembly of the International space station, making him one of only two people in the world to visit the station four times. Colonel Sturckow retired from the United States Marine Corps while on board the International Space Station in September, 2009, after 25 years of active duty service. One of his last positions at NASA was as deputy chief of the agency's Astronaut Office, flying weather reconnaissance for the last few space shuttle missions. In May 2013, he joined Virgin Galactic to pilot the company's suborbital passenger spaceship. He will conduct training and flight testing at Virgin Galactic's base in Mojave, Calif. A Lasting Gift ... GHS and the San Diego Foundation A year ago, the GHS Educational Foundation With these funds, we're helping future announced a campaign to create a permanent Foothillers (perhaps with scholarships, teacher grants, endowment fund to aid GHS. We reached out to the facility improvements)! It's not too late for you to GHS community of alumni and current families, looking become a part of this campaign. We are currently for 100 Foothiller Founders who would make a one-time beginning our 2013-14 Endowment Fund campaign; our donation of $1,000, and invited the participation of goal is to double the amount we raised this year. We Foothiller Friends, who could purchase a tile to be hope you plan to preserve your personal and family placed on the new Humanities Building. history at Grossmont through a commemorative tile! To date, we have raised more than $60,000 Please see the website at www.foothillerfoundation.com through the campaign with 39 GHS Founders and 141 for more information, and check the next page for the Friends contributing. The nearly 200 tiles will be names of our 39 fabulous Founders dedicated on Homecoming, Friday, October 18th at 4 All Founders and Friends are invited to join us on P.M. Please join the celebration! Friday, October 18, 2013 (Homecoming) on the The generosity of our Legacy donors has Grossmont campus to be recognized for your enabled the Foundation to invest the funds with the San contribution to the GHS Endowment Fund. At 4:00 p.m., Diego Foundation! Founded in 1975, The San Diego we will dedicate the Foothiller Friends tiles, located on Foundation’s purpose is to promote and increase the north wall of the sidewalk adjacent to the new effective and responsible charitable giving. The Humanities Building. At 4:30 we will dedicate the Foundation manages more than $622 million in assets, Foothiller Founders tiles, located on the east wall of the almost half of which reside in permanent endowment entrance to the Old Gym. Please join us in celebration funds that extend the impact of today’s gifts to future of YOUR achievement! generations. More than 1,800 individuals, families and corporations house their philanthropic funds at The A special “thank you” goes to the Foundation. These include endowment, non-endowment, Inaugural Chairperson for the tile legacy and scholarship funds, including funds campaign, Lindsey Alper, and GHS Museum established by Sol and Helen Price, The Reuben H. Fleet director Connie Baer - you have truly family, and Audrey Geisel. The SD Foundation guarantees a minimum return of 4.5 percent a year; “left your footprints” on GHS! however, this year their investments returned between 7-8 percent, minus a service fee of .5%. Each year we will have access to 5% of our investment. Alper/Bratton Family Emily Hinton Orsinelli-Rivers Family Thanks For Leaving Dan & Lilli Anderson Pamela Hodes Osterling Family Your Footprint! Barnes Family Trinity Hoeben Regina Perrone & Denise Bates Kirk & Julia Hulett Arnold Martinez Briggs Family Ingrande Family Plummer Family Here’s a big “thank you” to those Roger & Cindy Craig & Stacy Thomas & Karen people who have already become Chance Johnson Podvin members for the 2013-2014 school Becky Chong Dave & Tiffany Ryder Family year. If you haven’t yet done so, you Fred Cole Johnson Veronica Sarabia Mike & Taka Conner Kevin & Heidi Johnson Schlat Family can write a check or join via PayPal Elias & Erica Cueto Kesner Family Schreiner Family or send a check to P.O.