1964 to early 70's: School Life

Staff Photo 1971-1972
Jim Blood, Principal
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Joan Logue recalls when she came to Alvarado in 1964. The community was still an agricultural community and Alvarado was a K-8 school. The students were caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, or Mexican Americans. Across the street from the school were cauliflower fields. Many parents were migrant workers. Sometimes when parents both had to work they would keep their older girls out of school to babysit the younger children. They did not move from community to community to work. The families lived in Union City and worked around it in various agricultural jobs. Joan lived in Mexico before coming to AE so she was fluent in Spanish. Her first year at AE Joan taught 7th and 8th graders how to read in Spanish. The Mexican students could speak Spanish, but most could not read it.

In 1965 the school district was unified and Alvarado was now a k-6 school. The student population now consisted of younger students. There was only one bathroom for boys and one for girls. In order to keep the bathrooms clean, they had bathroom contests to see who could keep the bathrooms the cleanest. The students were very respectful of property and did a great job of keeping the bathrooms clean. In 1977 when the old sugar mill was demolished, Joan took her class out to see it as it happened. During the early 70's teachers and principals were still allowed to punish students for improper behavior by spanking them. Sometime in the mid 70's that policy was rescinded.

By the end of 1972 the population of teachers and aides had increased. Virginia Betzer was the reading specialist.

1970-1971
Jim Blood, Principal
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1968-1969 Staff
Jim Blood, Principal



1967-1968 Staff
Jim Blood, Principal
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The principal at Alvarado was Jim Blood. After the district unified they did not have assistant principals for a long time. When Mr. Blood left to teach at Alvarado Middle School, Hector Caraballo became principal. His Assistant Principal was MaryAnne Cavello.

In 1973-74 Alvarado Middle School was completed mainly by moving in portable classrooms to the lot next door to Alvarado Elementary. Alvarado Middle School was a 5-8 school, therefore, Alvarado Elementary became a k-4 school.