Connie Stark returned to the Sinclear Elementary School campus Thursday evening to help celebrate its 20th anniversary. Stark was the original principal of the school for 10 years until she retired, leaving Shane Hulin as principal.
In the celebration that at attracted parents, students, teachers past and present and community members, Stark shared her fond memories of staff and boast of the school’s record of accomplishment in its two decades. In its ninth year, Sinclear Elementary was recognized as a 2014 California Distinguished Elementary School – the only one in Ceres that year.
Sinclear opened in August 2005 and was named for the Sinclear family, which included Dale Sinclear and son Stan Sinclear.
“I thought it was real nice,” said Sinclear of the celebration.
Stan Sinclear represented the Westport area on the Ceres Unified School District Board of Trustees for 24 years, from 1979 to 2003. He attended an estimated 450 regular School Board meetings during his lengthy tenure.
Stan, who was honored as the 2010 “Citizen of the Year,” was then son of Dale Sinclear also served on the CUSD board from 1965 to 1975. He passed away in 1997. Stan’s mother, Ola Faye Sinclear also has passed away.
“It’s pretty humbling,” said Sinclear, who is treated as a celebrity when he makes an appearance. “A couple of months ago I ran into Betty Ustach and she has a school named after her in Modesto. We had a little discussion about it and she was kind of the same – as time goes by you realize what a big deal it is and you kind of get more humble over time. It’s quite an honor. You start thinking of all the wonderful people in the community who did lots of good things that don’t have a school named after them.”
Among those in attendance were current and past staff and board trustees. Former CUSD trustees Eileen Wyatt, Dave Sunday and Dave Brown also made an appearance.
Also opening 20 years ago were M. Robert Adkison Elementary School, named after the former CUSD superintendent; and Central Valley High School at Service Road and Central Avenue.
Community spirit has been strong at Sinclear. Because the school opened without playground equipment for students, parents and staff pulled together to raise the necessary $40,000 to purchase and install the new playground equipment.
