Submitted by Denair Unified School District

A former superintendent with decades of education experience will lead Denair High School for the rest of this school year.

Joe Galindo began as interim principal Thursday at the campus. He retired in 2008 after 13 years as superintendent of the Riverbank schools system.

Galindo replaces Alecia Myers, the first-year principal who is out on a leave of absence.

“Joe is an experienced and talented educator, and we’re delighted to have him join our staff,” said Superintendent Aaron Rosander, who introduced Galindo at Thursday night’s Denair Unified School District board meeting.

Galindo, 68, has frequently worked in interim roles as a principal or administrator during his retirement. His longest stint was a year and a half as principal at Bellevue Elementary School in Atwater. The shortest, he expects, may be the six weeks or so he spends in Denair.

“The main goal is to bring the school year to a close in a strong fashion and to make sure all the functioning areas are running and the school programs are in order,” he said.

Galindo’s career in education has taken him from Merced to Riverside, Modesto and then Riverbank. In 1997, two years after becoming superintendent in Riverbank, he led the effort to unify the district by combining the Riverbank Elementary School District with a portion of the Oakdale Joint Union High School District to form the Riverbank Unified School District.

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Two of Denair High School’s top students were honored this week by the Southern League for their academic and athletic accomplishments.

Cheyenne Rutherford and Edwin Flores have excelled in the classroom and as four-year members of the Coyotes’ sports teams and have been actively involved with various school clubs. Both are seniors who intend to enroll at California State University, Stanislaus this fall.

Rutherford has a grade-point average of 4.27, one of the highest in her class. She participated in volleyball four years and was on the track and basketball teams for three years. She also has been a Denair cheerleader for four years in addition to helping to coach the youth football cheerleading squad.

“Cheyenne is one of the busiest students I have known the past four years,” said Darrin Allen, the high school’s athletic director. “She has impressed me since her freshman year balancing all of her classes, athletics, FFA, cheer and coaching cheer while still maintaining over a 4.0 GPA.

“If an injury during volleyball would not have slowed her down this year, she would have been able to play basketball and participate in track.  That would have made her a three-sport athlete for all four years.  Cheyenne has a great future ahead of her and will be a success.”

Flores has earned a 3.55 GPA while participating in soccer, football, wrestling and track. He was the honored as the Most Valuable Player of the Coyotes’ soccer team last fall. He also has worked closely with Allen as the school’s athletic commissioner for the past three years.

“Edwin has been a pleasure to coach, teach and have as an athletic commissioner,” Allen said. “He has worked very hard the past four years to get where he is today.  He has taken his role as athletic commissioner very seriously and has been an asset to the athletic department.  He will be missed by many on campus next year.  I look forward to seeing what Edwin will accomplish in the coming years.”

The Southern League recognized one boy and one girl from each of its eight member schools at a luncheon at Hilmar Cheese Company. on April 13. Rutherford and Flores were chosen by Denair teachers and coaches based on their academic and athletic achievements as well as community involvement.