Saugus High School held a celebration event for its 50th anniversary in The Forum at the school on Monday evening.
Current students, former students, faculty, staff and local dignitaries gathered to commemorate 50 years of Saugus High Centurion history.
“Because I am now the oldest staff member here, and it’s hard to believe I remember when I first started and saw all, a lot of the teachers that are here, back here tonight. I’m like, ‘Oh, I’ll never get there. It’ll never come.’ And then now, all of a sudden, oh my gosh, 36 years has gone by so fast, just like the 50 years,” Diane Hamburger, assistant principal at Saugus High, told the audience.
The evening had performances by the concert choir, the show choir, the cheerleading squad and the band.
Geni Peterson Henry, principal of Saugus High, said that the people were the main focus of the celebration.
“I think it’s just really special. And I think everybody wants to be part of something. And when all of us here have been teachers and administrators, and I think it’s so nice to see what happens to the students in your class …” Peterson Henry said. “That’s what we’re really celebrating here is all staff and, you know, preparing students for the future and all the wonderful jobs that they’re in and what they’re doing. And so it’s a celebration of staff, students from all over the years.”
She added that celebrating academic excellence is one reason for Saugus High’s legacy.
“Academic excellence is probably one of the biggest … that’s what the school’s main goal is. And I think Saugus has had that tradition from the beginning. And even though we don’t have the original teachers, we do have teachers that have been here for a while that that’s something that just seems to be innately part of our school is that we support students so that they can do well,” Peterson Henry said.
Hamburger echoed the sentiment by adding that excellence in other areas like choir and theater is integral for students to succeed and go on to succeed in the future.
Peterson Henry said she was thankful to be a part of the festivities because it reflects the work that the staff and students do every day.
“It’s not just an event for a 50-year anniversary. You could see it on Friday night at our sports. You can see it Wednesday night or Wednesday afternoon at club meetings. You can see it in our students … (that) give back to the community, they become part of something bigger. They take their experienceences here. And I think that feels amazing to be part of that,” Peterson Henry said.
Hamburger added that one of the main reasons Saugus High is successful is because the staff feels like a family.
“We all come together, support each other, and the staff comes together to support our students, and I think they can feel a family atmosphere here,” Hamburger said. “They know they can go to anyone on campus and, you know, ask for help if they need it. And we try really hard just to have that family atmosphere and to help and support students in any area that they may need it in.”
During the ceremony, Michael Vierra, superintendent of the William S. Hart Union High School District, spoke about the school and how his children were also Centurions at one point.
“What a community Saugus High School is. From the students and staff, alumni, to our governing board who truly just support all of our schools, but Saugus is such a special place,” Vierra said.
Vierra added that it was an honor to be at the ceremony and celebrate the anniversary of Saugus High. He said Saugus High has done so much for the community, the district and for him personally.
One attendee, Tina Landrum, was a part of the first class that graduated from Saugus High in 1978 and spoke about her memories of being at the school.
“As the first graduating class of Saugus High, we’re not the oldest inhabitants of Santa Clarita, but we’ve been here since before the population and retail grew. And a lot has changed since then. No more free-ranging alfalfa and onion fields, they went the way of the Mustang Drive-In and Lombardi Ranch, the Plaza Theater …” Landrum said to the audience.
Landrum added that the students came from Rosedell Elementary School, Emblem Academy and Santa Clarita Elementary School, to name a few, and flowed through like a lazy river, as she put it, into Arroyo Seco and then the reality of not going to Hart High School, but to Saugus High to trailblaze their own path.
Another speaker was 11th grade student Daniel Nilson, saying the day was an amazing one for Saugus High.
“To thrive for 50 years at a school is truly a great achievement. I want to thank Saugus (High) for giving me an identity. I am not just a student here at Saugus (High). I am the executive treasurer of (Associated Student Body), the junior class, ambassador for the recycling club, a part of the soccer, volleyball, track and cross country teams,” Nilson said. “And so many other clubs that have shaped me into the person I am today. These experiences are not unique to me. Saugus (High) makes sure every student has countless opportunities to discover who they are and where they belong.”
